Cals

jrs1125 · 12-31-2011, 01:32 AM

When applying to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), is each major considered separately? I'm asking because the essay for CALS asks what has led the applicant to choose a specific major. In that case, would Applied Economics and Management be a more difficult major to be accepted into i.e. is the applicant at a disadvantage in choosing this major?

Thank you!

theseconddavid · 01-01-2012, 11:59 PM

S was accepted ED to CALS in Biology this year. He had trouble deciding on the concentration, but NOT the major. I would say if you don't know or care too much about your major; rather you care more about getting in to Cornell than in what you study- then you're not really Cornell material. I would think Cornell would see right through you.
Sorry if harsh.
TLDR: choose the major you like, NOT the one you think is easier to get into. The point of the essay is for you to carefully choose a major! Be honest.

ccnell · 02-18-2012, 04:43 PM

Yes, applying to the AEM program in CALS puts the applicant a disadvantage over other majors in CALS due to the selectivity of the program. If you are a qualified candidate and are very interested in going into finance/economics then apply... however, a lot of individuals apply to other majors in CALS (i.e. communications, etc) which are less rigorous to get into due to the lack of popularity and then transfer after a semester. Hope that helps...

nell08hd · 05-16-2012, 01:59 PM

theseconddavid, you are exactly right. The admissions counselors can see right through students who apply to the smaller majors in order to get into the more competitive ones. Applying to a major that you are not truly passionate about will put you at risk for not getting into CALS at all because the admissions office is looking for students who are truly passionate and a good fit for their intended major. If you apply to a major that you are not passionate about it will show through in your application materials ie. the classes you have taken, your extra-curriculars, your essay(s), etc. Your best bet is to be honest and apply to the major that you want, don't lie and try to backdoor in.