<p>The other question would be does Cornell give greater preference to instaters for transfers?</p>
<p>This might be a stupid question, but I’ll ask anyways. If a student with competitive scores and stats were to be rejected their senior year, do they have a lesser chance at getting in than a student with lower scores in high school but similar scores in college? Basically, should I see my rejections as a ‘we don’t think you’d ever fit at our school’ or a 'pay another 70 dollars next year and we’ll see?</p>
<p>I had basically straight rejection or acceptances with little/no aid and I’m waiting on JHU’s waitlist [w/ very little expectations]. Planning on going to my state university and transferring to Cornell or Brown. High School Stats: IB, 4.0uw/4.8w, NMF, 2260/35, asian, decent ec’s etc. I guess my real question is… if they’ll see my application and draw the conclusion that I don’t have a story.</p>
<p>claqu: you have two best options, one is proceed as per dontno’s posts #1 & 3 above, and apply to same schools again. Which clearly worked for him.</p>
<p>There is also the “famous” story floating around CC of andison, who was rejected everywhere out of HS, despite stellar stats, did a gap year which he used highly productively, and then applied to colleges again. Despite his gap year accomplishments, schools that initially rejected him did so again. Which gives some validation to your concern. But on second go round he was accepted at a number of equally, and even more, prestigious colleges that he didn’t apply to the first time.</p>
<p>So which will be the case for you, who knows; these two data points do not point in the same direction. But perhaps you will find, once you get there, that actually you can accomplish your objectives while remaining at that state u, and save a lot of money in the process.</p>
<p>claqu:</p>
<p>Another thought is to ask a trusted counselor (either your HS or private) to look at your application with a critical eye. Your numbers are excellent, so it had to be something else in your app that didn’t close the sale with the adcoms (essays, ECs, recs?). If you can figure out that “weakness” (for lack of a better term) and improve upon it next time, you could end up with a different result.</p>
<p>I’ve had time to think about my weaknesses. I’m a pretty shy person, so going for leadership positions in high school was difficult [which might be an understatement]. Still, I did it and I joined NHS, Key Club, Student Council, etc., ran for positions and carried through and genuinely enjoyed the work. That’s just it though. In college, freshman don’t really run for positions [and attain them easily I suppose]. My recs were from teachers who knew me for years and wrote pretty highly of me. Here too. If my recs from these teachers didn’t get me in this year, how will a vague college prof’s essay push me through?</p>
<p>And the essays… I wrote about what I felt strongly about, proofed it, etc… It just wasn’t enough I guess. This is my dilemma. I gave these four years my all and it was shot down. I’ll repeat the process next year, but if they thought I was just another typical student with no personality, there’s a good chance it won’t change.</p>
<p>What’s worse is that my mom feels like I failed her. I’m trying desperately to find out more about the odds, but I know staying at my state univ is a big possibility.</p>
<p>Though it’s a very real possibility, remember that it’s not a bad possibility at all! I know you probably feel awful right now because things haven’t gone as you’ve planned, but know that all your plans and hopes are still valid even if the particular ones about where you would go to college haven’t come through. Think about whether you can be happy at your state university. Maybe you can. At least, it’s worth a try. Have you tried appealing the finaid you’ve gotten at the schools you’ve gotten into?</p>