<p>By the way I'm a resident of NY. I'm really interested in science, and I like how both of those schools put a "twist" on it. The significantly lower cost would be great too. However, my SAT scores don't even break 2100 (2080 superscored, 2070 highest sitting). Still, my GPA is really great (possibly salutatorian in a pretty competitive public school on Long Island), I'm really involved with research, and I have a leadership position in a few of my clubs. Do I have a shot?</p>
<p>HMM… doing my own research is a good thing too and apparently NYS residents don’t really have much of an advantage
Oh well. Still, I never really wanted to consider Cornell because it’s just SO LARGE but now that I’ve looked into it and there are actually SEVEN (what?) schools it seems really different. I really think CALS would fit me well too seeing as research is sort of my thing (Siemens Westinghouse semifinalist FTW! 
still shocked about that). I’ve also been looking FOREVER for a school with an Ecology and Evolution major (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology concentration within Biological Studies sounds pretty sweet to me).
I’m really excited to visit the campus in person over spring break. From what I’ve heard its absolutely gorgeous! Especially because of the gorges. (haha gorgeous… gorges…)</p>
<p>Regarding gorgeous/gorge see: news.cornell.edu/stories/Feb08/HowardCoganObit.html.</p>
<p>Hate to burst your bubble of creativity, but the t-shirt phrase “Ithaca is gorges” has been around a lot longer than any of us have been alive. </p>
<p>Anyway - I hate to give the cliche answer to your query, but it really depends on fit at a place like Cornell. The Architecture program, for example, is the best in the country, draws premiere applicants, but has the lowest average SAT scores in the university. The students who are admitted to study farming, for example, have a very different set of skills and entrance criteria than those admitted to English which has different criteria from Engineering and on and on. It’s a hard school to gauge, but your high gpa and research experience could be enough.</p>
<p>I think that the saying, “the college that will give you the best chances of admission is the one you’re suited for” really does ring true. So, for example, you wouldn’t be getting into engineering if you have below 700’s on math. so, you tell us; don’t go by admissions statistics. do you think that your extracurricular activities and courseload (are you taking any languages? CAS would love that) are more fitted for a liberal arts education than hum. ec or CALS? Which college would you rather be at?</p>
<p>"Which college would you rather be at? "</p>
<p>Answer: “hopefullybrown”</p>
<p>But I could see OP at CALS.</p>
<p>Oh haha I made this name a while ago but I’m trying to explore other options.</p>
<p>I think I’m between CALS and CAS right now. Don’t think I’m going to apply ED anywhere since my mind has been going back and forth between so many different options >.<</p>
<p>I think CALS or Human Ecology would both be good fits for you. The ecology and evolutionary biology department at Cornell is awesome. And yes, as a New York State resident, it would likely be slightly easier to get into CALS or Hum Ec.</p>
<p>if you want to do the ecology and evolutionary biology program of study within biology, and you’re a NYS resident, definitely go for CALS! I don’t perceive any difference in research opportunities between CALS and CAS, and I’m not sure how one could possibly arise, to be honest. </p>
<p>I’m so jealous of anyone who got to do research before undergrad. it’s one of my top favorite things about college so far, and to think I was missing out on this previous time when I could’ve been involved!</p>
<p>mostly unrelated: I’m from upstate NY and I saw Ithaca is Gorges apparel for years before I even got to Cornell…but I think it wasn’t until sometime last year that I twigged to the Gorges/Gorgeous thing. I just thought the gorges were so important and grand that they basically <em>were</em> Ithaca. then just a few months ago I realized the “I” was a gorge and not a weird looking tree.</p>