I’m currently a junior and my first choice school right now is Cornell Human Ecology. I was wondering how I can demonstrate interest in this school other than visiting or requesting information/emails.
Thank you!
Hey there! I was recently accepted to Cornell Human Ecology as an ED applicant, so I think I might be able to help 
Usually, requesting information/emails don’t make a huge difference. Not only that, but Cornell does not have an option in the CommonApp asking whether you visited the school…it would, however, be great for building your personal knowledge about Cornell University in general.
In terms of demonstrating your interest in Cornell CHE, it’s extremely important that you do so in your college application essays and in your extra-curriculars. There’s a supplement essay on CommonApp for Cornell University where you can do that. A huge factor that Cornell considers is “fit”. “Is this applicant really a good “fit” for this school? Does this applicant do specific EC’s and demonstrate SPECIFIC interest in certain majors of this college?” - These are some questions that admissions officers might ask. One strong aspect of my application was that my EC’s were extremely focused on my major, Human Development, rather than all scattered around.
So…yeah. Since you’re a junior, I would recommend that you organize and build up some focused Human Ecology-type EC’s and think of a great essay that highly demonstrates your interest in this college.
Good luck! If you have more questions, please ask! I’ll try my best to answer
@seniorlife555 Thank you for the response and congratulations on your acceptance!
I plan to pursue a career in health care and be on either the pre-med or pre-dent track. Currently, the major that appeals to me the most is Human Biology, Health, and Society. Regarding my ECs, I would say most of them are community service related. I’ve attended a few health/medicine related summer programs and help out with injured athletes at my school. I feel that my ECs show my passion for healthcare/helping others but could you elaborate on your definition of a “Human Ecology-type EC”?
Also, I know that HumEc doesn’t require SAT subject tests, but the other colleges do. Do you think it would be beneficial as a Human Ecology applicant to submit scores anyways?
Great questions!
It seems as if your ECs match your health-related major! Those are some ECs I kept in mind, and they will definitely increase your chances. When I mentioned “Human Ecology-type EC,” I just meant health-related ECs. For example, when I applied as a Human Development major, my ECs were mainly about gerontology and of course, researching about human development in labs.
It is true that HumEc doesn’t require SAT subject tests. However, I still sent two of my SAT Subject tests (Math Level 2 and Biology E/M). I think there would be absolutely no harm in sending those scores.
@seniorlife555 Thank you!
@seniorlife555 May I ask what extracurriculars you listed in your application? Were they mostly school-related or outside of school programs? Would you say it’ll be a disadvantage if most of my extracurriculars started around post sophomore year, (since it be a late start, rather than showing interest right from the start of freshman year)?
@sweetmooncakes Hey there, happy to help out!
I actually listed a lot of extracurriculars specifically geared towards my major (Health Research, etc.) and school leadership positions like SCA President, math club president, etc. I also listed ONE specific sport (Skiing) where I showed extreme commitment. It was actually to the point where I organized interdisciplinary activities involving both skiing and medical studies.
I would say my extracurriculars were outside of school 60% and school-related 40%. It’s best if you keep it equal, not like 80% outside of school.
If you start extracurriculars around post sophomore year, that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure you continue doing the activity till senior year and/or show commitment. Admissions officers will NEVER be like, “Well…this student didn’t start from freshman year…so REJECTION.” That would be ridiculous.
Also, freshman and sophomore students are still in the “exploration phase” so they shouldn’t be expected to STICK to one club till the end of your senior year. So don’t worry about that!
If you have more questions, I’ll be there to answer!