I was wondering if an 800 math and 720 english superscore would be worth trying ED for Cornell or should I use it for a lower rated engineering program
I would not base your decision to apply ED on test scores. Cornell is no longer requiring sat subject tests for any college and will still be test optional for next cycle.
The decision to apply ED goes way beyond stats.
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Hi,
I will give you an honest answer, you chances of admission are heavily dependent on your essays.
As @momofboiler1 said, SAT scores aren’t used too heavily this year for admissions because of the COVID chaos, so it boils about to your GPA and essays.
Since you are even considering Cornell, I assume you have a high GPA. If you want a reference for your GPA, my friend got in ED to Cornell for Engineering and she had 4.0 unweighted and ~4.5 weighted GPA, But those GPA are really expected for Cornell Engineering admits.
So, your chances are heavily dependent on the two essays you will write (1) your personal statement essay (i.e. Common App essay) and (2) your Why Cornell essay.
When it comes to that second essay, take the time (1-2 hours) to research Cornell. Look into the classes and professors they have, the research they do, and what areas/fields really matter to Cornell. Don’t just look at what the college has that fits your needs, rather look at what all opportunities Cornell provides that can help you grow and how you will fit into college.
For example, Cornell has a big initiative to help farmers. Now, you may not at all be interested in farming, but in your essay you can still talk about how will extend your engineering knowledge by developing technologies to help farmers. Cornell might like something like this because farming is very important to them and now you are showing that you can fit into their community.
Hope this helps
Thank . Very helpful
Thanks.
Corn-ell (farming).
TO be honest you are completely correct. I have seen fairly lower qualified people (ORM bay area as well) who’s only accomplishment listed on their linkedin was COSMOS get into Cornell, while arguable more qualified people go to UCLA and UCB. It is all down to the essays in cornell.
I’m going to disagree here. You should not write your essay about what you think the school wants to hear. You want to find an ED school that is a good fit for you and your interests. You want your essays to be a genuine reflection of YOU.
I do agree that doing a deeper dive is important, especially when selecting an ED school. It’s so much more than academic rankings and offerings. Look at the 4 year plan of study. What are the out of college requirements? Do all the liberal arts requirements at Cornell excite you or does it seems like a drag? Read the mission and vision statement of the university as a whole, and also the CoE. Read the messages from the Deans, the student led newspapers, and even the university social media pages. Look at career services supports. Think about if you want a hands on, career readiness focused program with lots of internship and co-op supports, or a more theoretical program that could better prepare you for grad school.
And don’t forget about the cost. Run the NPC and talk to your parents about affordability. If it isn’t affordable, move on and look for school that is in budget for ED.
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OP, are you the student or the parent? Other posts identify you as a parent, but here it sound as if you are the applicant.
Please do not follow this advice.
Farming is important to the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It is not especially important to the Cornell University College of Engineering. Pretending to be interested in something you are not is a poor approach to anything in life.
DO learn more about the various groups within Cornell Engineering and see how they fit with your genuine interests. DO learn more about Cornell CoE as a place to study- it really does not suit everybody. The approach and style are completely different than at GaTech, which is different than Purdue, which is different than NU- all peer schools. Engineering is a tough, intense course. The career potential from any of the big names is entirely comparable. It makes sense to figure out both the culture and the areas of specific expertise that work best you (your student if you are the parent). For example, the CoE at Cornell is considered a serious leader in nanotechnology- which is great, but if you are into bioengineering JHU might suit you better.
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Thanks, I am the parent getting all your thoughts for my son
I am sorry if this opinion/view/question offends anyone, but doesn’t pretending/“molding” yourself to a person the college wants work? For example Wharton would reject people who don’t have affinity to make money, Berkeley would reject “researchers” (i feel like UCs like engineers) and Yale would reject, say, people who are not involved in the community (provided you are not an olympiad winner… if you are a mathlete/crazy good olympiad competition winner, by all means, be yourself). At the end of the day being yourself only enables colleges to view if you are the correct fit. So why not mold yourself into seeming like that kind of person. Does it not work?
Hi,
I never suggested that OP pretend to like farming. I said that if you like engineering there is definitely aspects of engineering that are important in farming. For example, if OP has an interest in robotics, they can push themselves to think how robotics will be beneficial to farmers. This does not require OP to like farming; it requires them to show how their talent is useful to Cornell and society.
Colleges want students who fit into the college’s goals and student body.
Are you advocating “being yourself” or turning yourself into what you think a college admissions committee wants?
Everybody shapes their image for public consumption-for the world at large, as a job applicant, as a college applicant, even for friends. There is a line between knowing you are and where you want to go, and trying to pretend to be something else.
Actually, that is exactly what you advised:
I am not advocating for pretending to be someone else: I am advocating for (myself) to display yourself as someone the college wants and emphasize such parts of your life, like Yale wants leaders, Berkeley wants engineers (and probably hates researchers), etc.
Does this work?
Hi,
I think you misread what I was trying to say. I said OP should talk about how their engineering talent can help farmers. As I said before, using one’s talent to help someone, does not require that one like that other person/field.
For example, look at Lemonade (online insurance company). It’s developers had a passion/talent for engineering, AI specifically, and they used that talent to make getting insurance for your house easier.
They had a talent and they used it to help others; I suggesting OP do the same and, in this case, use their talent to help farmers – whom Cornell cares about.
Both of you are making assumptions about what AdComms want, and how they evaluate applicants. Your assumptions do not align with my experience.
Berkeley hates researchers?!
Cornell engineering AOs have a soft spot for farmers?!
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OP, you may want to read this article: