I saw the calc test score above, but I was wondering what math course you took beyond that or if you decided not to take math senior year. I’m just asking since it’s a core area to determine AI. So, did you take Multivariable Calc? Linear Alg? Differential Equations?
I chose not to take a math and to instead take econ senior year.
As i am pursuing history, Having a 5 on BC calc is clearly a rigorous amount of math for high school and so I would be now better served by taking economics than any other math. Also, my school does not offer math beyond Calc BC.
That’s fine. I was just asking to get a better picture of what the transcript looks like since I don’t have it in front of me.
Since this is a chance me thread, I’ll do some guesswork based on just what you’ve told us. Again, I haven’t read your essays, so provided those are on point, here’s my prediction…
Cornell: Admit
UVA: Admit
UMich: Possible Deferral
From what you’re indicating, you should make it into the competitive applicant group, of course, provided the info here is all correct. But competing within that outstanding group of people who have gone above and beyond though, that’s where the little stuff will start to really matter. (Hence why I was asking all the questions about math.) As others pointed out above, those core things still matter somewhat because students tend to (and do) change majors. That’s why they like to determine how far you went and pushed yourself with all subjects, not just their minimum ones that get you close consideration.
IMO, schools beyond Cornell, if you end up getting deferred and have to apply to the other extremely competitive ones in the regular round, will most likely be a crazy mixture of results for you. I think you could get surpassed by students who have more rigor, etc. You’re able to take college classes while in high school, and they’ll see that you have, but the highest reaches might wonder why you didn’t push all those core subjects a little more. (Not judging you for that, just commenting about it in case you apply to the really, really, really selective places later in the event of an ED deferral at Cornell.) Again, I know you took a couple of college courses, but there will be applicants out there who have done slightly more. Yes, you’re a great student, etc. For the tippy-top schools though, you could get edged out by others for these reasons if it comes to that. Again, this is only my humble opinion and I have no idea what your application looks like or how it’s written, and every place looks for slightly different things when compiling their next class. Best of wishes! Ciao!
At any of these highly selective schools there are more qualified applicants than the school has space for. It will come down to whether or not a given school sees your app as a fit for the class they are building. It’s that simple. The odds are against admission of unhooked applicants at any of these schools, yet unhooked applicants are accepted every year.
And no, it’s not breaking the rules if someone you asked to write an LoR shows you their letter, even if you waived your right to do so.
Good luck.
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Yeah, you’re looking good with that info. Do schools do EC to boost grades? I’ve never heard of that. But even so, colleges know which high schools boost grades, etc. Over years they can also tell based on overall higher GPA’s.
Ultimately it just comes down to who looks at your stuff and who else is applying. But sounds like relative to your school you look good and if they usually take people from your school that helps also.
Good luck! I know the waiting sucks. We’re in the same boat over here with the same schools plus a few others.
I’m just curious, not relevant to your getting in or anything, but did the CAS application have questions like that asking what your highest level of math or any other subject was?
My daughter is in COE and they didn’t ask any extra questions other than the supplemental essay. This year for my son COE asked what his highest level math is and when he has taken physics. I am curious if other Cornell colleges are asking similar questions or if engineering is using it as a weed out. I know they generally don’t take anyone who hasn’t had at least AP Calc AB and maybe expected to get those applicants this year, but not sure. They also asked to write 3 words about yourself and 3 words to describe Cornell Engineering. I’m thinking maybe they want to see those adjectives come across in the essays. I know ILR didn’t have those questions or anything extra like that but wonder if CAS or any other school did.
I know it’s not breaking the rules if someone writes the letter and then shows it to you on their own. My question was asking if he waived his right or not. It he didn’t waive his right and that’s why he saw him, that looks bad. It’s a good thing that’s not how he saw them was the point I was trying to get to, so he’s good there!
I disagree slightly with this assessment regarding the math. Technically it would be better if he had taken a 4th year of math, however, having taken AP Calculus BC as a Junior means he was already two years ahead in math. If his high school doesn’t offer MVC which is the next course for him (he can’t suddenly jump to Linear Algebra or Diff Eq from BC) it can’t be assumed he can easily find a Calc 3 course to take elsewhere, especially this year. Furthermore, if his schedule is full and he is taking an equally rigorous schedule then it won’t hurt him.
He applied for Liberal Arts, NOT Engineering. He may not even need any math beyond his Calc BC for a History degree at UM based on their distribution requirements. Plenty of kids from our high school get into UM after taking Calc AB only. Again, if he’s taking AP Econ and a full rigorous courseload Senior year that will make the difference. It’s really no different than my senior who is in MVC/Linear Algebra and 2 AP Science courses because he’s applying for COE but not taking an AP language or AP Social studies course because he has no room in his schedule.
If UM defers you it will be based on your strength of schedule grades and because they will think you will be going elsewhere. What is interesting this year and will be interesting to see how UM handles it is that usually when they release some of their decisions in December it is around the same time other schools have ED and they don’t want to hurt their stats by accepting kids who then don’t attend. But, this year most ED decisions will be out and those students will have pulled their applications so hopefully they will indeed accept more than they typically do in that late January EA round. And, in your case, if you’re one of the lucky ones, you may not even have to worry about it because you’ll have a positive result from Cornell! 
I don’t do “chance me” threads. You are obviously an academically qualified applicant to any school. As noted above, the three schools you are asking about are reaches for all applicants.
My advice to you is what I would tell everyone - have a solid list of affordable match and safety schools.
In terms of Cornell, CAS is very competitive. You don’t declare a major until second semester sophomore year. And as stated by another poster, lots of pre-law students apply as history majors. That said, I think your ECs are a match for CAS. The bad news - I haven’t had an unhooked applicant admitted ED in years and years (I do alumni meetings with students in the midwest). Who knows what will happen this year though.
My D’s high school val with perfect stats and a killer CV was wait listed at UM so they are a crap shoot IMO.
Good luck to you. You sound like the kind of student who will be successful wherever you land!
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@momofboiler1
Yeah what is the deal with UM not wanting valedictorians!? Same with ours and he was a double legacy!
@Spades12 Something else I forgot about UM. They do an entire grade/GPA recalculation. They unweight everything and then remove certain classes like Fine Arts and reweight other courses. I totally forgot about that. Not sure what their system is but that’s another factor.
Applications are up almost everywhere. Test optional is just that. Schools will be admitting kids without test scores. Just because that may be an opportunity for people to apply without test scores doesn’t mean competition is less fierce. If anything, it is stronger because they likely have the same strong applicants as before plus another pool of strong applicants who may have been deterred by submitting test scores. UGA Early Decision is out. The stats for the ED class this year are slightly higher than the stats for the ED class last year, and this is with 30 percent of the admitted students being test optional.
You are clearly a strong student but at the 3 schools you listed that is not enough. There are thousands of kids with the same stats as you who have applied to these schools. All are a reach out of state for every applicant, even the most qualified. Michigan is famous for deferring almost everyone EA. They also emphasize legacy. My oldest was admitted early to Michigan for the CoE two years ago but everyone else he knew except one legacy was deferred.
You need to be sure you have some matches on your list.
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@srparent15 - never heard that about valedictorians at UM? Mine was the val and got in EA to CoE.
@Spades12 - a little more insight into admission at UVA. UVA wants you to take the highest level offered in each core class each year and they calculate what I have heard called “the count” based on that. So if AP is offered, take AP over honors, etc.
You are clearly qualified but all 3 of these are a crapshoot. You should know very shortly about Michigan - my son heard before Christmas.
My school does not have extracurricular classes that boost gpa. They are heavily anti grade inflation and extra credit and make up tests are banned school wide.
Also, luckily for me my parents have invested well and can easily afford to pay for a 4 year college education for my self so at this point I am just trying to get into the best place I can. If i was in any other position I would be looking out for that.
From having looked at naviance the average SAT and gpa of people accepted ED to cornell from my school were a 1390 and 95.04, also in the past 5 years 54% of those who applied early decision to cornell from my school have gotten in.
I have definitely taken a rigorous courseload and some among those I know believe I took the hardest courseload in my entire class.
Because there is a limit on the amount of posts that a new account can make in one day i am using the post to respond to multiple of the recent comments if that helps clarify.
I think you misunderstood my post.
Michigan this year is not releasing EA until end of January since they extended EA date by two weeks and close for a few weeks during the holidays. They’ve made it clear no decisions in December.
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I have never heard of any school that has extracurricular classes that boost GPA. Is there such a thing?
Like any of the schools, this year the college counselors were all wrong with the number of apps and with the delayed decisions, UVA not until mid-February, and Michigan not until the end of January, just make sure you have a safety net. If you don’t get into Cornell, you’ll have a good two weeks to cast a wider net.
My son has a safety but I’m not sure he wants to attend there even though he should get a full ride or close to it, so he is going to be very busy those two weeks if he doesn’t get in ED.
For now all you can do is sit tight and hope for the best. Knowing what I know about Cornell, you sound like a great candidate and the fact that only 27% submitted scores, will also be to your benefit.
I have personally seen schools that offer things such as model congress or model UN as a class which is an easy 100.
But yes. For now all I can do is wait 9 days and hope for the best.
Thank you to all who gave feedback and commented!
Holy cow, seriously?
Our school you have to try out for that stuff and it’s intense and all outside of school and definitely NOT a class for credit.
I don’t know if Cornell does it, but that would be the kind of class that UM would definitely take out of a GPA recalculation because they would know it’s not a real class!
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Reach for all but good luck!
interesting that you haven’t seen an unhooked kid get in in years… in our NYC private school, we have a few every year - but they are always very qualified candidates.
curious what the “stronger” hooks are? with all of the admission scandal I assume most hooks are no longer really hooks…
What does hooked mean?