GPA: 3.96 (uw)/4.63 (weighted)
ACT: 32 superscore (perfect reading score)
Ap exams: 4 on chem 5 on APUSH
Ec’s: Medical Ethics Researcher; selected by Harvard post doc and wrote a research paper; submitted to Rutgers journal of bioethics
Organized school’s first ever sports bra drive; collected over 200 bras and $700 for local athletes; featured on local news and in international newsletters
Founder and President of a social justice discussion group at school
Student Council
Club soccer (ECNL is top tier of girls soccer)
Varsity soccer captain (all-district)
Teenage board member for a local nonprofit (only delegate from my school)
Student athlete advisory committee member
Math and Science tutor for younger kids in the school district
Part time job at a local restaurant
Additional info: Black female applying from Oklahoma to the college of human ecology; human development major
Essays: strong essays that focus on connection and development through health, public policy, and psychology/ familial ties
Knowing my act is weak I’m hoping to use extracurriculars and essays to mitigate it a little. What are my chances?
I think you have a decent chance. It’s Cornell - so decent doesn’t mean strong - but higher than average. Did you apply ED? That’s your best odds.
Cornell is seeming to eschew test scores. Human Ecology is test optional but others are test blind. You could go TO - and maybe that’s wise as it sounds like your scores may be disjointed - high English so low somewhere else? And it likely won’t impact you.
You are a URM (at some point the supreme court is going to toss affirmative action but hopefully not b4 you are in). You are from Oklahoma. Your background is super impressive beyond any of that stuff - those are just added positives.
You stand strong on your own but diversity - both racial and geographic - stands out for you in my opinion.
I agree that you have a lot going for you, but that highly selective schools like Cornell are a low chance for even best candidates.
I just wanted to chime in as someone originally from Oklahoma who applied to Cornell a couple decades ago – have you visited? I had not visited until I got in and the campus/town really wasn’t what I expected. Later in my life, I ended up living nearby and, FOR ME, I was glad that I had chosen not to go to school there. (It might be a perfect fit for you! It just wasn’t what I imagined when I applied to an Ivy League school in upstate New York. I know that today you have a lot more access to videos/information online than I did 20 years ago.)
Also, has your family run the NPC? Again, I know my data is a couple decades old, but my financial package from Cornell was by far the worst of any school I got into. It was like they did not even try to meet my family’s financial need. Other things I have read from people on here have made me think that is still the case with Cornell. But you might be able to get a good idea if you run the NPC, which is a good thing to do for any school you are considering.
I had the chance to visit during my junior year and I really loved the vibe from what I saw. We didn’t really explore outside the campus but it was extremely beautiful and rural but still had enough undergrads so I wouldn’t feel like I’m completely surrounded by nothing. We did run the NPC and the cost is definitely going to be a stretch, but I am so lucky to have parents willing to pay for my undergrad tuition. Without their support, Cornell is way too expensive. It’s very off putting that they claim to meet 100 percent of demonstrated need but seem to follow some rigid formula for what counts as “need”. I also have a twin sister and older sister who will be in college with me so financial aid will be extremely important
As we approach the deadline, I’m reading more and more into “good signs “ and need someone to tell me to stop lol
I keep getting asked for more tax documents
Cornell emailed my gc dec. 1 (probably two weeks before the decision date) and asked for my first quarter grades. I currently have a low b in AP French 4 so now I’m freaked out that I’ll be deferred or rejected because of it but I can’t find anyone that’s been asked for them in any forums years back