I don’t want to put a school out of my league on Early Decision, and thus wasting my Early Decision.
I have a 1450 SAT score (on the new SAT). I have not taken any subject tests or the optional essay.
I’m from Norway, and my Norwegian average is really good.
Although I’ve been doing certain sports for many years, I have never competed (at least nothing worth mentioning).
I’m a dedicated musician.
I think I’ll get great recommendation letters from my teachers, and that my essay will be really good.
Do you think I should put a school like Cornell or UPenn on my Early Decision, or will this be a waste of the Early Decision?
It is possible to apply without any subject tests and the optional SAT essay.
Your SAT score is in the middle of the middle 50% of admitted students at Cornell. You don’t say what program you are considering at Cornell, but some require subject tests (including the biggest one, Arts & Science).
Your SAT score is at the bottom of the middle 50% of admitted students at Penn.
Some questions:
==do you need financial aid? Cornell is need-blind for admission, but they do not promise to give international students financial aid. Penn is need-aware for admissions, so will consider whether you need aid in deciding whether to accept you.
==why these schools? from here, I would guess that they are what some people persist in calling ‘lower Ivy’s’- ie, Ivy League schools that are “easier” to get into, and that don’t require any extra testing beyond the SAT. Otherwise, they do not seem like an obvious pair.
==does your ‘dedicated’ musicianship have any externally validated expression? (performance, skill level, etc)
==have you thought about what you would add to either of these communities (this is really different between the US and most other countries, especially at selective colleges/universities- they look to build communities and want to know what you would bring; Norwegians are a relative novelty, but as white western Europeans, they are not ‘diversity’).
It would be ‘a waste’ if I put a school that’s not within reach, because then I rather put something within reach, as I can only select one place for early decision, and I want the advantage that comes with early decision.
I consider Cornell’s Dyson school or UPenn’s Wharton school, none of which require subject tests.
I won’t need financial aid. Does this give me a slight advantage when applying to UPenn, compared to international students who need it?
Yes, it’s partially because they’re low ivys.
Three years ago I was admitted to a talent program for serious musicians, and I’ve been doing some concerts. Is this of any value?
I haven’t thought about what I would add to these communities, except that I’m from Norway.
ED is for a person who knows exactly where they want to go to school. If you don’t don’t use it. Unless you are just fishing for a name school and don’t care what it is.
Thanks everyone!
So do you think I should put Cornell on ED? If it’s really unlikely I’d get into UPenn ED, should I put Cornell on ED so I have a better chance of getting into Cornell?
Otherwise, I might risk not getting into my ED choice (if I were to choose UPenn), and then maybe I wouldn’t get into Cornell regular decision.
Is Cornell you absolute first choice school? Is it affordable? As other posters have noted, ED is for your 1st choice school, not just a way of getting into the school since it might be easier through ED.
Of course, you are defining “best” as 'Ivy League" (even if it is a ‘lower’ Ivy). Check out [url=<a href=“http://fortune.com/2014/07/10/best-undergraduate-business-programs/%5DFortune%5B/url”>http://fortune.com/2014/07/10/best-undergraduate-business-programs/]Fortune[/url] magazine’s view of business schools.
@oskar0 - My son had two friends who both got into Penn ED last year (one Wharton and one CAS). Both of them had lowish (for Penn) SAT scores of 2100 but had top grades (all A-stars on GSCE and all A’s on AS) and good (by UK standards) extracurricular activities. The top UK schools are well aware that British kids often do not do as well on SATs relative to their grades as they do not grow up filling in multiple choice tests the same way American kids do and also that British kids have fewer options for ECs (as well as less time) than do Americans. Therefore, if you really feel that Penn or Cornell is the best fit for you, go ahead and apply ED. You also may want to check out NYU as it is test optional for foreign applicants.
@londondad Thank you! I have decided I will apply to one of them on ED: If I get into one of them, I’ll be really happy I wonder, if you did research on these schools last year, what was your impression on NYU Stern vs Wharton? Thank you so much!
@oskar0 My son applied to Arts and Sciences schools not business schools so I don’t have any first hand knowledge but based on what I have seen (I work in financial services) both Wharton and Stern are considered top notch. Also, you should be aware that NYU has an Early Decision 2 deadline of 1/1/17, so if you get turned down or deferred from an ED 1 school, you can still apply ED 2 to NYU.
Hey @oskar0
I was in a similar position around this time last year. I was considered international, and had a pretty solid app (struck gold on standardized testing with a 2400 SAT and 35 ACT, only submitted SAT). You can see my full stats in my post history. I would suggest that you ED to UPenn only because they seem to weight the fact that you do not need financial aid much more heavily than cornell. UPenn: http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/costs-financial-aid/faq “While Penn practices need-blind admissions for citizens and permanent residents of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the offer of admission to other students is directly linked to their ability to meet expenses” whereas it seems like a very minor boost, if at all, for cornell: http://finaid.cornell.edu/sites/finaid.cornell.edu/files/International%20FinAid%20FAQs.pdf “Beginning with the class enrolling in fall 2017, admissions decisions for international applicants and undocumented applicants without DACA status will be need-aware. This means that they will be evaluated for admission with consideration of the ability of students or parents to pay educational costs.” It seems to me that UPenn will value your lack of a financial aid application far more than cornell, and it is also arguably the better school for most majors. With that being said, certainly apply to the school that you would prefer to attend!!
Let us know where you choose to apply and how it turns out
@RejectedDysonAEM Hi! Thank you! But I was thinking, UPenn recommends students applying to Wharton to do the Math 2 subject test. I haven’t done this, also, my SAT 1 score is only 1450. Wouldn’t I have a better shot at Cornell, as they don’t require/recommend any subject tests for Dyson?
Thank you!
I wonder, if you did research on these schools last year, what was your impression on NYU Stern vs Wharton? Thank you so much!