<p>My dream is to goto Cornell, but I don't know if I'd make the cut..
I'm a sophmore
I'm a Black Female..(Sudanese)
First in Family to goto college
Freshman year: 3.5 GPA (sorta low)
Mostly advanced classes and one AP so far, but I'm taking 9 more APs
Young Democrats-10, 11, 12
Diversity Club- 10, 11 12
Muslim Student Association-10, 11, 12</p>
<p>Finalist: Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Competition-10th</p>
<p>Community service: 100 hours so far</p>
<p>What else can I possibly do to insure I attend Cornell 2011!</p>
<p>High grades..how high?
SAT scores..how high?
What can I do to stick out from the crowd??</p>
<p>Do what you love, that’s all there is to it. Pursue activities that define you as a person, not things that you do for the sake of filling your college application. for example, If you enjoy writing, volunteer at publishing companies, become a student mentor, or even write your own book. Don’t follow the crowd, and never stop challenging your self- in the end, your dedication and passion will illuminate your application, and set it apart from all others. In the college admissions process, it pays to be unique. </p>
<p>Now, numbers wise, try to pull your GPA above a 3.7 and take most, if not all, of the toughest courses offered in your school. As far as the SAT is concerned, try to obtain a score of >2000 because that puts you in the running for not only Cornell, but many other ivy leagues as well should you change your mind two years from now. </p>
<p>Also, expect many people to tell you that your admission to Cornell is a shoo-in because of your URM status- let me tell you this, there are quite a number of URM’s applying to top universities, so in no way does it off-set indolence and borderline test scores. Always give 100%, and have fun while doing so. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I’m going to be perfectly honest with you in the interest of helping you.</p>
<p>When I look at your post, I see someone whose primary interests lie in your ethnicity.</p>
<p>I had an acquaintance at Cornell who was a black homosexual. It was all he ever talked about to the point that, when I pressed him what his interests or goals were, he didn’t have any because he’d always been the “gay black guy” in his predominantly white suburban high school. Cornell was a real wake up call to a world that didn’t care to define him so narrowly and he really had to figure out who he was as an individual, not as a representative of a demographic.</p>
<p>I have no idea what your situation is. I’m guessing since you’re in the “Diversity Club” that you’ve always stood out more than blended in to your high school. I’m not saying you’re like that guy I knew, but it’d be nice to look at your post and know that you’re interested in physics or volleyball or medicine or writing or business or whatever.</p>
<p>I think if you can harness your pride in your ethnic / religious heritage with a clear field of interest that could utilize your unique perspective on the world to advance a discipline, I’d personally find that much more interesting than just focusing on the fact that you’re black and Muslim. </p>
<p>Cornell’s a big school with a lot of blacks and Muslims. They’re not going to be falling all over you simply for what race or religion you are. You have to stand out for who you, as an individual, are.</p>
<p>Don’t make that decision based on what Cornell wants. They’ll sniff that out right away. Just enjoy high school and follow whatever interests you regardless. Have fun, too.</p>
<p>While I do agree with you for the most part applejack, some people’s passion in life is helping out other people of the same race and ethnicity.</p>
<p>A gay male or lesbian female who is a gender, sexuality, and equality studies major isn’t just defined by the fact that they are gay or lesbian. Rather, their passion in life is education of others and the pursuit of more equal rights, etc.</p>
<p>The same can be extended to a black person who is an African studies major, or an asian person who is an Asian studies major.</p>
<p>From this young lady’s post, I see Young Democrats club (political minded) and an award for an Oratorical competition (also political), plus logged community service hours. Add this to the commitment to her race and faith, and I see a civic minded student who is political in the arena closest to her, ethnicity.</p>
<p>^
That’s why I said to find a field that aligns with her passion for her ethnicity. I didn’t say to abandon it.</p>