Help applying/getting accepted to Cornell?

<p>I go to a small school in Michigan where nobody goes, or even applies to a school like Cornell. My ACT is a 28, and my GPA is a 3.9 unweighted. My rank is 15/180. I go to a public school. I play soccer, track, cross country, and was cross country team captain. I'm in NHS and active in my church. Is there anything I can do to help my admission? What are my chances? Thank you.</p>

<p>Hmm…your GPA and class rank are good, you have lots of sports, which is also good. Are there any non-athletic EC’s that you’re very devoted to? Also, do you have any hooks? For example, are you a minority, do you have legacy, are you a first generation student? </p>

<p>The one glaring thing about your app is the ACT score. Not that its a bad score, its just low for Cornell. Try to raise it up higher.</p>

<p>It’s definitely worth applying. The two biggest strikes against you are your ACT score (try and get at least a 30, or try the SAT) and that your school doesn’t send people to top schools. Not much you can really do about the second thing. Have you taken all the AP/honors courses you could? GPA is borderline meaningless at a school like Cornell if your classes weren’t hard.</p>

<p>GPA & class rank are OK if you take the most rigorous courses offered at your school. As already mentioned, your ACT score is your major hurdle in being considered for admission.</p>

<p>Having worked in admissions at Cornell, here’s my 2 cents: (1) Your scores are modest, but remember that they are placed within the context of your overall academic profile. What does that mean? It means that the admissions office will look at the rigor of your classes, your grades, your teacher letter of recommendation and yes…your standardized test results…but they are just one piece of the puzzle. They also will consider your extracurricular activities and personal circumstances. (2) Remember also that Cornell has 7 undergraduate colleges, so be wise and strategic about the college to which you apply for admission. Selecting the undergraduate college that is the right “fit and match” for you will enhance the likelihood of your admission. Good luck!</p>

<p>Any idea which specific college I should apply to? I’m really not sure what I want to do, I like engineering but I know my scores probably aren’t good enough to get into engineering. What specific college should I apply to?</p>

<p>Composite - 28
English - 27
Math - 27
Reading - 29
Science - 28</p>

<p>Thanks for the help so far guys!</p>

<p>Apply to whichever college has your intended major. This is a question you really should answer. If you get accepted and decide you want to switch to a major in a different school, you can apply for internal transfer however it is not guaranteed as there are some requirements.</p>

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<p>… although test scores are just one peice of the puzzle, aren’t they looked at as a gauge of how well the applicant will be able to handle the level of work at Cornell? Yes, we went through the whole presentation on importance of “fit”, etc. , but the counselor who did our info session also told my D that she needed to get her SAT scores higher (which she did & was admitted).</p>

<p>hergie,</p>

<p>i am in the same boat and have basically the same stats. you have more sports, i play none for my hi school, but i do sci oly and academic decathlon. i also would like to apply to cornell and am also worried i’m not “special” enough to be seem through the piles of perfect schores.
Maybe we can commersorate or congradulate later together XD</p>