Chance Me for Cornell (CAS or CALS) ED

Trying to decide between CAS and CALS. I am in-state, but tuition is not really an issue for me. Not sure about applying to CALS directly with a major. If I did apply to CALS I would apply into Biological Sciences, but I hear that is one of the hardest majors to apply to CALS for (and I’m not sure if my application will stand out among applicants with tons of research experience). Please chance me for both schools. If you have an opinion on which school might be a better fit for me, please let me know in your responses.

ACT: 33-35 (I have a 32 now but am retaking, the average score of admittance from my school to Cornell is a 32)
SAT II’s: (these are laughable. I’m hoping they might be explainable since I suffered a concussion that affected, and continues to affect mental processing, for almost the entirety of my second semester in junior year? I do not have any accommodations.)
Literature (expected: 610-620),
U.S. History (720-740)
AP"s: AP World (3), APUSH (3), and AP English Literature (4), AP Calc AB, AP Stats, AP Bio (school only offers 4 other AP’s, 3 of which would conflict with other classes)
GPA: 3.84 UW
School Type: Prestigious private school (it’s also a Catholic school)
School does not rank, top quartile

About Me:
Legacy at Cornell (dad is an alum)
NY resident
White affluent female
Prospective ED Applicant (rising Senior)
Random tidbits:
-Did my yearlong theology research project on the Ethics of Human Genetic Intervention. Combined a passion for CRISPR technology for my obsession with doing the right thing
-I’m Catholic but by no means a Bible-thumper… there is MUCH within the Catholic Church that I disagree with. Am contacting Jennifer Doudna (co-inventor of CRISPR who has spoken out about its ethics) to see if there is anything we can collaborate on.
-Suffered terrible concussion January 2017 (2nd semester junior year, could there be worse timing?) that affected my processing (slowed it down severely––but I don’t receive extended time on standardized tests), my ability to focus, and my prowess in some of my classes (I think my UW GPA would be slightly higher). Didn’t finish junior year classes until 2 weeks after my classmates for this reason.
-Staight A’s except for 2 B’s in sophomore year: Honors French and Honors Geometry
-Interested in becoming a pediatrician, but I think I am seeking more of a liberal arts education… I am a proficient and extremely capable writer, am interested in ethics, genetics, and biomedical engineering… my interests are incredibly varied, is what I’m trying to say, I guess.

EC’s:

  • Biology Club (10, 11 (VP), 12 (President) -IEA Equestrian Team (Requires a 5hr round trip commute and whole-day commitments for competitions on the weekends) (11, 12) -Alumnae Ambassador (11) -2 30-hour workshops at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (prestigious lab located in NY) -100+ Community Service Hours: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center volunteer, training to be a pediatric volunteer this fall (I would one day like to be a pediatrician) -Human Trafficking Awareness Club (10, 11, 12) -Math Team (11, 12) -Varsity Outdoor Track (9, 10. 11&12 (as manager)) -Campus Ministry (10, 11, 12) -School newspaper contributor (11, 12) -Summer Activities: -3 years camp counselor at rugged horseback riding camp in the middle of nowhere. Very farm-y. Writing my Common App about what it taught me about thriving on a little bit (or a lot) of chaos. (in my opinion, might fit better with CALS. Would fit be enough to not admit me ED to CAS? I think I (and my father) would prefer I attend CAS if I could get in) -Job at local restaurant (post-11, post-12? (TBD)) -Summer precalc course -Babysitting

Also, should I write about my concussion in the additional info section of my Common App, or should I have my counselor (who knows me and my experiences during my concussion well) write about it? I’m worried about appearing to make excuses?

Thank you!

I think you have a solid shot. Apply and see how it goes.

thank you!

do you have a preference for which school you think I should apply to?

You look like you would have a decent shot at either college. You should really look at what the individual college graduation requirements are for their students. And if you have an interest in biological sciences, there are multiple majors at Cornell that might suit you:

  • Biological Engineering (CALS)
  • Biological Sciences (CAS and CALS)
  • Biology & Society (CAS and CALS)
  • Biometry & Statistics (CALS)
  • Chemistry & Chemical Biology (CAS)

Just as a generalization, both CAS and CALS have requirements for liberal arts, but CAS leans towards a more well-rounded curriculum (including requiring math, science and foreign language in addition to the humanities), while CALS requirements are more science and data heavy.

You sound like a really strong candidate for ED. My son is in CALS and the requirement to graduate is 1/3 curriculum in your major, 1/3 in distribution requirements (science, humanities and writing) and the other 1/3 in courses you want to take (even at other colleges like CAS). I think it’s a pretty well rounded education by the time you graduate from CALS. With this set up, my S will end up with two minors. And it leaves you with time to have a life outside of school such as ECs or a part time job.

https://admissions.cals.cornell.edu/academics

You can’t go wrong with either college. Good luck!!

ETA: the mission of CALS is “education with a public purpose” which makes it distinct from the other colleges. I believe that a lot of the research that happens at CALS impacts NYC and the greater NYS agriculture community