Chance for Cornell, please? Thanks in advance.

<p>THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!</p>

<p>Gender: Male
Age: 16 (one year younger than everyon else in my class)
Ethnicity: Asian American (Chinese)
Region: Eastern Washington...we kind of suck
School: Regionally large-sized school with approximately 2000 students; best last year went to Northwestern and Caroll, year before fostered University of Virginia, NYU, and Emory
In-School Competition: Two with sights on Stanford, top in the class going to BYU, another one or two looking at Ivies.</p>

<p>GPA Unweighted: 3.77
GPA Weighted: 4.0
Class Rank: Not ranked, but estimated to be top 10-15%</p>

<p>Courseload:
Freshman (9): 14 Classes
- Pre-AP Freshman Language Arts I and II (Honors equivalent) (A,A)
- Pre-AP Coordinated Science I and II (Honors equivalent) (A,A)
- CMIC Algebra/Geometry I and II (horrible, horrible math curriculum...) (A-,A)
- French I and II (A,A)
- Concert Band (two semesters) (A,A)
- Health and Physical Wellness (A)
- Global Studies (A)
- Jazz Band (two semesters) (A,A)</p>

<p>Sophomore (10): 13 Classes
- AP United States History I and II (A,A)
- Pre-AP Sophomore Language Arts I and II (Honors equivalent) (A-,A)
- Chemistry I and II (A-,B)
- CMIC Algebra/Trigonometry I and II (A,A)
- French III and IV (A,A)
- Introduction to Business and Marketing (A-)
- Geography (A-)
- Chamber Orchestra (one semester) (A)</p>

<p>Summer Skills Center (10.5):
- Computer Graphics Design (A)
- Computer Programming (A)</p>

<p>Junior (11): 14 classes (my god, this was HELL)
- AP Calculus AB I and II (B-,B+)
- AP Biology I and II (B-,B)
- AP English Language and Composition (A-,A)
- AP Physics C: Mechanics I and II (B-,A-)
- French V and VI (college-level) (A,A)
- Anatomy and Sports Medicine (A-,B+)
- Chamber Orchestra (two semesters)</p>

<p>Senior (12): 14 classes
- AP Statistics I and II
- AP U.S. Government I and II
- AP English Literature I and II
- AP European History I and II
- French VII and VIII (college-level) (this will actually be AP French Language...it just hasn't been passed through the CollegeBoard)
- Photography I
- Architecture and Interior Design (might do Shakespeare instead)
- Chamber Orchestra (two semesters)</p>

<p>March SAT I score: 2100 (retake in October)
- Reading: 660
- Writing: 670 (8 out of 12 on the essay cause I straddled the fence)
- Mathematics: 770 (missed only one question)
SAT II scores: 2100/2400
- May Biology E: 680
- May Mathematics Level 1: 720
- June US History: 700
Taking US History, Math I, and Math II in November</p>

<p>September ACT Composite Score: 32 (no retake)
- English: 36
- Mathematics: 29
- Reading: 32
- Science: 31</p>

<p>AP Exam Scores: 3.875 Average (4.25 Average w/out Physics)
- 2007 US History: 5
- 2008 Physics C: Mechanics: 2 (won't report)
- 2008 Calculus AB: 4
- 2008 English Language and Composition: 4
- 2008 Biology: 4</p>

<p>Prospective AP tests for 2009:
- AP Statistics
- AP European History
- AP English Literature
- AP U.S. Government
- AP World History (w/out class)
- AP Chinese Language (w/out class)
- AP French Language (w/out class...sort of)</p>

<p>Extracurricular Activities
- National Honor Society: Been active member for three years, was instated spring of freshman year (as early as possible), and have ran and lost campaign for office twice: once for Vice President in 2007, and once for treasurer and president in 2008. Have gotten two Academic Letter Awards as a result of hard work in academics and through Honor Society. Will continue to be active with Honor Society activities and service projects (Toys for Tots, Cancer Walk-A-Thon, etc.) throughout senior year
- DECA: Active member in sophomore year, taking third place at the Regional DECA Competition in Business Law and Ethics and qualifying for the State Conference. Could not join in junior year due to lack of a business/marketing class on schedule. Will return in senior year.
- Youth Commission: Helped initiate my city's youth commission, and served on its Executive Board sophomore year. Resigned the position in junior, but still remaining active, I will return to the Board senior year as Chairman of the commission. The Youth Commission has organized many local events, and has participated in many service projects, including, but not limited to, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, local Battle of the Bands, local All Fool's Easter Egg Hunt, and local Kiwanis club. The Commission earned the Chase Youth Award for dedicated service in 2007 and 2008.
- Hospital: Regularly volunteer at local hospital since June 2008 (ever since I had time, really).
- Library: Former regular volunteer at local library since freshman year. Had to drop due to schedule conflicts
- ASM Materials Science Camp 2008: Participated at the Seattle camp in the University of Washington campus in July 2008. Worked with Boeing engineers on carbon-fiber reinforced polymer projects, and am intending to finish some of those projects in an Intel/Siemens Talent Search Project
- Knowledge Bowl: Captain of the 2008-09 Knowledge Bowl team. Active participant since sophomore year. Competed at Junior Varsity level in sophomore year and placed sixth in league (out of thirty-ish). Captained second varsity team, finished sixth in league (out of twenty or so), and competed with varsity team at regional and state competitions (second in regionals, out of 42, and sixth in state, out of a lot more).
- Newspaper: Am now in an internship as a sports/arts/entertainment journalist for the local paper.
- Key Club: First year doing it is this senior year, but serving as a senior board member of our school's chapter.
- Junior Statesmen of America: First year doing this as well. Just a beginning participant.
- Technology Student Association: First year here too...</p>

<p>Music:
- Violin: Have studied violin since fifth grade. Attained a silver medal in Level 1 Concerto Division in Musicfest Northwest 2007, and two silver medals in Level 3 Solo Division and Level 3 Sonata Division in Musicfest 2008. Attained third place in EWMEA Solo/Ensemble Solo Violin Division 2007, and second place in EWMEA Solo/Ensemble Solo Violin Division 2008
- Spokane Youth Symphony: Principal Second Violin for 2008-09 Season, 2008 Summer Orchestra, and 2008 Camp Orchestra. Active participant in the symphony since eighth grade. First violin in the Junior Symphonic Orchestra until upgrading to the Spokane Youth Orchestra second violin section by sophomore year.
- Chamber Orchestra: Part of original school chamber orchestra in 2007, and served as Assistant Concertmaster since Fall 2007. Instated as concertmaster June 2008, and am planning various events to make orchestra the best in Eastern Washington. The Chamber took third place at the EWMEA Solo/Ensemble Large String Group in 2007, and took second place at the EWMEA Solo/Ensemble Large String Group in 2008
- Clarinet: Studied for three years in middle school concert band. Principal chair at three different schools.
- Alto Saxophone: Studied for one year in high school concert band and jazz band. Principal chair in concert band, and assistant principal second saxophone in jazz band.</p>

<p>Athletics:
- Track and Field: Active athlete ever since seventh grade. Attained varsity status in eighth grade, but injury left me out of All-League competition. Junior varsity status until sophomore year, where I was bubble varsity in 110m hurdles. Returned to junior varsity in junior year due to minor injury and academics. Eighth place at the Greater Spokane League Junior Varsity Championships 2007 in the 110m High Hurdles.
- Cross Country: Active athlete in sophomore year, achieving junior varsity status. Dropped in junior year for sake of academics, but running junior varsity in senior year.</p>

<p>You have some fantastic classes and some amazing extracurriculars there, but where's your focus? I mean... it seems like you're kind of all-over-the-map. That's great as far as well-roundedness goes, but what's your specialty?</p>

<p>Ah...I guess I didn't make that especially clear. Um...class-wise, you're right, I'm all over. And I really am...I have a knack for history and english, but I enjoy science much more. I lack a focus there.</p>

<p>For extracurriculars, though, my big one is violin/music. But youth commission and knowledge bowl are also up there. I would've done more with journalism or science if I could, but I lacked opportunity.</p>

<p>College/major?</p>

<p>Undecided for now...maybe engineering...</p>

<p>You need very, very high GPA, class-rank, and SATs for engineering. Right now, your GPA and class-rank are not ideal. You should definitely up your SATs as well. However, you have some nice ECs. I think you have a good shot if you focus more on your academics.</p>

<p>I think your commitment to an excellent record of taking MANY courses and excelling in them will give you a good shot ED. You do, however, need to bump up your SATs quite a lot-- they count more with an unranked school because they are nationalized measures of how well you perform academically. </p>

<p>However, I think your biggest issue here is your lack of focus. You're like this whirling maelstrom of good academic energy with no "channel;" how are you going to use what you've done to contribute to the world? It's good to be well rounded, but without a point or a strength, you're a blob. Blob is not good. </p>

<p>What're you writing your essay topic on? Since you mentioned your big thing is music, but you're going up for Engineering, are you going to tie in your main passion to that somehow?</p>

<p>My essay isn't really on either music or engineering. It's halfway done, but it's on self-definition. Like you said, I lack a focus of what I want to be or do...so my essay is on defining myself in a more centralized, focused way.</p>

<p>if you really lack that focus are you sure you want to apply to engineering? if you find out you really prefer something else arts and sciences would be a much better place to be.</p>

<p>you seem like you have studied a lot and done reasonably well. makes me feel tired and overextended just reading it!! definitely apply, and I say you have a good but not sure shot. those SAT scores are not totally below what I remember seeing in the ED acceptances thread last year. most of them were in the 2100s or 2200s.</p>

<p>Thanks faustarp. The thing is, I don't know where I'm gonna head. I only mention engineering as a plausible option...it has just as much chance as business, medicine, law, or journalism...or anything really. How much does applying as "undecided" hurt?</p>

<p>Sounds like you should be applying to Arts. Are you ED?</p>

<p>Nah, regular decision.</p>