I am currently a high school senior about to graduate. I left my traditional high school my sophomore year and enrolled in a program called Middle College which allowed me to take community college classes for high school credit. Upon graduation, I should have around 30 credits of college coursework. However, I didn’t do too well in high school. I have around a 3.5/3.6 GPA and scored a 1920 on my SAT. In my college classes, I got a majority of A’s and B’s however I got a D in Trigonometry but retook it and got a B. My current college GPA is a 3.69 and I am projected to get a 4.0 this semester in my college classes. I plan on spending an additional year at the local community college after graduation and my goal is to transfer to Cornell and major in Nutritional Sciences. I will be taking chemistry, biology, stats/calc and english next year at the college level. I also may join the college swim team. I’ve listed the courses I’ve taken in college below so far, and I guess I’m just wondering how good of a chance I stand to get in. I know that Cornell wants to see that you’re a good fit. I want to go to Cornell because they have done leading studies and research in plant based nutrition which is specifically what I’m interested in. Viewing threads, it seems like most transfers come from other 4 year institutions, so I’m just wondering the chance I stand with my grades and situation. I struggled in high school but picked things up and am doing a lot better.
College courses:
Fall 2014:
Finite Mathematics: A (3 units)
College career readiness course: B+ (1 unit) :
International Relations (W)
Study skills course: A (1 unit)
Swim stroke development: A (1)
Yoga (1)
Spring 2015:
Trigonometry: D (4)
Human Biology: B+ (3)
Psychology: A (3)
Swim course: A (1)
Fall 2015:
Trigonometry: B (4) – retaken
Philosophy: A (3)
Contemporary Foreign Gov’ts: A- (3)
Swim couse: A (1)
Spring 2016:
Philosophy-Intro to World Religions (3)
Cultural Anthropology (3)
Biology-Nutrition (3)
Photography (3)
Drawing and Composition (W)
Yoga (1)
Swim Course (1)
Since you will already have college credits (more than 12) you can apply as a transfer applicant to Cornell. The rule is that the longer you are in college (and the longer college transcript you have) the less important the high school GPA will end up being. However, Cornell will still consider and look at your high school record/GPA/ECs but because you will have already a college record, they will put more emphasis in your college GPA. If you are not confident in you high school GPA, you can be at the community college for 2 years and then transfer as an incoming junior to Cornell because as an incoming sophomore you only have 1 year of college classes, so they will put more weight into your high school record.
Also, if I am not mistaken, Cornell doesn’t really seem to put much importance with SAT/ACT scores because they don’t actually make you take them if you haven’t. This is from their website: “If you have previously taken the SAT or ACT, you should have an official score report sent to Cornell by the testing agency. It is not necessary to take the SAT or ACT if you have not previously done so”.
Your GPA is good and your classes are good too. The main problem with transfer students is having a good reason to transfer so I would focus on developing a good background by having ECs you truly care about and supporting them with a good GPA and proof of determination and initiation to be better as well as a good, solid reason to transfer to Cornell
Good luck! I applied to transfer to Cornell for Fall 2016 and I know it is difficult. But as long as you work hard, do what you truly love and don’t give up, you will achive your dreams in the end
Most transfers get into CALS. Choose your community college well - see if yours has a good relationship with Cornell (it has to be a suny) . You did quite well in high school and in your middle college grades are good too, so don’t put all your eggs in the same basket, especially since transfers get less aid than freshmen. Since your middle college classes counted toward graduation, you have freshman status for no,w (with advanced standing) - think carefully whether you want to run the risk of getting into colleges you may not be able to afford.
OP, look into the guaranteed transfer program in NY. See if the hs dual enrollment credits count as comm college or high school. There is a wide variety of community colleges where one can transfer up, with the right GPA.
“It is not like there is a substantial difference between the two anyway.” Between community college and Cornell? Really? I would say there is a significant difference.
Working at McDonald’s? What kind of job at McDonald’s? Are you suggesting the OP just get a two-year degree and then try their luck at a career at McDonald’s? Even if you own a chain of McDonald’s, I don’t think the OP needs your help getting an interview at McDonalds since cashier is the only thing a college student is qualified for.
“Pseudo-Ivy?” “fake Ivy degrees?” What is this supposed to mean and how is that supposed to help the OP?
OP - Cornell is one of the few Ivies that takes a fair number of transfers, and under the Jack Kent Cook program they are often looking for “diamonds in the rough.”
