[What are my Chances?] Cornell Applied Economics and Management (Dyson school) Early Decision

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
1

Hey everybody,

I’m really interested in Cornell’s Applied Economics and Management program. I’m aware that their admission rates are ridiculously low (lower than applying for Economics CAS). So I would like to ask for everyone’s insight as to my chances of being accepted. Thanks!

Country of Residence: Hong Kong (International Student)
Language: Fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese
School Curriculum: IB (Courses are Economics HL, Geography HL, Bio HL, English A Lit SL, Chinese A Lang& Lit SL, Math SL)
Expected Grade: 39/42

Standardised Testing:

SAT: 1450 (750 Math,700 Reading).
Subject Test: Math subject 2: N/A & Chinese: 800

Extracurricular:

Sports: Hong Kong Ice Hockey Under 18 National Team Captain

2017: Traveled to Mexico City , Mexico for International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) Under 18 Division 3B Tournament. As Team Captain, I led the team to our first ever Silver Medal and received the MVP award for the tournament.
2015: Traveled to Auckland, New Zealand to compete in the IIHF Under 18 Division 3B Tournament. Received Player of the Game in game against Team Turkey

Music: Violin

School Orchestra for 2 Years (Previous School Didn’t Offer a Orchestra)
Passed Grade 8 Violin Exam of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
Passed Grade 5 Music Theory of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music

Additional Activities:

Zioso:
Zioso is a student-run pop-up restaurant open from September 24th to September 30th 2016, cooking classically Italian cuisine. I was a student leader and the head chef, which included responsibilities of sourcing our ingredients, making sure orders were made on time, and in charge of one of the main dishes.
All profits (50,000HKD) went to Feeding Hong Kong.

Junior Achievement:
Worked with a group of other year 12 students to create our own product and company. I was part of the marketing team and advertised our product on various social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Our notebook was sold to students in school and also the general public through a trade fair featuring other companies from schools all over Hong Kong.

Community and Service:

Habitat for Humanities
Mission for Migrant Workers

2

Hmmm, Cornell’s standards in general are very high for internationals, even more so for Dyson majors. I have to commend you on your EC’s; they show great competence on business/economic fronts, as well as high achievement in sports and music.
The weakest part of your application would have to be your test scores. 1450 is a great, but will not stand out at Cornell, especially not as an international applicant. You might also want to look into other subject tests; a good score in Chinese as a native speaker might be overlooked by admissions.
If you wish to play hockey at Cornell, I would suggest contacting their athletics department; if you’re good enough, they might provide a recommendation to aid your application.
Either way, you should definitely focus on your essays and crafting an application that best showcases your skills. Good luck.

3

Thanks for the Feedback!

I just looked into Ice Hockey in Cornell and they’re a D1 team. Which means that its difficult to get recruited among athletes that dedicate their days to playing (Which Hong Kong does not have the resources). Would be worth it to contact the athletic office if I’m currently planning to use Hockey as a EC to support my academic side to create a well rounded character rather than using Hockey as a way to get in…

4

It might be good to contact them anyway, to tell them your situation and ask for advice on how to incorporate hockey into your application.

5

FWIW:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_Big_Red_men%27s_ice_hockey