Cornellians' help desperately needed!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>Hi. I'm going to apply to Cornell early this Fall and I was just wondering what my chances are at Cornell.</p>

<p>I visited the campus recently and I just felt like this is it. So I would really appreciate it if you Cornellians could help me.</p>

<p>It's kinda long, but I really need your help.</p>

<p>SAT I:
Math 730
CR 660
Writing 700
Total 2090 (highest from each section, planning to take it again, but I think this score will pretty much be the score the adcoms will see)</p>

<p>TOEFL:
Since I'm an international student and have lower than 670 CR score, I need to take TOEFL. I'm expecting a good score. (my English is pretty good, I just suck on SAT)</p>

<p>SAT II:
Chem 720
Math IIC: expecting 750+
USH: 740</p>

<p>GPA
3.7 uw, but I will rush report my senior first quarter grade in the hopes of making up my not so good junior year grade. </p>

<p>School Info
Doesn't rank. I don't know the decile. Pretty competetive public school in VA.
Avg. SAT is about 1200 (old scale)</p>

<p>Recs.
*GC rec = expecting very good rec. saw me through hard times and saw me overcome obstacles and knows me well.
*Teacher 1 rec = knows me well. really likes me and trusts me. good grade in class.
*Teacher 2 rec = descent rec. As international student this Eng teacher will have to write about my English skills and she was surprised at my English abilities. AP Eng class.
*A rec from a alumni = Korean, a professor in Korea. knows me well and my family situation</p>

<p>ECs.
*Boys State - leadership position and highest honor of receiving the best citizen medal
*County Youth Leadership Program - very selective program with summer internship at the govt. center
*Select chorus group - the liaison. various coast wide 1st places awards
*Volunteer tutor for the underpreviledged children
*Essay awards (1st places)
*Small business - translation for the poor</p>

<p>Essay
Will talk about how discrimination against Asians motivated me to take action and helped me bring my English to my peer's level in a year. Just a bit about my family situation (family split up to support me. Just a bit not to seem desperate and needy and all that). </p>

<p>Interest
College of Arts and Science. Interdisciplinary Program - International Relations.</p>

<p>No financial aid needed.</p>

<p>Hook?
Lived in the U.S. for 5 years. Asian very assimiliated into American culture (like 20 asians out of 800 at Boys State..). </p>

<p>Extra
Not going to report AP scores. For some courses I don't have them and only reporting some would seem like I'm hiding something so I will not report any until after senior year.</p>

<p>Rush report SAT I in Nov. and senior year first quarter transcript.</p>

<p>BTW, would a rec from a graduate alumni who knows me help me?</p>

<p>I think that's all.
Thanks for reading through if you have.
Please post your opinion and maybe some suggestions.</p>

<p>Thanks Cornellians!</p>

2

<p>please help!</p>

3

<p>you definetely have a pretty good chance. don't worry.</p>

4

<p>"Not going to report AP scores. For some courses I don't have them and only reporting some would seem like I'm hiding something so I will not report any until after senior year."</p>

<p>This will look bad. Adcom will expect you to report your AP scores if your transcript says you have taken AP courses.</p>

5

<p>So goldtx, what would you suggest?</p>

<p>1) reporting them all good or bad</p>

<p>2) reprting only the good ones (3+)</p>

<p>3) don't report them at all</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

6

<p>anymore opinions?
please?</p>

7

<p>You sound like a good fit for Cornell to me. I agree that you should send in your AP scores. There is a $10 fee for each college you withhold a score from. The additional rec letter might help, but might not be taken into great consideration since it's not a required piece of the app. I don't think you have to take your SAT I's again unless you are masochistic. Good luck!</p>

8

<p>thanks</p>

<p>good fit... how much %wise would you say? it's just that it's so abstract. I know that no one can really predict chances at Ivies, but just wanted to know.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

9

<p>I guess ideally you should take the AP exam for each of the AP courses that you enroll in, and then report the score from each exam.</p>

10

<p>I say you are a good fit. Then again, it's an ivy, so no one really knows what's going to happen. Your question about a rec from an alum, unless he or she donates a lot of money or works for Cornell, it doesn't make that big of a difference.</p>

11

<p>well he's not. he was just one of the 3 cornell students ever to graduate under 3 years. I was just hoping that he could say something about how much I like Cornell and that I have shown big interest in it.</p>

12

<p>If you apply ED, you already show "how much you like Cornell", and you can kind of emphasize it in your essay. There is no need for someone else to say it for you.</p>

13

<p>That is untrue that he was "just one of three Cornell students ever to graduate under three years." In general, unless a member of board of trustees or a high level professor/administrator at Cornell or a major celebrity/high ranking public official, it does not make any difference if you get a recommendation from an alumnus or alumna. Unless he knows you really well for many years, it can be counter-productive. To use someone just to say you like the school where you are applying would be especially poor judgment.</p>

14

<p>I see...
thank you I never thought about it like that.
He has known me for many years and he knows me well though, but he didn't donate a lot of money and stuff.</p>

<p>he's a graduate from Cornell. During my visit to Cornell, he came along and introduced me to his professor who said that he graduate in less than three years and that was like a big thing or w/e.</p>

<p>anyway, thank you for your comments.</p>

<p>could you comment on my chances though?</p>

15

<p>I don't mean to denigrate accomplishments of your friend, but wouldn't make a difference to your application. </p>

<p>Althugh hard to speculate, you have a reasonable chance if you go ED because you have not been in US very long, otherwise I think you would be marginal right now. RD is problematic--no particular hooks other than foreign background and ec's not special. Nonetheless, certainly apply and best wishes. </p>

<p>btw, Cornell and all Ivies need blind, so doesn't matter if you need finanical aid or not. </p>

<p>and, btw, it's "alumnus" if male, "alumna" if female; "alumni" is masculine plural and, although sometimes used collectively for men and women, female graduates alone are "alumnae.",</p>

16

<p>If you are applying to college of engineering
You are in.</p>

17

<p>how do you figure that?</p>

18

<p>redcrimblue:</p>

<p>thanks. I didn't know that.</p>