I don’t really know where to apply besides my current top school and it’s my junior year! I realize that a lot of people will have the same stats as I do, but I just wanted to see generally where I could get in with these credentials. I’m planning on a STEM major with a music minor, but I don’t know what field. I’m planning to ED to Cornell CAS, but honestly not really expecting to get in lol I’ve heard it’s competitive. Hopefully my essays will be well-tailored by then.
Asian Female in the Midwest
UW GPA: 3.9
W GPA : 4.438
ACT: 36, 6 on essay (RIP but not worth retaking…)
PSAT: 1500 (likely National Merit Semifinalist)
SAT: N/A
APs so far: 5s on AP Psychology, APUSH, AP Chem, currently taking AP Bio, AP Calc BC, AP Lang, and self studying AP HumGeo
Extracurriculars:
School string quartet (principal chairs are selected to play for gigs)
Local youth orchestra member and section leader (which is volunteering)
Philharmonic orchestra member - principal violist
Regional Orchestra 2017
All State Orchestra 2017
Research lab intern at university
Quiz bowl - secretary
Math team
Speech and debate member
Freshman/junior cabinet
National Honors Society
Volunteer at church, in school pit orchestra, the youth orchestra mentioned above
Blogger and guest writer at a website
Summer Activities:
Local science camps
Took classes for credit at local community college
Church service project
You have great stats/achievements, but that doesn’t tell anyone where you should apply. Do you have any preferences when it comes to things like student body size, location, campus culture, weather, politics, etc?
I would prefer a small urban school, but I wouldn’t mind any other school size. If the school is in a rural area, it’d have to be either very large or with some sort of direct transportation to a larger city. I’d love to live in the colder east coast and am pretty liberal. I don’t really care much for sports or drinking and would like a campus culture that didn’t have that much emphasis on those. I hope that’s enough!
@rainbyul UC Davis could be a good option. Rural college town just a 15 minute drive from Sacramento CA. I believe most of the school is liberal (don’t quote me on that). Rainy and cold during the winter but it get hot in the summer months. Another goof option is Cal Poly SLO!
If one of the most liberal and urban parts of the midwest could substitute for the Northeast, check out Macalester - it sounds exactly like your description (other than the east coast part). It would be a match with your stats.
Other than that, check out Brandeis, Tufts, Swarthmore, Haverford, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard (unfortunately, all should probably be treated as reach-type schools due to sheer selectivity other than Brandeis, Bryn Mawr, and maybe Haverford).
I’m Asian too and Cornell was my first choice. I applied to A&S ED, unfortunately rejected haha. Had a 3.9 UW 1540 SAT 8APs (7 5’s one 4) and hundreds of hours of volunteering, ECs, leadership, and a common app essay that “supposedly” my English teacher said she cried over.
At first, I was extremely confused as to why I was rejected. Later, I read over my supplement over and over again and found out in all 5 paragraphs of my essays I only mentioned Cornell in three lines and what I wanted to do there, everything else was about my summer activities. Moreover, my essay did work for A&S, but it could’ve also worked for CALS or Human Ecology (I applied for biology, which is offered at all 3). So make sure you STRESS your fit for your major by not only by mentioning your experiences but also extensively citing programs in the school that FIT you and why you are choosing A&S out of all the other Cornell schools (which I failed to do so). Say perhaps you could say you wish to pursue both science and music or some interdisciplinary program and you can only do this at A&S.
Overall, the point is that an essay can make a great difference and with your qualifications, I am definitely betting on you getting in, but even for people with a 4.0 and 1600s, they’re still not a shoo ins until they have conveyed fit.
Definitely check out Tufts, great premed and IR programs (they really encourage quirkiness (this has been over advertised by admissions haha) and weird mixes like STEM and music). Was accepted ED2 there and am more than excited to attend! You should also look into other Ivies+UChi. Schools in the Tufts, Emory, WashU, and Georgetown tier would be great high matches/low reaches for you and I bet you’d get in at least half if you applied. Gl and PM if you need any other help
Definitely apply to Barnard College of Columbia University!! It is part of the Ivy League as it is an undergraduate college of Columbia University. Barnard women get degrees from Columbia U and graduate at Columbia University graduation. Barnard is also on CU campus.
Barnard women can take any and as many classes at the other undergrad and grad schools at Columbia and Columbia students take classes at Barnard. All clubs/ sororities/ societies/ sports teams are shared, so there are boys everywhere. All professors at Barnard are Columbia University professors as well. They share a campus/libraries/buildings/dorms. PLUS, it is in NYC the best city in the world!! All the top internships are at your fingertips. Honestly world class education.
However, Barnard’s acceptance rate last year was 14.8% and 16% the year before, so it is quite competitive. If you are looking at Cornell, I highly recommend applying to Barnard. I know a lot of people at Barnard who got into both Cornell and Barnard and chose Barnard. Even have a friend that transferred to Barnard from Cornell. Best of luck in your college process!!!
