<p>Hey guys. I'm having problems finding a topic for my essay!!! I'm applying to the college of Arts and Sciences and I'm really concerned about the essay since my stats are I guess average among other cornell applicants. </p>
<p>I'm Burmese-American, I lived in Peru for seven years, and I have a major emphasis on golf and violin accomplishments. How do I know what cornell wants to know about me in the essay? </p>
<p>Also, would putting down Undecided for a major hurt my chances?</p>
<p>you don't need a hook... most people applying don't have one... the essay gives you the choice of a random topic, one interesting to you, write about something that happened? maybe your time in peru?</p>
<p>thanks cujoe. By the way, would my chances of getting into Cornell improve if I showed interest on my app to become a Music major?</p>
<p>undecided will not hurt your chances. If your put music major, I would suggest writing your essay on music. Not about your accomplishments, but about your relationship with music. They can see the awards you've won and groups you've played with, but they can't see how you love music unless you tell them.</p>
<p>I was in your boat. I am a music/econ double major. I had a low GPA (3.34 UW) but high sats (740M/740V and 780W/770IIC/650Lit) and legacy status to make up for it. I applied undecided but explicitly said in my why cornell essay i was (this is all paraphrase) "undecided but strongly leaning toward music" going on to say "I was a good match for CAS because i like learning about everything" and concluded by saying this love of learning "opened the possibility of my pursuit of a double major." In my common app essay, i picked option 6: alternate topic, and wrote about my love of music and it's development.</p>
<p>turns out all that came true during my first semester, even though it was speculative when I wrote it. See, cornell admissions knows it's *****</p>
<p>sparticus... i have a question, i'm applying to engineering, obviously because i want to be a chem eng. major, but my main ec is music, does it seem wayward if my essays indicate a music field as my main aspiration, but i apply for engineering?</p>
<p>Idk, I just thought about something that has made me who I am and wrote about it. If you write about something meaningful it should be easy.</p>
<p>sparticus! That was really helpful thanks! I had been hoping to double major too but wasn't sure what'd they think of that(good, bad, I didn't know).
I guess the whole sports essay is really overplayed, but some people told me golf for a girl was sort of interesting.</p>
<p>many students double major in music and something a bit more practical. maybe if the girl were michelle wei in a bikini, but that's the only way I'd consider golf interesting :p (i will eat these words as i pick up the sport at age 30, I'll bet.....)</p>
<p>i lived in south america too, for eleven years. and i also applied undecided.</p>
<p>they took me early decision. good luck!</p>
<p>I applied for Engineering Physics, but my personal statement essay was about rock music and my love for playing guitar. And it was pretty cool! And best of all, i got in ED. So i dont think what you put in your personal statement matters as long as you are and write passionately about it!</p>
<p>As for the Cornell Supplement essays, you cant really avoid writing about your "intellectual interests" and your major choice. For the intellectual interest essay, I wrote about why I love physics and maths and why I want to be an aerospace engineer. And in the major choice I stated why i chose engineering physics as my major.</p>
<p>My stats were rather average too, except for the math part since i love math. for the essay i wrote about an emergency operation which led to an internship at the same hospital. agree with metallicmaniac in writing about something you love and can really bring the colours out of! </p>
<p>i don't think undecided would hurt you, since most collegebound students don't know what they're going to study yet. but if you do have a school subject that you're really good in like music, you could play your strengths around that.</p>
<p>My essays were really passionate...u know, things which tend to make you emotional...i wrote on how i am in love with a picture of a plane among the clouds...it represents my dreams and my past
But what i think really got me thru ED was my stats I had all 800's in my SAt-2 (phy, chem, maths IIC) and a whola lotta academic achievments. My ec's were really below average though.</p>