Rising J. Needs Admissions Advice

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>I'm a rising Jr. at a super-competitive, rigorously grading, small top-5 newsweek HS. We attend class 7:30-4. Almost no on-campus ECs, no school athletics and few facilities. We have to take all AP classes - 7-8 full year academic classes ar required. Here are my current stats:
PSAT(sophomore): 205 ..I should be able to exceed the NMS cutoff in my state this year
SAT: around 2150 (practice) - I know I can get it to 2350+
(scored 1820 as an 8th grader)
GPA: By end jr. year will likely be unw 3.6 (All As with 2 Cs), weighted = 4.4
AP: 10th grade: AP Eng Lit - 5
AP Bio - 4
AP Macro - 4
AP Micro - 3
AP Calc AB - 3
AP Euro - 3
9th grade AP US Govt - 4
8th grade AP Comp Sci - 3
One of about 420 sophomores in US to get AP Scholar with Distinction
ECs:
Summers 2010/2011: Mayo Clinic HS Summer Volunteer Program - Nuclear Medicine
Summer 2011 Stanford Univ. Extended Program for Talented Youth - Artificial Intelligence
2009-present: Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth - JAVA Programming, Anatomy/Phys
2010-present: National Society of HS Scholars
2011: Founder/Pres. Computer Science Club
2011: Founder/Pres. Competitive Writing/Literature Club
2011: Founder/Pres. Key Club (service club related to Kiwanis)
2011: Founder of corp. that helps non-profits with computer/web applications
Martial Arts: Brown Belt
Competitive Weightlifting
Entering several essay competitions</p>

<p>11th Grade courses: AP Calc BC, AP Chem, AP USH, AP Eng. Comp, AP Comp/Sci, Hon. Phys., Spanish IV, Fine Art</p>

<p>Major area of interest: Comp Sci, minors: English/Literature/Writing/Accounting/Finance</p>

<p>What are my chances for admission and what should I do to increase them?</p>

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<ol>
<li>Little about your resume stands out. Nothing is bad, but nothing pops. Since you’d likely be applying to CAS, this isn’t to your advantage.</li>
<li>Probably best not to count your chickens before they hatch–you don’t have a SAT score yet. Any predictions or estimations are useless, and with that, as are any broader notion of “chances.”</li>
<li>The rigor of your schedule is very good.</li>
<li>Like the thousands that have come before you seeking chances, you make ZERO mention of why you want to attend Cornell or how you’d take advantage of Cornell’s resources or how Cornell would benefit from taking you. </li>
</ol>

<p>If you work on #4, I don’t really see anything bad.</p>

3

<p>Thnx, Caillebotte. Cornell is at the top of my list because of the combination of it top CS dept and top undergrad business.</p>