Informational Bulletins
First-Year Students: Application Process Overview
Cornell’s application process is designed to gather information from you that will be helpful to our admissions selection committees. We are interested in knowing about your background, interests, and aspirations, as well as your academic and extracurricular achievements. We look forward to receiving your application and getting to know you. The following overview should help you as you prepare your Cornell application.
The Cornell Application Consists Of:
- the Common Application, which Cornell uses exclusively (includes pages AP-1 to AP-5, the Secondary School Report, Teacher Evaluations, the Midyear Report, and the Final Report)
- a $70 application fee or fee waiver
- Official secondary school transcript of grades
- the Cornell Supplement to the Common Application, required of all applicants as it includes important Cornell-specific information and required essays
- college specific requirements as noted in the Freshman Admission Requirements Grid
- the 2010 Freshman Financial Aid Application for applicants planning to apply for financial aid
Admission Application Deadlines
Your Common Application must be submitted by November 1 for early decision, or January 2 for regular decision. Applicants are strongly encouraged to file their application in advance of deadlines and during the appropriate filing periods: September 1 – November 1 for early decision and September 1 – January 2 for regular decision. It is important that you submit your online Common Application and fee or fee waiver as soon as possible. The online Cornell Supplement can be sent at the same time or very soon thereafter.
Required Interviews
For applicants to the School of Hotel Administration and to the architecture program in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, a formal interview is required for admission. Applicants to the art department in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning also are encouraged (though not required) to have an interview. Submit an online request for the School of Hotel Administration or call the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (607 255-4376) to schedule a required interview. Though Cornell offers applicants the opportunity to meet with Cornell alumni, formal interviews are not required for any other undergraduate programs, nor are they offered.
How We Communicate With You About Your Application
Email is our primary method for communicating with you regarding your application. We will utilize email to request missing application materials, to verify information, and to give you special instructions. Please provide us with a current email address that you check frequently. Please carefully type or print your email address on the Common Application and Cornell Supplement. Also, be sure to include cornell.edu in your email address book and/or remove any spam blockers that might prevent our email from reaching you.
Tracking the Status of Your Application
When we receive your Common Application and application fee (or fee waiver request), we will email you with the information you need to establish an online application status account on Cornell’s web site. Receiving your ApplicantID and PIN via email is your confirmation that we have received you application. Using this secure site, you will be able to track your application materials and update your email address as necessary.
Completing Your Application
Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that all required application materials are submitted to and received by the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Plan on tracking your application materials on your online application status account. We will also email students during the application process to request missing materials. Applications that are not completed will be withdrawn from admission consideration.
How to Apply: Online vs. Paper
We strongly recommend that you apply online to expedite the processing of your application and so that we can serve you more efficiently. The following application materials can be completed and submitted online at www.commonapp.org:
- Common Application and Application Fee
- Cornell Supplement to the Common Application
- Secondary School Report Form
- Teacher Evaluation Form
- Midyear Report Form
Additionally, many secondary schools can submit official school transcripts online. If this is the case with your school, please encourage your school to send your official transcript to us online as well.
If you submit the Common Application online, please do not also submit a paper copy of your application. If you need to submit application materials in paper copy because you cannot do so online, paper copy materials should be mailed to the Undergraduate Admissions Office as follows:
Common Application, Application Fee (or Application Fee Waiver Request) to:
Undergraduate Admissions Office
Cornell University
P.O. Box 516
Ithaca, NY 14851-0516
Cornell Supplement, Interest Essay, Secondary School Report, Transcripts, Teacher Evaluations, Midyear Report, and all other materials to:
Application Processing Center
East Hill Plaza
349 Pine Tree Road
Ithaca, NY 14850-2899
Note to early decision applicants: when mailing materials to Cornell, please write “early decision” on the mailing envelope.
Primary/Alternate Admission
Cornell offers applicants the option of applying to two colleges, recognizing that Cornell’s undergraduate colleges and schools offer a multitude of distinctive academic programs, and that many applicants have diverse intellectual interests that may be satisfied by more than one college or school. All students will apply to a college at Cornell as their primary choice and have the option of applying to another college as their alternate choice. See Primary Alternate College Admission/FAQs for more information. Our undergraduate colleges can be explored at the links below:
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Engineering
School of Hotel Administration
College of Human Ecology
School of Industrial and Labor Relations
