<p>Are there any "normal" people out there with no amazing hooks (rec. athletes, URMs, etc...) that have reasonable stats that either applied or got accepted (please note which and if it was RD or ED and to what school)</p>
<p>Please note: a 2300 is NOT low for SATs</p>
<p>I need to get my hopes up, lol</p>
<p>D. sans hooks and not dialing toll free by any means was deferred ED, accepted RD to CHE. It seemed to be a lot more about demonstrated (throughout high school) interest in the program to which she applied.</p>
<p>Plzaccept, I am in the same boat. My own stats are pretty average for the Cornell applicant: 32 ACT, top rank in class, no special amazing recs or athletics, and Asian. I hope that the essay may be my hook.</p>
<p>Haha, plzaccept1989 and skp, I think I am with you guys. I'm not sure if I'm on the right track for Cornell, but I really wish I could go back in time to 9th grade and start all over again -__-</p>
<p>Yes, Cornell has many perfect applicants. Some of them are accepted, but many are also rejected, even if they are applying through ED. Just look at the ED results from this year and you can see that kids with 2200+ SAT scores were outright rejected, not even deferred. However, Cornell also takes many applicants that aren't so perfect. From this year's results, a kid got in with around a 1900 SAT score, which isn't all that stellar. A low SAT score though shouldn't deter you from applying because you might just get outright lucky and the adcoms happen to like you. I can personally attest to feeling the same way you did when I was applying for ED this year. I am so happy to say that I was still able to get in, even without excellent test scores (SAT's around 2000).</p>
<p>skp, a 32 is great (doesnt that put u in the 98th percentile nationwide, or something close) even for cornell....the average there is 26 <a href="http://college.sparknotes.com/school/admissions.epl?inun_id=5976%5B/url%5D">http://college.sparknotes.com/school/admissions.epl?inun_id=5976</a></p>
<p>and being the top of your class is also great.....so i wouldnt say cornell is that much of a reach for you.....</p>
<p>My goal in posting this thread was to find miracle stories (where people with relatively low gpas ,scores and no hookes got into cornell)</p>
<p>Cornell2012, that's really cool! ^^</p>
<p>How were your extracurriculars and GPA though? Were they outstanding enough to take attention away from your SAT's?</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight =)</p>
<p>well, you do need SOME kind of hook, something that makes you stand out from the thousands of applicants.
but the thing is, something you may not consider a hook may be a hook.
for example, an amazing essay or recommendation. </p>
<p>i got accepted ED, my stats were pretty good but not 2400 or anything. so its possible, as long as you show interest in your essay or in your activities. goodluck!</p>
<p>Ahh, I see.</p>
<p>I think I'll have to do some self-reflecting to see what kind of hooks I have and follow my passions and stand out...and then there are my EC's and grades..-__-</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That's a good way to start. A hook doesn't have to be ethnicity or legacy- if you focus on an overall "theme" or something that makes you more appealing as an applicant, rather then scattering random activities all over your app, it'll help IMO</p>
<p>I think plzaccept1989's 26 ACT average is dated or possibly just inaccurate. A simple google search yielded one site saying the average is a 29 (Average</a> SAT/ACT Scores) and another saying 56% of freshmen in 06-07 had over 30 on the ACT.
(Cornell</a> University Facts, Stats and Admissions Information)
They could both be right; if ACTs skewed downward, like due to athletes or others who have non-numbers accomplishments, then the median score could be, say 31 while the mean is 29.</p>
<p>yeah, sparknotes college search is wayy outdated. Collegeboard is a bit outdated as well, but not as much. Always go with the original source itself- in this case being Cornell of course</p>
<p>From the chances threads posted on here, I haven't seen many perfect applicants. Most of the 2300+ scorers are probably over on the Harvard or Princeton boards. Most of the kids here have 3.8-3.9 GPA's, 2000-2200 SAT scores, and laundry list EC's. There's nothing horribly wrong about their apps but nothing outstanding either. In other words, they're the average applicant and can probably expect their chances to be around 20%.</p>
<p>
[quote]
That's a good way to start. A hook doesn't have to be ethnicity or legacy- if you focus on an overall "theme" or something that makes you more appealing as an applicant, rather then scattering random activities all over your app, it'll help IMO
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah. I wonder what I can do stand out though. What does it take to show that you have a hook? For example, I'm interested in the medical field, so over the summer, I should join a medical program that's like a camp or something, right? And also base my extracurriculars around the medical profession?</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight, but I also didn't mean to steal plzaccept1989 thread -__-</p>
<p>To answer your question, I think that the best "hook" is to be unique. Stand out from the rest of the applicants who do the same extracurriculars, hold officer and/or other leadership positions, do sports, etc. Find something unique to do that no other applicant is likely to do.</p>
<p>that 26 on sparknotes just has to be wrong. A 26 converts to an SAT equivalent of 1180.</p>
<p>edit: according to Cornell's common data set, the ACT 25%-75% range is 28-32</p>
<p>Just to make it clear, my goal was not pointing out the exact average at cornell......I jsut wanted to say a 32 is not low for cornell, it is significantly above average</p>
<p>I was accepted ED, and I'd say I'm a pretty 'average' applicant. I actually had a pretty nightmarish time applying. My SAT scores were definitely pretty low. When I submit my application, I ended up with an 1840 (590 m, 630 cr, 620 wr). Also, I didn't have time to fulfill the SAT II requirement, so my application went through the selection process (I didn't recieve the score from my 2nd and 3rd SAT II until AFTER the decisions were released), so I sent only my 690 US History. I was able to bring my SAT scores up to a 1990 (690 Cr, 670 math, 640 wr), but I sent those scores pretty late in the game. Also, I realized after submitting my common app essay that there were typos in it (things like capitalization after semi-colons), so that worried me, and THEN, I sent my supplement in online, but common app screwed up and sent the previously saved version, including a VERY rough essay. I had to send in a new copy of the supplement through regular mail. Also, one of my teacher recs was horrible (just my resume repeated in letter form), so I sent 'a letter of reflection on my personal character' that one of my friends (really more of a colleague, as we've worked together many times in our extra curricular activities). I am a hispanic male, but I've heard that at Cornell, this isn't as big of a factor as it is at other schools (Cornell gets a more diverse pool of applcants than some other 'elite schools (would you call Cornell that?)). My extra credits were pretty average, I guess. I had some community service hours (my school requires them), an internship with some pediatricians, I was in NHS (was president my senior year), did MUN (won some best delegate awards and was selected as a member of secretariat (sort've liket he leadership team) my senior year), was in Spanish Honor Society Junior year, and go to a magnet school focusing on international studies as well as a magnet school of the arts (I play violin). It's a fairly decently legnth list, I guess, but it's pretty ordinary stuff, nothing amazing like a huge research project or anything. One thing I think may be a bit of a hook is my parents college educations. My dad never went to college (he was an illegal immigrant when he came here at about 6 years old, so he was the first to graduate from high school), and my mom got her associates degree from the local community college, so I may be a first generation college student, but I'm not sure. In short, my application came out looking pretty standard to one that someone applying to an Ivy would look like. I think I got pretty lucky with Cornell (I doubt I would've gotten into any other upper tier school), so I'm very grateful. After all the trouble I had with my application, the one thing that went in my favor was my optional interview (I applied to CAS). It went really well, and the interviewer said she was really impressed, even said afterwords that she thinks I'd fit in better than anyone she's met, so if you haven't interviewed already, I suggest you take full advantage of the opportunity to show how you relate to the college. I hope this was able to provide you some hope and comfort, and I wish you the best of luck!!</p>
<p>The average ACT for Cornell this past year was either a 30 or a 31</p>
<p>Hmm, I have to think about possible hooks.</p>
<p>I'm really interested in knowing about East Asian cultures and etc (despite wanting to become a doctor), but how do I manifest that into an activity?</p>
<p>Besides that, I also have a weak heart for those in needy (meaning I feel awful sympathy for them and would like to help them out).</p>
<p>Any ideas, or am I just thinking out loud?</p>
<p>[random] Reading what Pastoolio said, I should get an interview. Do you mind telling us the details of the interview [/random]</p>
<p>^_^</p>