So a bit of a story about me. I visited Cornell during my 8th-9th grade summer. I fell in love and had my heart set on going there for engineering. I’ve also visited several other colleges now (Harvard, Yale, MIT, Amherst, Dartmouth, Princeton, Brown, UMass, U Florida, and Rutgers). I like Cornell a good 10 times as much as any of them. I am applying ED- I know it even as a sophomore. I want to know what I can do to get in.
Stats:
White male, NJ, not financially troubled
I attend one of the best STEM high schools in the nation, comparable to Stuyvesant, Thomas Jefferson, etc.
We don’t have class ranks
Freshmen year:
GPA- 93.44 unweighted
PSAT: mid 1400’s
No SATs yet
AP Bio: 4
All core classes were honors.
Two college credit tech classes
My future math classes include:
Honors Precalc
AP Calc BC
Honors Multivar
AP Stats
I will take AP physics as a course senior year, but my school only allows us to take one AP science course and only senior year. I will take either 3 or 4 of the physics AP’s next year and AP Chem as well.
EC:
1st doubles tennis team (9th)
Will play tennis three more years for school, which is highly ranked in the state
Hey, Cornell engineer here! Great to see you have such a huge interest in Cornell Back when I was applying for schools 2 years ago I was pretty set on Cornell; I’ll try and give you tips from my experience. Also, the grading scheme for the SATs has changed (2400 —> 1600), but I don’t think Cornell has really revolutionized its admission process in any other way.
Cornell puts major emphasis on quantitative measures, which includes GPA, SAT I and IIs, class rank, awards, etc. While having the best GPA and best SAT most likely doesn't guarantee you admission into Cornell, it does help ALOT. However, I also feel the essays are the make or break for students; if you don't write a competent essay, you have about 0% chance of getting it. Cornell prides itself on being an intellectually diverse community that emphasizes the individual.
It seems even as a Freshman you’ve been doing well academically. Stay on track, but don’t overwork yourself.
If you can get involved in more ECs, go for it. Once again, don't overdo it. Whether you're the applicant that's in 10 clubs or the applicant involved in 1 sport, colleges look for development, commitment and dedication. If your passion for your ECs can come out in your personal statements, you're golden.
As a Cornell engineer, you'll have to write a supplementary essay on an engineering idea you have or passion of yours related to the engineering field. This essay, in my opinion, is the sealing deal for admission. If you have good SATs, GPA etc and nail this essay, you'll have a GREAT shot. If you think that this essay is just an add-on and has no bearing on admissions, you'll be pushing your luck. You should start thinking about what you want to convey on this essay (and your main essay).
Additional points:
-If you can, do an interview.
-Good letters of recommendation help immensely.
-Demonstrated interest (visiting campus, learning about the school and tying it into your essay) is a major help
-BE YOURSELF.
Yeah, I agree the essay is very important. It gives you a voice in what’s otherwise a list of numbers and activities. (The only role you have in teacher recommendations is choosing the best teachers for it). It allowed me to articulate why I wanted to do biomedical engineering, even relating some of the many medical procedures I’ve gone through that led me to love the field. The point is to spell out to them why you’re the engineer they need and want.
@DaedricSaiyan Thanks for the reply. I have already started writing my essay in fact, even as a rising sophomore. I have visited campus, and am considering getting an interview with a friend’s dad, who to the best of my knowledge was a valedictorian. You seemed to convey how important grades are for getting in, which I am scared will not be my strong point. I am getting involved with EC’s as well, mostly related to STEM. This summer, I will be spending two weeks working as a teacher’s assistant at an engineering summer camp, as well as a coding summer camp. I am running for an officer position at the robotics/coding club at our school next year, and planning to run for an officer position in my TSA chapter. In my school, this is especially hard, as almost everyone wants a shot at a top college, and is competing for EC spots. I am currently tutoring one student, and will begin tutoring another one shortly (both in math). I really want to bring my grades up - to do so I am currently learning Java, Physics, and precalc. I am aiming for a 97 GPA next year, which with the right work ethic and organization, is definitely doable.
@MyGPAisDank I guess when I say that grades are important, I don’t necessarily mean you need a 5.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, 2400 SAT and 800 SAT IIs, 5 on all APs etc. An applicant that takes a challenging course schedule with moderate APs and is able to do well on the exams should have nothing to worry about. Also, such an applicant will probably have a 3.7+ GPA, which is perfectly fine for a rigorous curriculum.
I had friends in high school who had low 90 GPAs and decent SATs (2100 or so) and got into Cornell, but I also had a friend who had a 34 ACT, was top 5 in the class and had great ECs (band captain, performed in Japan, involved in Young Democrats, cultural clubs and an engineering internship) and still didn’t get in. You never really know what it is that makes or breaks your application, but the best you can do is try your best.
From what you said, you’re focused on expanding your ECs and maintaining a good GPA. However, remember that balance is key.
All things considered, it seems you are making the right preparations. Early start on your essay, visited campus, prepping for an interview etc. I guess another piece of advice I would give is something my interviewer told me during the interview.
The interviewer’s job isn’t necessarily to portray you in a bad light. They write a letter to the admissions committee entailing all the ‘positive’ things you’ve divulged in the interview. Use the interview as an opportunity to sell yourself immensely and offer information an essay/application can’t divulge.
I’ve seen forums on CC saying Cornell doesn’t give interviews, which is weird, as my friend and I both applied for CoE and had interviews (turned out to be with the same guy). It may be Cornell doesn’t have enough alumni and/or span to give every applicant an interview.
That being said, I’m pretty sure you’ll receive an email from the admissions committee for an interview after you submit an application (and if they have a Cornell alumn within a reasonable distance. I live in New York and was interviewed in Manhattan, about 1.5 hours away from my home). When you get the email you just give them the a-ok to meet up, pick a time and you’re set!
As for structure, my interview was around 2 hours long (although I hear college interviews range anywhere from 30 minutes - 3 hours depending on interviewer and interviewee). I was asked the following questions (can’t remember all of them but I’ll write the main ones down):
-major and why?
-why Cornell?
-ECs
-describe high-school
-good qualities I have, why I’d fit in to Cornell
Also, you should use the interview as a chance to show interest in the school by asking your interviewer questions. Usually they give you a bit of background to their own field that you can inquire more about and tie into your own interests.
For more information on structure, etc, check out Cornell’s official website detailing interview FAQs
Cornell does not consider the alumni meetings “interviews”, but rather information sessions. My D is a recent alumni & has done a few in Chicago. They submit a summary on the candidate, but it appears to me that Cornell’s intent is more aimed at keeping their alumni invested, which leads to a bigger endowment.
Based on my own experiences, it seems that Cornell doesn’t place a huge emphasis on essays, at least not the A&S department.
I had two friends who applied to Cornell a few years ago. They both had great stats (2300+ SAT, 4.0 GPA, awards, leadership, etc.) but for some reason they completely half-assed their essays. One guy wrote about taking a crap (not kidding) while the other guy’s essay had multiple typos and horrible grammatical mistakes; they both got in.
Essays probably will make/break your application if you’re already on the fence, but don’t think it’ll save you if you have poor stats. Same goes for ECs.
Interviews also don’t have much of a positive impact, but they could hurt you immensely if you do poorly.
But then again, all of this comes from my own (biased) experiences, so I could be completely wrong
Hi there! I’m an incoming Cornell freshman, so I thought I’d give you my two cents (also so exciting to see someone who’s so excited about Cornell!). I greatly admire how dedicated and driven you seem to be, but keep an open mind about where you want to go for college. People change, and while Cornelly may still be your top choice when you finally apply, just make sure that you’re not closed off to other options. There’s not really much to do at your point, other than getting good grades, prepping for standardized tests, and developing good relationships with teachers. In regards to interviews and the like, I never had one because they are not offered to applicants to the College of Arts and Sciences – check this out for more info http://admissions.cornell.edu/sites/admissions.cornell.edu/files/2016%20Freshman%20Requirements.pdf. So best of luck and I hope this helped (if only a bit)!
Back when I was applying for schools 2 years ago I was pretty set on Cornell; I’ll try and give you tips from my experience. Also, the grading scheme for the SATs has changed (2400 —> 1600), but I don’t think Cornell has really revolutionized its admission process in any other way.