<p>What do you think my chances are of getting in? Should I apply ED for increased chances (I'm between Cornell and Tufts). How's Tufts ED II admission like? I also want to be an IR major, I don't know if that makes a difference. Thanks ahead of time!</p>
<p>Here are my stats:
-female
-rank somewhere in the top 10 of my class out of ~700, not exactly sure where though
-4.0 uw gpa, 4.8333 w
- 29 ACT, this is where the problem is. I got a 30+ in each section except I had about a
fifth of the science section to go so I only got a 25 there bringing all of my 30+s down.
Of course I will be retaking and plan to do some hardcore studying (any tips for the
science section, anyone?) Will Cornell see each section? I wish I could put an asterisk by science that says I'm not majoring in science, lol
-all honors and AP with 6 APs senior year alone so definitely most rigorous sched. possible
and even out of everybody else too
- first generation and fluent in 2 languages, moderate in a 3rd</p>
<p>ECs are okay I think, nothing spectacular really:
- Secretary of Spanish Club (going for president this year)
- Link Crew Leader- freshman mentor
-Cleveland Zoo volunteer
-Girls State delegate
-job at a grocery store
-first chair of my section in orchestra (but I had to quit because of scheduling
conflicts)
-I might begin volunteering at a hospital and children's home if accepted as a
volunteer
-have done costumes for the school play
- LOTS of babysitting as I had to take care of my younger brother and the house
everyday after school until 1 am since my parents worked weird shifts during 9th and
10th grade which is why I don't have that great of ECs but apparently colleges love
this kind of stuff?
- I write a political blog but idk if this counts as an EC</p>
<p>You know how your “numbers” look: your class rank and GPA are great, while your ACT score is not competitive at Tufts or Cornell (barring some unstated element about you that might be of particular interest).
What APs have you taken so far, and what were your scores? What APs are you taking as a senior?
Tufts and Cornell are pretty different schools, but they are both very hard to get into. Cornell is much larger, is Division I in sports, and is in Ithaca - which can be either a plus or a minus, beauty being in the eyes of the beholder. Tufts is a fraction of the size, feels more like an intimate liberal arts college than a big university, is a Division III sports school that isn’t remotely on the same tier athletics-wise as Cornell, and offers Cambridge and Boston at its doorstep - which is an enormous plus unless you are a bookish hermit. I also think it has a great IR undergrad program.
Finally, Tufts EDII is pretty much like EDI: if you’re a competitive applicant, you’ve got a good shot of getting in, but if you would be viewed as a weak RD applicant, applying ED won’t help you at all.</p>
<p>WCASParent- Thanks for your input. The APs I’ve taken/will take are: US History, Gov/Politics, Calc, English, Spanish, Bio, Chem, and Computer Science.</p>
<p>So you think I don’t really have a shot due to my ACT? What if I get it up to at least 31, which I hope/suspect I will?</p>
<p>You always have a shot, and could well get in with a 29, but truth be told that is generally considered a weak score at both schools, unless you have some hook to get past it. A 31 would put you in a very different position.</p>
<p>Why didn’t you take the SAT? It doesn’t have a science section and its easy. Also, you probably need some SAT II’s as well, right? Most schools that accept ACT scores also require 2 or 3 subject tests in different fields to accompany the ACT score.</p>
<p>I didn’t take the SAT because I’m intimidated by the vocab section (English is not my first language) and I live in the Midwest so we’re a lot more familiar with the ACT. And thanks for the heads up about the SAT IIs. I’ve taken one in US History and will be taking Math II in October.</p>
<p>“Finally, Tufts EDII is pretty much like EDI: if you’re a competitive applicant, you’ve got a good shot of getting in, but if you would be viewed as a weak RD applicant, applying ED won’t help you at all.”</p>
<p>Errrrrrrr… I don’t think is completely true… and looking at the stats the OP gave s/he is definitely not a “weak RD applicant”</p>
<p>EDIT: This was in response to the second part.</p>
WCASparent was making a general statement, not saying that honorstudent is a weak applicant. However, for someone who WOULD be considered a weak applicant applying ED wouldn’t be much help.</p>
Well I know for a fact that last year (at least), most schools that I applied to required two SAT subject tests to accompany the ACT grade (mainly one science + another nonscience subject). I dont know if they changed this policy, but I doubt it, since it makes sense for schools to require it.</p>
<p>Anyways, I wasn’t aware you were from the Midwest. I’m from the NE area so of course everyone over here is more accustomed to the SAT. I see you’re planning on retaking which is of course very smart, especially since you only have to focus on that one sci section. I remember when I took the ACT (without ANY preparation), time was rough on me - partly because I was VERY unfamiliar with the format of the test, as well as because I wasn’t aware of how much reading were involved in some of the sections. I recall the sci. section being brutal for its long passages. You really need to rush through it and make sure you at least get to scan every passage over once. Also - I dont think there was any penalty for guessing on the ACT right? So just fill in all C’s after time is called for each section. Otherwise, just take mass practice sections of science only (timing yourself properly) and you should be prepped.</p>
<p>You honestly look like if you get the ACT score up a bit (like you said, 31 would be good), you should have a strong shot. </p>
<p>If I can give you a tip for the science section (coming from a guy who struggled with it last year), I found that reading the passages was really not worth it. Look at the graphs first and try to answer the questions with that alone, most of the time you will be able to.</p>