Cornell Transfer -- Fighting Chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>I'm a freshman at Boston University seeking transfer to Cornell. A few days ago I was somewhat confident going by Collegeboard's reported transfer admissions statistic of about 28% ... university-wide. I've since discovered through the Cornell website that the transfer rate to the CAS is a daunting 8%.</p>

<p>I suppose I only seek a truthful response to affirm my fears or offer hope to an otherwise nervous soul. Here is my story:</p>

<p>White male, born and raised in sweet and sunny Dover, New Hampshire.
Hopes to pursue a career in academia and creative writing (poetry)
Father is a Postal Worker with High School Dipl.
Mother is a retail store shift manager with Associate's Degree</p>

<p>BOSTON UNIVERSITY:</p>

<p>English Concentrator
Enrolled in the Boston University Honors Program
Freshman, 3.85 GPA for Semester 1
SAT: 750 WR, 740 MA, 690 CR
SAT 2: 710 Literature, 790 Math 2C, 620 U.S. History, 480 Latin (yowch)</p>

<p>University Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Member of Writers Workshop (3 hrs/wk)
Co-Editor-in-Chief of literary journal (2 hrs/wk)
Vice President, Literary Society (1 hr/wk)
Editor of literary criticism magazine (2 hrs/wk)
Secretary, Editorial Society (1 hr/wk)</p>

<p>Work: Clerical Duties in the Student Records Office: 10 hrs/wk</p>

<hr>

<p>DOVER HIGH SCHOOL:</p>

<p>National Latin Exams 2005, 2006: Summa Cum Laude (Gold Medal);
New Hampshire State Latin I Exam, 2004: 3rd Place;
Latin Honor Society 2004, 2005, 2006;
National Merit Commended Scholar</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR, PERSONAL, AND VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES (including summer):</p>

<p>Journal: The Long View Review, grade 12; Founder, Editor-in-Chief; Hours per week: 5; weeks per year: 15</p>

<p>Club: Dover High School Inkspot, grade 12, Founder, M.C. of all open mic nights; Hours per week: 2; weeks per year: 40</p>

<p>Academic: National Honor Society; Grades 10, 11, 12; Chapter President, 12; Hours per week: 2; Weeks per year: 40</p>

<p>Community Service: Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary; Grades 11, 12; Cadet Chief Master Sergeant; Alpha Flight Commander; Air Force Sergeant?s Association: Outstanding Cadet Noncommissioned Officer of the Year (2005); Member of winning drill team at wing (state) level in National Cadet Competition, 2005; Hours per week: 5; Weeks per year: 50</p>

<p>Community Service: Civil Air Patrol, Summer Military Encampment; Summer before 12; Position Held: Squadron Guideon; Hours per week: all hours; Weeks per year: 1</p>

<p>Foreign Language: Latin Club; 11, 12; Vice President; Hours per week: 2; Weeks per year: 30</p>

<p>Music: Piano Study, Composition and Performance; 11, 12; Hours per week: 10; Weeks per year: 52</p>

<p>Community Service: Committee for the accreditation of Dover High School as associated with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., Commission on Public Secondary Schools; 12; Student Representative; Hours per week: 2; Weeks per year: 8</p>

<h2>Work: Shaw's for the summer before senior year, 30 hrs/wk; Ben Franklin Crafts for senior year, 15 hrs/wk.</h2>

<p>Misc. Extra Curriculars:</p>

<p>Computer/Technology: The Dark Legion: Internet Gaming Community; 9, 10, 11, 12, Fr.; Commanding officer of 230+ intellectually independent cyberathletes aging from early teens to late thirties; Hours per week: 8; Weeks per year: 50</p>

<p>Science/Math: Amateur Astronomy; 12, Fr.; Study of the stars and planets for the sake of curiosity; Hours per week: 6; Weeks per year: 25</p>

<hr>

<p>PUBLICATIONS:</p>

<p>Poetry:</p>

<p>Amoskeag: The Journal of Southern New Hampshire University, Spring 2006, Vol. 23, No. 1 -- "in toaster town the xmas children love" and "gratias however i prefer extra crispy, Col Sanders".</p>

<p>The Poet's Touchstone (Poetry Society of New Hampshire), Volume 46, 2006 Spring Edition -- "in toaster town the xmas children love".</p>

<p>Clarion at Boston University, Spring 2007 -- "ghosts of Kenmore Square" and "Beautiful"</p>

<p>Burn Magazine at Boston University, Fall 2006 -- "winter, sexuality, and boston university law school" and "ashes".</p>

<p>The Long View Review: High School Literary Journal, Spring 2006, "ghosts of Kenmore Square"; "of Oxford Men the chests who i adore the most"; and "the New World".</p>

<hr>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR AWARDS:</p>

<p>Dover High School Literary Composition Award, 2006; Southern New Hampshire University Annual Student Writing Contest 2006: Winner, Poetry; Poetry Society of New Hampshire Senior Division Contest 2006: 2nd Place; Dover Public Library Poetry Contest 2005: Winner </p>

<hr>

<p>ESSAYS:</p>

<p>Thought I got these pretty good -- rather "crisp". To the point. They weren't so much anecdotal as they were literally "personal statements", very much related to why and how I live as a student of English and as a literary artist. I work in the BU student records office and I see essays all day long about "life-changing events" and other Chicken-Soup-for-the-Soul-ish crap; figure I'd step away from that particular genre.</p>

<p>I do realize that the above statistics are just that -- statistics, and that the essays (which I don't feel comfortable posting here -- would I even be permitted to?) will be paramount in the committee's decision. I suppose I'm just looking to see if any of these things might set me apart from the "other" 92 percent.</p>

<p>Thanks sincerely,</p>

<p>Matt</p>

2

<p>not a bad shot, i'd say. bonne chance!</p>

3

<p>I don't see how u would have a bad chance, the thing with an ivy league school is that nothing is ever guaranteed.</p>

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<p>Ken -- that's the thing, right? I applied to other ivies last year (in all honesty, I was stupid about college applications, applied to the more "brand name" schools, kind of disregarded Cornell), and I still believe that my application didn't work well enough to display me as the person I was -- I also "bloomed" kind of late, and I gained a lot of momentum during senior year that those institutions never would have seen. I applied as a music major, for pete's sake.</p>

<p>I'm giving Harvard one more shot (applied last year), and UChicago. I still feel better about it this time around, even though i realize that it's not so much a matter of "good enough" as it is a matter of "fits well enough" -- i.e., if they want a caucasian, male English major born and bred in New England who specializes in publication and poetry, they'll grab me. If they're in the market for a flamenco dancer from Wyoming, they'll grab her. All I know is that I feel more directed and capable than I felt a year ago.</p>

<p>Fingers crossed -- that's all we can do! Thanks for your reply.</p>

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<p>so what's the 28% rate?
that's for the whole school right?
8% from CAS
so that means<br>
school rate= (CAS rate + CALS rate + ILR rate)/3?</p>

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<p>NR, Cornell has 7 colleges. Acceptance rates range from a bit less than 8% (CAS) to more than 50% for Agriculture and Industry/Labor.</p>

<p><a href="http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000156.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://dpb.cornell.edu/documents/1000156.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<hr>

<p>Edit:</p>

<p>Do bear in mind that those states are for transfer admissions. The rest can be found at <a href="http://dpb.cornell.edu/F_Undergraduate_Admissions.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://dpb.cornell.edu/F_Undergraduate_Admissions.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>^thanks, WOW, CALS has a 50% acceptance rate!!!</p>

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<p>Sorry to barge in on this tread but I have a question about something that was just mentioned. In regards to the admission acceptance rates, how obscured do you think CALS/ILR are just because they are unique programs. Are the acceptance rates so high because they are self selective programs or is it because they are relatively easy to get in. I would think it must be on the self selective side of the spectrum but thats my two cents and im speaking blindly. Anyhow, if anyone has greater insight into this I'd really like to know. Thanx</p>

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<p>the acceptance rates are high because of joint programs they have with certain NY community colleges for students in agricultural sciences and some in ILR. The guaranteed transfer program will also throw off the numbers. This combined with the fact that the programs are VERY self selected (just look at how high the yields are for the programs)</p>

<p>From the very mouths of admissions at Cornell, true transfer acceptance rates are usually within 6-9 or so percentage points of freshmen acceptance rates for all schools.</p>

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<p>That doesn't quite add up though Gomestar...by that methodology, if the transfer rate for CAS is 8%, the freshman acceptance rate is no higher than 17%, which seems very low.</p>

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<p>Freshman rate is about 20%.</p>

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<p>Well, scratch my previous post. I didn't note the word usually in gomestar's post; CAS may be an exception.</p>

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<p>yes, i said usually becuase last year was not the average year for CAS.</p>

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<p>bump? :P</p>