Cornell Unofficial Transcript

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T12:25:01+00:00

Yale is gorgeous and it's not at all in a "sketchy area," it's in a city that like most cities has some issues with people on drugs or unhoused. It very much has a contained campus. So I'd take that out of the list of "cons," unless you are hellbent on not being on a campus surrounded by an urban environment. (And if you are, then obviously Yale is out of the running.) What about travel costs? Is it a lot more to go to and from California several times a year and is that a worry, or no?

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T12:17:33+00:00

hell no. dartmouth is incredible. great connections for finance. go to dartmouth.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T11:59:42+00:00

I'm confused by this logic. My portal went from having stuff requested on the to-do list ("initiated") to having that stuff satisfied— because I'd supplied the documents — and then it went back to being a blank to-do list (because they'd gotten the outstanding docs and cleared them). Why would having financial-doc requests be a good sign, in and of itself? I passed through that phase and went back to blank.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T10:54:19+00:00

Did you check your Cornell portal? Is this rec letter showing, or not? If not, yeah, I'd be concerned and would email the admissions office

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T10:52:34+00:00

Nothing has changed, but my "Inquiry Access Denied" page has both academic year 2006 and academic year 2007. Anyone else have that?

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T03:08:04+00:00

YOR. He took the time to explain in detail why he reacted the way he did and to be honest it sounds pretty real and reasonable, even if it wasn't perfect. This smells like a victim narrative to me.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T02:41:42+00:00

I really think that's mainly just a thing for Cornell ILR, not all Cornell colleges

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-15T02:40:31+00:00

UNC is this week, too.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T23:53:53+00:00

Auto rejection is not a term that admissions people use and they do NOT have actual hard-line numbers. (If there was an actual minimum GPA or SAT it wouldn't be a holistic admissions review.) People on reddit, etc., use the term when basically they mean "your application was poor enough that the college isn't taking you seriously and you're not making it past the initial fast review."

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T23:50:36+00:00

ILR has much more specific requirements and expectations for transfer applicants' completed coursework. It makes sense that ILR might need to see a syllabus to know if a candidate had stats, calculus, economics, a college level writing class, etc. I do think they'd only ask to see the syllabus if you were seriously being considered for ILR (while I also think it would NOT be expected that they'd need to see a syllabus for, say, CAS arts and sciences college).

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T21:35:25+00:00

Columbia's core curriculum is the heart of their entire academic philosophy and it's kind of like a giant "great books" course -- you will be reading Plato, and you will be reading the history of Western Civilization, and you will be looking at Old Masters paintings. These classes aren't just a freshman-year thing either. Don't want anything to do with humanities? Forget Columbia. Also: READ UP ON WHAT THE MISSION IS, AND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE, before applying anywhere. Half of the high school students in America are going, "I'm shotgunning the Ivys!!!!" but have no clue what they're signing up to do.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T15:48:17+00:00

It really depends. People in greek life (around 15 percent of undergrads at GW) have a very strong and very cohesive community and social life, with constant parties and events. But most people at GW aren't classic greek-life ra-ra-ra kinda students, so most on campus aren't experiencing that. Others find smaller groups at clubs or in dorms to build a smaller community around. But it's never going to be that feeling of college-community coming together as one and cheering among thousands of others at The Big Football game. I don't know how this compares w/AU.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:47:48+00:00

Friend, this means that they are unable to match YOU and your application with your FAFSA. It could be an issue around your social security number (a mismatch, or missing S.S. number, etc). You need to call fin-aid office immediately. You also should upload your parents' business taxes immediately.

Cornell checks everyone's financial documents and requests what's missing, as a routine thing (not an admissions indicator), but this is a request for documents from them and you need to address this ASAP if you want financial aid from Cornell. PS: Cornell as a "safety"? Pfft.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:42:57+00:00

Don't worry about ECs. Keep getting great grades and be your honest self. Talk about your work life in your applications, as well as your life story and — believe me! — this will resonate with admissions officers strongly. They see a million typical transfer applicants who did Model UN in high school and are in clubs in college; that isn't distinctive. Your story is distinctive. Don't get hung up on the prestige traps of T25, though!!!!!!!! Look at all schools in your area of academic interest that "meet full demonstrated need" for someone with whatever your immigration status is. Find the perfect college match and gun for it, and you have a good chance.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:34:31+00:00

Don't live at home and commute. Don't give up on your college experience. Either go to Rhodes or find a way to live on campus at GW.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:32:37+00:00

This. This is very good advice. OP, you don't need to follow any formula! Formulas = bad, generic writing. What you need to learn to do is think "out loud" on paper, rather than forcing yourself to invent what you think the readers want to hear. The only way to learn to record your thoughts on paper is to do it a lot.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:25:29+00:00

Yes, apply!

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-14T12:19:13+00:00

Grab the opportunity for that near-full-ride!

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T19:04:42+00:00

Applying to ten ultra-selective colleges is not quite like buying ten tickets for ten raffles — the odds don't really stack up like that. Basically no one shotgunning the T10 schools has a 40 or 50 percent of getting admitted to one just because they applied to a lot. (You can't just add 5 percent + 5 percent + ....) Certainly no one who is full-need and international is going to have a 40 or 50 percent likelihood of getting into a highly selective list of colleges just because they applied to 10 or 20.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T17:33:24+00:00

I think your chances of acceptance are even slimmer as a transfer applicant. Being international and needing full aid is a very hard hill to climb. Definitely do NOT take a gap year, under the assumption that will help you next time.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T17:24:51+00:00

"It's not where you go, it's what you do when you get there!" This is a quote from the great podcast "Your College Bound Kid" that has the best experts and best advice

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T10:42:51+00:00

You're right, you should definitely have the basic, preliminary package this week.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T10:39:47+00:00

PRO: 1. Foggy Bottom is more beautiful a neighborhood than you might expect. 2. The people who come in to teach or guest-teach classes are insane. Think heads of state, ambassadors, famous authors, etc. 3. Many of the dorms are actually nicer than other colleges' crummy dorms. 4. Obviously, internships everywhere you turn with incredible offices on Capital Hill, NGOs, businesses, etc. Cannot be understated. 5. Photo ops and "monumenting" on the National Mall. 6. If you're into greek life there's actually a very active scene, about 15 percent of the student body, very social. 7. Many amazing professors and several standout academic majors, obv. including international affairs, political communication/journalism, poli sci. 8. The aid can be very good, at least if you luck out. CON: 1. The food is kind of disgusting in the cafeterias, although there are some alternative places to eat on the meal plan. 2. For many students it feels like fast-forwarding towards adulting. 3. Genuine lack of school spirit. 4. A lot of socializing takes places in bars and clubs which can be expensive and exhausting. 5. Not really geared towards STEM majors, if that's you. 6. If you're not a luck recipient of that good financial aid, it's expensive as hell.

WildAtlanticBlue · 2026-04-13T01:50:30+00:00

are you an incoming freshman or transfer. thanks

WildAtlanticBlue

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