Hi everyone, Cornell has been my dream since I was two years old. While it may seem unobtainable now, I do believe that I may have a good chance to get into the school of my dreams.
Here are my statistics:
Asian male from California
GPA: 3.5
SAT: 1920
SAT IIs: 670 chem, 720 math II
Rank: there is no rank at my school
Awards: none major
APs: i took the AP class for Human geography, scored a 4
Activities
Member of key club, diabetes awareness club, and NHS (very selective in my school)
I participated in the school science fair
I participated in the local high school spelling bee
I also manage a video game fan page, 4+ hours a week
Community service
I participated in a service trip to Guatemala trip to teach underprivileged children
I’m going to be brutally honest. Your chances are fairly low because of the GPA (3.5 is lower than the average applicant) and the SAT (1920 is much lower than the average applicant). The SAT IIs could also use a bit of work. Schedule should be more rigorous. No national recognition or WOW factor that would make up for these disadvantages. Plus, you are asian male, which always hurts.
Please take my comments as constructive criticism so that you can try to fix those weaknesses before applying. The Ivies are always a crapshoot though. Best of luck!
@asianboygenius
Take the SAT again or take the SAT. The average SAT score for Ivies is around 2100-2200, so you definitely want to get that score up.
GPA: What AP’s are you taking right now? Also how does your 3.5 GPA compare to your peers in your school? Is your class rank very high or in the middle?
I ask these questions because 3.5 is not a very strong GPA. Unless you go to an extremely competitive high school, that GPA needs to go up or else it’ll be an uphill battle from the start.
I ask how many AP’s you’re taking and hopefully your course rigor is enough. If you’re taking easy classes and getting a 3.5, then it is going to be very difficult for you.
I’m not saying impossible because people get in with your stats. Just try to find safety schools and be prepared for a rejection, especially for an Ivy school with such a low acceptance rate.
I’ll just add that if the SAT isn’t working out, maybe you should try the ACT. During the college admission process, one thing I realized Cornell really cherished was the supplement. If you can do a fantastic job, you might have a shot.
To be honest, even most UCs are reach schools for you. Us Asian males (yes, I am one too) are always hurt in the college application process. With your activities you mentioned, you would need at least a 2350+ SAT to be competitive and have good essays to boot.
Did you win any state or national recognition with your science fair projects?
Pursue your passions. Unfortunately, the raw statistics are daunting - that’s the cruelty of these institutions - but true passions are never “generic super reaches.” If Cornell is one of those passions, not because it sounds cool or looks fancy, but because it’s Cornell, then apply as yourself, not as who some random username thinks you need to be. The internet wants to reduce you into a pile of numbers and acronyms so that it can dismiss your entire life with an admission rate.
Don’t let that happen.
Don’t do what you think that the admissions officers want to see, just do you. Step into your own greatness.