Unusual EC?

Colleges & Universities Cornell University
1

<p>I hadn’t even thought of this until last night because it is not at all a usual EC, but I have owned and bred turtles, tortoises, and lizards/geckos for the last 7 years. I have dedicated a significant amount of time to it over that time, and the last 3 or 4 years it has taken about about 10hrs a week. I have successfully hatched and sold (over the internet, I hate pet stores) 5 species of turtles, 1 species of tortoise, 2 species of gecko, and 1 species of lizard. I currently have 22 rankins dragon eggs in my incubator, and own about 30 reptiles in all after downsizing my collection to make it more manageable for others when I transfer out of state.</p>

<p>All of these animals have very specific heat, lighting, and dietary requirements, and it is both costly and time consuming to give them proper care (the UV bulbs I use for species I keep indoors cost $40 each). I know a lot of people play an instrument or a sport, but this is on of the things that I do and care about. I just wanted to know if this would be good to put on the common app for my spring transfer to cornell as an EC. I figured I could use that 150 word space underneath it to elaborate more on it since they probably don’t really see this often if ever, and because it is one of my passions. I think it is one of the more unique EC’s they will see, and that it would help because of how much I care about it.</p>

<p>I would appreciate everyones thoughts on how I should put this on the app (if at all).</p>

2

<p>sweet activity. And you seem to have a passion for it. Cornell likes to see students with a passion about something, especially something a bit different. In your essays, I’d certainly discuss this and discuss what it means to you. You might even want to do some research for on campus clubs or activities that could relate to you and your interest (I know there’s a hepatology club, but I think that’s snakes) and mention this as another reason you’re interested in cornell</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the advice. Yeah, I have some pretty rare species (for one I have 2 egyptian tortoises which are nearly extinct in the wild…mine were captive bred of course). I can’t believe I didn’t think of it as an activity to put on the app though. I guess I have been doing it so long, and well before even thinking about college that it just slipped my mind.</p>

<p>I am applying to ILR as a transfer in the spring. I don’t really think this belongs on the ‘why ILR?’ essay though, but I could certainly bring it up as another reason I want to go to cornell if I can find a club like you mentioned. I was planning on short answer for one activity to go more in detail with it were it gives you 150 words. That should be enough hopefully. Then I can talk about how my coursework/experiences have prepared for for ILR on the why ILR essay, along with why I chose it. Not sure what I will do with the 250 word personal statement yet though.</p>

4

<p>You can always attach a supplementary essay. No chance that it will be read, but you’ve got nothing to lose.</p>

5

<p>They’ll read it…that’s the wonderful thing about Cornell (stated many times at CALS information panels). They will read everything you send…but, they also don’t like it too much when you go overboard :-)</p>

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<p>Uh, it sounds like you would be a shoe-in for CALS. Even with 800 SAT scores, they love kids like you. You are Ezra’s wet dream.</p>

<p>Why ILR then?</p>

7

<p>CayugaRed, I am assuming that first line was sarcastic… Did I come across in a way that would warrant a response like that, or was that just to get me to explain I belong in ILR instead of CALS? Regardless,I was just trying to explain something I like and figure out the best way to show it on the app. </p>

<p>But to answer the second question, I don’t want CALS, because I don’t like science. I was never more disinterested in a class than chem in HS and bio in college. I like animals, but not in the sense that I want to study them for a career. I did well in both classes, but only because I didn’t want a bad grade, not because I wanted to learn the material.</p>

<p>My interest was sparked by classes like economics, english, stats, history, social sciences etc… I am not sure exactly what I want to do for a career yet, but I do know that ILR places students in all the things I am interested in…law, investment banking, and consulting. </p>

<p>I recently met with a lawyer who got his bachelors and masters from Cornell CAS, and law from UChicago. We talked about the university, and also about ILR. He told me how some of his favorite classes were electives he took in ILR. From his descriptions, and what I have read on CC, cornells website, and the packet Ian at ILR sent me, I am convinced it will be the best fit for me. I will admit that I was interested in it at first because it didn’t require a science prereq like AEM in CALS, but the more I learn about it, the more I want to do ILR. </p>

<p>I just want to show them I have other interests, and that I have passions for other things besides just whatever will get me in a good school. Why would someone that plays violin apply to a major other than music?</p>

<p>I have other ECs/work experience that fits in much better for ILR, this is just something else I like to do. On the ‘why ILR?’ essay I will discuss how things I have done that are relevant to ILR have prepared me for it, why I want to do it, and why it is the best program to advance me into future endeavors, or something along those lines. </p>

<p>As far as breeding reptiles, what do you think would be the best place to put write additional information about it, but not to the point that they don’t think I should be in ILR? I was thinking the short answer that allows for discussion of one activity, but I wanted to see what others who have gone through the process already, such as yourself, thought would be the appropriate place to expand on it. I could write the supplementary essay as blazinyan suggested, but I am not sure if that would be necessary. Your thoughts?</p>

8

<p>Wow im in the exact same boat as u. Also applying to ilr ed with a variety of unusual ecs. I hold many numerous advanced diving certifications, worked at a very expensive tropical fish store in greenwhich (house of fins), went to a varety of marine biology camps, and maintain my own reef aquarium (quite a feat for a teenager). This is in addition to my other biz/leadership crud though. Anyways im gonna do my best to integrate ilr with this (havent quite worked it out fully yet but i have an idea). Also ill probobly apply to cals as my backup school and you should consider the same.</p>

<p>cheers,
mike</p>

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<p>I can’t also apply to CALS though because I am applying as a (junior) transfer. </p>

<p>Despite the fact that I had never even heard about ILR before signing up for any of my classes, Ian said that overall, I took a good set of courses for transfer to ILR, and only have to take one more composition, and a cultural perspectives to finish all of the recommended courses prior to transfer (only 1 of my 3 english classes was considered composition unfortunately). Also, taking 6 more credits will give me the opportunity to get student employment at my current school.</p>

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<p>^ Sounds cool. Write a little thing about it. If you can manage to link it into the social sciences, seriously, that would be pretty amazing.</p>

<p>And if Ian said that, trust his judgment on it. :)</p>

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<p>^ Yeah, I will write my short answer on it I guess. I am about to write that, and the personal statement this week because I just found out Fordham is still taking fall apps and I figure I might as well try it since I will have to wait until spring everywhere else. Kind of on a tight schedule to get everything in on time. I doubt they would give me the financial aid package Cornell would though, so I probably won’t go, it just sucks having to sit out the fall semester. I figure I will apply for the hell of it, if nothing else get my morale up a little if I got accepted.</p>

<p>Anyone else have any thoughts on my EC and how I should present it on the app?</p>

12

<p>I am not sure what I was thinking considering fordham. I decided to scrap that idea as Cornell is my dream school, and I am not going to give up on it without a letter of rejection.</p>

<p>Anyways, since I do own/breed some highly endangered species (egyptian tortoise), does anyone think I could use conservation as a way to link it to ILR in some way. Maybe say something about trying to further educate people about the need to conserve these species and insure their survival? That seems like the best way to relate it to ILR, or at least the best I can think of. In fact, I think it could be quite effective if I do it right… </p>

<p>I still don’t think this is appropriate for the why ILR essay, but think it could be a killer short answer. It just doesn’t directly relate to anything ILR does enough for that essay imo, but linking it to education in the short answer seems like it would work great. Come to think of it, although it has been 4-5 years, I did write several caresheets for tortoises that were published on one of the largest (if not the largest) turtle/tortoise websites and are still the ones being used for those species. This plays directly into educating people about them. </p>

<p>How would you guys go about putting all this on the app? I think if I wrote very succinctly this could fit fine on the 150 word or less short answer. I just don’t want to get carried away about animal breeding on an app for a school that is completely unrelated. Also with it being on the short answer it is something that can be reused for all the backup common app schools I am applying to whereas the why ILR essay won’t be reusable in any way.</p>