Hi, I’m looking to going into premed and I was wondering about 2 things. First, what would you guys suggest to major in something biology related AND minor in something completely different or do you think it’d be too much. Second, as far as the campus goes, do you think that people clique very fast and kinda isolate themselves due to the large campus or is that not really true. Thanks in advance!
yeah, that definitely makes sense. I’m not really sure what clubs I am going to join yet in college because we have to sign up in the fall. I’m going to keep your suggestion for ECs in mind
@RoughingIt,
For majoring in bio and minoring in something else, people do this all the time. Everyone I know, although they aren’t all pre-med, is minoring in something lol. Just make sure to plan our your schedule. Also, you don’t have to major in bio for med school! For your second question, everyone was very open to meeting new people for the first couple months, but did form groups towards the end of fall semester for sure. However, Cornell accepts a lot of transfers sophomore year, and I’ve heard lots say they met their closest friends sophomore year, so I don’t think you’re limited to the people you grow close to first year in college.
Hello @ehales3 – so many great comments … thank you! I am also interested in which extracurriculars you did in high school and which colleges you applied with pre-med in mind. My daughter is a rower and she is interested in Cornell! Feel feel to PM.
Hi @ehales3, I got 3bs in my first semester of freshman year in high school. After that, I got all As in the hardest possible courses. I ended with a 3.92 GPA. How badly will I be dragged down by these Bs and how should I explain them on my college application?
I’m not the OP. I’m a parent who helps others with college applications and I’m a Cornell alum. Don’t worry about it. And definitely do not waste space to “explain it” on your application. You don’t have to have straight As every semester to be a viable candidate for Cornell or any college. Honestly, other parts of your application will be way more important than a few Bs.
@anyonmyous123,
I completely agree with what @brantly said! Plenty of people still get in to great colleges without all As, and you shouldn’t focus your application on explaining a couple Bs.
Hi! I plan to ED to Cornell for healthcare policy in the college of human ecology. HumEc seems to emphasize multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary education a lot. What does this mean in the context of Cornell? Do you have any advice how I can demonstrate this in my application and essays? Thank you!
do you mind pm-ing me too? 
@ccgirl123,
I think HumEc is big on fit. My advice on demonstrating interest would be to show why you wouldn’t be a traditional government or international relations major, but why you want to major specifically in healthcare, and how this fits into HumEc’s mission as an interdisciplinary college.
I’m not sure what you mean by “What does this mean in the context of Cornell?” Could you elaborate on this question?
I will PM you with ECs!
Thank you so much for your insight and PM! I apologize for the wording. I was wondering what was unique about Cornell’s interdisciplinary education and what are it’s features. Do you have any examples on what the interdisciplinary learning style is like at Cornell?
Since you mentioned HumEc is big on fit, do you have any insight what type of students they look for?
@ccgirl123,
Cornell has a lot of colleges within the university. With this, there are lots of cool departments and programs that are multidisciplinary. For example, in HumEc, there is the DEA major which combines studio design with interior architecture, environmental analysis, psychology, or healthcare, depending on what you choose. Also, there is the PAM major which allows you to study policy with focus on government, inequality, healthcare, business, etc., again depending on what you choose. There is also the Technology and Humanities (Milstein Program is the name I think) in CAS which is interdisciplinary. You are also able to combine a lot of your interests through very interesting minors in different colleges.
In terms of HumEc and what they look for, I would heavily research the majors you are interested in. HumEc is focused on human centered, integrated, research, and if you demonstrate an interest in a scientific approach to humanitarian ideas, as well as another area of interest (bio, art, policy, etc.) I think you would be a good fit. However, please keep in mind that I’m only a student, so this is just the impression I get from the school, and by no means 100% true.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much! Your insight was incredibly valuable. I love how you framed it as looking for a scientific approach to humanitarian ideas, I’ll definitely dwell on this concept more.
I really appreciate this AMA <3
@ehales3 Would a very liberal, social justice type (likes Oberlin, on paper) find many others like her there? The ILR program is appealing to our D, but she’s afraid she won’t find her people. Thanks!
Sorry for my excessive comments but I had another question! Do you have any essay advice for the common app and the supplemental essay? How did you personally approach the essay writing process (ex brainstorming ideas, time, research etc.)?
Thank you!
Hello! First of all, thank you for putting yourself out there and helping with college admissions and giving insights to students looking to start their college careers. Its been hard to find college students to give me actual advice, but lucky enough for me I came across this website, and better yet, an Ivy student to help me out! So thanks again for that, and here’s my question: If you don’t mind, could you share your stats? Including SAT score, any SAT subject tests you took and scores, Ap classes and scores, and extracurriculars or personal projects, you did that you believe help you get accepted into an Ivy? Also, what are some of the best Ivys for premed? As a student interested in medicine, I go to a magnet school and am in the Biomed track, what extracurriculars do you recommend for me to set myself apart? Thanks so much!
@ehales3 - How many ivies or other extremely selective schools did you apply to? What is your advice in terms of # of applications to these schools for someone who has a 33-34 ACT?
Thanks for doing this!
@havenoidea,
Hmm, I honestly don’t know. I do know that there are all sorts of people here, and that the campus is left-leaning. I think if someone were to be involved in social justice clubs and really look into organizations they are passionate about, they could for sure fit in. If college admissions are a couple years ahead of you, I’d recommend trying to visit the campus to get a feel for the vibe!
@ccgirl123,
I think the common app essay and supplementals are unique to each person. The only real advice I think I could give you is to just really reflect on who you are as a person and why you want to study what you’re interested in, and how this translates into the goals for your future. I’d also say having lots of people read your essays definitely helps!
@mczchl,
I applied to all the ivies except princeton and harvard. I ended up getting into cornell and dartmouth. I don’t really have any insight on what the right number of applications are because everything is kind of based on who you are as an individual. I personally made sure to apply to lots of “meets” that I was genuinely interested in attending, as well as a safety (my state school). I’d say a 34 ACT is pretty good, lots of people get into great universities with a 34. However, your ACT score is just one component of your application, and your GPA as well as ECs will matter too. As a student and not an admissions officer, I’m sorry I don’t have any more advice. I’d be happy to answer any student perspective questions on Cornell though! Don’t stress too much and best of luck!