Cornell R2ers

In BW forums, many people have started getting interview requests.

But Cornell is goofing up again. They have sent some interview requests to international students asking them to come to Ithaca for interview.

They still don't learn do they?

im officially worried. My status went to under review on the 20th, still no word.

Have I seen your essays?

don't believe so

My status is the same as well. Still no word!!

I called them and I asked what is the last date interview invites can be sent for R2. Her reply was anytime from last week through the end of Dec. I mentioned how that would conflict with the decision deadline. She told me that if we send an interview that late, regardless of the official decision deadline, they would notify the individuals of a decision within one week of the interview. This would still fall under the R2 deadlines.

Pretty interesting huh. This tells me they can't get their stuff together. They're trying to beat the other schools for decision notifcations to lock in security deposits (thereby attempting to maintain yields). But they can't get to it. Pretty sad.

<----got request on Tuesday

I would say if you really want to get in to Cornell be proactive about it - try to get in touch with someone there and make your case or if you have the time and the money do a school visit. This is a networking game, regardless of how the schools present the admissions process - it is your job to be proactive and make them aware of who you are and that you want to get in.

However, it all has to be done within reason and not expecting a miracle. For example some schools are more open to communicating with prospects (I believe Cornell is friendly) and others don't want you to have access to admissions officials.

I doubt that very much - or why have a deposit date for R1 that matches R2 and is later than the vast majority of R1 decisions? If they wanted to "lock" R1ers in they'd ask for a deposit in Dec, not Jan 15 - well after all other major programs dish out decisions.

And in any case, I'd be suprised if anyone really chose to go to Cornell over some other place just because of a $1,000 deposit.

I may just be talking out of frustration, but the fact that the final decision deadline of Dec 18th is not very final still remains. Could it be because of an above normal application volume this season?

When I spoke to the adcom during R1, they told me (I tried to get a number out of them but it didn't work) application volume was "way up" and that they were "working extra hard to get through it all" but that some people "might not hear back by the date". That said, they did say that worst case people would hear back "a few days after the deadline, worst case."

If R1 volume was up, I imagine r2 volume is up too.

the hardest part is second guessing pieces of your app while you wait it out.

slowly but surely losing hope