Chance an BIG Dreamer

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I have always dreamed of going to Cornell. I really like their engineering facility and research opportunities, and the campus was phenomenal when I visited on my own.</p>

<p>The problem is my family. My parents are foreign and have never received above what would be equivalent to a high school degree. While growing up my father intended for me not to go to college. He has always wanted me to start a construction business with him once I graduated high school. During my four years of high school and 7th and 8th grade my father has purposely forced me to work to gain experience, he did not care at all how I did in school. I worked a job at a grocery store by choice for about 20 hours per week during school. On top of that my dad forced me to help him and his friend renovate foreclosed apartments and condos for resale. This took up about another 25-30 hours a week of my time during school. He also got me to do yard work for my neighbors throughout the week, usually around 10 hours of work a week. My father has been very strict, and I've complied with him because he is my father and I do respect him, even though he might not be looking out for my best interest. With all this work (around 45-50 hours a week) I found very little time to focus on school work. I enjoy school, especially chemistry, and have wanted to become a chemical engineer for quite a while now. My grades however have suffered because there was very little time for me to do school work; I always excelled at tests, but time-consuming projects and work was very difficult for me to complete in time. I budgeted my time very well, it just wasn't enough..it frustrated me.
Would Cornell take my situation into consideration if I wrote about it in the additional comments section or as part of my essay? And if so would I stand a chance with a low GPA?</p>

<p>My stats</p>

<p>Race: Caucasian (Arab)
State: Georgia
First generation student
Income: <60,000/yr
GPA: 3.5 UW, 3.8 W
Rank: Top 15%
Rigor: 12 Honors classes, 12 AP classes (I like a challenge)
AP Classes (score): US History(5), Chemistry(5), English Language(5), Calculus AB(5), World History(4), Biology(Sr year), Physics C Mech(Sr year), Physics C Elec/mag(Sr year), English Literature(Sr year), Psychology(Sr year), Statistics(Sr year)</p>

<p>SAT 1: 700 Math, 680 Reading, 700 Writing (taking 2nd time in october, aiming for 2200+)
SAT 2: Taking Math 2 and Chemistry in November (should get 750+; 780-800 on practice tests)</p>

<p>Major ECs
- 4 year varsity wrestling (team captain this year): I did this on top of all my outside work, since wrestling has always been a passion of mine and it took my mind off work for once. My father doesn't support me on this, and I have to walk home most of the time.
- Diplomacy and Equality Club (treasurer/diplomacy coordinator): Promotion of social equality through awareness; batter recycling campaigns; TAP project to raise money for clean water in Africa; very active member.
- National Honors Society: difficult to get into at our school, your application is viewed by a panel of judges. Service club, tutoring.
- National Science Honors Society: Service, tutoring
- I also do figure skating competitions during winter break at local ice rink
- Tried to start a chemistry/chemical engineering club, but no one would sponsor unless I found 15 willing members..I found 10..lame.
- Church volunteering over the summer.
- 100+ hours of coaching young wrestlers during summer
- FBLA</p>

<p>Essays- look great so far, especially for the supplement
Recs- should be good, from calc teacher, chem teacher, and us history teacher. Might get one from coach as extra. Counselor rec should be okay.</p>

<p>What are my chances and should I apply ED or RD for best chance. If I stand no chance at all, don't be afraid to say so.
Sorry for the long post, I'm just trying to communicate my scenario. Thanks for reading, any comments are very much appreciated, I will chance back!</p>

2

<p>No, schools like Cornell that reject the vast majority of applicants are not going to give you a break because of family priorities.</p>

3

<p>okay thanks, so would you say my chances are <10%? <5%?</p>

4

<p>Outside of your GPA, you’re not that bad. maybe 10% chances, which is like half of the accept %.</p>

5

<p>Less than 10% of those accepted were not in the top 10% of their HS class and most of those are athletes, legacies and URMs. Add is a below median SAT score and chances are very low, does it really matter if the are 5% or 10?</p>

6

<p>sigh, i guess i basically have no chance then. thanks for your input. Do have any suggestions of schools that would be good matches and low reaches for me? Intended major would be chemical engineering.
Would Georgia tech, carnegie mellon, and john hopkins be reasonable choices?</p>

7

<p>I agree that it’s mainly your GPA letting you down. I think you should try to drag up both your GPA & SAT score. Does you Dad know you’re planning on applying for college (I’m not discouraging you, the opposite in fact, I’m just curious)?</p>

<hr>

<p>Just saw your last post. Take into account that that opinion is only one person’s opinion so far. I’d let some other people reply so you get a better idea. (:</p>

8

<p>yes he knows, but still doesn’t support me at all. I’ll be paying for most of my college, which shouldn’t be too much after financial aid. I’m use to working anyways. So far this year i have all A’s in 6 AP’s…if i keep this up for the rest of the semester and apply RD would my chances increase significantly?</p>

9

<p>Hmom knows a lot and she is probably right that you have low chances. THey would get better with straight As, but it would still be tough.</p>

<p>That said, if you really have “always dreamed” of going to Cornell, then I don’t think you have any choice but to give it a shot. It’s only what, $70 to apply. I’d spend $70 to try for something I had always dreamed about, even if I had .001% chance of succeedig. Just don’t get your heart broken if you don’t get in.
THe other option is get into Georgia TEch and transfer or go to Cornell for grad school.</p>

10

<p>Yea, i was planning on applying no matter what, I’d rather get flat out rejected then never know. Transferring was the other option I was thinking about. I think I’ve got a decent shot at gatech.</p>

11

<p>I think you have morethan a 10% chance</p>

12

<p>I can’t think of why you don’t have a decent shot at Cornell.</p>

13

<p>I’m just worried they’ll overlook the rest of my application, which I think is fairly strong, just because my GPA is well below the median. I know they look at applications holistically, but the GPA seems like a big turnoff, although I have a reason for it (whether or not they care about my reason is what is in question).</p>

14

<p>cornelldream - spend your time to write an outstanding essay, get excellent recommendations and go for it!
I’m not expert, but there are people with lower gpa but still get into ivies, so, never give up.
I think you have very good chance.<br>
Good luck for your sat I and II test!</p>

15

<p>write an essay about your work experience, your father, your dreams, a wide retrospective.</p>

<p>just a suggestion</p>

16

<p>I disagree that hmom knows a lot. In fact, i disagree with most of the posts on this “chance me” thread. I believe that if you really want to Cornell and do everything in your power you can, I do not see you being rejected. Write a fantastic essay. I think you have a good shot honestly. Screw what most of these people are talking about. I know people with 28 and 29 ACT’s with no hook who have gotten into Brown and Cornell. People told them their chances weren’t good, but they worked and did everything they could for their application to look good. Reach for the stars.</p>

<p>hmom5</p>

<p>“No, schools like Cornell that reject the vast majority of applicants are not going to give you a break because of family priorities.”</p>

<p>What an insult! At least you can word it kinder if that’s what you believe. How can you be so sure of everything? Are you the admissions officer? I don’t think so! You don’t know ****</p>

17

<p>I appreciate all the enthusiasm and encouragement. I will work hard to make my essays, recommendations, and SATs spectacular and hope for the best. My counselor knows of my situation and will be mentioning it in my rec. If anyone needs a chance back just leave a link and ill be happy to do so.</p>

18

<p>Let me know what happens in the end. I want to know if you are accepted. I want to use it against everyone who has said there is no way you will be accepted.</p>

19

<p>Sure, no problem ill add you.</p>

20

<p>this is what you have to do:

  1. tell your dad “screw you. stop trying to prevent me from being successful.”
  2. write your college essay about your dad’s **** and get like a billion people to read over it. Honestly it makes me mad, so i hope, if you write it well, that it’ll invoke some kind of emotional response in the reader while revealing your standpoint.
  3. your AP tests are impressive, but SAT not so much. You’re hoping for a huge leap in score, so here’s how to do it. go to your guidance office and get like EVERY SAT prep book, only READ Princeton Review’s, but do the practice tests in all. Barrons and Kaplan’s are supposed to be either too easy or too hard (i forget which is which) but w/e. I’d also suggest taking a practice ACT test; you might find it easier. and they’re on different dates, so might as well take both.
  4. your EC’s are kinda good, but the list of legit ones (like two or three) is short. unfortunately, senior year is not the time to go starting a bunch of new activities. Do what you can to demonstrate your commitment to the ones you’re in right now.</p>

<p>i think georgia tech is a nice alternative :] a lot of the math team people from my school end up going there.</p>

<p>as a final question… your courseload and gpa’s don’t seem to match up… if you took all honors/ap (as you pretty much say you do) yet your UW is 3.5, that would suggest you make half A’s and half B’s. But a B in an honors class is a 4 rite? and an A is a 5 rite? so you should have around a 4.5 weighted, right?</p>

<p>chance me? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/780607-chance-me-vanderbilt-emory-wake-forest.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/780607-chance-me-vanderbilt-emory-wake-forest.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;