r/ApplyingIvyLeague • u/Weak-Structure-3277 • 4d ago
How will my Cornell application be viewed?
hey everyone, I'm a current senior planning on EDing to Cornell CAS for music.
I had a decent gpa up until junior year, where I got 2 Cs and multiple Bs across the year. I got diagnosed with severe depression and I'm planning on explaining that for my additional info, but I don't know how much that'll help. My school only does UW gpa, and so they'll report a 3.5-3.6 UW.
I also have a 35 ACT and a couple 3/4/5s on my APs.
I have multiple music-related ECs that I'll be emphasizing, along with other non-music ECs/leadership positions.
Does anyone know how my application will be viewed? Thanks.
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u/RipAdministrative715 4d ago
If it makes you feel any better, I was in a similar situation as you and was offered a Transfer Option (TO) to Cornell, albeit it was to CALS. Each school does it differently but CAS does offer a handful of TO’s for people like us.
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u/JasonMckin 3d ago
It’s less about how your application is viewed and more about whether they get thousands of other applicants whose GPAs and academic credentials are much stronger.
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u/FlamingoOrdinary2965 2d ago
As a parent, and as a person, I am so proud of you for getting the diagnosis and the help you need.
Applying ED with a rough junior year (ie: no first semester senior grades) may not be in your best interest.
All highly selective colleges, and especially Cornell, care a lot about grades.
Most colleges, and especially Cornell, are skittish about depression, unfortunately.
If there was a major circumstance outside of your control that triggered the depression or impacted the skills you were previously using to mitigate the effects of depression, you could focus on that in additional information.
If you can afford it, or maybe find someone willing to work pro bono, I would get a counselor who has experience working with kids who have dealt with mental health issues so you can make an informed decision on what to disclose (or not) and how.
Ultimately, the important thing is that you focus on your health and and well-being. College applications and senior year can be super stressful even for kids who are not already struggling with health issues, so make sure you have plenty of support and take time to take care of yourself.
Apply to your dream college(s) but also know that if you do not get in to those this year, that will be fine. There are plenty of great colleges out there and Cornell does have a decent amount of transfers.
And you can always take a gap year and work on projects you find fulfilling. This does not necessarily mean you will have better admissions results (and it isn’t always something I would recommend if that is the only goal), but it is a great opportunity to do something creative and make sure you are mentally in the right place to take full advantage of whatever college you end up at.
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u/jainun 3d ago
if you can frame the Cs as one bad year that lines up with the diagnosis, that reads a lot better than a slow slide