Greetings from Cornell University!

Our selection committees are continuing to review Regular Decision admissions applications. This year we received over 68,000 total applications for our fall 2023 first-year class of 3,441.

Our Regular Decision notification date and time, common for all Ivy League institutions, is Thursday, March 30, 2023 beginning at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). Students will receive information just prior to notification regarding how to view their decision online using their Cornell application status account portal.

More students than ever are able to graduate from Cornell with little to no debt, and about half of all undergraduate students receive substantial financial aid in the form of Cornell grant aid that does not need to be repaid. After factoring in funding awarded through grants and work-study programs, the cost of a Cornell education may be less than expected. And, because of Cornell’s investments in grant aid, many families’ aid packages contain no loans. With decision notification coming up, please encourage your admitted and entering students to explore all available aid options at Cornell. Cornell is proud to have extensive financial aid programs that help students and their families turn the dream of a Cornell education into a reality. Financial aid is a complex process and we are here to help. We will share more information regarding financial aid with admitted students in early April.

Virtual and online yield activities are the centerpiece for engaging with our newly admitted and enrolling students for fall 2023, and we will again provide dynamic and robust online programming and mobile engagement experiences – including livestreams, archived videos, social media events and blog posts, texting, chats and more – for all members of the Class of 2027 throughout the month of April. Admitted students will receive information about accessing our admitted student website and the Class of 2027 admitted student portal, along with a schedule of interactive, online events and on-demand content to deepen their sense of belonging and their understanding and appreciation of what it means to live and learn at Cornell.

We are also pleased to announce that we will be offering celebratory, on-campus yield events on Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23, and Saturday, April 29, and Sunday, April 30, for admitted students. Participants will hear from current Cornell students representing our undergraduate colleges and schools, and take a tour of the university’s campus led by a current undergraduate student who will share more about being at Cornell and being a Cornellian. Invitation and registration details will be shared by early April.

Last month, we began offering on-campus admissions information sessions and student-led walking tours for prospective students and families. This month, we have two online undergraduate admissions information sessions for prospective students on March 13 and March 28 and three livestreamed Cornell University general campus tours hosted live by current undergraduate student tour guides. More information about these online events in March and registration details can be found on our online event webpage. We will begin to offer more and more in-person, on-campus events for prospective students and families beginning in May and during the summer months, and you can learn more about the availability of in-person, on-campus tours via our Visit website.

Cornell Undergraduate Admissions has also developed an array of virtual and online visit and engagement alternatives to provide interested students and families a glimpse of the stunning architecture and natural beauty of the campus, information about the admissions process and our academic majors and programs, and an opportunity to hear perspectives from our current students on what makes Cornell truly special. On-demand online and virtual content is available via our Virtual Visit website, which includes student blogs; university, college and school information sessions; admissions requirements; information on all of our undergraduate majors; news, important updates, and so much more.

Among the many online and virtual opportunities available to get to know Cornell, I’d like to draw your attention to the Undergraduate Admissions Blog. You can access the blog via https://blogs.cornell.edu/admissions/ or as part of the Virtual Visit website or from navigation available through the Undergraduate Admissions website. The Undergraduate Admissions Blog is another great way to learn about the Cornell ethos through the words and experiences of current students and to get sage advice about applying from Cornell undergraduate admissions staff who share helpful tips and information. I was just looking through our blogs, and thought I should mention this wealth of content. Some of the recent blog topics include: How to Make New Social Connections on Campus; Let’s Talk About Cornell Admissions “Interviews”; Five Tips for Pre-Law Students; My Experience Applying Early Decision; Five Tips for Pre-Med Students; How to Become a Better Leader At Cornell; and CHE Application Tips: Reveal Don’t Just Report. I hope you take advantage of this site, along with all of our online, virtual, web, and social platform engagement opportunities.

Finally, we hope that you and your students take advantage of our searchable database of frequently asked questions (and answers). Our database is dynamic and growing and currently includes everything from the admissions process and academics to life on campus. If you haven’t already done so, check it out today!

Thank you for your efforts and support during this particularly challenging admissions cycle. We look forward to opportunities to engage with you and your students in the months ahead.

Please be in touch if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Shawn L. Felton
Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions
Cornell University