How can I get into Cornell?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’ve written basically my whole story so that you can get a sense of my personality and why I want to go to Cornell. It’s a lot, but I would be ever-so appreciative for some feedback and advice. Thank you for your time!
Class of 2019, anyone?

Background: I’m a first generation student in the 9th grade. I was born in India and my family migrated to the U.S. when I was 2. I am the oldest of 4 children and my family receives a relatively low income. I consider myself to be hardworking and people often tell me that I am a very ambitious and self determined person. I have a love for learning which is why I convinced my parents to take me to a testing session for an honors school that has an IB diploma program, and I got in.

Education: I just transferred this year to an honors school and I plan on graduating with an IB Diploma. I am very interested in science which is why I will be skipping lunch in 11th and 12th grade to take IB Biology, IB Physics, and AP Chemistry (All are 2 year courses). I am debating taking either AP Calculus or AP Statistics senior year.
In 8th grade I took regents algebra and regents biology, scoring a 98 in biology and a 74 in algebra. Fearing having to retake algebra the following year I prepared myself during the summer to retake the exam in August. Though I worked hard, I scored an 84. I was 1 point off the passing requirement of 85 and had to take the class again. I met with my guidance counselor once and then vice principal 3 times and then the principal once (I’m sorry if I seem whiney to you). Reason being I was willing to skip lunch this year and take both geometry and algebra; they refused with the fear of setting a precedent. Now I’m retaking the class with an average of A+ each semester. I have a 4.0 GPA as of now with an A+ in every class except Gym(B+) and History (A-) because I’m generally not interested in it. I am aware that good grades are a given requirement for HYPSC and I’m working on my EC. :slight_smile:

Accomplishments: Not impressive – Coming from a foreign state, I speak 4 languages including English, Kashmiri, Urdu, and Hindi. I can read and write Arabic and I’m learning Spanish in school right now.
As for scholarships, I don’t know what I can do right now as a 9th grader. I do read voraciously and I plan on studying works of literature in the summer so that I can advance my technique more and start applying for scholarships in 10th grade when I’m taking AP Literature and Composition. I also plan on studying chemistry in the summer because it’s interesting and I will be taking it in 10th grade. I like to spend my allowance at garage sales buying used school textbooks so that I can read them later.
I’m very interested in art and I’ve had my art exhibited before. I’ve been told that I’m very good at drawing and I draw a lot but all I’ve done is design the yearbook cover twice for my last school.
I’ve also built the PC that I’m currently using right now.

Extra Curricular: Not impressive – I’ve recently joined the tennis team at my school; It’s my first time playing a sport and I’m not very good but I enjoy it. I plan on doing both tennis and cross country as a sport throughout high school. I also tutor peers in both Algebra and Biology after school. I volunteer at a hospital on weekends for 8 hours and I plan on volunteering more in the summer. I used to play the violin well in middle school but I had to quit so that I could apply for my school’s science research program.
From October to December 2015 I was a candidate applying for a Science Research Program at my school along with 40 other students. Part of the qualification was taking AP Biology for those 3 months and making the top 13 of the group through test scores and evaluation. Through my perseverance and determination I managed rank 1. I along with the other 11 students got interviewed by a doctor willing to mentor 6 of us. Unfortunately I didn’t get selected and this was extremely discouraging to me, considering all of the hard work and time I put into it. A while later the doctor emailed me, offering an opportunity to go to the lab and do research in the area of bioformatics after school. I was the only student of the 7 that didn’t get selected to take up the offer. I just started working at the lab today and I really like what I’m doing, but I don’t plan on entering any science fairs in the future because my assigned research isn’t compelling enough.

My dream is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon and work in NYC while also working on cancer research - call me naïve. Cornell is my top school because of their outstanding premed program that will prepare me for getting into a good medical school. I’m writing all this right now because I’m not sure how to progress from what I’m currently doing right now and I’m wondering if I actually have the potential to get into this college. I would also appreciate any recommendations for activities that Cornell will like and that I might be interested in.

Thank you!

2

A lot of universities have great pre-med science programs, so don’t worry about that. You can aim for Cornell, but realize that it is not essential to go there for you to have in incredible undergraduate experience that prepares you for the best medical schools.

Your persistence is commendable! Continue to work extra at math so you can score well on standardized test scores when they come up.

Enter science fairs! You can do research in addition to what is being covered in your lab. Another thing you can do is participate in science Olympiads, science bowls, math competitions and similar activities.

Also, spend summers doing science research or volunteering at a hospital, or both.

Join clubs related to your future career plans, and take on leadership positions. If the clubs don’t exist yet at your school, then start them and be the instant president.

Cornell and similar universities will look at whether you distinguished yourself nationally and possibly internationally. Ways to distinguish yourself include test scores that are tops nationally, or selection for internships that are competitive nationally, or winning competitions that are national. They will expect that you do more than just excel at your school.

3

I plan on also applying to HYPS and many other schools, even though the Ivy’s aren’t a very pragmatic and realistic direction when applying for the hell of it.

4

There are literally a few hundred schools of which this is also true. There is nothing ultra-special about Cornell in this regard. You need to broaden your reach.

5

Thank you for your feedback. While the main reason I’m inclining towards Cornell is because of their premed program, there are many more reasons. One reason is the name, to be frank; I’ve heard that going to Cornell and having a nice GPA drastically increases your chance of getting into a top medical school, and then securing a nice job after that. I am also interested in the research being conducted at the institution. Another reason being I like the social atmosphere on campus; it’s not a cutthroat work-to-the-core enviornment. And then there’s the location; I live in New York and I like the weather here, and visiting my family often as a Cornell student will be less expensive compared to booking flights from California. Cornell certainly isn’t one of my only choices, as I am still searching for back-up colleges.

6

You can look up the stats on how many students from Cornell go to med school. No need to rely on hearsay.

7

Again, there are hundreds of schools of which this is also true.