I’m planning on applying early decision to Cornell and am in a position academically that has me unsure of my chances, meaning I want outside perspectives on what realistically might happen, where I can perfect things in the time I have, and all things of such a nature.
I am female, am a (double? triple?) legacy at Cornell, both of my parents having attended and met there, and my older brother attending now. I am currently in the tail end of my sophomore year of high school, but for most of my freshman year I was out of school for medical reasons, and thus barely passed through the year, with “MED” clearings on two quarters of my transcript for the year, only earning credits for Algebra 1, Global 9, and Earth Science, and having to make up french 2 and english 9 the following summer.
This year, I have been attempting to make up for what I lost, but it is difficult to not feel as if it is hopeless as I am now on the lower level classes as opposed to having been “fast-tracking” before I became ill in my eighth grade year.
Currently, I am taking College Prep Biology, Geometry, English 10, and Global 10. I have 92s-97s in all of these classes.
My current
I plan on next year, taking College Prep Chem Honors, AP Literature, Algebra 2 Honors, and both Macroscopic Anatomy & Physiology and Microscopic Anatomy & Physiology, each of those being a half year, half credit class.
I have yet to take the SAT (I will next year with the rest of my then-11th-grade peers) but have studied extensively and on the several occasions I’ve taken practice SATs, have gotten an average score of 2290, and expect to score as well or better when I officially take the exam.
I am in the application process of and hope to, this coming summer, attend the summer program at Cornell for 6 weeks, taking a science course called “Mind, Body, and Health” and then “Genius and Madness in literature”
The summer after my junior year, I plan on attending the summer program at Oxford, one my older brother attended a few years ago, or taking an online class.
If this affects my odds in any way, I play varsity Softball and plan on continuing to do so for the remainder of high school.
Please offer up any commentary or ask any questions, everything is appreciated!
It is one of the @#$#@$ things about the high school path that if you don’t get into the ‘right’ trajectory early it can be excruciatingly hard to move later. Sometimes you can pull it off, but if you can’t, that’s where your GC comes in: your GPA will speak for itself, and your GC can make the point that you have taken the most rigorous course load available to you. In itself, it should not shut the door for you, but (imo) you can help yourself by what you do beyond the classroom.
Summer programs don’t get a lot of weight- what you do with your summer program counts more. So, go to Oxford for the fun and adventure, but not b/c you think that it will impress AdComms.
Is your health still an issue (in particular, does it limit the time and energy that you can put into other activities)? b/c if not, what are you doing besides 1 season of a sport?
Also, you don’t mention a language for this year or next, or a social studies-type class for next year. Except for the language you meet Cornell’s undergrad requirements, but other colleges want more, and you shouldn’t bet on just one college (even if it’s where your heart is).