<p>I didn't get into Cornell but I did get into Dartmouth. But that was mainly because my "Why Cornell" essay was one big "UMMMMMM I don't know what to say maybe I shouldn't go here..."
And I applied to AEM, which is pretty competitive.</p>
<p>I know someone with a 25 on the ACT who got into Cornell. She wasn't a legacy, athlete, URM, or from a high-profile family.</p>
<p>I think Dartmouth's harder to get into.</p>
<p>Everyone knows that Dartmouth is harder to get into that Cornell, which is at the bottom of the ivies with Columbia and Penn. But that should not be a reason for choosing a school ( in the very idealistic world that some people pretend to live in )</p>
<p>to OP,</p>
<p>when you look at raw #'s yes, you will see that because Cornell admits more students than the roughly 2100 students admitted to Dartmouth. As far as sheer numbers are concerned Cornell has more seats to offer but by the same token, they get more applications, especially when you factor in the 3 land grant colleges and the number of NY state residents that apply to those schools (where yes, it is easier to get in to those schools as a NYS resident and pay instate tuition than it is to be admitted out of state and a lot of NYers take then up on it and apply). I also think that both places have more of a self selected group of applicants.</p>
<p>However, I don't think it is a matter of which is easier but keep in mind that both schools build classes based on their institutional mission. When you fillout your application it may end up being attractive to Dartmouth and unattractive to Cornell, attracive to Cornell and unattractive to Dartmouth, attractive to both or unattractive to both.</p>
<p>In addition you never know what the application pool is going to look like year to year so what filled a niche in this years admitted class may not necessarily be what they are looking for next year.</p>
<p>As you go through the list of acceptances and rejections you will see that a number of high scoring/high gpa vals were both admitted and denied to both schools. All you can do is know why each school is attractive to you, if they are a good fit for you, bring your best self to both tables and let the process play itself out.</p>
<p>You won't believe what just happened to me today. My brother calls me on the phone and asks if I applied transfer to Cornell, and I'm really confused. He says someone called to congratulate me on my acceptance. I ask him if the message was for him (my brother applied to Cornell Med.), and he replays the message over the phone. </p>
<p>My interviewer must have gotten some lists confused, because I remember her name and voice, and she called me again, and said the exact same lines she said last year to congratulate me.</p>
<p>Yea... I didn't even apply and I've apparently been accepted, so I'd have to say Dartmouth is harder to get into.</p>
<p>Sybbie, you're post is hhhmmnn... really very PC and being kind. Moviebuff's is spot on.</p>
<p>
[quote]
which is at the bottom of the ivies with Columbia and Penn
[/quote]
</p>
<p>HAHA. Oh wow.</p>
<p>What does it mean to "get into" a university? If you assume that getting into any of Cornell's colleges means you 'got into' Cornell, then Cornell is certainly easier to get into than Dartmouth. There's only one way to 'get into' Dartmouth - like everyone else, you apply to Dartmouth College. Thus, it is considerably more difficult to gain admission to Dartmouth than Cornell.</p>
<p>It may be only slightly harder to get into Dartmouth than Cornell CAS, but again, that is irrelevant to the overall argument.</p>
<p>Brand....</p>
<p>(as I bang my head on my desk) Finally!!! a answer that finally makes sense!!. When comparing Cornell to Dartmouth one should only be comparing CAS to Dartmouth.</p>
<p>sybbie:</p>
<p>not necesarily...the Ag school also touts itself as an avenue for premeds.</p>
<p>Yes it does blue,</p>
<p>but still the AG school is a land grant university and part of the SUNY system (so students wanting to attend AG, ILR, Human Ecology apply through the SUNY application) where it is harder for someone OOS to be admitted</p>