International kid, Cornell ED. Have a look.

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

Demographics :

  • Indian
  • Male
  • International Student
  • School : Private school in India
  • Income : Will need some aid

Intended major(s) :
Cornell Engineering - InfoSci

TOOK A GAP YEAR

Demographics :

  • Indian
  • Male
  • International Student
  • School : Private school in India
  • Income : Will need some aid

Intended major(s) :

Cornell - InfoSci - College of Engineering

TOOK A GAP YEAR

Academics

  • SAT 1 : 1500/1600 800M 700WR
  • SAT 2 : Math Level 2 : 790 , Physics : 760 , Chemistry : 740
  • Class Rank : School doesnt offer but it should be 5th or 6th out of 81
  • Coursework : Indian Standard 12 (CBSE) - English(91%) , Mathematics(95%), Physics(92%), Chemistry(94%), Computer

Science(92%)

  • Grades : CGPA: Class 8: 9.33 Class 9: 9.2 Class 10: 10
  • UW/W GPA: School doesnt offer/calculate, 92.8% Agg
  • Academic Awards:
    • National merit certificate for 10/10 CGPA in Class 10( CBSE Indian Standard 10 )
    • 93% in Indian Standard 12(CBSE) final exams
    • Dozens of distinctions and high distinctions in IAIS exams (International Assessment for Indian School) conducted by

Macmillan and UNSWGlobal Australia.

  • High Distinction in ANCQ ( Australian National Chemistry Quiz ) ( they also did mention the top % of students I was in,

but I dont remember that right now. I was in the single digits for sure )

  • (Not sure if this counts) Selected to National level of the Spelling Bee competition held in 2008. Couldnt attend due to financial reasons
  • Report card has been filled with all A1’s and a few A2’s for the last 12 years ( For reference : A1 : 91-100 range, A2 : 81-90 range). Literally zero B’s along the way.

Extracurriculars:

  • House captain for 1 year (Student Govt)
  • School secretary for 1 year (Student Govt)
  • Computer Club president for 2 years
  • School's waste management head for 1 year
  • Track and field: have marathon'd for school and independently. Completed over a dozen full marathons, won multiple medals. Best time: 10k in 35mins flat.
  • Extensive animal rescue work, have nursed over 30 and 15 cows back to health (>300 hours: 12 weeks, 6 days a week, 6-7 hours a day) with an NGO (Been bitten dozens of times lol)
  • Part of drive to makeover the dirtiest spots in the city. Did dirty work, literally. Me and 15-20 other volunteers converted an open air defecation site to a playground/parking lot. We paid for the equipment ourselves, and cleaned the place ourselves. No outsourcing.
  • Summer work experience working at a power tools manufacturing factory. Operated a CNC Machine, did some welding etc.
  • Worked on a farm for 3 months. Tilled, fertilized crops, operated bullock carts and other farm machinery.
  • Tutored Math and Physics underpriviliged kids ( grade 9-10 level) at a government school for 2 months.
  • Have been playing tabla for 10 years now and have finished 4 certificate courses.
  • Loads of certificates from Computer and Theater clubs
  • Political campaigning for Bharatiya Janata Party during national elections in 2014 (They won, Narendra Modi is now PM :) )

Misc

  • Essays: My commonapp essay is a heartfelt one. It's about how my family was forced out of our ancestral land by Islamic militants and how we fled and settled on the other end of the country, and how I've lost an uncle and two cousins to this violence in the last 10 years alone. Facing economic hardship, having to go hungry as a kid, and being on the brink of homelessness. My takeaway from the entire essay is that moving away from all the mayhem has granted me the power of objectivity, as in how all the elders in my family are blinded by the pride of the ancestral land but I know deep down that we can never go back because it just isnt going to happen. (sidenote, this is what I'm talking about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_cleansing_of_Kashmiri_Hindus )
  • Secondary Essays: About how my agrarian background gives me a deeper understanding of farming mechanisms, and how with the help of large scale Data Analytics, I hope to maximize output and minimise environmental damage in developing countries
  • Counselor recommendation Haven't read, but she's a sweetheart so I'm sure she's written something nice <3
  • Teacher Recommendation #1 Haven't read, but she likes so me
  • Teacher Recommendation #2 He's written that I'm one of the best students he's seen in 8 years
  • Optional Recommendation From my Coach, he's written loads about how dedicated to running I am (havent read it)
  • Going to submit a portfolio of my school projects/research work ( Includes: 3xComputer Science projects(C++), 1x Game created by in C++, 4xPhysics research project reports, 3 of which have been performed and certified by the Indian Institute of Science, 4xChemistry research project reports )

Schools :
ED Cornell

So. What do you think? Am I looking at a good ol rejection letter? Let me have it.

Hit me with your comments and thoughts.

2

In my opinion, you have a goos chance to get into Cornell. Your Ec’s are solid and also your grades are good. Best of luck

3

@lololol12$12$ Thanks! :slight_smile:

Anybody else, any thoughts?

4

There is nothing in your stats that are weak. You have a better than average shot at getting in. On paper I’d say you are a top candidate and your essay sounds great. Only negative, from what I’ve read in some articles, is expensive private schools like the Ivies tend to like international applicants who can pay full price. That seems unfair, but it’s reality. College is big business. If I were to make a bet, I’d say 50% chance, but this seems like a strange year, so who knows? LOL.

5

@cotopaxi Middle class drudgery eh? Too rich to qualify for aid, too poor to actually be able to pay xD

6

Bumperino