Can someone tell me my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>Can anyone tell me my chances?</p>

<p>I would apply to the CALS, the state endowed side since its easier to get in there because I'm from NY, and I want to major in biology to become a dentist. 11th grade currently.</p>

<p>GPA: 3.65 UW(estimated, may be higher, I don't know how many credits I will have) (My high school does it as an A+ is a 4.0, A is a 3.8, very competitive high school, many Cornell Acceptances), weighted will be higher
ACT: 31 (So far. I am going to take it again in June, want a 32/33)
SAT IIs: Will be taking Biology and Math 1 (will do fine in both, I'm in AP Bio and getting an A, I got a 33 on the ACT math)
APs: European History, Biology, Psychology next year, Economics next year, Calculus AB next year, and Government next year (6 by the end of high school)
Advanced Classes: Spanish IV (got college credits for it, getting an A), SUPA English next year for which I will receive college credits, and Spanish V Advanced Conversation next year for which I will receive college credits.
Regents classes: Earth Science (8th grade), Math A (8th and 9th), Biology (9th), Math B (9th and 10th), Global (9th), Spanish (8th, 9th, 10th), US (will be at the end of this year), Chemistry (10th), Physics (next year)
EC's: Will be an officer in the Blue Key Club next year (if I'm not, I will be angry since it will be my fourth year in the club), FBLA, Journalism, Spanish Honor Society, Mock Trial possible president (2hours a day for 3-4 days a week, was a witness and we placed fourth in the county)
Job/Work Experience: In 9th grade I worked at a senior living home for an hour and half every weekend, 10th grade I worked at a local ski store for about 6-10 hours a week, 11th grade, this summer I will be working at my local golf course everyday.</p>

<p>I am just starting to look at colleges, and I want to know if I have a chance here. It is my dream school. Is there any way to make my application better? What can I do to increase my chances of acceptance? What other schools should I look at that have good pre-med/pre-dentistry programs that are in par with my academic achievements?</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

2

<p>I’m not going to chance you. No-one on CC really knows anyone’s chances of getting into College X, we can only make semi-educated guesses. But since no-one here is a current admissions officer, no one can really give you an accurate ‘chance’.
I can, however, give you advice concerning your application.
Your GPA could hurt you, and you probably want your ACT to be at or above 34 just to make sure you are near the top end when it comes to test scores.
As for your EC’s: this is probably the most crucial part of the application. Now it looks like you show a liberal arts/humanities passion (Spanish, Journalism, Mock Trial). You might want to get into a science related EC just to prove that you really are a future dentist. Also, you have to show a passion for something. Make sure you don’t just join 10-12 EC’s. Be passionate about something. It doesn’t have to be school related, actually - maybe it can be being passionate about your job or something. But one thing a lot of colleges look for is experiences and what you bring to the college as an applicant. Right now, your EC list kind of just looks like your average smart student in smart extracurriculars. But there are thousands of those. You have to portray your uniqueness in your ECs. And the best way to do that well is through your essays. You don’t have to start now, but make sure to spend time on them. If I had to say the one thing that got me into Princeton it was the 2nd supplement essay. I didn’t have that essay for any other college: Stanford, Harvard waitlisted me, and Columbia and Yale rejected me. That essay that I wrote for Princeton may have well been the difference. Make sure to express yourself, your life, and your passions through your writing.
Start befriending your teachers if you have not already. Offer to babysit for them. Offer to tutor for them or (if its a science teacher) set up or tear down lab. You can’t just be one of the kids who came in, got an A, and left. You want to leave your teachers with the final impression: I wish that kid were my son or daughter. That’s the type of teacher that will write a good recommendation. And those experiences helping out a teacher provide life lessons, too. See, everything comes back to life’s experiences. For me, the TAing I did for my chem teacher really influenced how I wrote my essays - and that may have helped me in the long run.</p>

<p>Essentially, you can’t afford to look like the other smart-goodtestscore-goodEC-goodessay-goodrecs-hardschedule kids. Trust me, nearly everyone who applies to Cornell is like that. You can’t really stand out GPA-wise or SAT-wise, because there is a maximum in those areas that so many candidates reach. But in essays and recommendations, you can set yourself apart through your actions and choices.
Good luck!</p>

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<p>Thanks t-san, the only problem is, my school doesn’t have any EC’s pertaining to medical or anything. It really is terrible. The only way I’m going to be able to get in is if I work my behind off and get a 34. I think I can do it if I bust my rear everyday</p>

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<p>For your 34, try shelling out some money for an online kaplan course. If you don’t have any medical ECs, try volunteering at the local hospital.</p>

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<p>Will it help if I am interning/working at my local orthodontist’s office?</p>

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<p>definitely. EC’s don’t have to be school sponsored…</p>