Please chance me... I'd do anything to get in.

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>I'm Asian but won't specify ethnicity. I don't really care if my last name gives it away... lol I'm a junior and so far I have these stats.</p>

<p>Freshman (I got B's in electives and no honors/APs offered)</p>

<p>Geometry: A/A
Biology: A/A
English 9: A/A
Healthy/Geography: B+/A
PE: A/A
Beginning Art: A/B+</p>

<p>Sophomore (took an early period class, no APs offered)</p>

<p>Dance: A/B+
English: A/A
Trigonometry: A/A
Chem: A/A
Sociology: A/A
World History: A/A
Spanish: A/A</p>

<p>Ranked 3/~500 at my first HS</p>

<p>Parents divorced. Then I transferred to extremely competitive new school and it went downhill second semester. I got kind of depressed and grades plummeted.</p>

<p>Junior year:</p>

<p>English Honors: A/B
Pre-Calculus: A/A
AP Biology: B/B
AP Physics B: B/C
Spanish: A/A
USH: A/A</p>

<p>This is the ugly bit.
~3.92 W
~ 3.7 UW
But please keep in mind that I was unable to take AP classes @ my 1st school. Junior year was the biggest deviation from the previous years and I had chosen the 2 toughest classes at my new school. </p>

<p>SAT: 2240
SAT II: Math 2: 740 and will take AP Bio, AP Physics, or Chem later
ACT: 32
Rank at new school: at least top 15% but not sure</p>

<p>I will probably do well on the AP exams. I don't get the A's but i'm good at taking tests; I usually ace the finals with a little studying. But the teachers of my APs are known to be sticklers. lol</p>

<p>ECs:</p>

<p>Science/space center intern: explained exhibits to visitors, trained others and managed telescopes, enviroscience and planetarium show development projects (over 400 hours of commitment total)</p>

<p>Actively participated in Teams Environmental and Astronomy</p>

<p>Biotech lab research associate at a therapeutics company</p>

<p>After-school math tutor sophomore year</p>

<p>~50 hours of community service outside of work</p>

<p>2 summer enrichment classes at UC Berkeley ATDP
2 summer classes at community college (Stats and Astronomy)</p>

<p>played badminton 2 years</p>

<p>Piano for 12 years, played for school musical in pit orchestra
played at talent shows
Once assistant stage manager for school play</p>

<p>At 1st school:
Drama club 2 years
Mathletes club secretary</p>

<p>other factors:
sister has severe mental and physical impairment since birth.
I've taken care of her until she was moved to a care home after my parents split. I had such a hectic work schedule and now I don't even see my sister anymore.</p>

<p>my mom has put extreme pressure on me. During junior year (especially 2nd semester) I got really sick of it and slacked.
now my mom thinks I can't get into any decent college, let alone my dream school Cornell.
Please chance me... thank you.</p>

2

<p>I’m applying for a Science major. Most likely in the Bio department. I really want to go to medical school.</p>

3

<p>Your grades kind of hurt - your choice of major doesn’t help either. I’d say you have an average shot given your special circumstances if you can get that through to the adcoms.</p>

4

<p>Yeah pretty average shot IMO. Understand however that Cornell is a crapshoot and nothing you do short of say winning national level competitions will get you in.</p>

5

<p>I get what you are saying but national level competitions don’t certainly get you in and you don’t need national level competitions to get you in. There’s simply no certainty.</p>

6

<p>Is Cornell a high reach for me if I apply early decision? I will apply for CALS. Oh and this will be my senior course load:
PE
AP Econ/Gov
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
English
Spanish</p>

7

<p>You have a decent chance especially if you are a NY state resident.</p>

8

<p>I’m a CA resident… I guess my chances are shot…
should i even bother to apply? I’ve got lots of backups… I’m not really a person who would handle rejection very well… and I’m afraid that I may apply for too many reaches.</p>

9

<p>why not just apply ED then? the only difference between not applying and getting rejected is $80 and the knowledge that you at least gave it a shot</p>

10

<p>Okay, but how much of a reach is this if I choose a human biology major?
sorry, I’m so scared for my chances. nobody thinks I can pull it off and I’ve been getting lots of negative feedback especially from people I look up to… ugggh</p>

11

<p>negative feedback… bio… hurr hurr</p>

12

<p>Just go for it.</p>

<p>The academics at my school were way different, but I had a 3.55 UW and a 4.3 W
But I worked really hard on my essay and on my extra curriculars and I got into Cornell.
The essay has a lot more potential to push you into a college than you expect. Just don’t be generic and be interesting. </p>

<p>Colleges are unpredictable(I got rejected from Irvine…), and why just try, right?</p>

13

<p>My guess would be ‘reach’ but not ‘super reach’. You should definitely apply.</p>

<p>The biggest drawback, obviously, is your junior year, and the fact that your science grades suffered along with everything else. You’re helped somewhat by the fact that you’re female applying in the sciences. Asian – I honestly don’t know how this factors in – personally, I think it’s less of a factor than others – but it is what it is.</p>

<p>California student --(i.e., non-NY Res). Probably won’t be much of a factor, and maybe a bit of a plus for Arts.</p>

<p>One more thought – Cornell allows you to apply to more than one College. I believe that Biology is a potential major in both CAS (Arts) and CALS (Agriculture and Life Sciences). You might want to consider applying to both schools.</p>