I applied ED Cornell and I’m pretty sure I’m going to get in. Can someone chance me for the Ivies better than Cornell because I’m debating on withdrawing my Cornell app. If I have a good shot at HYPSM+Columbia or even UPenn, then I think I’ll withdraw…
Demographics: Asian male, California, middle class.
Intended major: Comp Sci
UW GPA/W GPA: 3.95/4.76
SAT: 1590 (800M/790RW)
SATII: 800 Math II, 800 BioE
APs: European History, Chinese, Biology, US History, Art History, Comp Sci A, English Language. All 5s.
Class rank: 1/502 as of right now
Senior year course load: All APs and college classes
Activities (pulled from common app):
-Comp Sci Internship at a UC over summer (10)
-Comp Sci Internship at a startup over summer (11)
-Philosophy Internship at a UC over school year (11)
-Violist in both local youth symphony and a college level symphony (9-12)
-VP of school guitar club (10-12)
-Worked as a Teacher’s Assistant at a summer school (10-11)
-SciOly coach at nearby middle school (11)
-Secretary of Academic League/Quizbowl club (9-12)
-Member of local UN Youth Advisory Board (10-12)
Honors/Awards (also pulled from common app):
-National Merit Semifinalist
-ABRSM (like CM) level 5 for viola
-1st place in local library essay contest
-AP Scholar with Distinction
-Qualified for National Championship Tournament for Quizbowl
Other info: I think my essays are pretty good, but I can’t objectively judge them. Recs from teachers are definitely not spectacular, but probably average (maybe above average if I’m lucky). Have a good rec letter from my philosophy professor though.
Pretty pompous of you to say “I’m pretty sure I’m going to get in.” It’s Cornell (a.k.a. an Ivy League) and you’re treating it like a safety, which it is almost never for anyone, including you. I personally WOULD think you are going to get in because you are a very strong applicant (minus being Asian in Comp Sci, which could be competitive) but I don’t know if it’s a good idea withdrawing, considering your chances at Cornell ED are more than 25% but at HYPSM it’s going to be about 5-10% (obviously more for you because you’re a strong applicant but you know what I’m saying). It’s definitely risky doing what you’re thinking of doing. If I were in your position, I would stay in Cornell ED, but if you wanna risk it all and put your cards on the table then yeah, withdraw. I would think as long as you write some great essays, you could get into one of the top Ivies.
“Intended major: Comp Sci”
“Can someone chance me for the Ivies better than Cornell”
For computer science you need precision, and some humility wouldn’t hurt either. “HYPSM” aren’t even all Ivy League schools.
If you want to go to an Ivy League school for computer science Cornell is pretty much as strong as it gets. MIT and Stanford aren’t Ivy League schools, but they are even stronger than Cornell for computer science. They are both also very high reaches even for students with perfect stats.
Also, computer science is a field where the prestige of your university really doesn’t matter much. The two strongest software engineers that I ever worked at both went to state schools. They both were VERY successful in life.
I wouldn’t withdraw; it’s not worth the risk, especially you being an Asian male with no hooks.
Can definitely see you getting into HYPSMC. Bigger problem is if you do end up getting in to Cornell (which I think you will), you will probably attend with the regret of not applying to HYPSMC.
You probably should have thought this through before applying ED.
You can apply to other schools when you are rejected from Cornell.
I think the Cornell decisions are coming out soon. So if you going to withdraw do it quickly.
I agree that you have a great shot during ED. Do you want to live the rest of your life wondering what if ?