<p>Hi all. Before this begins I would like to apologize in advance if there are any formatting issues, I'm on mobile. Here we go!</p>
<p>Academics:
3.94 GPA uw (school doesn't rank or weight)
34 ACT (34 E, 35 M, 33 R, 34 S)
770 Math II 690 Chem
Junior year: AP Calc ab (5) AP Chem (3)- max APs I could take
Senior year: AP physics, AP computer science, AP Calc BC (second semester only- first semester I did an independent study on linear algebra through MIT online. (I could have taken 1 more AP but opted for a class that interested me)
I go to a nationally ranked public school in Washington State.</p>
<p>Activities:
4 years varsity ultimate frisbee (2 years captain)
6 years select soccer (until 11th grade, fractured my hip. Played recreational after)
JV Cross Country 1 year
Played a main role in a one-act play run entirely by students
NHS
Knowledge bowl co-captain
Biomedical engineering club
Worked as dishwasher for one summer
Lifeguard training and job next summer</p>
<p>Essays should be pretty good along with 1 of my teacher recommendations, not sure how good the other one will be. Counselor should be generic but good.</p>
<p>Awards: School Chemistry Student of the Year, NHS</p>
<p>I am a white male from a upper-middle class family. My grandfather and an uncle both graduated from Cornell.</p>
<p>I think you have a pretty good shot. Just keep in mind, however, that Cornell doesn’t count legacies during RD. They only count if you apply early decision. Nonetheless, you’re a strong applicant. Good luck!</p>
<p>You look like a very strong applicant to me. I have heard that the legacy hook helps mainly during the ED round, although I’m not sure if that’s true. So, while no one can say for sure, and numerous highly qualified students get rejected, I think you have a decent chance, with good essays and letters of rec. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>Thanks, I didn’t know about the legacy thing. Is that true at other schools as well? I also have a legacy at Dartmouth, and I kinda feel like I don’t have anything that makes me stand out other than the legacy. I feel like I will just blend into the crowd of highly qualified applicants without a hook.</p>
<p>I think legacy still counts during the RD round (I’m a legacy who applied RD) but your grandfather and uncle I don’t believe count for Cornell’s legacy (maybe your grandfather does…I can’t remember). Which school/major are you applying to?</p>
<p>Yea I was able to enter my grandfather’s name on the Cornell application, so I hope that counts. On the Dartmouth application they had an option for uncle, so I wasnt really sure.</p>
<p>I am applying to the engineering school most likely but also have an essay for arts and sciences, as I don’t really know which one I would like better. At arts and sciences I would probably study physics or computer science.</p>
<p>I have heard that the CoE is extremely rigorous and if you aren’t 100% confident on engineering it might not be for you, which is the case with me. That’s what’s holding me back from just applying to CoE</p>
<p>That’s true; engineering is very rigorous and I personally can’t imagine doing it at all, much less if I weren’t 100% committed to it. Arts and sciences is a good place to go if you aren’t totally sure what you want to do because you can explore a bunch of different subjects. The subject you like may end up being in CAS, in which case you could just declare your major and stay there, or you might realize something else is right for you, in which case you can do an internal transfer. </p>