Should I aim higher than Cornell?

<p>To your initial question: aim “higher” (in terms of selectivity, I presume you mean) if the more selective schools seem right for you. You have a chance at them, albeit small.</p>

<p>You should aim for schools you want to go to, regardless of selectivity/prestige.</p>

<p>Few things

  • Your EC’s are very run-of-the-mill
  • Nothing which you listed is anywhere near a hook
  • Your time spent studying for/retaking the SAT and AP biology is better spent working on the non-academic portion of your application, which is significantly lacking</p>

<p>Your guidance counselor should be able to give you an idea how your GPA & profile measures up vs. other successful candidates from your school, at the various programs. As an outsider I wouldn’t know how to assess that. SATs are above average, for virtually everyplace, but in this strata admissions results are not guaranteed.</p>

<p>Suggest figure out the top ten schools you actually most want to go, in order of preference, without self-limiting, then work with your GC to establish probabilities.</p>

<p>you are a prick… You dont want our advice you jsut wanted to brag…just leave this thread man just leave.</p>

<p>Evaluating your ECs
4 years Chess Club- president 12th grade - Solid EC
Academic Team- 10,11,12 - no idea what this is
Newspaper - 11,12 - meh, a pretty common ec, but adds a bit to ur application nonetheless.
Science Fair- 11,12 - not worth mentioning, unless u got state/national recognition.<br>
Basketball - 9 - 1 season is not worth mentioning.
Organizer for Cancer Walk- 9,10,11,12 - solid EC
NHS-10,11,12- another meh EC.
SNHS-12
French Team-12- IDK what this is, could be good, depending on what you do.</p>

<p>HOOKS:
Community Service- 200 hours- THis is really not a lot at all. Basically everyone at my school has this much or more.
Intensive research at University for 2 months.-Depends on what kind of research. Though many students do research at universities.<br>
Some Scholarship money from sports.
National Latin Exam- Cum Laude, 10, Magna Cum Laude, 11 - Not a hook AT ALL. In my school, every single latin student gets at least a cum laude, and many get summa/maxima cum laude.</p>

<p>Ok, so i think that you are being cocky saying you should aim higher. However, i think a lot of the people here are just mad at you for asking such a question, since you should be applying for colleges because you like them. Their madness is making them say things like, “even Cornell would be a reach.” If you have good essays, good recs, and come from a tough school like you say (a lot of students think their school is good because its “ranked high,” but that doesnt always mean much) you have a good chance for cornell.</p>

<p>Wolfd, </p>

<p>Your SAT score is fantastic. I’m not sure why you want to retake it because you are extremely weak in many other respects. </p>

<p>Elite colleges want well rounded students who do things that reflect a passion and take what they do to an impressive level. Doing volunteer work for X hours or doing “intensive” research work at a lab AIN’T ENOUGH. For Ivy League schools in particular, you need to convince colleges that you won’t be just some testtaking machine in college and will be a free thinking human being who will IMPACT their school. </p>

<p>That said, I see no guarantees for Cornell (based on the info you wrote, it’s quite possible you might not get in). Get some safeties.</p>

<p>lol to mavericks</p>

<p>seriously though. if you think you’re so above a prestigious school like cornell then why are you asking us for opinions? </p>

<p>think for a second maybe that you are not the perfect applicant, reflect on what school meets your needs and passions, stop being annoying and bragging and inevitably making us without perfect SAT scores feel like idiots because you want to aim higher than cornell.</p>

<p>PFFFFF</p>

<p>sigh…</p>

<p>OHH YEA! and im a caucasian female</p>

<p>Why are u retaking SATI? Your just hurting ur chances…</p>

<p>i always feel so inferior to everyone on CC…</p>

<p>same… same…</p>

<p>“2330 (retaking for perfect score)” at least made me lol</p>