<p>Perro I think i know what you are talkign about. This optional essay is found in the last page of the common application atleast on the online one( before you select colleges and payment methods) </p>
<p>quynh2007 can i have your stats if you dont mind ?</p>
<p>Define the common app. plz.</p>
<p>By common app, do you mean that newfangled thing where you fill out one application and then send it to a ton of different schools which all accept it? If so, it wasn't on that, because Cornell didn't accept it last year and consequently I didn't use it.</p>
<p>Or do you mean the application that is common to all the colleges within cornell? If so, yeah, it was on there.</p>
<p>nomad is talking about the newfangled thing, CommonApp.org.</p>
<p>however i think what nomad is talking about is not an "optional essay", it's rather any additional material. (of course it can be an additional essay) and i dont think putting additional essay on that space would help that much.</p>
<p>dunno why, it's like 2 years old (when yale was still ED!) but </p>
<p>1430 (800M), 690writing, 750math, can't remember my last one,
95-96weighted gpa - straight A's though (i think, i don't really know the grading system very well),
undetermined rank (cuz i was a junior/senior and moved from 3 diff. hs)
only took USAP, Lit AP, Govt AP, Econ AP, Calc AB AP (all senior year i might add), applied as a math major (currently HD in a totally different college).
took french and spanish,
nys science honor society (didn't even get on NHS),
french, spanish honor society,
varsity volleyball, water polo, swimming,
work
1st generation, refugee, very disadvantaged. </p>
<p>i'm pretty sure i have stellar recs (Because i was an unusual student, i knew my guidance counselor and he knew me pretty well)
my personal statement was damn fncking great. a lot of imagery.</p>
<p>applied to cornell only because a friend did it, and i had known one person who had gotten in through ED, as admits came out in april, i found out a lot of ppl at my school applied there (like 7) and only 4 got accepted overall (one was garaunteed a transfer? iunno). actually wanted to go to sunny UCSD, but the finaid package given to me was too good to give up for loans. </p>
<p>i don't know how i got accepted, my stats are not the greatest nor do they stand out. i just got really lucky. being on Red Carpet E-board has shown me that. i'm just grateful and so thankful cornell has accepted me. i can't really see myself anywhere else. i can really shine at cornell-despite what they say about cornell being such a big place.</p>
<p>They no longer have the optional essay as far as I know. Here's the optional essay topic from last year: </p>
<p>After youve finished filling out your application, you may feel something is missing. Feel free to attach another short essay telling us anything else about yourself that you want us to know.</p>
<p>Thank you. That's what I was referring to.</p>
<p>perro, your question from last year is almost the exact same
YOURS: How will cornell help you to explore your chosen field? Or some such nonsense.
THIS YEAR: consider the academic programs in the school/college you indicated above. how will you utilize them to further explore your intedned major field of interest, or general academic interests if you're undecided?</p>
<p>or i could be wrong...</p>
<p>Yeah, I said that they were pretty similar. The only thing is I think this year's topic has a slightly higher degree of specificity, because it incorporates the concept of "academic programs" instead of simply aking how the college will help you. Actually, now that I think of it, it really is the same topic, because saying "academic programs" in reference to a College is quite redundant!</p>
<p>I kind of like last year's topic....the reason I chose Cornell Engineering over schools like MIT and Cal Tech was because of CAS...I could explore other non-science fields that interested me....too bad I couldn't put that in my essays...</p>
<p>at least you're already finished with apps
<em>deep sigh</em></p>
<p>hey GUYS! for the commonapp optional... is that what you are talking about?? can i just use another essay that i wrote that shows something about me?? and also for the common app like NONE of my activities fit on it... should i just send a resume? i mean i was planning on using that additional space, but now you guys are saying that i should definitly use it for an essay.. and i dont know im confused and i need help. please..................................</p>
<p>man iv never seen an essay almost identical to mine like urs...thats CRAZY. anyway, my app is already gone long time back. It sounds good - that means mine does 2 ;)</p>
<p>Oh, what I just did is list my current interests (which include a lot more than Engineering) and said how Cornell's thousands of classes would be able to not only give me a thorough education in Engineering but broaden my horizons, too.</p>
<p>Of course, I didn't sound as ass-kissing as that.</p>
<p>ARE YOU GUYS COMBINING YOURS? and are you adding anything to the additional part of the commonapp, such as adding another essay OR are you adding more activities because there is no way they can all fit (like me)??</p>