***CORNELL CLASS OF 2020 RD RESULTS ONLY***

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
21

Decision: Accepted

College of Engineering (!!!) Accepted through Diversity Hosting

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2070 600 WR, 770 M, 660 CR
ACT (breakdown): 32 (didnt submit, dont remember)
SAT II: 760 Physics 760 Math 2
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, 4.69 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 2% out of 800
AP (place score in parenthesis): WH (5), USH (4), Eng Lang & Comp (5), Phys1 (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 2, AP Calc BC, AP US Gov, Theatre Arts 3, AP Environmental Sci, AP Eng Literature, Theatre Production, Economics Hnrs
Major Award: National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Cross Country 3 Years, Theatre 3 Years + Extra afterschool Theatre class (Communications Officer of the Theatre Department), FBLA (VP of Community Service, VP of Finance), International Thespian Society
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: 50+ Hours from IB MYP program, 80 from International Thespian Society
Summer Activities: took Summer School Health before my Freshman year to get ahead

Essays: (I thought they would be bad since I did them last minute but I tried to be as genuine as possible!!) One was about how coming out of the closet has changed my world view and how I view myself, and how I can focus on becoming a person who knows what they want instead of focusing on my own closeted image and what others want. My other was about how I’ve tinkered with technology since I was a little kid, and how I want to use technology to meet the challenges of a changing world (transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainability etc)

Teacher Recommendations: I haven’t gotten the chance to read them but they’re from lovely Math and Physics teachers I’ve known for most of my high school career, I doubt they were anything less than a 9/10.
Counselor Rec: Haven’t read this one either, but I’ve known her personally since before high school and we’re very close. I expect she wrote a great rec.

Additional Rec: None
Interview: Phone call with a Cornell Alumni. it went very well I think, I had relevant topical answers to the questions he had for me.

Other: I underestimated myself and threw my app together last minute, but It still worked 8D

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes, but I applied late as I had no idea I had to do the CSS profile until March 15th (oops)
Intended Major: Electrical Engineering
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public, very large
Ethnicity: Hispanic/White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~150K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM + Gay? I think?

Reflection

Strengths: Passionate and truthful in what I wrote about, really tried showing my interest in my application. Also consistent straight As in 4+ Honors/AP classes every year of highschool, with additional extracurricular classes.
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Explaining why my diversity didn’t define me, but was part of how I view the world. Also I luckily had a resume on file that I could quickly change to look pretty for Cornell haha.

Weaknesses: I had no idea I’d get in, so I applied on the day of the deadline (thank god I decided to follow through!). And my SAT isn’t spectacular to what you’d expect of a Science major, but it turned out to be enough :smiley:

Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Exposure to various activities and clubs made me a well rounded student.

Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted to UCLA, UCSD, rejected from UCB

Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: Probably what I’ve been talking about in the rest of this i dunno haha

22

[aB][asize=4][acolor=#008000] Decision: Accepted (Diversity Letter) [/color][/size]**

Name of Cornell College you applied to: COE

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2110
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Chem, 800 Bio
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/600
AP (place score in parenthesis): taken 16 APs, averaged a 4.7
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics, AP Calc BC, AP Comp Sci, AP Govt, AP Macroeconomics, AP Euro
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: Habitat for Humanity, gay club, art club, science honor society
Summer Activities: Art club, math tutoring
Essays: my common app one was ok. My engineering supplement is definitely what got me in.
Teacher Recommendation: I only read my English teacher’s and it was alright. My chem one must have been better.
Counselor Rec: Average
Interview: Didn’t do one.
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Chemical Engineering
State (if domestic applicant): FL
School Type: public
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: < $60,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM, my supplement essay was definitely unique

Reflection

Strengths: supplement essay, course load, GPA
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: I didn’t try to focus on anything, so I guess authenticity?
Weaknesses: lack of awards and extracurriculars related to my major
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: accepted because my supplement essay was basically like “Screw you, Cornell.” I guess they liked how I wasn’t kissing up to them. I was authentic.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: accepted Georgia Tech, UIUC, UCSD. Denied everywhere else.
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: I started writing my supplement at 11:00pm the night of the deadline while I was in the car on vacation with my family. I finished in 30 minutes and submitted it through my phone. My essay can best be described as “Screw Cornell and their supplemental essay.” I was shocked I when I found out I got accepted.

23

Decision: Accepted

Name of Cornell College you applied to: College of Engineering

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 750 CR; 790 M; 780 W (took only once)
ACT (breakdown): Not taken
SAT II: 800 Math II; 800 Physics; 800 Chemistry; 750 World History; 750 Latin
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.98
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Calculus BC (5); AP Physics C: Mechanics (5); AP Physics C: E&M (5); AP Chemistry (5); AP Statistics (5); AP Macroeconomics (5); AP Microeconomics (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Multivariable Calculus from CTYOnline (got A+) & 5 regular courses from my online HS (it does not offer AP courses)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Two times AIME qualifier (close to qualifying for USAMO but could not quite make it), AP Scholar with Distinction

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Job/Work Experience: No (too young to have a job)
Volunteer/Community service: Not much
Summer Activities: Math camps; Travel - traveled the world quite a lot.
Essays: I think they were quite good. My research idea in the college specific essay was about using a set of Sophie Germain primes to construct Costas Code as a pulse compression method in radar signal processing.
Teacher Recommendation: One from AP Chemistry teacher and one from Honors Latin III teacher. I excelled in their classes and I think they all wrote excellent recommendation letters for me.
Counselor Rec: Great. She loves me!
Additional Rec: From a math professor who was a former US team coach for the International Math Olympiad. He has known me for over 4 years since I began to attend his Math Circle. He said he wrote a great recommendation letter for me.
Interview: Because of my age (12 YO), I had a special interview session (through Skype) with the director of admissions. I think he wanted to see if I was mature enough for college. I think it went well.
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Undecided for now, but leaning toward Applied and Engineering Physics
State (if domestic applicant): Texas
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public (Online) & Homeschool - I finished most of my core curriculum through homeschooling and got credits by taking CBEs. In my senior year I enrolled in an online high school to receive my official high school diploma.
Ethnicity: Korean/White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: < 200,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): My age - I was 11 years old when I applied and am 12 now. It definitely made me stand out! Also my unusual educational background and Cornell legacy (my father graduated from Cornell Engineering and grandfather is a professor at Cornell).

Reflection

Strengths: Prowess in math and physical sciences. Excellent academic achievements (GPA, test scores).
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: My passion for math and science; I emphasized that I am not afraid of challenges and deserve an opportunity to realize my potential despite my age.
Weaknesses: My age - it was both a hook and a weakness at the same time. Most top colleges I applied to were reluctant to take a risk by accepting such a young student (I heard there is a liability issue for schools).
Why you think you were accepted: I heard there was quite a discussion among the faculty about accepting a “child.” Admissions office told my parents that it is the first time they admit such a young student in several decades that they could find a record for and I am really grateful to Cornell for giving me an opportunity. My parents had to let the school know that we will move to Ithaca so that I can commute from home. Also they all agreed that having my grandfather on campus would be a big help (both for the college and my parents).
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted - Cornell, University of Texas at Austin (Dean’s Scholars Honors Program); Waitlisted - Vanderbilt; Rejected - MIT, Harvard
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: My age!

24

Decision: Waitlisted

Name of Cornell College you applied to: Architecture, Art, and Planning

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 34 (36E, 30M, 33R, 35S) (one sitting)
SAT II: 680 Lit (didn’t send)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.31
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 105/276
AP (place score in parenthesis): 4 (Eng Lang, French Lang, Art History), 3 (U.S. History)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A (not offered at my school)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Eng Lit, AP Euro History, Design Fundamentals, Pre-calculus, AP Physics 1, AP Env Science
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Honor, various state and national-level French awards

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Cross Country, Outdoor Track, Newspaper (Co-Editor-in-Chief), Key Club, National Honor Society
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteering at after school program for disadvantaged youths, various other volunteering activities around my town
Summer Activities: N/A
Essays: 9/10, I have a very clear vision of what I want to do with my architecture/planning education
Teacher Recommendation: Eng Lang/Newspaper: 9/10 (Had her for three years and we became very close), French Lang: 8/10 (Not her best student but she loved me and I did very well in her class)
Counselor Rec: 7/10 (Don’t know her well but she is aware of my extensive volunteering)
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Had an AMAZING “interview” with an alumni. We had an extremely interesting conversation covering a breadth of topics, and he was extremely impressed with me.
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Just FAFSA
Intended Major: Urban and Regional Studies
State (if domestic applicant): Louisiana
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public (~270 students in my grade)
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: M
Income Bracket: $200,000-$250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Really great alumni meeting and good essays, other than that, not much

Reflection

Strengths:
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: My strong interest in a interdisciplinary education that would ultimately result in being an architect
Weaknesses: GPA - a million times GPA. My lack of care in my Freshman year really killed me, and my overall laziness really brought down my GPA.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Likely was waitlisted because my GPA was not nearly good enough for the Ivy League.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted at Tulane (attending), NYU, LSU (Honors); Rejected at UT-Austin, WashU
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: The way I melded together several academic interests into a coherent end goal for my career.

25

Decision: Accepted!

Accepted into Cornell Engineering! Hope this information is useful to others!

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 760 CR 800 M 790 W (Comp: 2350)
ACT (breakdown): n/a
SAT II: Math(800), Biology M(790), Chem (750)
PSAT: 230
Unweighted GPA (if available): 4.0
Weighted GPA (if available): N/A (school does not weigh)
Rank/percentile (if available): Top 10% of ~400 (school does not rank, but 4.0 is typically within 10% at my school)
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Biology(5), AP Language and Composition(5), AP Calculus BC(5), AP Psychology(4), AP Chemistry(4)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Compsci, AP Lit, AP Government, French 4 H, AP Statistics
Major Awards: FBLA Nationals Top 15 Finalist, TEAMS Nationals Top 10 Finalist (7th in US for Prepared Presentation), USABO Semifinalist, AIME qualifier, some awards at regional science fair, etc.

Subjective
Extracurriculars:

  • Red Cross For entire region
  • Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) (3 yrs, Secondary Events Manager)
  • Science Club (4 yrs, Science Olympiad Member)
  • Future Business Leaders of America (3 yrs, Member)
  • French Honor Society (1 yr, Member)
  • Choir (outside of school) (10 yrs, Group leader)

Job/Work Experience:

  • Biomedical Engineering Research Intern at Cornell University (Summer 2015, 2 months)
  • BME Research Intern at UIowa (Summer 2014, 2 months)

Volunteer/Community service:

  • Red Cross (250+ hrs)

Recommendations: Math Teacher, French Teacher
Had an additional supplemental recommendation from my Cornell Research Mentor

Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Engineering
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant): n/a
School Type: Competitive Public School
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male

Notes:

  • Go to a competitive high school where students regularly get accepted into top schools
  • 6 years of Trombone
  • Took a college course in Social Psychology over the summer, Research course at Uiowa
  • Was able to file a patent for the project that I did for Science Fair

Reflection
Strengths: GPA, Test scores, awards
Weaknesses: Not as many leadership positions as I would have liked
Big Red Factor: I think I showed a lot of interest in my particular major with the activities that I did, such as with research internships and engineering competitions. Also, the letter of rec from the Cornell Research Professor most likely gave my application a boost.

26

Decision: Accepted

Name of Cornell College you applied to: Arts & Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2310 (800 W, 770 M, 740 CR)
SAT II: 770 Math II, 720 Chem, 650 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95
Weighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.63
AP (place score in parenthesis): English Language (5), Spanish Language (5), US History (4), Chemistry (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Statistics, AP Physics 1, AP Gov, Econ, Calc, Peer Tutor

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Youth & Government (committee chair), Gender Equality Club (VP & Founder), tons of horseback riding, painting
Job/Work Experience: Internship with an elected official of a major city, sales associate at a local boutique
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteering to teach disabled kids to ride horses, peer tutoring
Summer Activities: Summer program at Georgetown, internship, job
Essays: My common app essay was about my internship, and how I learned to use local government as a platform to solve problems at a small scale, and how that relates to what I hope to achieve at a larger scale if I go into political science. For my Cornell essay I wrote about how my interest in political science ties into my interest in human interaction and the way the world communicates, and about how much I appreciate the way Cornell’s Government Department emphasizes a connection between material and its application to the outside world.
Teacher Recommendation: My AP Stats and Algebra II Honors teacher, who loves me, and my Chem Honors and Chem AP teacher, who I think likes me a lot
Counselor Rec: probably pretty generic, I got a new counselor this year so she didn’t really know me
Additional Rec: My boss from my internship over the summer (the letter was really good but it was accidentally addressed to Duke, lmao)
Interview: it went SO WELL, we just talked about a ton of things like Donald Trump, and he spent a lot of time answering all my questions

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Government
State (if domestic applicant): California
School Type: large public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none?

Reflection

Strengths: GPA, recs, essays
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: I was super focused on my interest in political science and how I want to use government as a means to make positive change in other people’s lives.
Weaknesses: I don’t have a ton of leadership in extracurriculars or major awards or anything.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I think the focus I had on government helped, and I think my recommendations definitely did too. Also maybe they needed more equestrians.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted: Washington University in St. Louis, UC Berkeley, Northeastern, Boston College, some safety UCs; Waitlisted: Georgetown, UCLA; Rejected: Duke, Northwestern, a couple of other ivies
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: I honestly have no idea? I didn’t think I was going to get in because I didn’t think I had anything that really made me stand out. Maybe they were just impressed that someone who is such a government nerd could simultaneously be such a weird horse girl.

27

Pick one:
[aB][asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]**

Name of Cornell College you applied to:

Objective: College of Engineering

SAT I (breakdown): 2270; 740M, 750CR, 780W
ACT (breakdown): 35 Composite; 36W, 35R, 35M, 33S
SAT II: 800 MII, 790 USH, 790 Chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 36/474
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 on Calc BC, Chem, Physics I, USH, Bio, U.S. Gov, Comparative Gov. 4 on Lang.
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Calc 2 + 3 through Georgia Tech, AP Psychology, AP Micro+Macroecon, AP Physics II, AP Literature.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National AP Scholar

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Automotive detailing, working on cars, recreational guitar playing, Coin collecting/Numismatics, Traditional wet shaving (Yeah, I know, it’s weird), artisan coffee brewing.
Job/Work Experience: Math tutoring (11-12)
Volunteer/Community service: None
Summer Activities: None
Essays: 9/10 CA, 9/10 Sup
Teacher Recommendation: 10/10 Physics teacher, ?/10 Chem teacher.
Counselor Rec: 7/10, didn’t know her well.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Solid, not the longest, but good content.
Other: None

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Undecided engineering
State (if domestic applicant): GA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public HS
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $100,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection

Strengths: Scores, GPA, unconventional activities, (applied ED and was deferred? Maybe that’s a plus?)
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Definitely my strange EC’s
Weaknesses: NO leadership, NO organized (non-hobby/work) EC’s
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Honestly do not know, thought a rejection was on my way after being deferred and not submitting a letter of interest. Still pretty shocked, my grades even fell after my deferral.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, Purdue.
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: Unconventionality? Probably not the typical applicant, I know my numbers were very good but this is Cornell Engineering, and those alone for sure wouldn’t get me in. I guess my takeaway is this: deferred students, keep pulling!

28

[asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]

College Applied: Arts & Sciences

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2300 superscore (770 CR, 730 W, 800 W 11 essay)
ACT (breakdown): Didn’t take
SAT II: 740 US History, 750 Lit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9/4 (I think? School doesn’t use 4.0)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/456
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc AB (5), US History (4), World (5), Gov (5), Psych (5), Lang (5), Stat (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load: AP Environmental, AP Calc BC, AP Lit, AP Seminar, AP Microecon, Honors french 5, band/chorus/orchestra
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Scholastic Gold Key Writing awards. Some state poetry wins, national merit finalist, I suppose the AP Scholar awards

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
FBLA VP (9-12) and awards from state competitions
NHS VP (11-12)
Feminist Society (11-12)
Select Choir Section Leader (9-12)
Lit Mag Editor (11-12)
MUN Fundraising Chair (10-12)
Class Secretary (9-12)
Piano with some local awards, same with flute
Job/Work Experience: Writer and on executive board for local newspaper
Volunteer/Community service: Generic volunteering, attended a governor’s school for business

Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App Essay- 10/10 The most sincere essay I wrote. Discussed the relationship between me and my family and my love from writing which has put us at odds. Nice language.
Supplement - 8/10 Honestly not sure how this got me in since my essay to Northwestern was very similar and I got straight rejected there haha

Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):

Teacher Rec #1: 10/10. We are very close and she had it written since the summer. I trust her completely and know she wrote truthfully.
Teacher Rec #2: 8/10. Didn’t read this one either although the teacher offered. Also offered to write me a letter of recc but I doubt it was anything outstanding.
Counselor Rec: 7/10. I go to a large public school so most likely generic.
Additional Rec: Did not send.
Interview: None

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: English
State (if domestic applicant): PA
Country (if international applicant): United States
School Type: Public (1900 students)
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: >$250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Absolutely 0

Reflection

Strengths: Common App essay, okay SAT, not bad GPA
Weaknesses: No wow factor?
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: See above
Also Applied: Yale SCEA (deferred), Brown (waitlisted), Northwestern (rejected), Swarthmore (rejected), UC Berkeley (waitlisted), UChicago (waitlisted)
Accepted: Penn State Schreyer Honors College, Emory, Cornell!
General Comments : Really surprised but thrilled!

29

Decision: Rejected

Name of Cornell College you applied to: Arts & Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2170 (760 CR, 730 W, 680 M)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: 700 USH, 650 Lit, 610 M1
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 20% but my school didn’t provide it
AP (place score in parenthesis): 4 Lang, 4 US
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: 3 APs
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NHD Winner

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Blog writer w/200k views and 100 articles, varsity sports, some other things
Job/Work Experience: Summer job with my Dad working at supermarkets
Volunteer/Community service: 200 hours
Summer Activities: Working, not a whole lot else
Essays: Cornell one was bad! Didn’t like. Common App one was very good.
Teacher Recommendation: Eh, must not have been amazing. Not very good college results–let’s say 7/10 for kind and impressed-sounding, but likely generic.
Counselor Rec: Hardly knows me, must have been generic.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A @ Cornell
Other: ECs were pretty unique overall, guess it didn’t carry much weight.

Applied for Financial Aid?:
Intended Major: Poli Sci
State (if domestic applicant): Northeast
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: M
Income Bracket: 60k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First-gen!

Reflection

Strengths: ECs, some essays, SAT (not really though)
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Focused on my writing
Weaknesses: SAT II, GPA, # of APs
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Not a strong enough high school student.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted @ University of Michigan & USC, Rejected @ Penn, Cornell, Notre Dame, Northwestern, UVA, Georgetown, Waitlisted @ Emory & UNC
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: The writing I do online! But schools just didn’t care–except possibly USC because I write for an LA-based sports team, and I was accepted at a school in LA… but it could be coincidence.
General Comments: Welp, it’s over! My schools have decided, and I may only have two options, but they’re pretty good options. I feel content with how things shook out and am excited! Advice to future applicants: ED somewhere. Banking entirely on the RD field is very challenging, especially for fringe applicants such as myself.

30

Decision: Accepted

Name of Cornell College you applied to: Human Ecology

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2180 (CR: 700, M: 710, W: 770)
SAT II: M2: 780, Lit: 670
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/450
AP: World (3), Comp Sci (3), Chem (2), APUSH (3), Physics (1), Lang (5), AB Calc (5), Pysch (5)

Senior Year Course Load: Dual Enrollment photoshop class, BC Calc, AP Gov/Macro, Newspaper 4, AP Latin, AP Environment Sci, AP Lit
Major Awards: National Merit Finalist

Subjective:

Extracurriculars: Newspaper (EIC), Latin (Captain/President), Cappies (Lead Critic)
Job/Work Experience: Private tutor (kind of like my own business? worked 10hrs a week)
Volunteer/Community service: Started SAT tutoring class at local boys and girls club
Essays: Very good, wrote about my volunteering at BGC and how that sparked my interest in public policy, etc
Teacher Recommendation: Amazing, I have very close relationships with both of my recommenders
Counselor Rec: I’m sure it was good, she knew about my community service and grades, etc.
Additional Rec: Written by my “mentor” who began as my tutor and grew into a great friend
Interview: Awesome! I’m very personable so I get along with everyone.

Applied for Financial Aid?: Nope
State: Florida
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $$$$$$$
Hooks: My mom went to Cornell for undergrad, perhaps that helped

31

**Decision: Accepted (Likely Letter) **

Name of Cornell College you applied to: Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): -
ACT (breakdown): 33 {34E 34M 29R 35S}
SAT II: Math II 800, Physics 800
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): school doesn’t calculate GPA
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): -
AP (place score in parenthesis): -
IB (place score in parenthesis): {Predicted grades} English lit SL (7), Mandarin SL (7), Geography HL (7), Physics HL (7), Math HL (7), Chemistry HL (7)
Senior Year Course Load: IB Diploma
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): some science and math related national awards

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): lots of music-related stuffs, school prefect, ballet
Job/Work Experience: part-time ballet tutor
Volunteer/Community service: music workshop, music performance for the local community, some others here and there (because… IB :wink: )
Summer Activities: shadowing a physics professor at a local university and learned programming skills, organized a two-day music workshop
Essays: 10/10 :stuck_out_tongue: by far my favorite supplement essay, it really showed my love for physics and how it was built through the various activities I took part in, and tied that passion to Cornell CAS.
Teacher Recommendation: Physics, Math and English lit teachers (didn’t read them)
Counselor Rec: didn’t read
Additional Rec: -
Interview: I had the Alumni Contact Meeting. It went pretty well, got to show my interest in Cornell
Other: attended a talk and a Q&A session given by Nobel Physics Prize winner (it was a really awesome experience!); started the IB Dip 6 months later than my classmates due to the timing as I shifted from public to private school. Had to do lots of catch ups.

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Physics
State (if domestic applicant): -
Country (if international applicant): Somewhere in Asia
School Type: Public for Freshman & Soph years, private for Junior & Senior years
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): -

Reflection

Strengths: Grades and test scores, took part in lots of science-related activities (physics especially)
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: my passion for physics and music; my character (reflected through my CommonApp essay)
Weaknesses: lack of major awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I think my supplement essay got me in.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: Once again, my passion for physics & how it’s tied to Cornell CAS. Go Big Red Bears!

32

[size=4]Decision: Rejected CAS

Objective:[ul]

[]SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 2260 (800 CR, 760 M, 700 W)
[]SAT II (place score in parentheses): 2400 (chem, math 2, bio e)
[]Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): NA
[]Rank/Percentile: NA
[]AP (place score in parentheses): NA
[]IB (place score in parentheses): NA
[]Senior Year Course Load: NA
[]Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NA

[/ul]Subjective:[ul]

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
[]Job/Work Experience: Summer internship with doctor )
[]Volunteer/Community Service: hundreds of hours (hospital volunteer + rotary)
[]Summer Activities: 150+ hours shadowing a doc (he even gave me a rec which I used for CA)
[]Essays: CA was pretty good 8.5/10. Supplements was good 7.5/10
[]Teacher Recommendations: average to good prolly 7/10, 8/10
[]Counselor Rec: didn’t know her, so probably very generic
[li]Interview: NA[/li]
[/ul]Other:[ul]
[]Applied for Financial Aid? Nope
[]Projected Concentration: Biological sciences
[]State/Country: International, but US citizen
[]School Type: Private
[]Ethnicity: B
[]Gender: M
[]Income Bracket: NA
[]Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

[/ul]Reflection:[list]
[]Strengths: Def SAT scores, transcripts and ECs
[]Weaknesses: My mid terms were really bad (2Cs) and my ECs were not that unique compared to some other applicants. (plus no sports)
[]Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Average SAT 1, luck
[]Where else you are applying or have already applied: Some ivies and random colleges.
Already got into Tulane 32k/y merit, UCSD, UCLA, Case Western 31k/yr merit, Cal, UNC Chapel Hill
Rejected: Johns Hopkins, Grinnell, Northwestern, Brown, Yale, Tufts, UPenn
[*]Advice: College admissions are a crapshoot. Good luck to everyone else!

33

ACCEPTED!

Name of Cornell College you applied to: College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): NIL
ACT (breakdown): 34C (35E, 35M, 31R, 34S)
SAT II: Chemistry: 800; Math II: 800
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): NIL
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): NIL
IB (place score in parenthesis): NIL
Senior Year Course Load: Local curriculum - 8 subjects
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National science / mathematics / debate / outstanding student awards. Nothing international.

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Science research at local university, debate (president), mock trial (captain), dance (leader), student government (chairperson), piano, etc.
Job/Work Experience: NIL
Volunteer/Community service: Tutor children + food recycling campaigns, etc.
Summer Activities: Voluntary Service trip, traveling with family, college campus visits, etc.
Essays: CA: 7/10; Supplement: 8/10
Teacher Recommendation: Never read any but I trust they are good.
Counselor Rec: 9/10
Additional Rec: 9/10 (from school principal)
Interview: Asked a lot of questions about Cornell; my interviewer was incredibly nice:)

Other:

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Sciences - undecided
State (if domestic applicant): NIL
Country (if international applicant): Southeast Asia
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: F
Income Bracket: >100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection

Strengths: Quite a lot of ECs. SAT IIs. Probably good recommendation letters too.
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself:
Weaknesses: ACT reading score + Awful scores on the transcript - school has a very challenging examination system where getting something like 70/100 makes you top 5% of the class already.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: See strengths.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted: UCLA & UMichigan. Rejected: Stanford.

Good luck guys!

34

[aB][asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]**

Name of Cornell College you applied to: AAP

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 740 CR, 780 M, 730 WR, 8 essay
ACT (breakdown): 33C (34M, 36S, 33E, 30R)
SAT II: 790 Math II, 800 Physics
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): -
AP (place score in parenthesis): Not offered
IB (place score in parenthesis): Not offered
Senior Year Course Load: Different system, school doesn’t offer electives, but it’s a rigorous STEM program
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Competed in Physics World Cup, won national physics competition

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): School Newspaper (founder, editor, writer), Physics World Cup Team, Research Projects on Physics, Workspace Design, Music Band, Soccer Club
Job/Work Experience: -
Volunteer/Community service: Helped out at two local schools (~100hrs)
Summer Activities: -
Essays: Common app was alright, Cornell AAP essay was what got me in. Wrote about facing urban planning issues in Thailand, and why Cornell was a fit. 8-10 score.
Teacher Recommendation: Pretty good; 8 out of 10 overall. Got maths, history, and english teachers to write some pretty diverse praise.
Counselor Rec: Physics teacher. 9/10. Really added to teacher recommendations.
Additional Rec: -
Interview: -
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yep
Intended Major: Urban and Regional Studies
State (if domestic applicant): -
Country (if international applicant): Thailand, but US citizen
School Type: Charter (Ministry of Science STEM school)
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: M
Income Bracket: $50,000 - 60,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): -

Reflection

Strengths: Strong SAT scores, decent achievements in ECs, and definitely the AAP essay
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Don’t think so
Weaknesses: No ECs or experience on urban planning, average GPA
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: AAP essay talked about Thailand issues, and it definitely showed that I’d bring a unique perspective/background to classes. Don’t think anyone else could have written about the same topic.
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted UT-Austin, UIUC, Clark, Emory, Macalester, Brandeis Waitlisted Gatech, Colby, Carleton, Rejected Wustl, Grinnell, Amherst, Brown, Tufts
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: AAP essay

35

Decision: Waitlist

Name of Cornell College you applied to: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (Dyson School of AEM)

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t send (one sitting 2100 c, 690r 680m 730w)
ACT (breakdown): 34 Composite (35E, 35M, 32R, 33S, 31W/E) One sitting
SAT II: Did not take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 95/100 unweighted (my school doesn’t do 4.0)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): English Language (5) US History (3) Physics 1 (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Physics C, Original Science Research, College-level english class, AP Spanish, AP Economics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, Office of Naval Research Award

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4-year varsity cross country (captain), 4-year varsity winter track (captain), 4-year varsity spring track (captain), 6-year piano lessons, 2-year member of school’s Model Congress club, Member of school’s chapter of National Honors Society
Job/Work Experience: 4-year referee for local rec soccer league, 1-year counselor at local day camp
Volunteer/Community service: 3-year volunteer at local food pantry, various other random service events
Summer Activities: Did a summer program at Princeton where students can learn about topics that interest them that aren’t standard to most schools’ curriculum (examples include the Psychology of Dreaming, the Mechanics of Time travel, etc.)
Essays: thought they were all good but… Common app was the failure prompt, discussed the time I had my phone stolen and how my real failure was yielding to my cynicism towards the world (8/10); CALS essay was about my volunteer work at the food pantry, my talent in mathematics, and my leadership on the Cross Country team and how I could combine all three in the Dyson School (8/10)
Teacher Recommendation: Never saw any of them, but they all liked me and witnessed what I would consider to be some of my best academic work, so I hope they were good
Counselor Rec: Ditto
Additional Rec: Director of distribution for all food pantries in the county; he knows me very well so I hope it was good
Interview: I thought it went well; it went much longer than intended, which I thought might mean something

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Applied Economics and Management
State (if domestic applicant): NY
School Type: Public (roughly 1400 students)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Let’s just say there is no way I am getting financial aid
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nothing

Reflection

Strengths: Strong ACT score, good GPA, deep involvement in extracurriculars, creative and thoughtful Essays
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Well-rounded and good “fit” for the school
Weaknesses: AP Scores
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: For my demographic, I’m actually pretty average
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: ACCEPTED to Michigan, Wake Forest, Tulane (33k/yr and Honors), Northeastern (22k/yr and Honors), Miami OH (22k/yr and Honors), and Binghamton (Honors); WAITLISTED at UVA, UNC, and Cornell; REJECTED from Duke ED and Northwestern
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: clearly nothing

36

[acolor=#FF0000]Decision: Rejected[/color]

Name of Cornell College you applied to: CALS

Objective:

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):N/A
ACT (breakdown): 34 (35M, 35S, 33R, 32E)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.952
Weighted GPA: 4.752 (Weird weighting scale)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 9/270
AP (place score in parentheses): Calc AB:5, Microeconomics:5, Macroeconomics:4, Physics C Mechanics:3
IB (place score in parentheses):N/A
Senior Year Course Load:AP Physics C E and M, Music Appreciation(Needed the art credit), AP Biology, Business Management Advanced Studies, Ap Literature and Composition, Student Council, AP U.S. Government, Student Aide, Ap Stats
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
DECA State Champion SEM
DECA State Finalist SEM 2x
Business Student of the Year (My school)
Best Treasurer in my Region (BBYO)

Subjective:

Extracurriculars:
DECA (Procurement Manager, then Treasurer)
FBLA
JSU (Treasurer, Secretary)
BBYO ( CITY vp, treasurer, secretary, newsletter writer/editor, Regional Newsletter Writer/editor)
NCSY( City Vice President)
Lacrosse 1 year jv
Lacrosse 2 years varsity
National Honors Society
Varsity Quiz
Ambassadors (recruit kids to my school) (Long term fundraising chair)
Boys State Honors City Mayor
Job/Work Experience: Internship at a Small Investment Banking Firm
Volunteer/Community service: NHS, Ambassadors, Youth Groups
Summer Activities: Internship
Essays: 9/10
Teacher Recommendation: 9/10
Counselor Rec: 10/10
Additional Rec: 9/10
Interview: 10/10 (He told me to come and intern for him)
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Applied Economics and Management
State (if domestic applicant): NV
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public Magnet
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 200,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A

Reflection

Strengths: Businesses oriented student, relatively high gpa and act, applied ED first
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: My love of business
Weaknesses: I am not a recruited athlete, minority, or legacy
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I am not a recruited athlete, minority, or legacy
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Accepted:Indiana-Bloomington, Tulane, Arizona State University, San Diego State University, Northeastern, Vanderbilt
Waitlisted: Washington University in St. Louis
Rejected: Yale, Penn, Cornell, Brown
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: Nothing significant considering i was rejected.

37

Pick one:
TRANSFER OPTION

Name of Cornell College you applied to: ILR

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown): 33
SAT II:
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.65
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): na
AP (place score in parenthesis): Psych 4, US 3
IB (place score in parenthesis):na
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, AP Macro/Micro, AP Latin, APES, Film and Lit
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): na

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4 yr Varsity golf and bowling, captain and MVP bowling 11/12, JV ball 10, JV soccer 9, treasurer of latin club, staff writer for school news, ect
Job/Work Experience: Worked since 12 as LIRSA soccer ref, Manager at a store, Head lifeguard

Volunteer/Community service: NAMI, not much
Summer Activities: work
Essays: about one of my jobs, 9/10
Teacher Recommendation: 9/10, 6/10
Counselor Rec: 8/10
Additional Rec:
Interview: went fine
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: yup
Intended Major: ILR
State (if domestic applicant): ny
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: public
Ethnicity: white
Gender: guy
Income Bracket: idk
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): naw

Reflection

Strengths: essays, personality if it came through, fit, ecs
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: fit
Weaknesses: gpa, act, courses taken
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: fit
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: accepted: Bing PwC Scholars program, pitt, UB scholars, Union, Tulane, UVM. Waitlisted: McGill
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: knowledge about Cornell, fit

38

Decision: Accepted via Diversity Letter

Name of Cornell College you applied to: CAS

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2220 Single Sitting (800CR, 800M, 620W (whoops!)), 2400 Super Score
ACT (breakdown): 36 Single Sitting (36W, 35M, 36R, 36S, 12E)
SAT II: 800 Math II, 760 Biology (E)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.88
Fully Weighted GPA: 4.50
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (4) AP English Lang. (4) AP Biology (4) AP Chemistry (4) APES (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP U.S. Govt., AP Macroeconomics, AP English Lit., AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Chinese, Honors Wind Ensemble.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar With Distinction

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): XC (Captain), Track (Captain), Wind Ensemble (Principle Saxophone), Technology Student Association (VP), Special Needs Assistant, Peer Tutor
Job/Work Experience: … : )
Volunteer/Community service: … : )
Summer Activities: XC Conditioning, Special Needs Assistant (Summer School)
Essays: Actually, pretty well done. My teachers/friends thought they were well written and captivating (9/10).
Teacher Recommendations: AP English Teacher (9/10), Math Analysis Teacher (8/10)
Counselor Rec: 9/10
*Never saw the letters, based ratings on how much they liked me
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Biology and Society
State (if domestic applicant): CA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity:Hispanic/Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Middle Class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM (Hispanic)

Reflection

Strengths: Test Scores, Ethnicity, Unique Essays
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: Authenticity
Weaknesses: A few B’s
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Probably because of my test scores and essays
Where else were you accepted: Cal Poly SLO, UC Davis, UCSB, UCSD, UC Berkeley, USC
Waitlisted: UCLA
Rejected: Stanford
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: Essays!

39

Waitlisted :confused:

Name of Cornell College you applied to: Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 800 m, 720 cr
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II: 730 Chinese, 720 m2, 710 m1, 670 wh, 770 ush
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 25/650
AP (place score in parenthesis): did not send but 2 2s, 3 3s, and 5 4s
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: all honors and AP/DE
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): VP Math, Treasurer German, Varsity Swimming for 4 years, Spanish, National Honor Society
Job/Work Experience: Lifeguard
Volunteer/Community service: 133 hours
Summer Activities: Travelling, community service, work, summer assignments, classes, relaxing
Essays: I thought they were decent
Teacher Recommendation: didn’t read
Counselor Rec: Decent
Additional Rec: Eh
Interview: Pretty good. The guy was pretty cool and seemed to love Cornell.
Other

Applied for Financial Aid?:
Intended Major: Sociology
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Upper Middle
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): 2 of my aunts and my dad’s cousin went to Cornell, but I don’t think it counted as legacy. They didn’t even ask for their names hahaha.

Reflection

Strengths: Scores, maybe essays
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: The artsy side of me
Weaknesses: Definitely grades, being Asian, nothing outstanding about me in particular. Also 2 other people at a school in my county got in and I know they’re both really smart so…
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I guess I was a decent candidate but too many of you guys who got accepted are more awesome hahahaha
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
Accepted: Rice, USC, UVa, UNC CH, UF, UCF
Waitlisted: Notre Dame, NYU Stern, JHU, Cornell obviously
Rejected: Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, Brown, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Duke ( I know, I know. I did these schools because YOLO)
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: I am an artist, but I don’t think it had much weight since Cornell has a separate art school and I applied to arts and sciences

40

Decision: Accepted

Name of Cornell College you applied to: College of Arts and Sciences

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2330 (770 CR, 800 M, 760 W, 9 essay)
ACT (breakdown): 35 overall (34 English, 36 Math, 36 Reading, 34 Science, 9 essay)
SAT II: 800 Math Level 2, 800 Biology E, 760 U.S. History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.92
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): Biology (5), U.S. History (5), English Language and Comp (5), Physics C Mechanics (5), Physics C E/M (4), Calculus BC (5) [AB subscore: 5], Art History (5), Computer Science A (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Statistics, AP English Literature, AP Spanish Language, AP Environmental Science, AP U.S. Government, Speech and Debate
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Finalist

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): History Bowl 9-12; Math Team 9-12; We the People Constitution Team 12; Student Council Historical Commission 10-12; Speech and Debate Team 10-12
Job/Work Experience: I work as a private tutor
Volunteer/Community service: The Huntington Library 9-12; my city’s local museum 9-12; Peer tutoring 7-12
Summer Activities: worked on an individual project at my local museum after junior year, attended the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute after sophomore year, attended the HIgh School Summer Programs at Columbia University after freshman year
Essays: Common App essay 9/10, wrote it about my experiences as a peer tutor and it was very heartfelt; Cornell supplement 8.5/10, sort of funny, showed off my personality quite a bit
Teacher Recommendation:
Rec #1: AP English Language teacher, had an excellent relationship with him, he’s seen a lot of my intellectual development. probably 8.5/10 (never saw the rec)
Rec #2: current AP Statistics teacher (who also taught me Algebra II Honors when I was a freshman), and I have the best relationship with him. I always visited him, even when I was no longer in his class, and he gave me a lot of advice about college. probably 9.5/10 (never saw the rec)
Counselor Rec: She is the counselor for roughly 500 students, so I’m not sure how amazing it would be, but I’ve known her for four years (yes, she has known my name and my face), and we did fill out a questionnaire to help her write the rec.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: nope (regret it now)
Intended Major: American Studies
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): domestic
School Type: large, competitive public school
Ethnicity: Asian American
Gender: F
Income Bracket: middle-class enough to ensure that I would have gotten very little financial aid if I had applied
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that I’m into the humanities, even though I go to a very STEM-focused school.

Reflection

Strengths:
What you tried to focus on in your application - any hooks you tried to make for yourself: I emphasized my dedication to community service. I have over 600 service hours, and volunteering has been a big part of my life in high school. I also highlighted that I was an all-around applicant, not just focused on one part. I also took the hardest courseload available at my school.
Weaknesses: Not sure. I think of myself more as a well-rounded than a well-angled applicant.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: In my supplement essay especially, I put in a lot of aspects of myself that were not apparent in the rest of my application, such as my love of riddles and how much I enjoy going to museums and art galleries. :confused: Does anyone really know how any college decisions are made?
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted: Williams (early write), UC Berkeley, USC (originally considered for a Trustee Scholarship, ended up getting the Presidential), UC Irvine (Campus Honors, Regents), UCSB (Regents, Honors), UCSD (ERC Honors), UCLA
Waitlisted: Harvard, Columbia, UChicago
Rejected: Stanford (REA), Yale, Brown, UPenn
Your “Big Red” factor - the most unique thing in your application: I’d say community service, but I can’t say anything in particular, to be honest.

To the Class of 2021 and beyond – remember that college admissions do not define you. Just because someone got into a better school than you does not mean that that person is a better person. College is just a stepping-stone to the real world or to grad school, and you can still go amazing places without going to the best college. Also, some words of wisdom: while you wait for your decisions, expect rejection. Even if you’re overqualified, it’s much better to get a happy surprise than to be sorely disappointed, so expect the worst but hope for the best. I wish you all the best of luck!