<p>You have so many assumptions that aren’t entirely based in fact. </p>
<p>It would be simpler to move to another choice. How do you know 7 kids are better than you? You assume to know what different admissions counselors will think even though most people consider Ivy admissions to be a “crap shoot” meaning that nobody can tell what they’ll do.</p>
<p>Get more objective facts and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. This decision seems to have you in knots though and that kind of internal conflict is the kind that can hurt the quality of your application.</p>
<p>“he just doesn’t want me to apply because he knows I won’t get in and doesn’t want us to look like fools again”</p>
<p>Whoa. How does being rejected from a highly competitive school making anyone “look like a fool”? Especially your father? Is there some cultural pride thing where “we” apply to colleges, “we” are accepted or “we” are shamed if we don’t get in?</p>
<p>Pizza, I’m assuming the brother was a legacy who was rejected. Therefore, for a second child to be rejected (and the expected legacy “tip” not to do the trick" would be perceived as a slight.</p>
<p>I’m not agreeing with the logic- just explaining.</p>
<p>I guess it depends upon how important it is to you to take the chance of getting into a school that you say is a very small chance over hurting and angering and huring some of the people you most love. Personally, for myself, it’s a no brainer. I wouldn’t do it… There are ever so many schools out there. Why hurt family members unnecessarily? It’s not that important of a thing. Now if there were a list of schools and a whole lot of other things that limit you, that would be something to sit down and discuss but one school out of all of the schools in the world?</p>
<p>I haven’t read all of the posts in this thread, but IF YOU ARE A NEW YORK STATE RESIDENT, go ahead and apply to Cornell ED. (For those who don’t know, Cornell AEM is on the public college side of Cornell so it’s a LOT cheaper for NY State residents than top private colleges.) </p>
<p>I may be out of date, but it used to be that applying ED mattered a LOT at BOTH Cornell and Penn. If you are from a family that would be expected to pay full freight and you like AEM as much as Wharton or almost as much and are a NYS resident, IMO, you’d be a fool to let the “family drama” interfere. </p>
<p>If you are NOT a NYS resident, then I would give different advice. Reality is that NYS residents who want to major in business have NO options that are as good as AEM that price-match it. If you can get need based financial aid that would bring any other college, say Wharton, to the same price then the calculus gets more complicated.</p>
<p>After years of reading CC threads, I have come to the conclusion that very few students should apply ED. (ED/binding - no, EA/nonbinding is fine). It makes it too hard for families to financially compare the different offers. In your case OP, there are also family dynamics to considers.</p>
<p>cakebatter: Can you apply without letting your family know? If you don’t get accepted, just don’t ever mention it. If you do, I’m sure they’ll all rejoice with you!</p>
<p>I personally think it is rude for your brother and father to act this way. I personally would apply, then when you are accepted tell them you did it to redeem the family name. It sounds like they totally overreacted to your brother’s rejection and now they are over reacting to you applying. It uis their drama - not yours. You may always wonder - what if - if yoiu don’t at least apply. </p>
<p>I agree with other posters, however, to make sure that this is where you want to spend your
ED card.</p>
<p>Okay, here is where you and your family are making a big mistake. Why tell ANYONE outside your immediate family where you are applying? We found it was hard enough to handle family pressure and dynamics, we just didn’t need the drama of outsiders putting additional pressure on – either knowing my kids didn’t get in where they applied, or on what choice to make from where they were admitted. I do recognize that the question about where you are applying gets asked a LOT senior year (it is all anyone can ever think to ask a senior in high school!). But you can brush that off with “I am looking at schools that are good in major X, but don’t want to jinx myself by telling people where I am applying.” Then smile and change the subject.</p>
<p>Obviously your family took your brother’s rejection personally, but I think they are really immature. I say – ignore their self centered nattering and apply ED if you want to (since you are sure your dad will pay if you get in). You can still apply to your EA school as well, just keep rolling on your other applications and figure it is gravy if you get into Cornell.</p>
<p>I say go ahead and apply. Your stats aren’t outside the realm of possibility. Admissions committees make surprising decisions sometimes. My D was accepted EA to U of Chicago last year with a 3.75 GPA, and the salutatorian in her class was deferred and eventually rejected (my D was not even top 10% in her class and did not have a hook).</p>
<p>Dad would never refuse to pay or anything like that; he would actually be ecstatic if I got in, he just doesn’t want me to apply because he knows I won’t get in and doesn’t want us to look like fools again.</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Look like fools to who? Why does your family have to tell anyone right now? My sister had her kids apply ED and we weren’t told about it until they were accepted. That was their family’s way of dealing with the prospect that they might get rejected.</p>
<p>That said, even if others know about the ED app, what’s wrong with just saying, “Yes, Cake applied ED to Cornell. It’s a long-shot, so she may not get accepted, but we felt it was worth a shot. She’s got a list of very good back-ups.”</p>
<p>^^Exactly. There is nothing in applying to a selective school and falling short that will make you look like a fool. The vast majority of very capable students who apply to Cornell do not get in. The only way you could look foolish in all this would be 1) Applying when your stats are nowhere near where they need to be to make you a legitimate candidate, or 2) If you went around boasting that your admission was a sure thing.</p>
<p>Taking personalities out of it…If Cornell is a good fit for you and if your parents could pay for it, I would say go ahead and apply with the mindset of “I probably won’t get in but want to try so I won’t regret it.” I tell my girls that I don’t mind if they apply to a couple of ivies but realize that great majority of qualified applicants get rejected. </p>
<p>Tell your dad that you have investigated Cornell and don’t want to not apply to a school based on what some family friend said or what happened to your brother. You understand it is a long shot and you have many other colleges on your list that you would also be happy to go to.</p>