Chances for Cornell-CALS ED

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

Hi guys,

I am currently a senior at a large, rural public high school in Minnesota, and I recently submitted my Early Decision application to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I’d really appreciate some feedback about my chances, or maybe some info on how people with similar credentials have fared in recent admissions processes. Also, I’d love anyone’s suggestions on potential safety schools for me!

Here’s my info:

Ethnicity & Gender: Caucasian/Female
Intended Major: Biological Sciences, pre-med track
-ACT Score: 34 (single-sitting)
-Weighted GPA: 4.176 on a 4.0 scale (My school doesn’t offer unweighted GPAs)
-Class Rank: 5/500
Intended College: CALS
AP/CIS Classes Taken or Signed up for: AP Chemistry (Sophomore), AP Calc AB (Junior) and BC (Senior), AP Biology (Junior), AP Physics w/ Calc (Senior), AP Psych (Senior), CIS Public Speaking (Junior), CIS Critical Writing (Senior).

Extracurriculars:
-Peer Leaders
-WEB Leaders
-LINK Leaders
-SADD
-JV/Varsity Tennis (5 years)
-Volunteering in hospital birth place: 250+ hours
-Concert Piano (12 years)
-Apprentice chocolatier with a fine chocolate company (4 years)
-Certified EMR
-AP Bio and Chemistry TA

Honors:
-National Merit Scholar Commended Student
-AP Scholar
-Lettered in Academics every year

Recommendations:

I have recs from my piano instructor (10/10), my volunteer hospital coordinator (probably decent but not outstanding. I never read it.), my AP Bio and Chem teachers (9/10), and my employer of 4 years, who is a Cornell alumnus. She wrote me two letters, one for the Common App and one that was Cornell specific (10/10)

Essays: I’m really not in a position to rate myself. I have basically worked on my essays since June, so I don’t know how they sound anymore. I did have nearly everyone in my life read them, including two English teachers and a professional essay coach, and they gave positive feedback.

One more thing: My high school is the largest in the state, so my class sizes have always been massive. Our school ranking is mediocre at best. Our referendums never pass, so our facilities are pretty rundown and opportunities are kind of limited. I don’t know of any kids from my school who have gotten into or even applied to the schools I’m applying too, except for the U of M and Madison. The majority of kids who attend are white and lower to middle class. Will this hurt me or help me in admissions processes?

Applying to:
Cornell ED
Tufts RD
U Michigan Ann Arbor EA
Boston U RD
U W Madison EA
Brandeis RD
Harvard (they have to take somebody, right?) RD
UC Boulder EA
Vanderbilt (haha, yeah right) RD
UNC Chapel Hill EA
University of Minnesota EA

I’d really appreciate feedback on my chances at these schools and maybe other similar ones. I’d also love other ideas for safety schools, since I want to make sure I can go to college!

Thank you so much!

2

As someone who’s also applying to CALS, the one thing they really want is you to show a passions for the life sciences that is innate in your background. For example, if your parents are farmers and you’ve worked on a farm, that’s a huge boost. I don’t see anything super life sciency in your subjectives or your background, so unless I missed something I’d say itd be a reach. but since ur applying g Ed I’d say low reach.

3

@Harpguy2022 My main reason for applying to CALS was their opportunities for undergraduate research with professors who are exploring fertility function and disfunction. I want to be a reproductive endocrinologist, and I’m really passionate about bio, which was kind of the foundation of my supplemental essay. But yeah, I get why that wouldn’t make a lot of sense if that wasn’t part of my application.

4

@Harpguy2022

Hello! I know you wrote this comment like last year but I also have a similar question. My grades are similar to hers and I am thinking about applying to environmental engineering. I think I have a lot of ECs related to environmental issues like: getting grants to install a new water fountain and cover portion of cost of replacing pipes, internship at Lamont-Doherty, presenting my poster at JSHS, and student council member of the national green school society. What do you think? Is this good enough for Cornell?

5

You are a competitive applicant. Your stats and ECs are good. Write great essays and you could get accepted to any of these schools