Chance me for Cornell ED please!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

Hi guys,
I am a rising senior and an international student from Mainland China…
I cannot speak excellent English as most of you but maybe it’ll not be hard to improve…
Anyway, chance me please!
Early Decision, College of Arts and Science at Cornell, Major in Mathematics

Info:
rising senior, an international school in China
Not permanent Resident of U.S.

Academics:
GPA: my school doesn’t calculate that, but I am straight A, several A+ every semester
Rank: around 20%
Toefl: 108/120

SAT I: 1480/1600 first time, goal–1520+(I do not know if it is necessary to take it for another time… But people are crazy like for getting a higher score…)
SAT II’s:
Physics: 800
Math II: 800

APs:
Calculus BC:5 (AB subscore: 5)
Macroeconomics: 5
Microeconomics: 5
Environmental Science: 5
Physics 1: 5
Statistics: 4

Courses: AP English Literature, AP Computer Science, AP Physics CM & CEM for next semester

Activities:
“Sanitation monitor” for 4 years (it sounds interesting that I got some awards of leadership for doing this)
Billiards JV/Varsity (7 years)
Basketball JV/Varsity (5 years)
Basketball Assistant Coach (5 months, part-time job)
Violin JV/Varsity (7 years)
School JA Economics Club (2 years)
Math and Physics tutoring (2 years)
Knowledge@Wharton High School (6 months)
A Design of an Artificial Satellite (6 months)
Summer College at Cornell, Genius and Madness in English Literature (Fortunately I got an A… I love music, poems, and movies, but never learned much about them before)
Plan to make a roof garden in my school, hopefully

(Not as long enough as most of you, probably my weakness… Wish you would not call me a nerd… :smiley: )

Awards:
AMC top 5%
AIME 8/15
HMMT team **
Euclid 25%
Several provincial awards of Physics, business competition, and leadership

Other school on my list:
Duke
Wash U
University of Southern California
U.C. Berkeley
U.C. Los Angeles
Tufts
University of Michigan
Wake Forest
Brandeis
NYU
Brigham Young University
(any other recommendation?)

Please tell me where to improve and my chances for these schools as well!
Thank you! <:-D

2

Anyone who would like to give me some advice? Again, thanks a lot.

3

You seem like a prime candidate, but international candidacy is much different. You are only in the top 20% of your class, if you don’t mind asking what is your class size, and how are other’s excelling greater than yourself? That statistic might weigh you down. But your AP’s are exceptional, and your SATs are awesome. Another question, why not attend a school in China?

4

Certainly not, there are 30 people in my class. Actually my school does not rank us officially, but for curiosity sake, I made a sample survey and speculated that “statistic” based on the volunteers’ transcripts. Then it appeared that approximately 20 percent of my classmates got more “A+” than I did.
For the other question, I plan to major in Information Science, and double-major(or minor) in Literature/Philosophy. But It is impossible to apply any interdisciplinary program in most of Chinese universities. (Thanks so much for mentioning this point, I will put the answer right into my supplement!!)

5

@GPAv10000 That clears things up a little. So you are #6 out of 30, that’s pretty decent, but shows how much competition you have to go against. Look at it like the other 5 are also applying for Cornell, what would make you more qualified than them? Make sure you place that in your admission. Where you stand, you seem to have a good chance. You will have no problems with the cost of attendance?

6

Indeed some of my peers are really strong at academics, but I will show my strengths other than academics in application essays, recommendation letters, activities, awards, and so on. Is that sound plausible? Or should I register another SAT to get a higher score, and concentrate more on my school work for more A+?
Plus, tuition is not an obstacle to me.

7

@GPAv10000 Tuition is not an issue, good. That will make it easy for colleges to work with you. If the SAT is not a hassle, and you know you can do better, then why not! Increase your chances if it is easy to do so. Other than this, you do have a very good shot at being accepted for Cornell International. That being said, much of the school is Asian (Asian is the second highest percentage after Caucasian), so you will have more competition. Raise that SAT (or take the ACT), and do focus on finishing this last year strong. Also, for your recommendation letter you need a teacher or mentor that was very close to you, and if possible, is renowned, like say you just happen to get a personal letter from the Education Minister, that would do you extremely well.

8

an 8/15 on the AIME is pretty great honestly.

9

Yeah, I will try to be more outstanding academically. But I am a little confused with the recommendation letters. my mentors in school are not so renowned, but they know me well. Also, I met some prestigious professors before, but only keep in touch through e-mails. Will these two types of recommendations undermine each other? I hope I made my question clear and you would help me. Again, thanks a lot!

10

Thanks, I was pretty lucky that time, for I completely guessed a number and it was going to be the correct answer lol.

11

@GPAv10000 In my understanding, colleges aren’t necessarily looking for your education Minister to write you a letter, but that would help a lot. They are looking for other people who genuinely know you, your work ethic, your values, your actual value (as a student that will be headed there), what positive traits you possess. Generally, a high school teacher who you’ve had for at least a year or two is the perfect example of this letter of recommendation.

12

hey, don’t worry too much. I got in with a 3.29 unweighted and a 1410 on the SAT. I also had worse subject test scores than you. I’m sure you’ll make it.

13

D,

Impressive. Good luck getting in!

A.

14

@Hephaestion
You freaking terrified me [大雾]

15

You have a decent shot, but there is a lot of competition in the international student batch, so I don’t really know where you fall into that.

On the side note: Of the universities you mentioned, all are great…but why Brigham? It seems out of place from all the other ones you’ve listed lol, do you know the culture there? It’s very different from your list (not that I’m saying don’t apply to it).

16

I’ve been accepted ED at Cornell!! Just to update on CC, thanks a lot for all of you guys support!!