How do I boost my transfer application?

Answered

So first and most obvious is that you need to make sure you're at minimum meeting the requirements sent to you in the letter. Ideally you are going above and beyond those requirements as best as you can. Need a 3.5 GPA? You're going to shoot for a 4.0 your first year. Need specific classes? You're going to take those classes, crush them, and get a killer recommendation from the professor. Cornell actually has a decent transfer admit rate and getting the letter is a good sign but don't assume that getting the letter is the same as being accepted for transfer.

Are you committing to another school and then hoping to transfer in the spring or are you taking a gap year? And if you're committing to a school are you planning on being on campus? I ask because it slightly changes the advice I would give but I think enough of the advice applies in either case.

Over the summer do as much as you can to continue building out your ECs and demonstrating your passions which you've included on your application. I recognize it's a lot more difficult now than it should be but unfortunately that's the hand we've been dealt. As @chandras said, a lot of stuff has transitioned to being online so look to participate in what you can. As things begin to open up see what you're able to do in-person. Whether that's a job, volunteering, shadowing, clubs, etc. you should look into as much as possible. When you send in your transfer application they're going to want to see you've continued to build off of your interests and that you practice what you preach basically. It's not going to look good if on your original application you mentioned you wanted to accomplish things "x, y, and z" and after having ~one year to do some of those things you're no closer than you were when you originally applied.

If you're committing to a school and plan on trying to transfer after the first semester make sure you get great grades. Show you're capable of handling college level work. Get close with some professors so you can get strong recommendations. Join clubs, events, intramural leagues, show that you're somebody who actively participates in what a college has to offer and that you're a positive asset to a college community. The Dyson school only accepts fall transfers so you're basically going to do a whole year at another college before applying for the transfer. You NEED to make that year count.

Also, before I forget, definitely do not apply to a random school with a higher acceptance rate. It's not a good idea for a lot of reasons honestly. But generally one of the biggest reasons not to is because your application won't reflect the interests of whatever other school you apply to. You're applying to Dyson because I assume you have an interest in business and your application and ECs probably demonstrates that. If you apply to another school your profile most likely won't stack up against other applicants who are actually interested in the programs in that school and who have ECs and experience to back that up.