Chance me please, Regular Decision for the school of engineering!

<p>Just got my SATs back and I got an 1860 my girst time around. Now I have 4 months ahead of me to actually study. I plan on applying to Cornell, UPenn (Early Decision to School of Engineering and applied sciences.) SAT Chem: 650 SAT Math II: 660...will a 4 or 5 on the AP Exam offset my bad Chem score?
My Freshman Year
Geometry Honors: B+
Biology Honors: B+
Global Studies Honors: A
English9 HonorsA
Spanish 2: B
Sophmore Year
Trig and Alg 2 Honors A
Chemistry Honors: B+
Global Studies Honors: A
English Honors: A
Spanish 3: A
Health and Intro to Business: A
Junior Year (which I'm in now)
AP Chem: A-
Pre Calc Honors: first quater:84/100, second quater: 98/10, third quater 100/100, fourth quater: 98/100
My final grade for pre calc honors is an A
AP US History: A-
English 11 Honors: A
Intensive Italian: A
Engineering/ Future Design:A
ECs:
Top 2 spots on Varsity Tennis since seventh Grade, President of Italian Club, Treasurer of Chem. Club, volunteering at local hospital this summer, running a community tennis camp tbis summer while teaching at another camp that pays in another town , sales associate at adidas for the duration of junior year, running for vice president of NHS this fall, National Science Honor Society, helped teach tennis at my club on weekends during my sophmore year, Solar Car Club in 12th grade. Italian Honor Society
Awards/Nominations:
Tied with another student for the highest score on the Chemistry Olympiad in my school. Nominated for the departmental award for AP Chem, it was between myself and the same student I tied with and he ended up winning.
Placed second in the county wide high school tennis tournament last year and 3rd in the Section tournament. Qualified for the Empire State Games in 7ththe grade. I will compete for Haiti next summer in Junior tennis competition even though I was born here.</p>

<p>Rec: i will get my recs from my chem teacher who I had two years in a row and formed a close relationship with. Also from my pre calc teacher who saw my improveme t through out the year.
Other: I attend school in the inner city in the town with the highest murder rate in New York, Newburgh. I will mention this in some of my essays.
Ethnicity: My parents are Haitian immigrants but I was born here so Im black. But my brother is competing for Haiti in the Olympics and I am.competing for them next year.</p>

<p>Thank you to whoever takes the time to read it. Chances and advice will surely help. 'Preciate it and God Bless!</p>

<p>I can’t give you too much information about whether you could get in or not, but it does seem that your SAT scores are a bit lower than Cornell Engineering’s average (730-800 Math, 670-730 CR).</p>

<p>However, may I ask how you were able to switch from Spanish to Italian in a year? Seems as if it might be quite difficult</p>

<p>Once again, and again, and again, those are enrolled averages and not accepted averages. Accepted averages are higher, and scores along with grades are what they see to consider if you can be admissible at all. ECs, essays, and other parts of your app are what get you in from there. You will have little chance in Penn ED and low chance in Cornell RD.</p>

<p>Thanks any more opinions/advice, I thought I’d have a little more of a chance as a hooked candidate. There’s an intensive Italian class at my school that’s worth 3 years of Italian in one. Most people in it come from Spanish classes and it isnt too difficult</p>

<p>We need to know what your Critical Reading and Math scores are from your SAT… And could you be recruited for tennis?</p>

<p>Male admit to COE at Cornell is one of the toughest on campus. Your SAT scores are going to have to be significantly higher to give you a reasonable chance.</p>

<p>Just study hard and get your scores up. You’ll have a good shot then.</p>

<p>Thanks, I’ll def study this time…very hard. 640 on math 610 critical reading and 600 writing. I could probably be recruited for tennis but I have to contact the coaches to start the process. I understand that its a hard major to get in for but I did very well in math and chem classes and I am very involved in both chem and math</p>

<p>You’ll need 700+ for Critical Reading and 760+ for Math… Get your SAT scores up that high and you have a pretty good shot, especially if you’re being recruited.</p>

<p>Really? My friend with essentially the same stats got in with an.1860 on his second try…the breakup was pretty much the same</p>

<p>It’s best to look at averages rather than rely on single anecdotes.</p>

<p>Im not relying, just referring and they dont have averages for african americans, I go to a predominantly black school and he was the only one that even applied to an ivy league or any top 25 for that matter</p>

<p>His results are not typical…=P You really need to study for the SAT and get a 700+ CR score and a 760+ M score… If you’re recruited, you may be able to get by with a bit lower scores, but these scores would give you a decent chance, recruited or not. Don’t try to come up with reasons why you don’t have to study for the SAT… Just study for it. =P Scoring well on the SAT is a skill that can be learned, trust me. If you need any tips as far as CR, I can help, but not so much with the math bit… </p>

<p>Anyway, you might want to try the ACT, my friend (and my school’s salutitorian) scored an 1800 (with prep) on the SAT, but a 32 on the ACT without any prep! She got all 5s on her AP tests and had a 4.0 and did dual enrollment and had some sort of nursing certification, and was admitted to Emory ED… But back to the point, many, MANY students that I know find the ACT to be much easier, and score higher on it. The average SAT score at my school (not a real statistic, just what I hear from people “bragging” or from asking them) is like a 1550, while the average ACT score is a 26… Which converts to a 1750 SAT, ahah. </p>

<p>Best of luck to you, especially in regards to test scores!</p>

<p>Unless you get recruited for tennis, I don’t see Cornell happening for you with your current scores. What is your class rank or estimated percentile?</p>

<p>"Really? My friend with essentially the same stats got in with an.1860 on his second try…the breakup was pretty much the same "</p>

<p>Because everyone with those stats get in without hooks, right? These anecdotes are pretty hilarious.</p>

<p>What? I just said he was African American, as am I and he was the only.o.e that even.thought of applying to the ivies in a predominantly black school in a poor area</p>

<p>@EliKresses, I will study as hard as possible and might try the SATs, bottomline I have to aim high and study hard, thanks!</p>

<p>And Im in the top 10%</p>

<p>I can’t believe I’m reading all these negative responses.</p>

<p>African Americans with 1800s get into Cornell even under regular decisions. If you apply early decision, I think you have a good chance of getting in. Not only does the CoE lack African American representation in terms of the student body, you have tremendous advantage under the affirmative action policy (a statistical regression research was published and they said the admissions officers close something like 400 point difference between Asian and black students? Whether or not it’s intentionally calculated). You might as well be an Asian male with 2200s on your SAT. (Or raise your score past 2000 and Asians have nothing on you!)</p>

<p>But in the classroom, you will be expected to perform at the same level as those who mastered calculus when they were 14 years old, and they probably thought standardized testing was a joke by the time they got around to taking them. This is not rare in the College of Engineering (I’m in a different college at Cornell but my brother was in engineering so I’m aware of the environment). So I hope you’re not discouraged if your grade is not what you’d expect because you’re competing against your peers. Not to mention the mental and physical stress that follows from being an engineering student.</p>

<p>Bottom line, I think you can get in under ED. Regular decision might be a reach. But I think you should find out more about the CS program in CoE before you apply and even try to get in touch with some of them if you can. Of course, you can always switch your major after you matriculate but picking a major is something most people don’t spend enough time on.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>Actually I wanted to do chemical engineering because I love chem and math and like to work hard, but thank you for the response :). I dont plan on applying with my 1860 because I will study and raise it so there is no room for doubt from the adcoms. Unfortunately Im doing ED to Penn, but I will definitely try to get my SATs to the 2000s for RD, Thanks!</p>