Please respond - should I bother applying?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>I'm a high school senior - I visited cornell over the summer and really liked it, but I realize it's a big reach for me w/my gpa.
If I want to apply, I basically have to decide now, someone tell me if I should bother at all</p>

<p>My high school is a highly competitive public - 100% go on to college, there is virtually no dropout rate, we are ranked as one of the best public high schools in the country</p>

<p>grades are given as follows:
A = 4.0 = 95+
A- = 3.7 = 90-94
B+ = 3.4 = 87-89
B = 3.0 = 84-86
....and so on, It's pretty standard</p>

<p>My UW gpa is really low, only like a 3.37, weighted its only 3.56</p>

<p>SAT I: 720V, 650 M, 770W
SAT II: 670 World History, 760 English Lit</p>

<p>I have taken 5 years of high school math/science (started in grade 8), almost all classes taken were adv/honors</p>

<p>AP Classes taken: World History, English Lang, U.S History (5 on each)
Senior year classes: AP Psych, AP English Lit, AP Econ, AP Stats, AP French...and forensic science</p>

<p>Extracurrics: French Honor Society grades 10-12 Secretary
School literary magazine - grades 9-12 Assistant Editor and staff writer
School newspaper: grades 10-12
school tutoring club for AP English kids - grades 11, 12
Latin Honor Society - grades 9, 10
did varsity fencing for a year</p>

<p>Volunteer Work: tutor kids about 1 to 2 hr a week,
80 hrs over summer working as a teacher assistant at summer school</p>

<p>Awards...DAR Good Citizens award, National Latin Exam Honor Award, AP Scholar, High Honor roll throughout high school if that counts....thats it</p>

<p>my school doesn't do class rank
If i applied it would be to CAS, CALS 2nd choice</p>

<p>oh I should probably mention that I have 1 D, from grade 9, in an art class, which really stands out on my report card and is the reason my gpa is so low
would cornell count an art elective???</p>

2

<p>Look, no one here on this website can give you any real idea of your chances, but I would give you this advice. Yes, your gpa may be a little low but you have other plusses--you have good test scores, you have taken a rigorous curriculum with some AP classes, and you have good extracurricular activities with some leadership roles. If you really liked Cornell and want to apply, go ahead. It is worth taking the chance--worst that can happen is you don't get accepted, but that will happen also if you don't apply. I wouldn't worry too much about the D--it was in an elective and freshman year. Cornell is going to look at your overall record and of all the years they look at, freshman year probably counts the least because most schools feel that freshman year is a transition year to high school. Cornell is not a shoo in for anyone because they have many more qualified applicants than they can accept. So, see it as a reach and go for it.</p>

3

<p>thanks for the reply cornell75...I'm still not sure if i should apply to be honest, but i have to make a decision really soon (its already dec!)</p>

<p>btw, do you know how much cornell factors in interviews?? Can a bad interview ruin your chances of being accepted???</p>

4

<p>A really bad interview can have a negative affect on the acceptance process, but I would go as far as to say that it could make or break you. It's just one piece of the puzzle that you would be missing.</p>

5

<p>And only some schools require interviews. For other schools, it seems hit or miss if you get an interview and then I think it is mostly informational. But if an interview is offered, take it and do well. Any interview is reported back to the school I assume, even the informational ones. I still say, go for it--what's to lose except the application fee and the time it takes to complete the application? Where else are you applying? Have you done most of your other applications so that you have time to spend on this one?</p>

6

<p>I'm applying to about 6 other schools, out of which Cornell would definitely be the hardest to get into. I finished most of the apps, only really have Bucknell left to do
it's not completing the app that worries me, I'm a pretty good writer when I try, it's just that I honestly don't want to bother applying if I know I have no chance.</p>

7

<p>You don't know that you have no chance. As I said, no one can tell you your chances really. But I'd say you are in the ballpark--look on their website at the class of 2011 profile. It doesn't give tons of information but certainly your test scores are in the ballpark and I don't think your gpa throws you out of consideration either. All of the Ivies and some other schools as well are difficult to get into. You are looking at about an 18% acceptance rate (I think it was for last year) so 1 out of 5 or so make it. But these schools don't just take people with perfect gpas and test scores. Just like Bucknell and your other schools, they try to see how well the candidate fits in with the school, the overall class they are accepting etc. Anyway, just my opinion.</p>

8

<p>thanks for the advice cornell75....if i can convince my parents to let me apply, i think i will...they're pretty set on me going to NYU (personally i really dislike it)</p>

9

<p>if you really like cornell, i think you should apply. i mean, applying and getting rejected (definitely not saying you will be) is bette than not applying at all. and your gpa is a little low, but you have amazing other credentials, such as a lot of AP classes and decent SAT scores.</p>

<p>so don't worry too much about it, don't give up :)</p>

10

<p>just do it. you never know</p>

11

<p>Nike.</p>

<p>Just Do It.</p>

12

<p>if you dont try you'll never know... and it will always be a "what if"</p>

13

<p>It is always better to try, you might just never know. With ivys it is hit or miss.</p>

14

<p>it's great that you really liked cornell, and i think you should go for it. colleges have profiles of each high school it has applicants from that describe the gpa distribution and how rigorous the courses are, in addition to the ap's offered and all that kind of stuff. cornell will know how hard your school is. your sat scores are within range which shows cornell that your course load was probably hard and that's why your gpa might be on the low side. about the d in art, how does one get a d in art? if it's a legit reason, you can ask your gc to explain it in her recommendation. that should help a bit. the only thing that would concern me is that you don't really have a hook. mostly everyone applying to cornell has good sat scores, a decent gpa, volunteer work, club leadership, and some sort of honor society. i'm more familiar with the standards for ed, but i think you should definitely apply.</p>

15

<p>what school are you going to apply to at cornell</p>

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<p>gigonman - CAS 1st choice, CALS 2nd, its at the bottom of my post</p>

<p>rollercoaster- you're right I dont really have a hook and im not an international student or anything (altho i was born in another country)
as for how does one get a D in art - i took ap art for a year (a stupid choice, im not into art, all my friends were taking it and i thought it would be an easy ap) it's too hard/long to explain how i got a D, but i'll say i didn't sit the final which is like 1/5 of my grade</p>

<p>my schools acceptance rate for cornell is about 40%, and we have like 35/200 kids applying there this year...so we'll see.</p>