Chance at Cornell?

Colleges & Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>I've made these threads dozens of times by now but I wanted to get feedback from actual matriculants. I'm applying to the engineering school.</p>

<p>Hook(s): URM (African American), Arkansas residence</p>

<p>GPA: 3.73 (4.0, 4.0, 3.8 3.4 3.2 4.0) <---I have a good excuse for the dip
*GPA is unweighted with only academic courses</p>

<p>Rank: 49/526 <----(I know)</p>

<p>SAT: 2200/2400 OR 1490/1600 (770 CR 720 M 710 W) (Retaking June)
SAT IIs: (October)
ACT: (June)</p>

<p>APs:</p>

<p>Sophomore:
World History</p>

<p>Junior:
Language and Composition
US History
Calculus</p>

<p>Senior:
European History
Calculus BC
English something
Biology
lFrench IV</p>

<p>AP exams:
Only taking 3, but expecting 4's and maybe a 5 or two.</p>

<p>ECs/Awards/Leadership:</p>

<p>Debate - Captain/VIP/Filer - 9-11, 12 soon(06-07) Over 400 hours
ROTC (Military course/training) - Officer Rank - Over 100 hours
Beta Club (Like NH Society) - Member - 30+ volunteer hours
UAMS Volunteer (Hospital) - Member - for the summer, 94 hours
Student Congress - Delegate - 15+ hours
Arkansas Commitment (This is for academic enhancement)- Member -
40+ hours
Piano Player - 4 hours a week/4 years
Cornell Summer College - 3 weeks
Marquette University Debate Institute - 2 weeks</p>

<p>2nd place State Champion (2006)
8th place State Champion (2005)
6th place State Champion (Speaker--2006)
4 1st places - 1st Place Champ Debate - State
2 2nd places - 2nd Place Champ/Novice Debate - State/Regional
4 3rd places - 3rd place Champ/Novice Debate - State
1 1st place - 1st place debate speaker - State
2 1st places - 1st place Impromptu/Extemporaneous - State level
1/about 100 cadets recieves- Military Order of World Wars - School
1st - Superior Flight - School
1/ about 50 cadets recieves - Military Order of the Purple Heart
- School
1 of about 50 cadets recieves- Aerospace Education Academic Award
-Scohol
Only - Award of Academic Excellence/ROTC - School
Only - Superior Student/Debate - School
1 of about 20 - Dadaelian Award - School
1 of many - (5 promotions,
SAirman/TSrgnt/SSrgnt/MsSrgnt/Lieutenant)- schooll
1 of few - Six different ROTC ribbons, academic excellence,
superior flight, leadership, good conduct, superior performance,
outstanding performance</p>

2

<p>i doubt you'll get in. Weak SATs. Purple heart? you get injured?</p>

3

<p>Oh. 10 Char.</p>

<p>(Military Order of the Purple Heart=Leadership)</p>

4

<p>I see no reason why you shouldn't apply. You have a solid record, and your Arkansas residence might be considered an advantage. I don't think your SATs are too low for Cornell engineering. </p>

<p>I suggest seriously studying for the math and science SAT subject tests you're going to take in the fall. The courses you listed indicate that you didn't take an AP science as a junior. Some of the people you will be competing with when you take that SAT II Chemistry or Physics test did take AP Chemistry or AP Physics. They have an advantage over you. So it might be a good idea to get a review book and work your way through it and/or ask your school if you can borrow a chemistry or physics textbook over the summer. You may also want to get a review book for the Math IIC test or borrow a precalculus textbook. The problem here is that the test is mostly on precalculus, and it's been a while since you took that course. You may be a bit rusty on some of the topics on the test.</p>

5

<p>Ah, I've already gotten the practice books for Math IIC and Chemistry, and I'll be buying the official SAT II study guide as well. Do you have another SAT II to recommend? (Preferably an easy one to score high on)</p>

6

<p>I'd say your chances are pretty decent for RD and even more certain for ED. SAT's look solid, as do grades, and although your extracurriculars/awards don't seem very fitting for someone applying to Engineering, they definitely show commitment. </p>

<p>Being an URM will help, as will being from Arkansas--a friend of mine is from Arkansas, and I'm pretty sure she's the only freshman here who is.</p>

7

<p>You look like a very solid candidate. Keep improving yourself and you have a good chance for being a potential student. Make sure to do well on those SAT 2's! Good Luck! (great awards btw)</p>

8

<p>you're an amazing candidate. you've also posted a lot since january.</p>

9

<p>I would say your chances are very good. Great ECs, good SATs, and a lot of APs in there. Getting 5s on AP tests isn't as hard as you're making it seem with your SAT and GPA- perhaps set higher standards for that and try and pull 5s across the board. The Arkansas residence definitely helps, since Cornell is a very diverse school looking for a broad range of applicants.</p>

10

<p>"Weak SATs"? Uhhh... no. I'm pretty sure that puts you in the middle 50%. You have a lot of good things going for you, and there's no reason not to apply. Also, the fact that those things don't directly apply to engineering might help you--diversity is a keyword here as much as anywhere. (Interests, race, and location are all going for you.) No one ever has a guarantee but you shouldn't worry about it too much.</p>

11

<p>HAHAHA!!!! Weak SATs. Funny. </p>

<p>I got in with an SAT score WAAAAY lower than that. </p>

<p>APPLY!!!! :-)</p>

12

<p>You don't need a third SAT II subject test for Cornell Engineering. </p>

<p>See <a href="http://admissions.cornell.edu/downloads/freshmen_reqs_timetable.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://admissions.cornell.edu/downloads/freshmen_reqs_timetable.pdf&lt;/a> and remember to look at the "new tests" column, not the "old tests" column.</p>

13

<p>I still want to take a third just for the colleges I'm applying to that require three.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the evaluations, btw.</p>