Rough Chances @ Cornell

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

<p>Here are the stats (btw I am a Junior in a New Jersey Public School):</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 W~ (Freshman Year destroyed me because I was a transfer)
Rank: 30/400 (Our class is EXTREMELY competitive) Also ^
SAT I: 1940 (670m, 670w, 600cr) Retaking them in October, expecting 2100~
SAT IIs: U.S History, 700~(results on May 23rd)/Biology M, 750+ (taking in june, def. got a 4/5 on the AP Bio exam)/Physics, 700+ (taking in june)</p>

<p>ECs:
Key Club (9,10,11,12)
Debate Team (9,10,11,12)
FBLA (9,10,11,12)
Tutoring Biology/Physics (11,12)
Science League (9,10,11,12)
National Honors Society (11,12)
Spanish Honors Society (11,12)
National Society of High School Scholars (9,10,11,12/I know this may not really matter)
Ping Pong Club (11,12) Founded This Year
Amnesty International (12) Founded by Me for next year</p>

<p>Leadership:
Key Club President (11,12)
Key Club Secretary (10/11)
Debate Team Varsity Captain (12)
FBLA President (12) ~I'm confident that I will be elected
FBLA Press Correspondent (10)
FBLA Historian (11)
National Honors Society Pres/VP/Sec./Tres for 12th (We still have to do elections, and the committee chooses what position you will be based on your stats)
Amnesty International President (12)</p>

<p>APs:
AP Biology (11) ~4/5
AP Physics (11)~ Didn't Take It
AP Statistics (11)~4/5
AP U.S History (11)~4/5
AP Calculus BC (12)
AP English (12)
AP Spanish (12)
AP Chemistry (12)
AP Psychology (12)</p>

<p>Hooks:
- I moved right smack in the middle of Freshman Year, and my GPA/Rank suffered tremendously because of it, it took me all of frosh year to adapt, and starting sophomore year i was back on track. GPA: (9, 3.6) (10, 4.1) (11, 4.4)
- When I was 6 years old I was hit by a SUV in my old town, after 9 surgeries and lots of pain/suffering I surpassed all of it and didn't give up
- I took/will be taking Physics Honors the summer of 2004 and Pre-calculus Honors the summer of 2005</p>

<p>I've Always taken the most challenging courses offered at my school (i.e all honors if not AP)</p>

<p>I know this is a lot, but if you guys can help me out that would be great! ty =) (btw, not positive if i'm applying ED because of money)</p>

2

<p>if you're ed, don't expect much aid...</p>

3

<p>looks like you have a good shot though. Make sure you have awesome recs and essays, and you should be good.</p>

4

<p>thanks so much guys, anymore comments?</p>

5

<p>Your weighted GPA doesn't matter; what is your unweighted GPA? Either way your GPA is excellent, and has an improving trend, which is even better.</p>

<p>What are your actual ECs? I know you're probably involved in all of those, but what are the 3 or 4 at most that you really focus on?</p>

<p>Like for me, sure I had 10 or so ECs to write down, but when you looked at the hours it boiled down to Band, Taekwondo, and Ski Club (that actually took alot of time because I was president and had to organize all the stuff haha).</p>

<p>So yea, unweighted GPA and major ECs are what I wanna know. But, your GPA is great, your SAT scores are probably just below average except for CR which is kind of low, but if you get that 2100 you'll be in great shape and right on target. Plus, since most applicants are academically competitive, it boils down to ECs, recs., and essays in the end. Of course being academically ahead of everyone else (ideally) is still most important, but the other factors become very significant at this level where everyone is so stellar.</p>

6

<p>oh wow, thanks a lot man, here are the answers to your questions:</p>

<p>-Our school only does a weighted GPA, there is no unweighted.
-I get what you mean in terms of ECs, my two most active ECs are Def. Key Club and Debate Team I put TONS AND TONS of effort on these two clubs, and I love them.
-I am planning to study my butt off this summer to pull of a 2100+~ on the new sat in october, so I hope i will succeed.</p>

<p>Hope that helps =)</p>

7

<p>yea, i was wondering the same thing... what happens if you only have a weighted gpa?</p>

8

<p>umm i don't know how you can say that you'll pull off a 2100. I know a lot of people who have studied their butts off and raised their score like 30 points. The standardized test scores you hope to get are good, but the ones you actually have aren't all that great for Cornell. I just think it's ridiculous to think that you can improve by more than 150 points. I don't know a single person who has done that.</p>

9

<p>Wait wait, so you're saying a 1900-2000 is bad for Cornell?</p>

10

<p>150 points? Not that tough, especially since you can mix and match scores. I brought my Math IIC from 690 to 800 with minimal studying, and my verbal from 690 to 770. Of course, my math dropped a bit, but on the online application, my scores were listed as the best of two: 780M and 770V. It can be done, you just might have to take a few practice tests and see what needs to be fixed.</p>

11

<p>Wait! Answer please! Is 1900-2000 a "bad" score??</p>

12

<p>i scored 2100-2150 on all of my practice tests from the collegeboard book and princeton review book, and on the day of the test I just choked, knowing that is not an excuse it is still an explaination. And I plan to make sure that DOES NOT happen in october, also I know TONS of people that have pulled off 200+ points on their sat (i.e MEEEE, on my psat sophomore year i got a 1600 something, and in march i got a 1940) I am really banking on my Math to be where it should be, because on ALL of my practice tests (the ones with 2100-2150, i scored a 750+ math, and on the day of the test it's a 670)...idk i guess this kinda clears some of the holes. I am hopeful that my practice tests score will correlate with my real score, I truly believe i can pull off a 2100+~.</p>

13

<p>Um, it isn't great by any means. I mean, I believe Cornell's SAT average hovers around a 1400 now. Therefore, a 2100, or 700 and above on the 3 components should be the mark.</p>

14

<p>i dunno.....i hear otherwise...ye thats the average...but ive been told many things that contradict that...and these ppl r professionals</p>

15

<p>anywhere in the middle 50th is on target. Below average is fine if your in say, the 40th percentile, ya know? Anything below the middle 50 you better have something else way above average to make up for it. If you're way above average you can make up for, lets say, a less than stellar GPA. </p>

<p>2250 is the new 1500 haha. I do agree that 150 points is alot to raise your score by, but if you choked, then thats an understandable expectation.</p>

<p><strong>congrats on your member status bklyn haha, feel elite?</strong></p>

16

<p>I honestly don't think Key Club is that big for you considering a LOT of people do it. Then again... you do hold 2 very high positions. The question is, how big is your club? I don't even want to know how you were Sec. and Pres. at the same time ;) I would work on SATs mostly just because well.... they are nice if they are high? I have actually found Cornell cares very little about SATs compaired to other schools however... that might just be the school I am in.</p>

17

<p>Thats what i thought, that cornell cares very little about the SAT's....i got scared there cus i have really awesome leadership and medical research internship laboratory stuff, and high average, and great rec's, but my sat isnt gonna be great. I really got scared sparticus, lol. But ye, i feel special now...im a "member". Im part of the CC crew now, lol. :)</p>

18

<p>btw...sparticus, u remember my stats...my amazing ec's...and 3.9 GPA. I think that will make up for SAT lacking.</p>

19

<p>1900-2000 is good, but the thing is that a lot of people have better than that, and if it comes down to two people who are exactly the same except one with a 2100 and with a 1900 they'll take the 2100.</p>

20

<p>well, i dont know many ppl who have ec's like i do...honestly, and with my enthusiasm to actually attend.....with ED</p>