Informational Bulletins
International Students: Exams & Advanced Standing
You will need to submit scores from several standardized tests as part of your application to Cornell. It's best to take these exams early in the admissions process so that you can be sure the results get to us in time.
Information about advanced standing and advanced placement credit is also included below.
- Entrance Exams
- English Proficiency
- Advanced Standing
- Printable version of Cornell's AP/IB/Advanced Standings policies
- International Baccalaureate
Entrance Exams
American colleges and universities use these standardized tests as a part of the evaluation of applicants for admission: the College Board SAT; the American College Testing Program assessment (ACT); and, in some cases, the College Board SAT Subject Tests. You should refer to the Freshman Admission Requirements grid to note which exams are required by the undergraduate college you'll be applying to at Cornell.
We realize that international students may be at some disadvantage in parts of these tests. We keep this in mind while reviewing your application. For application forms for the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests, and the ACT, check with your school counselor or register online.
To be certain that Cornell receives your test scores, please make sure that the name you use for test registration is identical to your name as it is listed in your passport and in your admissions application. Scores must be sent directly to Cornell from the testing center.
English Proficiency
If English isn’t your first language, even if you have attended an English medium school, you will need to demonstrate your language competence by having your score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) sent to Cornell as well as a recommendation from an English teacher. Your writing ability, as well as your course work in English, will help Cornell evaluate your skills. You will need to take an official TOEFL or IELTS exam; Cornell doesn’t accept scores on institutional tests. Please allow six weeks for your score to arrive at Cornell.
If you have attended school in the United States or in an English-speaking country for fewer than four years and English is not your first language, it will be to your advantage in the selection process to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score. (If you've taken the SAT and scored 670 or above on the Verbal or Critical Reading section, you're exempted from this requirement.)
Note: When completing the information for the TOEFL or IELTS score report, please include Cornell's institutional code of 2098 and department code of 00 (zero zero) so that your scores arrive at Cornell's Undergraduate Admissions Application Processing Center.
Advanced Standing
Cornell awards credit and advanced standing for a number of subjects at the GCE Advanced Level and the International Baccalaureate Higher Level. In many cases, students with a French baccalaureat, the German Abitur, or a similar credential will receive some credit, depending on the stream or specialization they followed. Advanced placement may be awarded based on an examination or a department review conducted during orientation at Cornell, or based on scores on College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Examinations taken before you arrive.
International Baccalaureate
Cornell is a leader among American universities in enrolling undergraduate students who have earned the International Baccalaureate (I.B.). Cornell regards the I.B. program as a rigorous advanced program of study, and you'll be pleased to find similar opportunities at Cornell through interdisciplinary courses, independent majors, honors programs, and undergraduate research opportunities. Cornell may award credit and advanced standing for your I.B. Higher Level Exam test results.
