This is a good outcome given your SAT score. Congrats.
@Eeyore123 Northeastern figured that you were using them as a safety and rejected you. You likely did not show interest. Nothing random about that.
I think it illustrates, through the waitlist at least, for schools like Harvard, Stanford, Penn, and Brown, the excellence in both history Subject test scores was noted (assuming these were generally shared) and kept the student in the running. Suggests a “pointiness” in an area. Maybe it was also the letters of rec of course, but the 800s in both history exams stood out to me. The general SAT score is possibly what put them on pause.
Still terrific results overall from a student that will likely continue to excel in areas of interest.
I definitely tried to demonstrate this “pointiness” of politics/social science through my application essays, awards, my letters of recommendation (got one from an NY State Democratic official and my social studies/English teachers) and my extracurriculars.
Update: I just got into UPenn off the waitlist!
Are you still on the WL for Dartmouth? I thought they had a special interest in Native Americans. Congrats on some good choices!
Congrats! Do you prefer Penn to Cornell? Cornell ILR is a unique program - what would you major in at Penn, and which seems like a better fit? Try not to be swayed by the “playing hard to get” factor - as much as possible, try to weigh your choices as if you’d had both options all along.
Go with fit.
Cornell, (non-Wharton) Penn, and Georgetown are all peers when you look at alumni achievements.
I’d like to work in politics, or possibly go to law school. My major would be the Philosophy, Politics and Economics program (PPE) at Penn. I tried to look for interdisciplinary programs where I can study both politics and economics so I could open up a policy niche. Hence why I choose ILR in the first place, but the PPE program would be a similar fit. Personally I like the extracurricular offerings and housing system at Penn better. Plus I have family in Philadelphia and it’s a lot easier for me to get home than Ithaca. The only thing is that Cornell would be 20k cheaper annually, but if I choose to do the accelerated 3+3 law program at Penn, it would probably end up costing about the same. I never got to visit Penn though.
Though the 3+3 isn’t guaranteed.
OP said Indian American, not American Indian, and ORM, so I assume that means Asian (India) Indian, not native American Indian.
OP did not state he was Native American. Op said s/he was Indian American.
80K over the course of 4 years is nothing to sneeze at (It will almost cover a year of law school)
There is not guarantee that you will get into Pens 3+3 program
$20k each year difference is significant. It might be worth it to ask Penn to re-consider the aid package given that Cornell is so much cheaper for you. If they can’t meet Cornell’s price, save your money and go to Ithaca.
@happymomof1 I believe the lower price at Cornell is due to the fact that the school the OP plans on attending there (ILR) is one of the NYS contract colleges at the university. IMO it is not reasonable to ask Penn to take that into account in their financial aid package. I do agree that if the $20k difference is significant to the OP’s family that it should play a part in the OPs final decision.
Yes, the lower price is because of the ILR school as an in state student, so I don’t know if appealing to Penn would make a difference. I’ve talked it over with my family, and we can make the extra cost at UPenn work, I’m just wondering if you all think that extra cost would be worth it.
“Maybe it was also the letters of rec of course, but the 800s in both history exams stood out to me. The general SAT score is possibly what put them on pause.”
The subject tests for an Indian at those colleges would not stand out and both were in history and in fact the lack of a math one would be noted even for non-stem. Typically non-stem majors would take history, a language and/or english in addition to math. I’d agree that the essays and LORs stood out, probably in the intellectual curiosity part which these schools really look for. I also thought you needed 3 subject tests for Georgetown.
Anyway, looks like OP has some really good choices - good luck!
For law school the main thing that will matter is LSAT and GPA.
what is the grading structure at each school?
does either one offer A+. check career services for number of applicants applying to and attending law school after graduatuion. look
@theloniusmonk This was the first year Georgetown allowed applicants to submit AP scores in lieu of subject tests. Although since they do require to send all tests, they did see my 690 Math II subject test score.
@sybbie719 Both Cornell and UPenn offer A+. How does this grading structure factor into GPA for law school? I know Cornell has general deflation, but the ILR school tends to be inflated and most of the pre-law organizations are run by ILR students. I don’t know if UPenn suffers from grade deflation, but I’m not 100% set on law school and I’m willing to switch if the school would provide me with a better alumni network and better job prospects in the field of politics/federal agencies. What do you all think?
there are many schools that grade using a 4.0 scale. If both schools grade on a 4.33 scale. Meaning if you have an LSAT of 173 and a 4.25 gpa you would be academically stronger than a 4.0/173 lsat.
@sybbie719 Just looked it up. A+ at Cornell equates to a 4.33 scale but both A and A+ at UPenn equate to a 4.0 scale. Would this mean UPenn would be a better option for prelaw?