What does it take to get into Cornell?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Cornell University
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<p>Hey guys,
I've been looking around for some top notch engineering and business schools, and someone referred me to Cornell. I know it's an ivy league, so it's definitely no shoe in. How do my chances look with my current resume?</p>

<p>State: CT
School Type: fairly competitive public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Hooks: legacies (grandparents) at Columbia and UPenn</p>

<p>SAT I - 2050 (700M, 680W, 670CR) I'm retaking in the fall, along with the ACT for the first time.
SAT IIs - taking Math II and Physics this Saturday...I took chem last year without studying and did pretty badly (680)
APs - I took Spanish Language and Lit last month...probably 4s in both.
GPA - ~3.82
Class Rank: top 20/400+ I'd say? something around there
Senior course load - AP physics, honors human anatomy, AP Calc BC, AP stats, AP psych, honors world literature, honors modern poetry.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- top 16 award swimmer for 5 consecutive years, placed 2nd at state championships (26ish hrs a week) --> I'm going for recruitment at NESCAC schools and attempting it at some ivys
- piano: winner of a state piano competition, honorable mention in 2 other separate piano competitions, 3rd place in another state competition, winner of a contemporary piece competition, soloist at school, benefit concerts (6-7 hrs a week)
- violin: member of an audition-only regional orchestra for 3 years, member for an audition-only state orchestra for 2 years, participated in the CT high school music theater award-winning pit orchestra from Les Miserables, principal 1st violin in school orchestra <a href="6-7%20hrs%20a%20week">2nd seat</a>
- Founder and president of Odyssey of the Mind [an international creative thinking club, we do mostly engineering projects. Our team won 4th place at the state competition this year]
- Co-president of Freethinkers club [philosophy, culture, politics, basically a discussion club for any and everything]
- Co-president/reviver of Future Business Leaders of America
- Composer
- Photoshop artist, graphic designer
- I plan on sending recordings of my original compositions as well as of my senior recital (for piano and violin)
- Winner of Excellence in Music award and Society of Women Engineers award for excellence in natural sciences and mathematics at school (I'm not sure these matter, but they might)
- 250+ hours community service at a nursing home, I plan on finding a place to volunteer this summer that has to do with engineering or business
- Getting a job this summer</p>

<p>Recommendations should be excellent from both teachers and swim coach (whom I plan on getting an additional rec from). Not too sure about my counselor, but it should be at least decent.</p>

2

<p>i like that odyssey club u started… thats really cool… if i were u i would try to get my sat to over a 2250 and get those sat 2’s over 700… study really hard and just do it, if you can… i couldnt i cant take a test for the life of me but if u do i would apply to penn engineering early with that legacy… i heard cornell engineering is just insane and why do that to yourself…</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I got the same response about my SATs on another chance thread I posted elsewhere…I am honestly just a terrible standardized test taker! (I do extremely well on my science and math tests at school. I’ve had the hardest, most infamous teachers in my school for the past 2 years in chemistry and physics and I always manage to pull miracle As out of each class, but I can’t take a simple SAT for the life of me)</p>

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<p>haha im the same exact way… i had A’s in my ap tests and i got 3’s on all of them… and i couldnt get past a 30 on the act while i was top of the class… i cant take a standardized test if my life depended on it…so i would def apply early if i were you… and cornell would seem most realistic if those were ur scores… it suks that sat r such a big part but nothing we can do… in the end of the day…if your the type of person that is really hungry and has a ton of drive youl succeed whether you get a 2400 or 1700… makes no difference</p>

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<p>Do you go to Cornell now?</p>

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<p>laodicean</p>

<p>Have you taken the ACT? Some students do better on that test.<br>
Also, perhaps an obvious question, but have you done an SAT prep course. Many (not all) students find significant gains following one.</p>

<p>Otherwise – everything else looks solid in your profile. While the SATs are low, they’re certainly not horribly so. If your essays are good, recs, etc. Your ECs look great. Would your swimming be good enough to make the team at Cornell? If so, that would increase your chances a lot. Bottom line, even if you wouldn’t be a varsity swimmer, with two stand-out activities, you probably have a shot.</p>

<p>If you can be recruited athletically, I think you probably get in. Otherwise, my guess is 50-50. But considering that Cornell only accepts 20% of its applicants this is not a reflection on you.</p>

<p>Bottom line – it’s probably worth your applying. If Cornell is your first choice, consider ED, and remember your chances of getting accepted are infinitely better if you do apply than if you don’t.</p>

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<p>I got into cornell ilr as a transfer and am still deciding whether to go or not.</p>

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<p>“What does it take to get into Cornell?”</p>

<p>It takes swag.</p>

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<p>@ IV</p>

<p>then one has to wonder how you managed to get in</p>

10

<p>Low blow…
SATs - get a higher score as they’ve all been telling you.
What college do you want to go for and do you have ECs relating to that?</p>

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<p>@supervisor</p>

<p>it’s all in my OP</p>

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<p>I think you have a good chance! Apply early and see what happens! If I were you I’d get your CR above a 700! I would try the official SAT Online Course… I got an 1880 on my first SAT (650 M, 660 CR, 570 W) and with the course I ended up pulling it up to a 2180 (760 M, 760 CR, 660 W)! I would also take the ACT and see how you do!</p>

<p>I’m applying ED for the class of 2016 too! I’m applying CALS! Hopefully we’ll se each other on campus!</p>

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<p>@laodicean:</p>

<p>Clearly you don’t know me.</p>

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<p>@ IV</p>

<p>What a surprise…</p>

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<p>Not gonna lie, I V appears to be the king of swag, lol. But on a serious note, I had good stats which balanced few/no extracurriculars. You seem to have great EC’s which should help balance any low test score. To be honest it’s just gonna be random whether you get in or not. If Cornell is your first choice, then apply ED, it helps a lot.</p>

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<p>@laodicean
Engineering/Business? Well, I don’t see that much to do with them other than leadership at some clubs for business. Hrmm… Move to NY for a better chance. ^_^</p>

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<p>Those are two major ECs that pertain to both engineering and business, and I have founding leadership roles in both…</p>