<p>I know Cornell's engineering is brutal, to the point where the average GPA hovers around 3.0 (correct me if I'm wrong). But engineering at any school is going to be tough; I just don't know if I could handle Cornell.</p>
<p>I'm not a genius. I'm just a hard worker. Even though I'm 1st in my class, there are students that are much smarter than I am. I don't know if hard work will get me through Cornell.</p>
<p>My SAT math scores reflect this. I got a 670 my first time, then somehow a 780, and then the third time I took it to improve my reading score, my math score dropped to a 700. I'm starting to think the 2nd score was a fluke, but whatever. I also got a 740 SAT math II, which is only OK considering the curve.</p>
<p>The reason I want to do engineering is because I love calculus. I took IB calculus last year, and am taking AP calculus AB this year, and it's the only class in high school that I look forward to. </p>
<p>I consider myself good at algorithmic problem solving, but when it comes to logic and reasoning (SAT math, for example), I'm average at best. Would I be left behind at Cornell by the other geniuses, or am I just being irrational? I want to hear from you guys before I apply; thanks!</p>
<p>^ The two paths you mention are not mutually exclusive. I’d also add sustained interest, curiosity, access to a rich learning environment, and the ability to improvise to the synergistic list for engineering success.</p>
<p>^ The factors work more or less in concert. Successful people often like to put hard work at the top of the list. Genuine interest in your chosen endeavor is also key, but all the facets are important, and there are others not in this thread’s short list. One of the others might have to do with having the luck to be inspired by a mentor who knows his/her stuff.</p>
<p>Definitely…
But because ul be making a life choice… Im compelled to tell u … Cornell and Swat share the place for highest suicide rates…
So make an educated choice…</p>
<p>^ You agreed with me on the idea that the various success virtues work in concert, then you reverted to the word “or,” in terms of “effort or quality of work.”</p>
<p>Also, Cornell has been statistically shown to not have the highest suicide rate over the course of time. Cornell’s have been hyped in that the tragedies make extra big news due to the public and spectacular nature of the gorges. However, Cornell’s rate is in line with peer schools. While these tragedies are an exceedingly small percentage of the student population, it’s nevertheless so very tragic – for all competitive schools.</p>
<p>My son has been accepted to Cornell. His interest is Biological engineering, biology and mechanical engineering. He has been accepted to CALS. Based on his stats, he is in the lower 25 % of accepted students. He has prepared well, taking lots of AP courses including AP physics C, Calc BC, AP Chemical, and several of the humanities APs. He has gotten As and Bs in these courses. He works hard for his grades and really loves math and physics even if he doesn’t get an A.</p>
<p>I have read that accepted students are capable of doing the work, even if they are in the lower range of accepted students. I believe that my son is sort of a late bloomer so he still has not yet achieved his full academic potential and may really thrive there. He often goes to class early in high school to talk to his teachers about stuff he doesn’t fully understand and doesn’t seem to stress about needing help at times. </p>
<p>He is generally a slow reader which is why his test scores were on the low side, except for math and science.</p>
<p>It sounds like there is a lot of free tutoring support should he need it there and I think he would take advantage of it. I have no idea how well he will transition to college, but he is a good kid, not not partying and such ( at least not now). I just worry
that he will struggle or fall hopelessly behind and not be able to catch up. </p>
<p>But, Cornell was his number one choice and dream school…</p>
<p>Would love some thoughts and advice especially from students that were in a similar situation in the sciences.</p>
<p>TKsmom: My son is a sophomore and was similar to your son. He was first in his class of almost 500; however, there were many kids smarter, he just worked very hard. Anyway, he was at the low end of the middle 50 percent of SAT scores, perhaps slightly lower. He was also accepted to CALS for Environmental Engineering. It has been a lot of work and hard at first to adjust to the difficulty of the tests, but overall he is doing very well. The work itself is manageable, but the prelims are difficult. They have 2 or 3 prelims and a final - a prelim is like a midterm. The majority of their grades are based on these tests, and very little is based on homework. However, most classes curve, and he has regularly been above the mean and gets B’s, B+,A- and even a few A’s. He ended up with a 3.4 after freshman year and transferred to the College of Engineering and is now a Mechanical Engineering Major. Just so you know, if your son majors in Biological Engineering (BEE in CALS) he will be taking almost the identical classes as the Biological Engineering major in the Engineering School. So, what I am trying to say is that they can definitely do it if they are used to and willing to put in the work. It is hard to get an A, but can definitely get B’s if they do the work. My son goes to office hours and gets extra help when he needs it, but he always says there are many kids smarter than him, but they do not necessarily get better grades. On his transcript, all of his grades are equal to or better than the median grade for each class. So good luck to your son! Let me know if you have any questions!</p>