What is the wait list?

You are being offered a place on Cornell’s wait list because, given enrollment limitations, we cannot offer you admission at this time. Keeping your name on our wait list will give you the opportunity to keep your application active until we determine whether sufficient numbers of currently accepted applicants will enroll. If spaces still remain as we approach and after the May 2 reply date, we may be able to extend an offer of admission to you.

What are the chances of being selected from the wait list?

We are not able to estimate your chances for admission at this time. However, over the past five years, an average of 4,500 applicants a year have confirmed a place on Cornell University’s wait list. During this time, we have admitted as many as 190 students (and as few as 24) from the wait list. Please keep in mind that no admission offers will be made until we know how many openings there will be and how many applicants have decided to remain on the wait list. As a reminder, Cornell’s wait list is managed college by college.

Some general advice:

Applicants who were admitted during the regular selection process must let us know by the May 2 reply date if they plan to enroll. As we get closer to this date, we should know whether we are able to offer admission to additional candidates. If you are admitted from the wait list you will receive online notification of this decision and your enrollment deposit must be received within five business days of your online notification.

We notify wait list candidates of their status as soon as it is clear that additional offers of admission can be made or that no space is available. Meanwhile, it is important that you assure yourself of a place at another college or university to which you have been admitted.

It is also important to update your admission and financial aid applications, if you choose to remain on the wait list. Information about applying for financial aid is included on the next page. Admission updates can include new grade reports, information about new honors or awards, and additions or shifts in momentum related to your activities in and outside of the classroom. Of course, we would welcome any other new information, too. Please log in to your Application Status Page, use the Supplemental Uploader, and select “Wait List Correspondence” from the drop-down menu, to submit new information.

How to reply:

Please let us know by April 10 if you are interested in keeping your name on our wait list by completing the wait list reply form.

Further questions?

If you have further questions about the wait list, please contact the appropriate undergraduate college admissions office at Cornell.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences                   cals_admissions@cornell.edu
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning                aap-admissions@cornell.edu
College of Arts and Sciences                                        as_admissions@cornell.edu
SC Johnson College of Business
         Dyson School                                                        dyson_admissions@cornell.edu
         Nolan School (SHA)                                              sha_admissions@cornell.edu
College of Engineering                                                  engr_admissions@cornell.edu
College of Human Ecology                                           humec_admissions@cornell.edu
Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy                         brooks_admissions@cornell.edu
School of Industrial and Labor Relations                    ilr_admissions@cornell.edu