Chance Me / Match Me - Am I cooked for Cornell Nolan? [Business, 3.7 UW GPA, FL resident]

Chance Me / Match Me
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Demographics

  • US citizen, White Male
  • State/Location of residency: Florida
  • Type of high school (or current college for transfers): Public, Cambridge AICE program
  • Other special factors:

Cost Constraints / Budget

Ability for full pay; one parent prefers in-state (will graduate with AICE diploma which offers full tuition in state), one parent will send me wherever, if out of state, would need merit-aid to convince parents to pay the difference given Bright Futures.

Intended Major(s): Business-Hospitality-Real Estate-Entrepreneurship

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • Current Junior
  • Unweighted HS GPA: 3.7
  • Weighted HS GPA: 4.7 College GPA: (for transfer applicants)
  • Class Rank: 38/551-558
  • ACT/SAT Scores: PSAT both times 1000 (with active tutoring and approved accomodations for 50 percent time)

List your HS coursework

(Indicate advanced level, such as AP, IB, AICE, A-level, or college, courses as well as specifics in each subject)

  • English: PRE AICE Eng Lang, AICE Eng Lang AS, AICE Eng LIT AS
  • Math: Algebra 1, Geometry Honors, Algebra 2 Honors (Florida Virtual), Precalculus Honors
  • Science: PRE AICE Bio AS, AICE Bio AS, AICE Environmental Management AS
  • History and social studies: PRE AICE World History, US Government Honors/PRE AICE Econ, AICE Sociology, AICE Psychology, AICE US History-1877 AS
  • Language other than English: PRE AICE Spanish 1, Pre AICE Spanish 2
  • Visual or performing arts: Creative Photo, AICE Digital Media & Design AS, AICE Digital Media & Design A
  • Other academic courses: PRE AICE Physical Ed, AICE Global Perspectives AS

Likely Senior Year Schedule: AICE Travel & Tourism AS, AICE Global Perspectives A, AICE Lang A, PRE AICE Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Calc BC, Pre AICE Spanish 3, and another AICE class (open to suggestions - I think I can take Media Studies, Thinking Skills, would like to take a business class but it’s not weighted)

AP seminar and AP research are offered through another magnet program in the school (that is science related). I asked to be admitted at end of 10th grade to these courses and was told no because all the students spent 10th grade already working on their research in advance of the courses)

College Coursework (Transfer Applicants): None

Awards

Creative Photo award (all county winner in Misc category)

Extracurriculars

Jobs:

Consistent through school and summer

  • 9th - 1/2 of 10th grade: 20 hours per week - Beach Attendant

  • 1/2 of 10th grade - Present (1/4 of Junior Year): 20 hours per week Busser/Food Runner, Ritz Carlton (leaving city out on purpose).

  • Looking to transfer to St. Regis this coming summer for different exposure/experience

Volunteer:

  • Real Estate Development - marketing assistance / mailers
  • Make a Wish - 100 ish hours

4 years of Fall & Spring Rec Soccer

2 Years of Spring Track

NHS

DECA

FCA

Internships: Winter Break 2026 - Real Estate Development (a few days)

Early Summer 2027 - Real Estate Development and Corporate Hotel Chain (a few days)

Mid Summer 2027 - Hotel Development in Europe (2 weeks)

Essays/LORs/Other

  • Still working these out. Probably closest to my digital media teacher but she isn’t a core class. Math teacher might be an option but math is where I get B’s.
  • Looking to get a LOR from internships to bridge the gap.
  • no clue what to write about

Schools

The Dream:

  1. Cornell, Nolan School
  • Am I cooked?
  • Will likely ED anyway but this is the goal.

Chance Me/Match Me?

  • Syracuse - Whitman
  • Virginia Tech - Pamplin
  • U Michigan
  • Michigan State
  • Lehigh
  • Notre Dame
  • Penn State - Smeal
  • FSU
  • Indiana - Kelley
  • Babson
  • UNC - Chapel Hill

Suggest for me?

What am I missing? Would really like to be in a place with 4 seasons (skiing a plus). See above about money.

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This all sounds problematic. Cornell offers no merit aid. Run the net price calculator to see if you qualify for any need based aid:

If it shows you will be full pay, and you apply ED, you will be bound to attend.

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As a reminder Cornell, and some of the other schools on your list, are now test required so you will need a strong SAT or ACT score.

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Make sure your parents will pay the cost for you to attend. There is no merit aid at this school. And it’s over $90,000 a year.

I personally think your list is top heavy….either for admissions OR because of costs.

If you want to do hospitality, I think University of South Carolina should be added, and some of your others deleted. You likely won’t get aid at South Carolina either.

It’s highly unlikely you will get merit aid at Penn State as an OOS student. Same with University of Michigan, VA Tech, Michigan State, UNC Chapel Hill, and Indiana. These are public universities and their first funding obligation is to the residents if their state whose parents help fund these colleges.

I honestly don’t think you should ED anywhere. As noted, an ED acceptance is a binding acceptance, and you really don’t know for sure that your parents will fund any of these pricey colleges.

What accommodations? If you think you will need accommodations in college, you will need to look at the disability offices and the requirements for getting them. If you currently have an IEP or 504 accommodation plan, these will not automatically transfer to your colleges.

Re: LOR. It does not have to be a class where you got an A grade. It needs to be a teacher who can comment about your strength as a student in their class. In addition to math, you should also be looking for one humanities teacher to write you a LOR.

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sorry, wasn’t specific.

No financial aid. Ability to pay any college. Know Cornell doesn’t offer merit.

Dad would like to see merit (willing to overlook for Cornell since he knows Nolan school strength), but would like merit for other schools for it to make sense.

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@Hvw see my post above about potential for merit aid at your out of state publics on your list. It is very low.

And a number of the other colleges, in addition to Cornell, do not offer merit aid.

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I can’t chance you, but Cornell is a high reach. You will need a strong test score to be competitive.

How many B’s/C’s/lower do you have?

Is your dad wanting to get to an in-state cost of a florida public? Or is $5K merit ok? To be clear, $5K merit at a school costing $90K still leaves a cost much greater than in-state options. Syracuse won’t get close to Florida public cost. So, ask your dad if Cornell doesn’t work out, what is the budget.

Your list would be quite different depending on this answer. None of the schools on your current list are really big merit/discount providers.

How does your HS counselor categorize FSU for you? Could be a target, could be a reach depending on your HS’s history there. You need an affordable school (per your dad) that’s highly likely for admission…what school is that?

If you want skiing access, consider U Utah (possible to get in-state tuition after one year), U Denver, CO State, UC Boulder, Montana State, U Vermont. You won’t get merit/discount at Boulder, but may at the other schools.

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This is just my opinion, but I’m sorry to say applying to Cornell would be a waste of time for you. Your profile is simply not competitive for admission there. The same could be said for Michigan, Notre Dame, and UNC. Sorry.

My advice is to find schools you really like that would be more likely to admit you. You have time to research more schools and visit some. Put Cornell out of your mind. It’s very unlikely to be an option.

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no Cs. 3 Bs. 2 freshman year, 1 sophomore year.

Counselor is joke. Can only go based off school links. I’m on target for fsu but sat score will probably ruin me there. Not test optional. But all depends where I end up end of year

as for money, the discussion is return on investment. Would rather give me difference in any out of state college cost vs in state cost to buy a house or start a business.

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@Hvw that ROI will be up to YOU…not the college you attend. And data about this isn’t exactly perfect…so YMMV.

There are plenty of hospitality folks who do better from South Carolina than from Cornell…and Vice versa…so just don’t use that as your primary data point.

Will your parents give you any saved money between a FL public and a place like Cornell where it sounds like they will be full pay?

But we are sort of digressing here. At this point, Cornell is a reach, and could be a very costly one IF you got accepted.

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Congrats on your record. It doesn’t seem the SAT will be strong.

Merit is interesting.

So Penn State is $60Kish - you won’t get merit. Cornell is $96,318 this year.

So they’ll pay for Cornell, but would they Penn State?

What are your goals ?

If Hospitality, look at UCF - you save money and it’s top shelf although I’m not a believer in the major - but that’s neither here nor there.

If entrepreneurship, you could add U Houston to Babson.

College of Charleston gets you both - it has the Center for Entrepreneurship in a rising business hub and a strong hospitality management program. It even has real estate finance, which many don’t have.

As for your list, you need a test score. With growth, let’s say you are a 1220. Or 26 ACT. I’ll base my chancing on this.

I’d say your chances are:

  • Syracuse - unlikely but full pay helps

  • Va Tech - unlikely

  • U Michigan - high, high reach

  • Michigan State - likely - strong for hospitality

  • Lehigh - reach

  • Notre Dame - high, high reach

  • Penn State - high, high reach but PSU isn’t - maybe a strong match

  • FSU - reach

  • IU - for Kelley, a reach but for IU itself, likely

  • Babson - reach. Check Bentley’s majors to see if any interest you and after Bentley, check Bryant.

  • UNC - high, high reach

I don’t like your list at all, given your stats.

UCF isn’t safe but is possible. So to me, in state, that’s a good one. FAU would be a good likely choice as would FGCU. I think with UCF, FAU, and FGCU, you’d be fine.

Personally, I wouldn’t apply to Cornell, U Michigan, Notre Dame and UNC. I think they are too far a reach. That said, if they interest you - well, you can’t get in if you don’t apply.

I think first off - I’d look at the cost of each school. Dad can afford others but will he vs. Florida schools which are substitutional. In other words, does he want to pay for Syracuse or Va Tech when a UCF or FAU can get you to the same place - and if hospitality is the goal, you probably have better options in state anyway.

So while he can pay, short of a Cornell, UNC, UND, U Michigan, will he pay?

Other suggestions - I made above - College of Charleston covers all your bases including real estate as they have a real estate finance major - so you’d have flexibility there. So strong in entrepreneurship, hospitality - and in a booming city. It’s likely.

U Houston is often deemed one of the strongest for entrepreneurship after Babson. But the program has a special app as it’s gotten very popular. E Carolina U has its own entrepreneurship school. Look at Bentley’s majors since you look at Babson. You can even look at Bryant.

You can look at UNLV for hospitality - not sure if it’s harder than the general university.

Other than that, b4 picking schools, I think you need to talk to your family about money. I know they can pay full - but what are they willing to pay full for - including the names I mentioned, when you are saying you can go tuition free.

You mention a higher ROI OOS - not necessarily - jobs pay by where - and short of going to a Cornell or Michigan, most will provide you the same outcome - in or out of state - because you will be looking for a job and having to find a job. They aren’t handed to you at any school.

Let me give you an example - IU Kelley. Marketing grads make $62,525 on average. Alabama - $64,411 - and given Bama isn’t on your list, I’m guessing you don’t put Bama in that sphere and yet their grads earn more. But this likely plays a part - salaries by geography.

IU Kelley is nice enough to show these. so if you’re in Indy, you’re at $63.7K, Boston $81.6K, Chicago $78.1K, Miami $72.8K, SF $90.8, and NY $92.8K. My son is an engineer but did a rotational program (4 locations over 2 years). When he moved to CA, he was given $700 more a month - so I think your ROI argument likely holds little weight short of an IB or top tier consulting type job.

In state, what about Rollins and Stetson, plus U Tampa, if that allows you to use some of the state money?

Let’s me ask you another thing - you’ve got the NE and MW plus mid South. Are you open to all areas?

A Miami of Ohio and W Virginia U could be two others to look at - but I would refine on the reality of the financial situation - and what do you seek in a school.

You have large publics and mid size. You have specialized, etc.

So I’d start from there - and figure out where to put this effort - is it worth it.

Thanks

Summary of schools I mentioned:

In state:

UCF
FAU
FGCU
Rollins
Stetson
Tampa

Out of State:

Bentley
Bryant
College of Charleston
East Carolina
Houston
Miami (Ohio)
UNLV
WVU

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Thx for this. I’ve got apraxia so appreciate what you do

I’m not really interested in a hospitality degree which is why South Carolina wasn’t on initial list. Want more business overall and liked the “through a hospitality lens” focus, which is why Cornell was on my initial radar.

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Thx for this.

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As you were responding, I added more - based on your “ROI out of state thought”. I put in these two paragraphs:

Let me give you an example - IU Kelley. Marketing grads make $62,525 on average. Alabama - $64,411 - and given Bama isn’t on your list, I’m guessing you don’t put Bama in that sphere and yet their grads earn more. But this likely plays a part - salaries by geography.

IU Kelley is nice enough to show these. so if you’re in Indy, you’re at $63.7K, Boston $81.6K, Chicago $78.1K, Miami $72.8K, SF $90.8, and NY $92.8K. My son is an engineer but did a rotational program (4 locations over 2 years). When he moved to CA, he was given $700 more a month - so I think your ROI argument likely holds little weight short of an IB or top tier consulting type job. Jobs pay by where they are, usually not by where you went.

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Apraxia has different forms as you well know and don’t want to invade privacy here. (I have developed dyspraxia and would have trouble with the newly returned blue book exams without accommodations.) Make sure you have thorough documentation from a neurologist or other professional within the last three years. Has your apraxia affected academics at all, even with accommodations? If so this might be relevant for a counselor to explain.

Have you considered submitting a photography supplement/portfolio to schools that accept supplements? The can also include an artistic resume and letter(s) from a teacher or someone familiar with your work.

I would look at the Colleges that Change Lives site for ideas: ctcl.org though many won’t have business for undergrads.

There is a free essay reader service her on CC if you would find that helpful.

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Has a fine business school as well. Have you looked into that?

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Not direct admit - if that’s a concern for OP and will have to get a much higher SAT/ACT than is on parh for. It’s similarl in difficulty to UF admission wise

With the need for accommodation I wonder if a Charleston, Marist or Hofstra might be better or a U of Arizona and the SALT program.

Not sure how important a school set up for learning disabilities might be more important than one that can simply provided accommodations. That would be up to OP and family.