My son, a Chinese boy with green card, a rising senior attending very highly ranked public high school in New Jersey. I just wonder if he have a shot at getting in Cornell or other top schools? My English is not good. Basically my son is on his own in his study and college application. Your advice will be greatly appreciated.
Stats:
SAT: 1560 with 6/5/6 essay
SAT II: Math II 800, Physics 800
Weighted GPA: 4.69, UW GPA: 4.0
-AP Chem (5)
-AP English 11 (4)
-AP Calc BC (5)
-AP Comp Sci (5)
-AP Physics 1?(5)
ECs:
- United States of America Physics Olympiad Gold Medalist in 2018
- National medalist in two events (Material Science, Optics) in Science Olympiad 2017 National Tournament
- Competed in AAPT PhysicsBowl and placed 7th in the nation in 2018
- Won two 1st place medals(Chemistry Lab, Optics) and a 3rd place medal (Material Science) in 2018 Science Olympiad State Tournament
- camp instructor for Science Olympiad Summer Camp in 2017 and 2018
Assuming his essays and teacher recommendations are stellar, he has a likely chance of getting into Cornell. However, if he decides to apply RD to Engineering, he still has a good shot but don’t be surprised if he gets waitlisted
As a rising Sophomore at Cornell Engineering, it seems like only yesterday I went through the stress of applications while trying to find out if I was good enough for certain universities. I can tell you his stats are great and he’ll get a good look during the application process, but you already know that. There are a million more factors than stats. Is Cornell his first choice or one of many? If it’s his first choice, apply early decision. It’ll increase his chances by 25% or more. But what is unique about him? You just posted a bunch of grades and awards. Almost all of the 50,000 freshman applicants have outstanding academic records as well as a good list of awards and extracurricular activities. Looking at what you wrote, he’s not unique. Sorry to be blunt. Based on feedback I received after being accepted, the personal essay is incredibly important. If it sounds like copy and paste gibberish, he won’t be admitted. If he tailors his essays specifically to Cornell, why he’s so passionate about physics, how it relates to him personally, and why he thinks he’ll make a big difference for the university, that will help his chances tremendously. Too many essays come in as the exact same for every university applied to and the decision-makers can see that. I remember proof-reading several of my friends’ essays my senior year, and I didn’t have the heart to tell them that they sounded lazy and too general. Get professional help if needed. Hire someone to help your son craft the perfect story if necessary. The grades and accolades are important, but paint only a small picture.
Definitely spend time on the essay. My son had an OK grades but he was able to get in as a guarantee transfer option. What really helped I think were his recommendations and his essays. I really think that the essays really make a difference in getting your voice out on what your interests are and why Cornell is a good fit. Would agree to get some advice and someone to review the essays To provide feedback. This is well worth the small investment.
USAPhO Gold is fairly unique, there are only about 40 of them in a given year. But yes, he needs to make sure his essays present him as a human being who has life outside of physics.