Violaghost

Thank you, blue. There is a lot of truth to your words. I've been working on that issue a lot. In truth (as far as I know,) a lot of people go into ILR either to pursue law or because they don't really know what they want to do in the social sciences. My friends in ILR tell me that the only thing that really ties the students together is the fact that everybody is an activist of some sort of another. However, while the curriculum is very expansive but focuses on a less-common area of study, it's hard to find ILR-type activities. I don't mean to make an excuse... I've been looking for internship/volunteer opportunities with unions and non-profit organizations.

You do bring up an issue I've given a lot of thought though. Ideally, I'd love to double major music/ILR. I do have an earnest desire to explore the ILR approach - the human aspect of business, the econ/psych/social stats combination. However, I've done music for so long, it has made up the majority of my accomplishments and taken up most of my time. I hope that my desire as expressed in my essays, coupled with the ILR-type activities I'm trying to get into will help me. I am going to downplay my music stuff on this application and hope for the best.

I really hope it works. This is my last chance and I really, really, want to be at Cornell.

colboy

I have a question: Why are you planning to transfer into the spring instead of the fall? Can you do both?

Violaghost

You can do both. I don't want to wait till the Fall - it will make it all the harder to transfer credits.

ironicallyunsure

viola, it's not your last chance. i'm applying now so that i don't need to wait for fall, but at least i would have fall to try one last time. obviously i really hope that we get in for spring, but i like knowing that there's one more shot. can you do research with someone in an econ or business department at a school close to you? even psych research having to do with buying stuff or how people spend money would help you, and most people are eager to take on researchers who don't want to get credit or get paid. that would count as something ILR related i think. when you go back to bing, consider doing model UN because i know a lot of ILRies who had experience with that. econ clubs, debate teams, anything like that.

Azuzephyr

Hi!
I'm applying to Cornell Spring 2010 to the College of Arts and Sciences; mine is kind of a weird situation.
First, story...
I am an Asian-American, Chinese and English are both interchangeably spoken at home, but I am very, very fluent in English..not so much Chinese. I recently completed freshman year at the Rhode Island School of Design, to be an Illustration major next year (to make my way into the video game industry, believe it or not). I then realized for a few reasons that art school was probably not right for me, given that my favorite classes were not actually my art classes but my liberal arts classes, and I was feeling extremely bored and unchallenged. Long story short, I want to go into Pre-veterinary, complete the required credits for Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences transfer for juniors during Spring 2010, and do an internal transfer into that. Yup.

Previous to going to RISD, I was accepted into Northwestern University, NYU School of Nursing, and Carnegie Mellon (for art, though). I never applied to Cornell for some reason (I think I was under the impression it was a desolate and dead place...not anymore), but was seriously torn between RISD and Northwestern when deciding where to go. It was a war between if I should go into art or academics.

Now, stats:
High School GPA, unweighted: 3.76/4.0 (I think...), weighted: 3.9/4.0
SATS: Cumulative? Math: 680, Reading: 750, Writing: 800
SAT IIs: Biology M: 750, Math I: 680, US Hist: 650 (Lol...well, I didn't really like the SAT IIs xD)
AP tests:
Art - 5
Chem - 5
Macroecon - 4
Eng Lit/Comp - 5
Calculus BC - 4, Calc AB Subgrade - 4
Physics C (Mechanics) - 4
Physics C (Electricity and Magnetism) - 2 (heh)
US History - 4
Biology - 5
Eng Lang/Comp - 5
Euro History - 4

Honors and Whatnot:
AP Scholar with Distinction, Nat'l AP Scholar, National Merit Scholarship - Commended, some art awards/exhibitions/scholarships
Extracurriculars:
Secretary of Asian American Cultural Club in high school, National Art Honor Society in high school, resident artist of the Dance Theatre Club, some school leadership thing where you help freshmen adjust, the NYU Steinhardt Summer Art Intensive...basically, much of my extracurriculars were art-related, a testament to my focus on art in high school.

Work Experience:
Tour guide at RISD, and I was a private tutor for biology/chemistry in high school.

The short answer essay on the common app is about my personal activity of taking in stray cats and feeding them, occasionally raising them.

The personal essay is a heartfelt explanation as to why I want to transfer to Cornell and what I hope to achieve there (to be edited very thoroughly, I do have until October haha).

Explanations...Well, RISD basically has very few extracurricular opportunities, as well as the highest freshman work hours/sleep hours...This gives you very few opportunities to go out and pretty much do anything outside of work/eat/sleep. So sadly, didn't do much in college. Also, as a freshman it's pretty much impossible to take the offered shared classes at Brown, and RISD liberal arts are laughable...
So I didn't do very well first semester =x *shame*:
GPA: 3.4, I got A's in my favorite studio classes (2D and Drawing) and B's in 3D Design/the liberal arts classes they chose for us upon acceptance (for me, Intro to African American Lit/Art History)
Then there's this thing called Wintersession, basically a mini semester. I took a Graphic Novel class and Ethnography (art history), and got a 4.0 for that semester.
2nd semester I got straight A's except for 3D..C+ lol but 3.660 GPA. I took Ecology at RISD that semester under a professor from Brown University. It was her class that made me realize how much I really wanted to do veterinary or something animal-related. She told me she would love to write me a letter of recommendation, so this will probably be the letter of rec I am going to use =).

All in all, I do realize that it is very bizarre for an art student to suddenly want to become a veterinarian, but I DESPERATELY want this to happen. The reason I am transferring to Arts and Sciences first is because to do Pre-vet at Agri and Life Sci, you have to have Bio 1/2, Chem 1/2, Writing 1/2, and Calc credits when you transfer in with 3 or 4 completed semesters of college behind you. My APs cover most of this, but I'd like to get comfortable with the level of work at Cornell/get more credits for a semester before I transfer in.

Please let me know how you think I'll do! Thank you =) Best of luck to you guys as well!

TFN

Do they count repeated courses as part of you CGPA? Who is Ian? Is he the guy that does the ILR interviews? Viloaghost can you tell us what sort of questions they ask in the interview?

Violaghost

The interview is not all that important. Ian is the transfer counselor. He conducts the interview and will answer any of your questions (by phone or email) about the transfer process.

Ian is very chill - he is fairly young (30 or a little under?) and very down to earth. The interview is mainly to establish a timeline. If you have taken time off since HS or during college, what was the reason, etc?

If you are applying out of a college you began to attend after HS, the questions are "why ILR?" "Have you visited Cornell before," "What classes are you taking/like the most," "Explain your (poor?) HS record?"

Consul

(I am aware this is a little off topic - please excuse me.)

In the winter il'l be applying for a sophmore Fall '10 transfer to Cornell's School of Engineering (Biological Engineering) from Binghamton University. I was wondering what my chances of being accepted are.

Stats:

Homeschooled;
* GPA 3.84 (Unweighted)
SAT Score;
* 1440/1600 - 800 Verbal, 640 Math ( But I had alot of Math difficulties early in highschool)
Community College;
* GPA 4.0
* Credits 25
- Psych 101
- Hi 111
- En 101,102
- Chem 141,142
- Bio 101

At Binghamton for this fall semester I will be taking:
* 16 Credits
- Calculus I
- Organic Chem I
- Cinema (Art elective)
- Two Engineering Classes
- Bio 117 ( Possibly, if I do, I will be takign 20 Credits)
Note: I plan to finish above referenced semester with a 4.0

Violaghost

Consul, I can't tell you your chances. I think you'll definitely be in the running. You have a great GPA and nice SAT scores, but Engineering i very selective. Your essays and activities will matter a lot.

I wish you the best of luck!

TFN

How are you guys writing these essays? It seems as if the two essays; academic interest and reasons for transfer are practically the same. How are you guys tackling them? Would anybody be interested in critiquing my essays once it is done?

ironicallyunsure

my mistake was thinking that they were the same the first time around. the academic interest one is more of your history and how you came to want to major in your proposed major and how being at cornell will make you like it even more. the prompt itself suggests that there should be a story there. the other one, i feel, is asking why you want to leave both academically and environmentally. viola, maybe you could shed some light on this as you said you've already started rewriting. that's just my feel after having been rejected and asking around. i think i've got the academic interest one down (meaning, what it's asking for), but the other i'm still iffy.

and yeah, i'd take a look at them for you when you're done if you want.

Violaghost

Ironicallyunure is completely right.

The two essays are entirely different. The first addresses your desire to transfer, it asks for the goals you wish to achieve and why you are not able to satisfy these at your current school. The second essay asks for reasons as to why Cornell IS the place for you to continue your education.

I've had a lot of trouble with this the first time around. In fact, I feel that the essays are extremely important and were a hefty part of the reason I got rejected the first time around. I think the "Why Cornell" essay should focus on the academic opportunities. Really do your research and know what programs you are going to take advantage of, etc. The "Why Transfer" essay can oversee the bigger picture, such as lack of fit at your current school (without bashing it!) and examine your academic history and aspirations.

Hope this helps. The essays are tricky, but very important.

homflysmith

Could someone explain the purpose of the Common Application for transfer students to me? Do I need to fill out the Common Application and the transfer application for Cornell, or is the Common Application considered the transfer application for Cornell?

Azuzephyr

You need to fill out the Common App for Cornell transfers; when filling it out, you can specify yourself as a transfer student for whatever term you're applying for. There's a supplement in addition to the Common App for transfer students as well, though the Common App hasn't posted that part up yet.

BrandNew70x7

viola, come on man, you know the interview is HUGELY important.

its a big part of how they gauge your personality beyond paper and stats

and yeah, the transfer essay is about why you want to continue your education (mine was easy cause i was finished at my 2 year school)

the supplement for Cornell is about why you want to attend the college. talk career plans that are relevant to that school because you want to show dedication and "loyalty" to that college.