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A special Cornell Lecture

May 8, 2018

A special Cornell Lecture

“Raise your hands if you know what you want to do after college.” The question was asked by Mr. Trevor Osgood, a graduate of Cornell University’s SC Johnson Business School, one of the most prestigious institutions in the US. SHSID had the honor of hosting him to conduct a short lecture on the morning of May 2nd. The daunting nature of the question was met with a lukewarm response, despite the fully seated classroom of economics students. However, Mr. Osgood cracked a couple of jokes to break the silence and cast the heaviness away. He then dived into an informative and thought-provoking conversation with students on college applications and planning career choices.

There are two admissions factors that depend on your accumulated experience in high school. The first—you guessed it—is grades and standardized tests. There’s not much to re-emphasize about this area, but do keep in mind that grades matter the most in the eyes of an admissions officer (even if the college has a test-optional policy). The next is your extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities are designed to showcase your abilities in balancing academic rigor with social responsibility and individual challenges. The broad qualities associated with said activities means that this is a very flexible area, with numerous competitions and volunteer opportunities available both on-and-off campus. So how should students demonstrate their maximum potential through these activities? Mr. Osgood highlights two key guiding tips for selecting which activities you choose to participate in. First, make sure you demonstrate a certain level of consistency in your activities. Many students think that dabbling in a laundry list of competitions and charity work will give the impression that they are “well-rounded.” Admissions officers, however, are not easily fooled. They can see through the shallowness and note that the activities you listed on your resume are scattered and irrelevant to each other. Thus, being consistently active in a select few but still rigorous activities will do a much better job of showing your dedication and motivation as a student. The second tip is choosing activities that clearly point towards an intended major or field of research. Mr. Osgood draws the example of an economics student volunteering in Sichuan to protect panda bears. This is obviously a heartfelt act, but writing about in your essays would throw the admissions officer off. Why? Well, unless you can establish a strong connection between panda bears and your pursuit of economics, then the activity is pretty much a wash in terms of building your character.

Moving on from the two core factors, there are also factors not explicitly stated on the Common Application or Coalition Application that can influence college decisions. A handful of students have already begun conducting campus visits during winter and summer breaks, and Mr. Osgood considers that a very wise decision to make. To put it in his words, visiting colleges will make them place a “gold star” next to your name and make note of it when they read your application. Campus visits are a solid method of showing demonstrated interest, a concept commonly emphasized by SHSID’s college counsellors and Teacher Advisors. By proving demonstrated interest, colleges will have the guarantee that you will be a contributor to the school once you’re admitted and polish its reputation once you graduate. Moreover, when you’re visiting a campus, make sure to drop by the specific school or college you wish to apply to and have a conversation with the professors there. They can offer abundant insight and assistance to clear any confusion you may have, and you also get the chance to leave a positive impression on them for the future. Mr. Osgood mentions that as a high schooler, he talked to Professor Drew Pascarella on a Cornell visit, and the same professor became his faculty advisor once he was admitted. On a more coincidental note, Professor Pascarella is also teaching a one-week course right here at SHSID about big data from July 16-22.

In the brief forty minutes that Mr. Osgood had with the students, he shared many meaningful ideas that serve to help them achieve success in their college applications. Hopefully this synthesis of his points can also provide you with the initiative to think more critically about where you see yourself after high school graduation.

（Written by Linda Li 10(7) Pictures by Ye Zhen)