Decision: Accepted
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): 33 (30M, 32R, 33E, 35S)
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.65
Weighted GPA: 4.31
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): ~15/380
AP (place score in parenthesis): European History (3), Language and Composition (2). Did not report either score.
IB (place score in parenthesis): Philosophy SL (3). Did not report.
Senior Year Course Load: All IB courses (Diploma candidate)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Football (was top player in section at my position, but was not recruited to play at Cornell), 9 other activities I wasn’t invested in
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: Nothing major (around 200 hours between 9th and 12th grade)
Summer Activities: None
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 8. My personal statement clearly showed my personality and my thought process. In the CALS-specific essay I explained my love for my desired major really well, but gave a generic response as to how I would benefit from a Cornell education.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Probably 8 or so, although I was not able to read them
Teacher Rec #1: From a teacher that I have a great relationship with. Probably highlighted my positive attributes well.
Teacher Rec #2: From a teacher I had for two years who taught the subject I plan on studying in college. I don’t have much of a relationship with them, but I’ve been a great student in their class.
Counselor Rec: Once again I didn’t have a great relationship with them, but I still believe it was well written and reflected well on me.
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Biological Sciences (CALS)
State (if domestic applicant): NY
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Below average inner-city public school. It only graduates 65% of students and its reputation is not great. Typically sends one student to a top 20 school every two years.
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $40k to $50k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
Reflection
Strengths: IB Diploma Candidate, great ACT science score, perfect grades in biology (4.0 UW and 5.0 W), good essays and recommendations
Weaknesses: Low cumulative UW GPA, lack of important ECs, no ECs related to intended major, no leadership positions, no awards, no clear hooks, from below average school
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I believe my high grades in biology proved I can succeed in college. Beyond that, the people who read my essays and recs probably felt they could use someone with my personality and experiences in their incoming class.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I was also accepted at Utica, Binghamton, St. Lawrence, Rochester, Villanova, and Colgate. I was waitlisted at Hamilton.
General Comments: I think my main takeaway from the application process is that it is unpredictable and that there are many ways to prove to a college that you would be a great addition to their community. Although stats are important, the effect you can have on campus and the contributions you can make are far more important. In the end, you will end up where you are meant to be, because a school will only admit you if they believe you are a good fit for them.