**Decision: Accepted **
Decision: ACCEPTED!!! WOOO GO BIG RED
FILLED OUT BEFORE DECISION TO PREVENT BIAS
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):
ACT (breakdown): 34 (35 English and reading, 32 math, 34 science)
SAT II: 780 Bio E, 740 French Reading
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Including first quarter senior year, around a 93.8%? My school doesn’t actually do GPAs, but I have a strong upwards trend!
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP French (4), AP Biology (4) – didn’t really study and we were only allowed to take a maximum of two APs junior year—AP Computer Science, AP Calculus AB, self-took AP English Language test end of junior year and got a 5
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: French 5 (above AP level), Physics, Creative Writing, AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): French National Contest (silver), silver Scholastic keys, published a bunch in national teen magazine & won an award. Nothing humongous though
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Speech captain (11, 12) and greatly expanded team, running a coding club (11, 12), yearbook literature editor, a really awesome selective writing mentorship program in my city, magazine editor, in chorus for six years (appeared only on my transcript; I didn’t put it as an extracurricular), some miscellaneous stuff I didn’t put.
Job/Work Experience: Kumon instructor for a bit
Volunteer/Community service: Tutoring, a trip abroad (didn’t end up putting on app)
Summer Activities: Girls Who Code (rising junior), intern at immunology lab & intern at well-known writing organization in my city (rising senior)
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Common app was maybe an 8/10. Solid but I can’t really rate it after a while-- definitely personal to me and it showed growth. Cornell maybe a 9/10; made it personal and specific to school
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Waived right to see
Teacher Rec #1: English: 8/10 at least. She loved me.
Teacher Rec #2: Math: 8/10. Had him for two years and a program outside of school. I feel like he got to know me as a person; I grew a lot in his classes, though I wasn’t necessarily the most academically successful one.
Counselor Rec: We’ve become buddies and talk about stuff! 9/10
Additional Rec:
Interview: Pretty chill. Talked with alumnus for an hour, bonded over a few things in a Starbucks. She also gave me some good advice
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Nah
Intended Major and College: CAS
State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Very, very competitive public.
Ethnicity: South Asian
Gender: F
Income Bracket: High, which I’m grateful for
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Mom faculty at a Cornell institution
Reflection: START EARLY. FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE. I didn’t give a frick before the end of sophomore year and that was by far my biggest downfall. Make sure you have a spike in an area or two; don’t just pad your app. It’ll get you nowhere.
Strengths: I love writing things
Weaknesses: Probably early high school grades and lack of major awards
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected:
General Comments:
It’s a stressful process. I remember pouring over these threads for hours on end. But it’s exciting—you’ll be where you’re meant to be. Good luck ? don’t stress too much.
SO EXCITED. Was freaking out about the whole decision thing for the past month… but I’M DONE. FINALLY DONE. And to those of you who weren’t as lucky (and I firmly believe a large portion is luck), Cornell might just not be the place where you will be your happiest! Whatever happens, happens for a reason 
and no one school is right for everyone.
