Good luck all RD applicants!

[LunarMoon]

<p>

@norcalguy

HS GPA’s are not standardized either. But, the big difference between freshman applicants and transfer applicants is that freshman applicants must submit standardized test scores (SAT I, SAT II, ACT, AP scores). Transfer applicants are not required to do so and thus you can have a transfer application that literally has no standardized scores on it.

I agree that Cornell should require the submission of standardized test scores, but I don’t believe that any more hurdles should be provided to transfer students than to high school seniors that apply, which seems to be the position taken throughout the thread.

And most high schools do rank their students (which provides a context to the GPA), unlike community colleges (and colleges in general) which do not rank their students. NYC for example has a few very rigorous magnet schools. Cornell knows about these schools and will take applicants with lower GPA’s.

Most high schools don’t rank their students. Only 45% of high schools report class [URL="<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/education/05rank.html?pagewanted=all"]ranks[/URL"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/education/05rank.html?pagewanted=all"]ranks[/URL</a>], which puts the other 55% into the same boat as the community [URL=”<a href="http://www.nassp.org/Content.aspx?topic=61042"]colleges[/URL"&gt;http://www.nassp.org/Content.aspx?topic=61042"]colleges[/URL</a>].

Not necessarily. It’s just a difference in philosophy regarding admissions. WashU clearly has a different philosophy than Cornell. You can’t necessarily say which philosophy is “right” or “wrong.” But, I personally prefer more of an emphasis on objective/standardized measures rather than things like a good essay.

I agree that different schools possess different admission philosophies, just as different businesses possess different hiring practices, but I, at the same time, find it doubtful that either an employee or a random citizen has a better grasp of how Microsoft should do its hiring than a human resource specialist that actually possess a track record. There’s definitely a wrong way to make such decisions.

@wavedasher

LOLOLOL. Wow I laughed so hard at this. Are you really trying to argue that community college transfers are “more qualified” in any sense of the word than the freshman class? Please just stop. If I have to explain to you why you’re wrong, that’s even funnier.

I certainly am implying that a community college student with a 3.9 GPA is just as, if not more qualified than a student from a no-name, inner city high school with the same GPA. Do you have any reason to believe otherwise? I’d be extremely interested in reading it.

@Dan4980

Nobody made any statements claiming that community college students are idiots. We only pointed out the absurdity of Lunar’s post. And though there are undoubtedly high-achieving hard-working students in community college, I still have to disagree with your conjecture.

So far I’ve seen no logical refutation to the point, other than the circular argument that it’s absurd because it’s absurd. Although you never stated that “community college students are idiots” it’s certainly implied and all but hammered down throughout the remaining portion of your post.</p>