Cornell awarded the world's first degree in journalism, the nation's first degree in veterinary medicine, and the first doctorates in electrical and industrial engineering. It was the first U.S. university to offer a major in American studies. It also has been place of Nobel Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners. And, many more makes Cornell one of the best university in the world and students move heaven and earth to get into these schools.

   What would get me admitted to the Cornell University?

At Cornell University the admission process for undergraduate students is highly individualized, and the admissions team spends a lot of time evaluating applicants’ intellectual potential, character(honesty, Open-mindedness etc.), extracurricular activities and community involvement.

Cornell Engineering celebrates “innovative problem solving that helps people, communities…the world.” For admission applications, the university strongly recommends that applicants consider their ideas and aspirations and describe how a Cornell Engineering education would allow them to leverage technological problem-solving to improve the world we live in. The admission committee ideally would want to see this reflect in the admission essays. Therefore, from application standpoint, the ability of candidates to connect their interests to what is available at the College of Engineering is very critical. Cornell, like most Ivy’s, gives a great emphasis on high school grades as test-scores have become optional.

Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York. It was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White as a co-educational institution. The university's main campus is located on more than 2,000 acres of land in upstate New York, but it has a number of satellite campuses in New York City, Qatar, and around the world. Cornell offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees, including four undergraduate colleges and seven graduate and professional schools. It also offers a number of continuing education programs for professionals. Cornell's research centers and institutes include the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Cornell Institute for Technology, and the Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Important Facts for Class 2026 (as per Cornell Data)

Standardized tests – Test-Optional policy starting from fall 2021

Percent of enrolling students submitting SAT Scores: 40.8%

Percent of enrolling students submitting ACT Scores: 19.7%

Acceptance rate for Regular Decision – 10%(approx.)

Acceptance rate for Early Decision – 20%(approx.)

Average need-based scholarship/grant award - $49,002

Average SAT Score – 1440 - 1550

Average ACT Score – 31 – 34

Average GPA – 3.5 – 4.0

Cornell's Student Faculty Ratio – 9:1

According to US News Cornell University is #17 in the national Universities. It’s a private university.

Popular Majors

Computer and Information Sciences – 15%

Cornell Bowers CIS is a home to three departments which are Department of Computer Science, Department of Information Sciences and Department of Statistics and Data Science which powers the information economy. It helps students to push boundaries by developing state of art computing and information technologies.

Engineering – 15%

There are 14 majors in College of Engineering, it offers one of the broadest and extensive curricula in the world. It also offers a variety of interdisciplinary programs, such as aerospace engineering, applied and engineering physics, systems engineering and many more.

Biological and Biomedical Sciences - 13%

Biology students are broadly educated in physics, chemistry and mathematics while it becomes the excellent foundation of fundamental biology and for applied sciences such as advance courses in genetics and biochemistry. Whereas in Biomedical students are focussing on life sciences and animal and human disease processes, with an emphasis on animal physiology and infection biology.

Business, Management, Marketing - 13%

According to US news 2020 Cornell’s undergraduate business programs was ranked #7 in the world. Cornell offers 2 undergraduate business programs at SC Johnson College of Business — the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and the School of Hotel Administration (SHA).

Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science - 10%

The Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences provides top-ranked programs in community and rural development, environment and natural resources, food and nutrition, communication, applied economics, agriculture, international programs, and life sciences. It provides flexible and interdisciplinary major in all the majors which gives access to public-private research university offers.

  What are the most popular programs at the Cornell University?

Cornell University has 14 schools and colleges for undergraduate and graduate programs wherein two largest undergraduate colleges are The College of Arts and Sciences and The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Cornell is also well known for its top-ranked College of Veterinary Medicine and the highly esteemed The School of Hotel Administration (SHA) (ranked the No. 1 hospitality and hotel management school in the world for 2015 by CEOWORLD magazine). Its graduate school programs in engineering rank among the best in the nation, according to 2017 rankings released March 16 by U.S. News & World Report.

Cornell select students in their MBA program, who have gone over and beyond their normal call of duty to make a real and lasting impact on their organizations and the world around them. The students with diverse backgrounds and experiences are preferred candidates for the program. Cornell wants each (diversity) admitted student to become a vital part of a culture in which learning is an intensely shared process. Cornell MBA selection committee looks for a certain amount of academic excellence, consistency in performance, demonstrations of leadership, and the ability to work collaboratively. For two-year MBA program the acceptance rate is 12%.

The most important question for the admission committee is ‘why you chose Cornell’. Remember, from your application’s perspective, this is not a standardized response but rather a very unique and compelling case which is true only for you.

  Why Cornell?

• In sheer physical size, Cornell outdistances any other Ivy school by almost any standard of comparison as its Ithaca campus sprawls over thousands of acres.
• Cornell has over 45 Nobel laureates affiliated as faculty or alumni.
• For undergraduate programs, Cornell has one of the largest number of under-graduates in U.S. at around 14,000 students.
• Cornell College of Engineering is the largest and has most academically diverse undergraduate and graduate engineering programs.

  Notable Alumni

• Ratan Tata (BS in Structural Engineering)

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