<p>Hey guys i am an international student with low sat scores but pretty strong achievements. My dream school has always been Cornell [CALS]. I would love to know about your thoughts on my chances.</p>
<p>Below are my details
Sat 1 : 1960 [600cr 670m 690w] [SAT is very different from my school curriculum]
Sat 2 : 740 maths 2 and 750 physics [Not required for CALS]
GPA : No such system in my country but I am currently attending one of my country's most elite secondary schools.
My A-Level Cambridge Forecast => All A*
My O-Level Cambridge Results => 5A* and 2A</p>
<p>ECS :
1) Won A Major Award*
2) Several of my concepts strategies were recently purchased by a company**
1) Awarded By Microsoft for tracking bug in its system
2) Played a major part into setting up of a blood donation
3) Worked on school magazine
4) Hosted a LAN GAMING festival (once every year for the last 4 years)
5) Raise funds for poor schools
6) Took my school's computer club from crap to awesome
7) Have started the several businesses (earns me about $500 a month):
Software Coding Service
Travel And Tourism Directory</p>
<p>*I won the best young entrepreneur award [internationally recognised one won't name it so that you can't find my real name] in my country in the category 18-40 years old. I am still 18 years old by the way. On international level for the same award, i went to the finals but unfortunately did not win. </p>
<p>**Several of the business strategies that I developed in my free-time with my partner was purchased by a big company for around two million dollars. I cannot elaborate on this due to some clauses in my contract.</p>
<p>So what do you guys think ? Please chance me for Cornell CALS ED
Thanks in advance</p>
<p>Bump … a reply would be great … Thanks in advance</p>
<p>You definitely have a strong chance. I would recommend retaking the SAT though, as that’s super important in the American admissions process. </p>
<p>Best of luck! :)</p>
<p>I like your chances. I’m actually in CALS lol.</p>
<p>Thebeatlestoday - Thanks I intend to retake the SATs in December
bilnythesciguy - If i may ask, what were your scores ? </p>
<p>I do hope these achievements really overshadow my bad scores … (i don’t have a great transcript … I do have excellent teacher rec though)</p>
<p>2270: 800 math, 700 CR, 770 WR. I forgot my SAT 2s</p>
<p>Your extra curricular achievements are indeed quite strong, but I’m afraid that SAT score may be a hindrance to your application. I’m not sure if applications for international students are considered separately, but an elite school like Cornell receives huge volumes of applications and needs to remove a large portion of the pool with initial sorting based on indicators like standardized tests. It’s not that your achievements aren’t good enough, they might simply not be noticed. Retaking the SAT will improve your chances significantly.</p>
<p>bilnythesciguy > you’re really good =o</p>
<p>HatersGonnaHate > Thanks for your advice … I intend to retake the SAT later on … However i thought school looked at you as a whole not as per one criteria :s I am a little bit confused here</p>
<p>Yes and the SAT is part of that whole. Think of it as your weakest link.</p>
<p>Some of this will depend on what country you are from; competition can be tough, from some. And there are particulars in various countries that limit ECs, grading or tracks- so the context depends. What any top college will look for is how what you present suggests your chances to succeed in their specific environment. In theory, that comes before an award or your business. It’s their goal. They will closely read the GC (or admin) and teacher LoRs, especially if the transcript doesn’t reveal grades. In themselves, the scores aren’t bad. But if you are headed for STEM, they will see the SAT M.</p>
<p>Would December be too late for the SAT retake if apply ED? You probably want to do that much earlier just in case score delay.</p>
<p>I feel like with your entrepreneurial spirit, you would be better suited for Stanford University, which is located right next to Silicon Valley. I honestly think your achievements are great enough to cover up the lack of SAT Scores. I know a friend who went to MIT with a 440 on his reading score. Really depends on what you did instead of how you scored, and I think you did great :)</p>
<p>tetutato > Ohhh thanks for the clarification mate 
I will try to improve that</p>
<p>lookingforward> Thanks for the detailed post.Indeed i come from a country without much competition … most students go to europe (UK Mainly).I will try to improve that SAT M score ASAP.I Hope that it helps that i will have A* on my A-Level forecast and my maths teacher saying that I was a very late developer in Maths.</p>
<p>billcsho> I can’t take the SAT earlier. Unfortunately i cannot handle two examinations at once. All the other available dates coincide with my A-Level exams :/</p>
<p>Datkidontheblock > Thanks for your advice. I will definitely look into Standford as well :)</p>
<p>Cool, amazing )) Sorry my foolish question, but anyway what’s your gender?</p>
<p>lol i am a male :P</p>