First-Year Applicants
You'll apply as a first-year applicant if you've never taken college courses, took dual or concurrent enrollment college courses while in high school, or have graduated from high school but earned fewer than 12 credits. Review the process outlined below and check out our FAQs for more information.
Early Decision (ED) is a binding application plan, designed for students who've selected Cornell as their first choice university. If admitted in ED, students must withdraw all applications to other colleges and universities.
| Deadline | Materials Due |
|---|---|
| November 1 | Application; application fee or fee waiver Portfolio or design supplement (if required for your program of interest) |
| November 13 | All other required materials |
| Date | Population |
|---|---|
| November 1 | Aid application deadline for international students |
| November 15 | Priority aid application date for domestic students |
Admission decisions for ED applicants will be available mid-December.
Regular Decision (RD) is a non-binding decision plan, meaning you can apply to Cornell along with other universities. This application plan is a good fit for students who have a strong interest in Cornell but are considering multiple options.
| Deadline | Materials Due |
|---|---|
| January 2 | Application; application fee or fee waiver Portfolio or design supplement (if required for your program of interest) |
| January 19 | All other required materials |
| Date | Population |
|---|---|
| January 2 | Aid application deadline for international students |
| February 15 | Priority aid application date for domestic students |
Admission decisions for RD applicants will be available in late March.
At Cornell, you'll apply directly to one of our colleges or schools; be sure to explore your options to choose your best fit. Once you've made your decision, review unique application requirements for that college or school by clicking the appropriate link below.
Submit your Common Application online.
Before you begin working on your application, be sure to review Cornell's policy on receiving help with your application.
Cornell’s application fee is $85. However, if the application fee presents a financial burden for you or your family and you plan to apply for financial aid, you may qualify for a fee waiver.
To request a fee waiver on the Common Application:
Please note that your fee waiver will be automatically applied, and you don't need to submit documentation to Cornell.
Your high school should submit an official high school transcript that includes grades for all completed courses and lists in-progress courses. If you're applying Early Decision, we encourage you to submit grades from your first grading period. Mid-year grades for current courses are required when available. Official transcripts should be submitted through Common Application, an eTranscript service, or an online ordering system.
Your counselor or designated school official should also submit the Common Application form or your school’s own report form on your behalf.
The counselor recommendation highlights your accomplishments within the context of your high school. The letter should come from your school counselor, college counselor, principal, or headmaster. You won't be disadvantaged if your high school structure and counselor’s caseload didn't allow you the opportunity to build a personal relationship with your counselor.
You're required to submit two teacher recommendations, which should highlight your academic strengths and contributions in the classroom.
As part of your Common Application, you'll be asked to fill out the Cornell University supplement, which includes the college- or school-specific essay(s) you'll need to answer. You can submit your Cornell supplement after you've submitted your Common Application, but we encourage you to submit it by the application deadline. Be sure to review the writing prompt(s) for the college or school you're applying to.
You're required to submit SAT or ACT scores when applying to Cornell.
Review the Standardized Test Score Policy
If you're an international applicant, you must also demonstrate English language proficiency and may be required to submit scores from an approved English language proficiency exam as part of your application.
Undergraduate applicants with exceptional musical talent have the option to submit a music supplement for review by the Department of Music. If you submit these optional materials, you're not required to major in music, but we do expect that you'll be significantly engaged in music while at Cornell. You can submit the music supplement through your Applicant Portal after submitting your Common Application.
Native and Indigenous students—as well as their advocates, supporters and communities—are encouraged to connect with us and learn more about the unique living and learning opportunities and networks for support available at Cornell University.
Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁare members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land.
Cornell strives to live up to our “any person” ethos, ensuring access to all qualified domestic undergraduate students, regardless of income, assets or family circumstances. Cornell offers financial aid packages that cover the difference between the cost of attendance (which includes living expenses in addition to tuition) and what a family can reasonably be expected to afford.
First-generation college students and students from low- and moderate-income backgrounds, as well as their advocates and supporters, are encouraged to reach out to Undergraduate Admissions to connect with us and learn more about the living and learning opportunities and networks for support available to undergraduate students at Cornell University.
Cornell invites veterans and current members of the military to join its growing community of veteran scholars. Our community of veterans is strong and growing, thanks to a renewed commitment to recruit, enroll, and support those who’ve served. We encourage you to connect with us at veteranadmissionsandenrollment@cornell.edu.
Cornell's long and prestigious military history started with the Morrill Act of 1862. Cornell's founding and designation as New York State's Land Grant University imparted to it the responsibility to provide military training and education programs. Cornell formally established a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) unit in 1917. Cornell graduates have served with distinction in every major conflict since the Spanish-American War. Cornell commissioned more officers in World War I than any other institution in the United States including the military academies. During World War II, Cornellians again responded, with more than 20,000 serving in the armed forces in every theatre of war.
If you were homeschooled, your application process and requirements are the same as other applicants. We encourage you to provide clear, detailed documentation of your curriculum, assessment tools, and learning experiences along with a curriculum description and list of educational texts and materials used.
We understand that your transcript may look different from a traditional high school one. Your transcript should include a list of courses by grade level and performance indicators (such as letter grades or GPA). If you have completed coursework at one or more traditional high schools, colleges, or universities, submit an official transcript from each institution.
For your letters of recommendation, we recommend someone not related to you complete at least two of the three required recommendations.
Students attending one of the United World College (UWC) secondary schools around the world as well as their advocates and supporters are encouraged to reach out to Undergraduate Admissions to connect with us and learn more about the living and learning opportunities and networks for support available to undergraduate students at Cornell University.
Thanks to the generosity of Cornell alumnus Dr. Alexander Levitan '59 and Mrs. Lucy Levitan, a cohort of international students receives full scholarships via the Levitan Family Scholarships and has access to mentorship and financial assistance for academic and professional experience opportunities through the Levitan Scholars Fund.
Dr. and Mrs. Levitan established these scholarships and the Levitan Scholars Fund as a multi-generational legacy of the Levitan family at Cornell University and as an expression of their family’s deep commitment to making the full experience of a world-class education at Cornell available to students with financial need from around the world. The Levitans were inspired to support international students by Al’s father, Sacha Levitan. As an immigrant to France, Sacha received much-needed support for his education. He then came to the United States, where he served in WWII.
Levitan Family Scholarships currently provide support to five students every year. Recipients who continue to fulfill the requirements of the scholarship receive support for the duration of their undergraduate studies at Cornell. (This includes students whose basic course of study requires five years of attendance but does not include extended University attendance to pursue additional semesters due to double majors or dual degrees.)
Thanks to a generous gift from the Tata Education and Development Trust—a philanthropic affiliate of India’s Tata Group—a $25 million endowment provides financial aid to Cornell undergraduate students from India.
The Tata Scholarship Fund supports approximately 20 scholars at any point in time and ensures that the very best Indian students have access to Cornell, regardless of their financial circumstances. Cornell awards these scholarships annually, and recipients receive the scholarship for the duration of their undergraduate studies at Cornell.
Ratan Tata ’59, B. Arch ’62, was a Cornell trustee and the chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, one of India’s oldest, largest, and most respected business conglomerates. Mr. Tata was one of the most respected business leaders in the world and received numerous prestigious honors recognizing his impact through his work and philanthropy.
As long as Tata Scholars have financial need, Cornell is committed to providing them with Tata Scholarship funding. With the exception of the five-year program in architecture, which requires ten semesters of full-time enrollment, Cornell will provide up to eight semesters of funding. Funding for additional semesters due to double majors or dual degrees is not available.
Undergraduate applicants eligible for the Tata Scholarship will be considered if they complete the admission application and apply for financial aid. All applicants must apply for financial aid by completing the CSS Profile.
Cornell meets 100 percent of admitted undergraduate students' demonstrated financial need with annual aid offers that include Cornell grants, an annual work-study award, and reasonable student loans depending on total family income. If you plan to apply for aid, you should do so by the dates noted above.
Cornell’s undergraduate admission process for U.S. students* is need-blind, meaning interest in or need for financial aid is not amongst the many factors considered when making admission decisions.
*U.S. students include U.S. citizens, U.S. citizens with dual citizenship, and certain eligible non-citizens such as refugees or asylees. Undocumented students who attended and graduated from a U.S. high school are considered eligible non-citizens for Cornell aid purposes but are not eligible for federal aid.
Cornell’s undergraduate admission process for international students is need-aware, meaning interest in or need for financial aid is one factor amongst many considered when making admission decisions.
Learn More about Applying for Aid
If you're an international student and anticipate the need for financial aid at any point during your undergraduate education, you must apply for aid when you apply for admission; see the deadlines listed above. If you don't apply for aid by the posted deadline, you will not be eligible to apply for financial aid at any time as an undergraduate at Cornell.
Shortly after you've submitted your Common Application, we'll email you with instructions to log in to your Cornell Applicant Portal. You'll then use that portal to check the status of your application materials, submit additional information as needed, and eventually review your admission decision.
Still need help? Look at the Frequently Asked Questions, or contact us.