Chance me please!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>Hey, it would be great if you guys on here would see if i have a chance to get into Cornell. I'm a junior from NJ in a fairly large high school.</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.9-4 (All A's and A+'s)
Weighted GPA 4.8125 ish (sophomore year)
5/440 I would be higher, but our weighted system penalized my rank when i took comp sci II, a non honors class, so i can take AP comp sci next year, where the other's took an honors course, but im going to be about 1 of 5 people in my school who take AP comp sci, is that good?</p>

<p>I took all honors courses available.
Junior AP: AB Calc, AP Language(english), APUSH
Senior AP: BC Calc, AP Lit, AP Physics, AP Comp Sci, one or two more, i haven't decided because our school has block scheduling, and some classes, like AP Chem, are year round, and it is hard to plan ahead before knowing the next year's class periods. I am expecting 4's and 5's on everything.</p>

<p>ACT: To be determined, I'm taking them for the first time next Saturday
SAT: 1920 720 Math, 660 CR, 540 writing</p>

<p>I know, I know, pretty atrocious SAT scores, but that was my first time taking them, and it was with 0 prep. I am taking an SAT prep course and have gotten myself an SAT prep book, so I am confident that i can raise my score, hopefully 200 points at least. I plan on taking SAT II tests in Math II or I, American History, and maybe Physics. Math comes easy to me, so that should be a good score, and my APUSH class is very rigorous, and my teacher assured my that if everyone took the history SAT, we would all get 700's at least, several kids in her class over the years scored 800's too, she is a very good teacher. </p>

<p>EC's
Tae Kwon Do since kindergarten. I was also the first minor to get a his third degree black belt in our organization's history, should i be sure to include that?</p>

<p>NHS 11-12 (hopefully an officer next year)</p>

<p>National Science Honor Society 11-12 (possibly an adviser next year)</p>

<p>Interact Club 10-12, was on the executive board 11-12</p>

<p>Math league 9-12 (again, hopefully an officer next year)</p>

<p>Eco-Action club 9-12, president 10-12</p>

<p>Student Ocean Advocates, a county-wide program that gathers students from schools across the county to coordinate environmental campaigns across the county. It is also a leadership development program and we learn about government policy and advocacy. (hopefully a Co-Chair this or next year)</p>

<p>Student liaison to the township's environmental committee. 11-12</p>

<p>Summer tutoring program at the county library 10-12</p>

<p>Summer camp counselor job 10</p>

<p>All of these activities ad up to hundreds of hours of community service.</p>

<p>I want to major in either Engineering Physics or regular physics. I know most of what i posted is speculation, but, if you could, just chance me on getting in, thanks.</p>

2

<p>You’re right – it’s speculative at this stage.</p>

<p>However … Your GPA and Ranking are more than fine for Cornell. Your SATs, even as they stand, aren’t bad, actually. The good news – Cornell Engineering (and I think Cornell as a whole) currently doesn’t look at the SAT writing. So, with a 1380, the SAT score is perhaps slightly below average but certainly not a killer – add another 100 points in CR+M and you’ll certainly be above average. Oh – think about taking the ACT – one way to do this is sign up for an ACT session right after the SAT you’re preparing for. Most of the SAT prep will carry over, and you can get ready for the other test pretty easily. Some students do much better on this test.</p>

<p>ECs look good. ABSOLUTELY mention the Tae Kwon Do. Sticking with an activity that long shows dedication and getting your 3d degree shows proficiency. I would argue that this is your strongest activity.</p>

<p>The only hesitation I have is that with the admissions rate of about 17%-18% it’s impossible to say that anyone is a lock. So, keep up the good work, an extra 100 points on the SAT would be great, but you’re a strong candidate even with your current scores.</p>

<p>Anyway, I think you’ll be a strong applicant. Good luck.</p>

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<p>That Taek won do activity is really superb- 13 years!!!
Good news for Cornell is the writing scores that r not considered.
U have a really gr8 chance.</p>

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<p>Certainly you have very good shot … As long as we are not the ones making the decision , thats all , what we can say unless we have some super natural power : P …All the best my dear friend …I am an ED to Cornell too :)</p>

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<p>Wow, thanks for the input guys! I honestly didn’t think i was anywhere near this competitive for admissions. Any more input from anyone would be greatly appreciated, thanks!</p>

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<p>You say you’ll “maybe” take the SAT II in Physics? You might want to change that to a definite considering you’re looking to major in that area. Have you checked the college’s requirements (CoE)? Don’t they require you to take the SAT II in math and a science? You’ll need to prep for those as well - prep books can be found online. Also, why would you take the SAT II in Math I? That doesn’t make sense to me. You should also put some serious effort into those potential leadership positions. If you aren’t sure they’re a lock, you might want to have a back-up plan. Also, have you entered or plan on entering any contests? Does your math league offer anything along those lines? Also, if you don’t have a good relationship with your guidance counselor at this point, you need to foster one. Same with teachers you’ll be approaching for letters of recommendation. And, it’s never to early to start brainstorming or even working on your essays. You can easily set up an account at commonapp.org and start filling it out now. If Cornell is your number one choice and you’ll be applying ED, you need to get all of your scores, letters of recommendation, etc., in the can in time, so be sure you’re familiar with the application timeline. Best of luck!</p>

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<p>MarzenAmaber, great points. Ii just looked up all the requirements for CoE, and you are right, i definitely am going to take the SATII in Physics, the only reason i was hesitant is that i am not sure my school’s physic’s program covers everything on the SATII, so I am going to check with my teacher and see what he says. And you are right, Math I doesn’t make sense to me either, i wasn’t exactly sure what each entailed, and now that i looked, i am definitely doing Math II. As for the leadership positions, our staff adviser picks them, and for NHS and Math League, I know the teacher quite well and am confident she would choose me. The other clubs i have a decent shot at getting a position, simply because i have been there longer than most people in the club. I already have a good idea on which teachers I will be going to for recommendations, and i am sure that those will be great. I do, however, need to talk to my guidance councilor more, but I’m not really sure how i would build up a relationship with her. And Cornell is my 1 or 2 choice, so ED is not necessarily an option yet. Does it really help to have ED over regular admissions? I still have a year before i have to actually start submitting everything, so i still have plenty of time until i make a decision. Thanks, and keep the suggestions coming!</p>

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<p>Rob - check this out:
[Applying</a> Early Decision to College: Best Admission Strategy There Is - The Daily Beast](<a href=“Applying Early Decision to College: Best Admission Strategy There Is”>Applying Early Decision to College: Best Admission Strategy There Is)</p>

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<p>Wow, thats interesting, and really good for me. I think I’m going to realy think about which is my top school. I’m visiting all of my colleges that I’m considering this summer, so I’ll have a better idea then.</p>

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<p>Look at the ED decisions thread and evaluate your own chances…</p>