<p>This sounds like a lot of griping about nothing to me. Plenty of people over many years have done whatever it is that they needed to do to accept their GT to CALS. Plenty of state universities and other colleges actually offer two short semesters of classes during the summer -- one beginning in late May/early June, and one beginning at the beginning of July. If this doesn't work out for a GT student, what about taking classes next summer before entering Cornell in the fall as a sophomore? I just don't see the roadblock if you want to make this work. </p>
<p>I understand, too, that it may seem odd that someone transferring into AEM (formerly AgEc, when I was there) should have to take so many science credits, but the science requirements for graduation from CALS are quite clear and prominent -- and, for that matter, what's so wrong with a well rounded education with a background in the sciences. Graduates with an AEM major do get a Bachelor of Science degree. </p>
<p>My point is simply that if you want something badly enough, you will make it happen.</p>
<p>Read the thread. Summer school this year or next(prior to entering Cornell for the fall semester) was not an option. Notice this summer arrived on July 7...too late to go anywhere. Next summer was ruled out by CALS Admissions. The gripe is---in practice for most people GT is out of reach or impractical. Most students won't figure that out until they start dealing with Admissions. I'll bet less that 5% of GT actually matriculate.</p>
<p>Hi Tamiami,
Sorry to hear about your son's situation. I am very curious, did your son get his guaranteed transfer off the waiting list? Otherwise, the timing seems "off" that they only let him know his requirements in mid-July?</p>
<p>He got the GT as part of his rejection at the beginning of April. Then he decided on IU at the end of April and used May to figure out how to meet both IU's requirements and GT's. In early June he began corresponding with Admissions about exactly which courses at IU that Cornell would accept(based on actual course descriptions). It was several weeks back and forth with several rejections, recommendations and substitutions. It wasn't until July 7 that Admissions nixed summer school in 2007 as an option. That was the last straw. He dropped his Cornell ambitions and moved on.</p>
<p>I take exception to gomestar's figure of 75%. I bet 25% of GT's don't even return the form.</p>
<p>Sorry about your bad experience, I hope you son enjoys his experience at Indiana. It’s a wonderful business program. I imagine his stats were high since he got the GT option at Cornell, has he received anything from Kelly about their Direct Admissions program, Kelly Scholars, etc.? </p>
<p>One thing I don’t understand in your post is your statement that “he got the GT as part of his rejection at the beginning of April”. A GT is not a rejection, maybe it’s just semantics here, but was he rejected and then offered a GT? Do all CALS students find out about the GT requirements in July, or is it because your son waited until June to consider the GT? I’m not trying to be argumentative, I am just trying to put this puzzle together. What a nightmare for you and your son.</p>
<p>"Read the thread. Summer school this year or next(prior to entering Cornell for the fall semester) was not an option. Notice this summer arrived on July 7...too late to go anywhere. Next summer was ruled out by CALS Admissions. The gripe is---in practice for most people GT is out of reach or impractical. Most students won't figure that out until they start dealing with Admissions. I'll bet less that 5% of GT actually matriculate."</p>
<p>First, a significant number of students who are GT do enroll at Cornell sophomore year -- I knew a large number of "automatic sophomores" when I went to Cornell, and I know of a significant number of them who have enrolled at Cornell since my time there through my involvement with CAAAN, among other things. I understand that July 7 is late, but all I was saying was that there are community colleges and local branches of state universities, etc. out there who offer second half of the summer classes that begin in July and go through August (I have taken many of them in my life, all in the evening while working full time summer jobs). Of course, it's too late now that it's a day until August, but it wasn't too late when you received your notification to make something happen. Since the alternative to GT was rejection, perhaps with encouragement to apply again, I don't think that you're in such a horrible place. </p>
<p>Plenty of people do make it work or there wouldn't be so many students accepting their GT and matriculating at Cornell as sophomores. I'm so sorry for you that you it may not work out for your son (and I really do hold out hope that you and he will be able to cobble something together so that it works out somehow) because Cornell is a truly incredible place to go to school.</p>
<p>He didn't get direct admit to Kelley, but he did get a merit scholarship(50%). I thought that was unusual for a state school.</p>
<p>He got the standard rejection letter at the beginning of April. I didn't see it, he just announced to the family that Cornell rejected him...and no wait list. About a week later he asked what a GT was. It seems in the second paragraph of the original rejection letter he was offered a GT. I believe the green GT was attached to the rejection letter.</p>
<p>The GT requirements for AEM were:
-2 English Composition courses
-ECON 101 and ECON 102
-Math 111(calculus I- 4 credits)
-Biology 1 &2 with labs</p>
<p>So he knew about the biology options. It seemed like there was a lot of leeway. By the time he actually submitted an IU equivalent for review, it was June. Because IU has separate courses for lab and lectures, Cornell wanted 4 courses(similar to Bio 101/102/103/104) except that at IU, it's a total of 12 credits.</p>
<p>Taking all that Biology would preclude him from taking the prerequisites for Kelley. </p>
<p>Here's the irony. I was a Bio major at Cornell and I didn't take any Biology my freshman year. My son wants to be a Business major and Cornell wants him to take 12 credits of Biology. Go figure.</p>
<p>If he doesn't take the Kelley pre-reqs his Freshman year, he doesn't get in. Based on that fact, I urged him to focus on Kelley and drop Cornell.</p>
<p>I agree, it does seem like an unusual amount of biology. I do understand the reason for the strong physical/life science requirements in the college... that's been discussed a lot on this forum, and I'm too tired tonight to repeat it, but I don't understand why he needs 12 credits from Indiana. Although I am not a staff member, I was under the impression that most AEM majors take Bio 109/110 for non-majors (unless they are considering pre-med, etc), which is 6 Cornell credits. I looked at Indiana's biology courses for fall 2006 (you have piqued my interest!) and it seems as as though they break the course content down differently... perhaps that is the reason for the hefty requirement. It's too bad that he didn't take bio this summer as Sallyawp recommended. Congratulations on the scholarship though, that's terrific!</p>
<p>I think I can help clear up at least one thing. As a GT to ILR I also have my slew of requirements (although only one science...thank god lol) and at least for ILR those specific classes are required so that I don't get behind other people and can still finish in 4 years. I am essentially taking classes that ILRies take later (Soph I think) because they are "elective" type of classes that aren't specifically designed for ILRies. Now when I get these classes out of the way and transfer I'll have to take a ton of the ILR specific classes to "catch up" but I will already technically be caught up because I took the electives Freshman year. </p>
<p>So in conclusion perhaps they are actually putting less weight on science than you think by letting u take it at another college (perhaps sciences = "electives"). This could be so that when you get to Cornell you can focus more on the AEM business type of classes rather than "random" biology "elective" classes.</p>
<p>But anyways I am extremely sorry for your son and I really hope that everything works out!!!</p>
<p>Tamiami,
I am so sorry about the difficulty in making the GT work for your son. We have experienced our own frustrations with Cornell administration, and it is not sour grapes as someone on this thread suggested. My daughter was admitted into Cornell and we were still treated with enough disrespect to question if the school was the right fit.</p>
<p>Bottom line is that your son will now be able to fully integrate into IU this fall without keeping one eye toward NY. He will be able to join clubs and make friends, not just go through a year of college disengaged to the experience. Your advice for him to abondon the GT was right on target. And rather than justify Cornell's 18 credit math/science prerequisite for AEM, we should commend you for what was a challenging decision.</p>