I’m an international student (Pakistan) applying for Physics undergrad at Cornell. My calculated GPA would be between 3.95 and 4.0. My SAT score is 1510 (730RW, 780M). I didn’t give any SAT 2 exams. My extracurriculars include running a student forum/page on Facebook with over 68000 followers, running a study materials group on Facebook with over 1600 members (was especially helpful for students in covid during the lockdown), running an Instagram page on technology/physics with over 1000 followers, a 3-year member of science society (organized a city-wide science olympiad last year. Made the president this year), 2 year member o dramatics society (stage manager last year), 6 months teaching experience at a local coaching center, 2 internships, participation in 5 science/math olympiads (finalist in 3), a lot of household responsibilities, knowledge of basic german (apart from my native language and English) and am currently working on a novel. am I competitive for Cornell ED.
Hi! This is Lillian from Prompt. You have an impressive list of extracurriculars! Given your strong numbers and accolades, I’d be interested in how you plan on approaching your college essays. That’s your chance to really set yourself apart!
Assuming you’re applying to the College of the Arts and Sciences, they have a supplemental essay focusing on intellectual curiosity. Since you mentioned that you are thinking about applying for physics, it might be worthwhile to dive deep into how your passion for physics manifests in your activities. The content of your essay will be really important in differentiating yourself from similarly competitive applicants.