I am planning on applying early decision to Cornell. I have an UW GPA of 3.8, and I’m guessing about a W 4.1 or higher. I also play 2 varsity sports and have volunteered and two animal shelters over the past four years.
There are two things I am worried about though. I have signed up to take the ACT twice, last time I needed to go out of town for an emergency and I was also supposed to take it tomorrow but I was just in a serious car accident and have minor head injuries. So I won’t be able to take it until September, but I am still confident I will get at least a 31, because I have done very well on all practice tests and will be spending the whole summer preparing.
The other thing I’m worried about is the rigor of my courses. My junior year I took all the AP classes I could and I did very well, but my freshman and sophomore year I took basic classes, but this was because when I was thirteen I had a severe brain injury caused by seizures and I lost almost all of my memory. I was very far behind when I began high school, but I have been working very hard during the school year and summer to relearn what I lost and I am now able to take advanced level classes without too many problems. I’m just worried that they won’t accept me because of this, and I don’t know if this is something that will hold me back and limit my choices.
I think you will be fine. Just make sure to do well on the ACT. I also think you could write a very good/compelling essay about your seizures and how you were able to overcome your memory loss. If you decide to write an essay about this, I personally think that it would be really interesting if you started the essay at the moment you realized you had lost your memory and the shock that must have gone through your mind when you couldn’t remember anything. Just my opinion. Good Luck!
Which college within Cornell are you applying to? Fit is also an important factor depending on your major.
I’ll be cruelly honest, your profile looks extremely average. A 3.8 GPA is below Cornell’s mean, and an ACT score of 32 or 33 will just barely pass muster if at all (aim for 34). A lack of APs won’t help either.
Your extracurriculars are not overly impressive by Ivy League standards so, unless you’re a recruited athlete, I wouldn’t expect them to move the needle.
With all that said, this is from the absurdly demanding standpoint of Ivy League admissions. My own take on the situation is that you’re obviously a person with a great deal of resilience and a work ethic second to few. Not many could have maintained the grades you have under the circumstances you’re describing, so congratulations. I certainly hope Cornell has a place for someone like you. Your best bet at this point is to do well on the ACT, write great essays, and hope that things work out. If they don’t, it’s not the end of the world: almost every college student ends up loving the school he/she attends.