<p>This is my first post. Considering applying ED to Cornell entering Fall 2010. After seeing all the stats...should I waste my time?</p>
<p>Details: Top tier private NYC school. No SAT's yet, 95th. percentile PSAT's., Current 3.3 GPA with 1 AP, 2 Honors and 2nd. language fourth year. Will be 5 year Varsity Swimmer next year, Section Editor 4 years school newspaper, Junior Peer Leader, founder Film Club. Top 10% of class, no rankings. Community service includes volunteering at non-profit swim camp in summers for 3 years. Cornell swim camp 1 year. Summer internship 2 years with private investment firm.</p>
<p>Father is alum and active in alum relations and serves on a particular advisory board.</p>
<p>Any shot in Arts and Sciences? I expect to pick up 2 AP's senior year and continue in Honors courses as well where offered.</p>
<p>I'd think that you'd want to concentrate on getting your grades up, applying RD with improved Senior first semester grades. Take courses in summer, anything to improve the GPA, which isn't in the ballpark.</p>
<p>I am not sure if GPA is weighted or how that is done...it will hopefully improve this semester and finish more in the 3.5-3.6 range. But don't you think going ED with Legacy could be helpful as well?</p>
<p>My guess is you should have a shot.<br>
Your guidance counselors should have a better guess, including consideration of how Cornell will view your grades from that school.</p>
<p>Re: #2, I'd be concerned that RD may dilute the legacy nod at Cornell, ED would be the safest bet from that perspective.</p>
<p>Well I guess the good news is that the two ED applicants in the last two years were accepted...both legacy. I know Cornell views my school in high regard as it is one of the most well respected in NYC. Prepping for SAT in March, SATII in June and AP English Lit. I also expect to be Varsity Swim Team Captain next year and may attend Cornell summer film school in July. I thank you all for your input.</p>
<p>get your grades up and apply ED. Also, show some PASSION in what you will be studying. That is very important, almost to the point of it being a deciding factor.</p>
<p>If I want to study film and creative writing does being section editor of the newspaper and also founding member/president of the Film Society count as "passion". I also take a film course and consistently get A's. Any other suggestions? Film seminars? Cornell Summer school for film?</p>
<p>Thanks for that piece of information...certainly can not afford to waste my time if it does not help. Any thoughts on how much family financial contributions play a role in all this?</p>
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Any thoughts on how much family financial contributions play a role in all this?
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<p>If the Kalodie Towers loom over the campus, Faculty members inhabit Kalodie Chairs, and the Big Red plays on Kalodie Field, then an applicant named Kalodie with a 3.3 GPA might garner some consideration.</p>
<p>Otherwise, I wouldn't expect your father's efforts on Cornell's behalf to make up for your lack therof in obtaining a competitive GPA.</p>
<p>Unless your school grades very hard, I do not see 3.3 as being in the ball park even as a legacy. Cornell could be different, but we have a kid at my D's school with 3.7 GPA and parents double legacy at Penn that was turned down for ED. My nephew, double legacy at Stanford, with 3.9 GPA and 2300 SAT, was just rejected (not deferred). If your father is that involved with Cornell, I would have your father get a soft nod from admission before you throw that option away (it may be better used at another school). It would be hard for me to believe a legacy status would give you such a bump, even if you were from a highly regarded HS. Recruited athletes are told by ivies to try to keep their grades min A- by taking easier courses. CAS stats are generally higher relative to other schools too.</p>
<p>I think Joan River wanted to donate a dorm to Columbia to her daugher in, but Columbia still said no. I think she ended up going to Penn. I wonder what it would take for Cornell.</p>
<p>oldfort, based on the raw number that was my first impression as well, however OP says these grades are sufficient to garner top 10% at this elite NYC private. Evidently the school grades tough. Cornell should be intimately aware of this school's grading policies and how the applicant stacks up there, and the school's guidance people will tell them, somehow. I would imagine. Typically a top 10% student at such schools would reasonably be considering Cornell. In my experience.</p>
<p>But if all this does not in fact happen, then yes this gpa on its face is not that helpful.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your input. THe big decision is to go ED and if the legacy situation would make any headway for the less than stellar GPA. As there are definitely no buildings named after the family I don't think our yearly donations would make a dent in the process. To monydad..school notoriously grades tough so that may be somewhat of an issue. Seems like odds are against it based on all the feedback..should I change my strategy or dive in for ED and hope a fluke happens? Will the problems with the economy change anything on the acceptance front next year?</p>
<p>.. but Cornell knows every top private school in NYC intimately, so should know about your school. Given that, I don't see why the GPA issue looms so large.</p>
<p>But again, the guidance counselors at your school should know this aspect better than I can hypothesize, & be better positioned to honestly assess how you stack up.</p>
<p>I did get in ED this year with about a 3.5 UW gpa (pulled straight As jr year). I had a few other things on the side that made me much more attractive than this stat would let one believe, and i was ranked about 75/1200 at a great public hs. The only way you will get a benefit from your legacy is if you apply ED anyway, so if it is your first choice, I advise you to apply ED, and hope for the best because I do not think it will be a "wasted opportunity" (aka you have a fair chance).</p>
<p>Congratulations! And thanks monydad..meeting with guidance counselors to formulate "the list" soon. Just don't want to waste my ED but you give me a glimmer of hope that combined with the legacy and volunteer work on behalf of Cornell that my Dad does that they may cut a little slack w/the gpa situation.</p>