Just finished Junior year
I’m from India, so we don’t have a GPA system. Instead, we have a CGPA (1-10) and a percentage system (0-100%) that indicates the accuracy.
No honor level courses offered in my school although i did take the AP during my Junior year (not through my high school though)
9th - 8.9 CGPA and 84.6% ~ 3.99 - 4.0 US gpa
10th - 9.8 CGPA and 93% ~ 4.21 US gpa (National Level Board exam- level of difficulty was equal to higher level courses)
11th - 77% ~ 3.78 US gpa
Overall - Converted using WES iGPA - 4.0/4.0
High School Valedictorian for Mathematics - 98/100
SAT - Gave it two times
1st - 1390. R&W - 640. M - 750
2nd- 1430. R&W - 640. M - 790
AP - Gave it, waiting for my scores.
Predicted AP
Comp Sci A - 4/5
Calculus - 3/5
Psychology - 4 or 5
I Plan to take 5 courses this year. It’s very very different from the US. You have to register for the exam a month before and prepare only from books. Nothing is taught at your school except if you’re in an American Curriculum school.
ACT - Just gave it day before yesterday. Expecting 32-34
TOEFL - Predicted 100-110
Extra Curricular act(s) and Recognitions
School Head boy - 10th Grade. Highest position achievable.
Rotary Interact Club President - 9th
School Science Club President - 10th
Top 3 in School Debate Team - 9th 10th (Debate is way different in India, its usually a team of 3 vs. another team of 3, not Lincoln-Douglas debate)
Top 3 in School Quiz Team - 10th (Same as Debate, team of 3)
House Team won Inter-School Debate. I won Best Speaker/Debater for the team
School Team Won District level Inter-School Quiz Comp.
Won a Suburb level Duo-Quiz Competition (2 students per group)
Community service cum initiatives via the school’s Rotary Interact Club.
Boy Scout. There is no such thing as ‘Eagle Scouts’ in India. Attended Several Camps, including a National Capital Region (NCR-New Delhi) camp.
Football player - Throughout school (Not american football. Soccer for Americans)
Several 1st 2nd place awards in Regular level Olympiads (Not International Olympiads)
Qualified for National Level Science Olympiad (This particular one didn’t lead to the iOs, it was conducted by a private organisation)
Qualified for National Level Spell Bee and several other English Language competitions (I consider English as my first and most fluent language even though I’ve been speaking Hindi for so long)
First Prize in Extempore Speech (Inter-school -10th)
Guitarist by passion. I never gave trinity exams, I just played and sang for the school team.
Best Outgoing Student Award (School level) - Given to the most Versatile student. Only awarded to one student per year.
Amateur Aviation Photographer - around 10k views on jetphotos.com
My recommendation letters would be strong, especially the one written by my School Principal. I’ve worked with him a lot as I was the school Head boy.
What do you think? I might be applying ED since Cornell is a place that I’ve fancied quite a bit, more than others, but i’m not sure if i should apply to an early action program of some other college just to be safe and try to maximize my 12th grade results so that I have a better chance at Cornell during the Regular pool?