Chances...?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>I was hoping some people could chance me for Cornell. I will admit, it was presumptuous of me to think that the "What are my chances" board would provide accurate chances for the one school I would love to go to. I don't mean to give the impression that I am not being realistic (Some people tell me that I am overly-modest at times), but I was also curious as to how Cornell views the "whole" applicant, instead of an applicant just riding on their numbers. </p>

<p>Personal Details
Location: New York
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Age: 18
Year: Senior (Grade 12)
Parent Income: $71,755 (I applied for Financial Aid)
IB Certificate Student
Graduating Class Size: 175-ish students
Recruited Athlete: No
Major: Pre-Med/Biology/Biochemistry</p>

<p>Academics
SAT I: N/A
SAT II: Math II-650, Chemistry-650
ACT: 27 Composite / 11 on the Essay
Class Rank: School does not rank
GPA: 91% weighted (From the previous three years of high school)
IB Exams: Psychology SL - 4
AP Exams: Euro - 3</p>

<p>Senior Year Course-Load (With current grades that were sent in the Mid Year Report. Only IB classes are weighted)
-Gym: 100% unweighted
-Anatomy and Physiology: 95% unweighted
-IB Physics SL: 90% unweighted / 99% weighted
-IB Environmental Systems SL: 100% unweighted / 110% weighted
-IB English HL II: 91% unweighted / 100% weighted
-IB Math Studies SL: 86% unweighted / 95% weighted
-IB History of the America's HL II: 99% unweighted / 109% weighted</p>

<p>Senior Average thus so far: 94% unweighted / 101% weighted</p>

<p>Essays
-I would say they were very good. My common app essay was about various childhood experiences, and my extreme commitment to the Piano and Martial Arts. </p>

<p>Recommendations
-All outstanding. 2 teachers, 1 guidance counselor, 1 from my piano teacher, one from an Anesthesiologist.</p>

<p>Interviews
-Had interviews with Harvard, Brown, and Cornell so far.</p>

<p>Awards
-Honor Roll – Grades 9-10
-High Honor Roll – Grades 10, 11, 12
-Health Achievement Award – Grade 11
-50 hour Hospital Service Award – Grade 11
-5 and 10 year national award from Piano Guild </p>

<p>Extra-Curriculars
-Pianist – 15 years<br>
-Tae Kwon Do, Red/Black Stripe ranking - 10 years
-Shadowing various doctors including a cardiologist and an anesthesiologist. – Grades 11-12
-Piano Guild participant - 7 years
-Preparing, selling tickets for, and performing in an eclectic senior piano concert of my own design (May 2011)
-Concert Chorale - Grades 9 and 11
-Internship with a cardiologist - Grade 12
-NYSSMA: “Outstanding” grades in all six levels </p>

<p>Volunteering/Community Service and Work Experience
-Hospital Volunteer: Emergency Unit – Grade 11
-Youth Group
-Pianist at local nursing home - Grade 9
-Returning pianist at winter and summer recitals for my Church - 10 years
-Volunteering at the local Library- Summer 2008
-Photographer’s Assistant- Summer 2008 (paid)
-Auto Body Repair Assistant- Summer 2009 (paid)</p>

<p>Schools that have already accepted me
-NYU (:D)
-SUNY Stony Brook (:))</p>

2

<p>After taking into consideration your being URM and your choice of major,
Low to avg chance in CALS. Very low to low for CAS.
While scores are not indicative of everything, they do matter, especially for someone indicating bio major.</p>

3

<p>With all due respect, Cornell still needs the numbers to match up. I know a URM kid with a 30, and had EC’s that lacked a little compared to yours (but significantly more and better AP exams and scores), and she was rejected last year for CAS, so your chances at Cornell might be an uphill battle. By no means is it impossible, but like Anti said before me, it all depends on your college to which you applied and how you were able to demonstrate fit into your essay. My understanding is that the Cornell supplement essay is critical to the application, and if you wrote a killer one of those, you may well have a decent shot at it. </p>

<p>Also, though, reaffirming Anti’s point again, the scores really do matter. Cornell reports these and they go into USNews’s giant algorithmic chugging machine for the rankings, so it does not behoove Cornell to accept applicants whose scores do not mean the 25%-75%, which you miss by 2 points, a solid margin on the ACT. And as Anti indicated before me, the competition to be pre-med/bio-major is very, very fierce at all of the Top 20 schools, and Cornell is no exception, so this is going to be an uphill battle, in my opinion.</p>

<p>You’re definitely a competitive student if the adcom looks beyond your stats, but your essay really needs to persuade them to do so. However, being a hispanic applicant should be a major boon as well, which may serve to keep you in the running to The Table, from which anything can happen. Best of luck on March 30!</p>