<p>hey guys,
i was rejected the other day from penn and cornell Arts & Sciences. Penn i understand. but cornell i cant figure out.
i took courses at their summer college this past summer, and made the Dean's list with a 3.8 GPA.
i scored a 2190 on the SAT, and had an upward trend in my grades, with my overall GPA at 92, though my Junior year average was a 95. i wasnt even waitlisted. (nor was i given a Guaranteed Transfer, but i dont know if Arts & Sciences offers it).</p>
<p>any possible thoughts as to why they rejected??</p>
<p>also, i plan on spending next year in a theological seminary in Israel. since i have 7 credits from cornell from this past summer, if i go back this summer and take 8 credits (and have a semester's worth), would i be able to apply to either cornell, or places such as penn, harvard, or so on as a transfer student???
thanks so much for your help and i hope you all had better luck than i did :)</p>
<p>Your SAT score really won't cut it. What are your extracurricular activities? If you are basically relying on academics, then you should try to score a 2250 or higher. Make sure that your math and critical reading scores are up there.</p>
<p>are you referring why i was rejected, or my chances for applying as a transfer??
i thought my SAT scores were fairly well within the range, maybe not.
my extracurriculars included:
Head of volunteer Peer-to-peer tutoring in Chemistry, math, and Physics.
private Chemistry, math, and Physics tutor.
distribution manager of the school newspaper.
model UN delegate and science Olympiad for junior and senior years, and hockey for freshman and sophomore.
Thanks Tux</p>
<p>don't listen to him, SAT scores arent't the only part of ur app. Arts and Sciences is the most competitive school in Cornell to get into since there are so many applicants. Don't think that u are inadequete 'cause u aren't if u really want cornell apply again next year as transfer and express ur desire to go. But the admissions officers have so many "great" apps to read that they may look over a really special one.
SOmetimes things aren't meant to be. I didn't get into Columbia and I was soo down, but now I know I would never have liked Columbia and I love Cornell. So, sorry to preach, God makes things happen for a reason and u'll find out in the future.
Cheer up:)</p>
<p>thanks trackbabi...
i dont wanna sound conceited, but i think they overlooked my app.... afterall, i had a GPA at the university that the overwhelming majority of students there dont have....i also got a great rec. from one of my professors there from over the summer...
how would i go about transferring there next year???
thanks again :)</p>
<p>What do you do when there are 5,6 or 7 people, all qualified, vying for 1 spot? Obviously some people are going to be dissapointed, its purely statistical. That, and being born in 88 (myself) or 89 is a killer.</p>
<p>I got wait listed from columbia no one at my school cant figure it out but accepted to Yale and Princeton . I truly believe its a lottery system after they weed out who they want . It just doesnt make sense!!!!!! Apply transfer and see what happens!!!!! My heart was set on Harvard but rejected there and I got over it quickly in less than 24 hours saying its their loss!!!</p>
<p>Well considering 79.5% of applicants weren't accepted, there's definitely going to be some people who are disappointed.</p>
<p>FYI, summer courses do not generally reflect the difficulty of courses at Cornell. Although the median grade is the same, the classes are full of high school students and students in the COSEP program (comprising of students from inner city schools). IMO, most stellar students here don't take summer school because they usually find internships or research opportunities. Likewise, you are really only studying one or two subjects, which is very different from taking 5-6 courses at a time.</p>
<p>I wouldn't spend too much time trying to figure it out, csbjs. You are perfectly qualified; there were just too many applicants. Even little things like the position of your application in the stack can influence the admissions decision.</p>
<p>It says a lot about your character that you have something interesting and productive to do next year, that you still believe Cornell is right for you and that you plan to try again. A few years ago I read Jimmy Carter's biography and I was struck that it took him three tries, three years, before he was admitted to his college of choice, the Naval Academy.</p>
<p>I agree with SuNa. Admissions can be very random. I know this amazingly qualified person who got into Stanford but was waitlisted at Cornell. </p>
<p>Your stats really aren't everything. Your SAT range basically just qualifies you; I think what you have right now is absolutely fine. It's within the middle 50% range, meaning it won't help you or hurt you. I got in with a 2170, and there are definitely people out there with lower scores. What might matter more are your SAT IIs and other standardized tests (IB or AP test scores). My SAT IIs were higher than my SAT Is, which probably helped. But again, admissions officers take a comprehensive look at your application, so one factor alone won't make you a shoe in.</p>
<p>With regard to your Summer College GPA - I was also on the dean's list. But then again, I took Math 191. If you were listed down for Psych or some other course that is generally considered easier and more laid back than other classes offered, then getting a 3.8 isn't going to wow the adcom. I don't know what courses you took, but the rigor of the courses you took is another factor to consider.</p>
<p>And this is the same thing with your GPA at school. GPA only really means anything when you put it in the context of how demanding your curriculum is. How many APs/IBs did you take? Are you in honors classes (if your school offers them)? Are you taking courses that reflect your academic interests?</p>
<p>And finally, besides other subjective criteria, adcoms look at your essay. The admission officers at Cornell say they read the essay before anything else in the application, so it's obviously very important.</p>
<p>When it comes to rejections from the Ivy League, you can't pinpoint why someone may have been rejected. It's a crapshoot. Don't dwell on this, but if you are looking to reapply next year, you might want to see what weaknesses there might have been in your app. </p>
<p>Also, no one is guaranteed admissions to the Ivy League. I mean, rejection might have been unexpected because you were hoping to get in, but Cornell isn't a safety school for anyone.</p>
<p>thanks SuNa....
anyway, liana- thats interesting that your friend was waitlisted at cornell but got into stanford....
i took Economics 101, Human Development 115, and Human Development 116 (a section/ lab)... so it wasnt like it was a joke summer.
im in all honors classes, got a 4 on the AP US history exam last year, and i'm in 4 AP classes this year (the maximum possible in my school). it wasnt that i was expecting to get in because i wanted to go so badly, it's that my guidance counselor called them on numerous occasions, and they gave the illusion of a decision in the affirmative.... :(</p>
<p>I didn't mean to imply that you had a joke summer. I'm just saying that college students who cannot handle the course load during the academic year usually take a course over the summer because it's easier. Maybe you can appeal their decision if you feel that strongly about it.</p>
<p>Seeing your extracurriculars, I really don't know why you didn't get in, but cheer up. Try for a transfer. Don't set everything on this.</p>
<p>I mentioned his SAT scores because he hadn't posted everything that matters in admissions. I actually mentioned that if he was relying purely on academics, then his SAT scores needed improvement.</p>
<p>thanks yall...
hey tux- i thought the EC's werent too bad either...thx...
figgy- lemme articulate...maybe 92 isnt a sure shot, but, its an unweighted GPA, in all honors and AP classes, with a dual curriculum (i go to a Jewish school, which splits time between Judaic and Secular studies)...so the 92 may not be as low as it seems... is it???</p>
<p>in response to aloe- im pretty sure those are not the easiest courses offered at cornell... econ 101 is not notortious for being easy... especially with a japanese grad student who spoke very little english and had no idea how to teach...
human development might be an easy course- ill give that to you, but i got the highest marks in the class (which is supposedly shown on the transcript.)
theres also courses like "college-success," psych and so on which i believe are regarded as easier (am i wrong)??</p>
<p>econ101 is not a joke it is for ppl who want to major in econ so that is a pretty legit class. There is no "easy" class at cornell. I'd say taking college courses at an ivy over the summer is pretty rigorous for a high school student so it was not a joke summer</p>
<p>Look up threads about transferring and think about other schools as well. Don't worry the pain of rejection will go away soon</p>