Apply as a First-Year Student to Cornell College
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Application due date: May 1, 2025
Application fee: $0 for U.S. residents
Scholarship consideration: Automatic, min $33,000 for full-time residential U.S. students
Ready to apply to Cornell? Great! We’re eager to get to know you through your undergraduate application and see how your experiences have prepared you to become a Cornellian. Life on the Hilltop means joining the Ramily—we’re a close-knit community full of innovative thinkers and ambitious learners, and we can’t wait to consider you for our incoming class.
Application Materials
✔ Your high school transcript(s)
✔ A personal essay or writing sample
✔ An ACT/SAT score (optional—if you choose to apply with test scores)
✔ Short-answer questions (if you choose to not submit test scores)
Optional application materials:
✔ Teacher recommendations
✔ Personal portfolio
Admission requirements
Our admission team knows the importance of looking at the whole student. Generally, we make the following recommendations for your transcript:
✔ 4 years of English
✔ 3 years of math
✔ 3 years of social science
✔ 2 years of science
✔ 2 years of foreign language
Test scores...share them, or not?
Cornell is test-optional, which means that you can choose whether or not to submit your test scores with your application. There have been a lot of questions about test-optional applications in the last few years, but we can reassure you that we’ve been test-optional since 2017 and we’ve found that test scores aren’t a determining factor in whether a student will do well at Cornell. If you apply test-optional we’ll ask you a few additional short-answer questions on your application.
If you worked hard to prepare for the test(s) and have a score you’re proud of, by all means, submit it and skip those extra questions! Cornell’s ACT code is 1296 and our SAT code is 6119.
Keep exploring
If you're not quite sure yet if Cornell is the right place for you, we encourage you to take the time to meet our Ramily either virtually or in person. Hear our students' perspectives on what it means to be a Cornell student in this video, and come visit us in person to see campus and meet people for yourself. We look forward to hosting you.
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Still have questions?
Contact the Admission Office
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our admission team. We’re always available to answer any questions you or your family may have about the undergraduate application process, the block plan, or application requirements, and we love to talk to prospective students about Cornell.
Contact the Financial Aid Office
Get connected with valuable financial assistance opportunities for first-year students. In addition to merit scholarships, talent scholarships, and geographic scholarships, we also offer an array of grants, loans, and work-study options to help offset the cost of college. Reach out to us with any questions you or your family may have—we’re here to help.