Chance me please!!! (ED to CoE)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>SAT Reasoning : 2360 (CR:790 M:800 W:770) (1590 CR+M)
SAT Subject Tests : Lit 720, Math II 800, taking Phy and Chem in October
AP Exams (Independent Study, my school doesn't offer AP courses) :
Calculus BC : 3 :(
Physics C : Mechanics : 4
Physics C : E&M : 4
Environmental Science : 5</p>

<p>CBSE (Indian System) : Grade 9 : 91%
Grade 10 Boards (National) : 96.8 % Grade 10 (School) : 94.4%
Grade 11 : 78.6 % (Physics, Chem, Math and Biotechnology though, and that's the toughest courseload I've ever seen, really)
Grade 12 : Currently averaging an 86%, will hopefully get it up to around 88-90 % in time for my ED application)
Class Rank : 1/3 (there are only two other students with my subject combination) but I'm 1/28 in my section too this year but i was 2nd or 3rd last year. So i gss I'll go with Top 10% in science sections or Top 5 % in my entire grade. </p>

<p>Btw I shifted schools after Grade 10. Came back to my old alma mater/school, seeing as I haven't graduated, in Delhi.</p>

<p>ECs/Volunteer/Work Experience/Academic Qualifications :
Quizzing (Bunch of certs),
Electronic Keyboard (Performed in school bleh :/ plus Trinity College, Oxford Grade 4 this year, got a distinction on the grade 2 exam),
Taekwondo (will get a green-one by ED time, plus a South Delhi district tourney hopefully), Environmental Club at school + worked with a couple of NGOs and i'm really interested in 'going green' so...,
ARSSDC (Space Settlement Design Competition) (Grade 11, not sure of whether I'll do it again this year) Really interesting + Engineering experience + Asian finals
N.I.M Adventure Course : Mountaineering course, 15 days, what can i say?? Bliss. Plus it's graded and I got top grades and it's a really reputed institution or so they say.
Learned the guitar by myself?? (Summer activity :P)</p>

<p>100 hours of volunteer work at the National Zoological Park with the vet.
Have worked with my school in their program for aiding underprivileged children. Also went on a school trip, albeit it was organised by an NGO, to rural areas in the country and worked with the villagers there.
Oh yeah and peer tutoring too. Physics mainly. But a bit of math and chem too. I don't know whether to mention this because any guy with an 80+ in grade 12 could be a peer tutor (in CBSE) but I spent time on this so I guess I will.</p>

<p>UNSW International Assessment for Indian Schools - Grades 9 and 10 - High Distinction in Math, English, Science and Computer Skills
IMO (Math Olympiad) - Grade 11 - All India Rank 103
NSO (Science Olympiad) - Grade 11 - All India Rank 306
International English Olympiad (It ain't really international, just for Indian schools) - International/All India Rank 1 (Hell yeah! )
Plus I don't know whether I can include this but I got certificates in my school for topping/2nd/3rd in math/english/french in grade 10??
And AP Scholar with Honor for what it's worth (I haven't received the award yet but my scores match the requirements)</p>

<p>Intended Major : Mechanical Eng. with minors in aerospace eng and env eng./env. science.</p>

<p>Oh yeah and a VERY important part of my application : Financial aid, loads of it. My EFC came out to be 11,800$ on the Cornell EFC estimator but my parents could pay about 16,000$ a year and that's pushing it. And yeah I'm an international, Indian to be specific :P Cornell has a need-blind admissions policy but still....just mentioning it.</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch :)!!!</p>

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<p>Anyone?? Would really appreciate some opinions.</p>

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<p>You can easily get in, the thing is why Cornell ED?? I honestly think with your stats you can accomplish much more. I live in the United States, but I am indian at heart. Colleges here view the indian grading very differently so don’t worry about that. You are thinking too low of yourself. IMO is beast, btw. There is no way you can get rejected, but consider this. ED is permanent and you have no other option. My Advice: Apply RD to Cornell and to many other schools I am confident that you will get really good Financial Aid. Cornell is a good school, but I know an international accept in Harvard because he was rejected at the IITs. Really think about what you are doing with ED. Try to talk with a guy name Srrinath or something on CC, similar stats and in cornell I believe. I think he will probably post on this thread.</p>

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<p>Thanks a lot :D, i didn’t think my chances were that good myself. Well yeah my list includes other schools too including two ivies (Princeton, UPenn) but I guess Cornell is my top choice for its campus/research opp. etc. (huge interest in mountaineering and what better campus than Cornell’s for that :P?) Plus the strong engineering program at Cornell is a draw. Yes ED is binding, but if the financial aid offered is inadequate, even after negotiating with them, I can release myself from the bond right?</p>