Chance me for transfer to Cornell, Penn CAS

Transfer Students
1

<p>White, Russian - moved to NYC from Moscow, Russia at the age of 10. </p>

<p>HS GPA - weakest point of application. 88/100, roughly 3.4 Very rigorous course load, 6 AP classes, hardest classes in the school. Downward trend - terrible senior year (took on WAY too much) with 1 F first term in Discrete Mathematics (most difficult class in the school, 2 out of our 3 MIT acceptances came from that class. The third was the valedictorian)</p>

<p>ACT: 31 (31 math, 30 english, 32 science, 31 writing - 10 Essay)</p>

<p>HS EC's - great.
2 full scholarships to prestigious music festivals on VIOLA (hence the name <----).
Spent 3 summers at prestigious music festivals (not allowed to get a full scholarship for the second time in the second camp, enrolled on highest available merit bases financial aid). Collaborated independently with filmmakers on writing music to their movies.
Three Carnegie Hall performances, including once with the New York Pops, a major professional orchestra.
Numerous orchestral, solo, and chamber engagements, including principal player of HS orchestra and the first violist to perform a concerto with the HS orchestra in the school history (the viola is very often looked down upon in comparison to the violin.)
Composed music for HS concerts.
Fencing team captain, coached the newly-established girl's fencing team as well
100+ hours of volunteering at Carnegie Hall.</p>

<h2>Applied for Cornell CAS, Penn CAS as a freshman, rejected at both. Penn has always been my dream school and the essay was very Penn-specific, but my GPA didn't cut it. I applied to Cornell for the name alone, and the essay was very generic.</h2>

<p>Currently attending: Binghamon U, a 'public Ivy'
Proposed major - undeclared - probably double: Economics/ Music Composition.
College GPA: 3.789 with 21 credits</p>

<p>Macroecon: B+
British Lit. A
Calc. I: A
Geology: A-
Viola lessons: A
Piano lessons: A
Composition (music) lessons: A-</p>

<p>Next term courseload - very tough, probably 21-24 credits, but I def. think I can handle it. Part-time job.</p>

<p>EC's: composed music for the university TV station. Collaborated with a senior cinema student on her senior thesis project, writing a music soundtrack to her film. Took college orchestra (2nd chair!), chamber music, and repertory classes for no credit, so essentially ECs.</p>

<p>Recs: good. One from my Calc I teacher, one from a Brit Lit. TA (should be fantastic, she really liked me), one from my conductor summing up my work in the music department.</p>

<p>I'm an hour and a half away from Cornell, so I visited twice it and loved it. My best friend goes there. I got to know the school much better and am now planning to apply for ILR. planning on writing a creative essay about why Cornell is a great fit and how ILR opens up so many possibilities for both Law School and Business School.</p>

<p>Penn is still my dream school and I'm planning on visiting again and writing as sincere an essay as I can.</p>

<p>Supplements: a video I scored (written music to), music compositions I've completed, and recordings of my playing the viola.</p>

<p>Hit me.</p>

2

<p>bump bump? chances, please</p>

3

<p>the bad</p>

<p>anywho, im assuming that you are a freshman...your senior year grades are going to be a very big factor in your admissions...with only one semester worth of college grades under your belt, your hs grades, specifically your more recent hs grades, are going to have a lot of weight in your decision...having an F earlier this year is not going to look good at all especially if you are undecided (if you were a history major perhaps a poor math grade would have less weight) or worse, if it could be germaine to your major...also a B+ in your possible major won't help...also, translating an 88/100 to a 3.4 is a bit generous...for lots of high schools a B+ is a 3.0...something to keep in mind</p>

<p>the good</p>

<p>your ec's look pretty fantastic...they really help you to stand out...strong recs. are always important...your gpa i dont think will help or hurt you either way...mind you however that classes will only get harder from here on out</p>

<p>i think you'd have a much better shot at upenn and cornell if you waited a year and could maintain a 3.8-4.0 gpa so as to mitigate the importance of your hs gpa...as it stands however, your hs gpa could still well hold you back, especially that F...I'm sure the class was hard, but i dont think math and econ courses will get any easier at upenn and moreover, i dont think adcomms will be able to judge whether your teacher was too hard or not...If you remain undeclared or are considering a major in econ., i think your chances for upenn are very very slim and you might have a bit better chance for cornell...</p>

<p>however, just looking at your ec's it seems like music is really your passion...you don't have anything in your ec's that suggests you have any real interest in econ and you havent really performed all that well in the relevant classes...really think about if you want a major in econ and the work that it entails...you had strong grades last semester in your music classes with the ec's to go with it, i think if you applied as a music major of some sort to either of those schools you would be a much stronger applicant</p>

<p>best of luck</p>

4

<p>Great advice, dufflebagjesus. Thanks a lot. I was actually wondering the same thing - my passion is music, but I'm not crazy enough to dive in and major music alone - I won't be able to make it. I am eventually planning on double-majoring in music and econ, hoping to make a career in business (eventual MBA) and then, once I can make a living, go into music composition. Long story short, what if I put down 'music' on my Penn app? I mean, they won't hold me to it when I transfer, and I will continue with my econ studies, but hopefully that Econ B+ won't hold too hard against me.</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

5

<p>i think you'd have a better chance to get into both schools certainly...i think you'd be a strong candidate as a music major...but you have to ask yourself, what if you do get in? i don't know you so only you can really answer this question, but do you really have it in you to take econ classes the next three years in undergrad, then for another three years or so for your mba, then another perhaps twenty or thirty years in the work force? Because most people who are business majors at penn and cornell are really prepared to do this and are passionate about doing so...From talking to lots of people older and wiser than me, I find the people who do the most interesting things in their life and have the most successes (not necessarilly defined in monetary terms mind you) are the ones who follow their passions...if econ isnt in your veins, things could potentially get tough...i think what it kind of boils down to for you, correct me if im wrong, is that it seems as if you are caught between doing what you are passionate about and doing what you think will make you more $$$..so are lots of people at this point in their life, I am to a degree...i guess you have to decide for yourself if this is the case...sorry to be so dense and to raise such large questions about what you want to do with your life on a freaking message board, but just some things to think about...</p>

<p>gl</p>

6

<p>Sure, thanks. That really helps. I'll get in touch with the admissions office about putting down a double major - the only problem with music alone is that my recs are coming from an English and a math prof, and a supplemental rec from a music prof.</p>

<p>As far as following my passions, you're right. I am interested in econ. though, even if it doesn't fascinate me like music. Nevertheless, I realize that my chances of making it as a film composer are so slim, that I need a real profession in order to make a living. Yes, constant econ classes may be tough down the road, but I am up for it. The reason for my Econ B+ is because I messed up the very first test - my very first college test - because I didn't know how to study for it. I do think I can be more successful down the road, and enjoy it, too. As for classes getting tough, well - nothing in this world worth having comes easy, right?</p>

7

<p>bump bump?</p>

8

<p>Look, you already seem to know your chances. You have a low HS gpa, an average gpa for Ivy admissions, good ACT, outstanding EC's...decent shot at Penn and Cornell, but not a great shot as an Econ major. </p>

<p>I'm applying to Cornell as well and I know they love to see passion for your major, and they want to see it reflected in your EC's. you kinda don't seem passionate about Econ (hey, I don't know you, what do I know?) and they'll only have 1 semester of college to go by, 1 semester in which you got a B+ in an Intro Econ class most Econ majors would do well in. I'm sure there are reasons you didn't ace it, it was your first semester of college, you're adjusting, I'm in the same boat. But you know that right now, they'll look mostly at HS grades, which are low, and 1 semester of college. </p>

<p>Declaring a Music major might boost your chances by a lot. The econ grade won't be as important, and your EC's reflect your passion for Music. I have a feeling that you would write a really good, passionate essay about Music, your experiences, all of that stuff, and it might give you a better shot. then once you get to Cornell/Penn, you can declare a double major in Econ. </p>

<p>Btw, have you looked into ILR, PAM and AEM at Cornell? All Econ-related, could save you a lot of money as a NYS resident...just a suggestion. They're harder to get into this yr though cause of budget cuts. good luck</p>

9

<p>Go for it, dude! Haha, not to sound like a total creep or anything, but I've been following your posts in this forum, and you seem like a really interesting person. I'm also applying to both Cornell and Penn for 2009, so hopefully we''ll both be at one of these institutions this fall!</p>

<p>Anyways, anyways, back to ah, chances. I think you have a strong shot, given your impressive music credentials and background, but one semester of a good GPA might not be enough to mitigate a mediocre HS record. If you were applying as a junior applicant, I would would be surprised if you weren't accepted at one of these institutions, but as a sophomore applicant, it's tougher to say. Nonetheless, I think you make a strong applicant and wish you the best. Remember to follow through on that required ILR interview for Cornell.</p>

10

<p>Thanks a lot, Escapist! No, not creepy at all. Good luck with your stuff, and hope to see you at an Ivy next fall!</p>