Cornell University

If you want to apply to Cornell, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is January 2 and the fee for the application is $80.

Cornell Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here's an overiew of some of Cornell's admissions stats.

Cornell 2022	Admissions Statistics
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	84.2%
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	41%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	20%
Waitlist	Yes

Cornell University Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Cornell University.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 1	December 15
Early Decision II	––	––	––
Early Action	No	––	––
Regular Decision	Yes	January 15	––

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Considering Applying Early to Cornell?

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Cornell offers early decision but not early action. Early decision is binding, which means you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at Cornell is 21%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 9%. In 2022, Cornell admitted 1930 of the 9017 students who applied early decision.

Some students apply to college early to increase their chances of getting in. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase the chance of acceptance, since it shows your interest in a school.

➡️ Explore a list of some selective colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Cornell University Admissions

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How Hard Is It To Get Admitted to Cornell?

Cornell is an extremely difficult school to get into. Cornell evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2021, Cornell accepted 9% of all applicants, around 5,852 of the 67,380 students who applied.

Schools that are extremely difficult to get into, like Cornell, accept fewer than 30% of all applicants. At least 75% of admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1310 on the SAT or over 29 on the ACT.

Transferring to Cornell University

It is extremely difficult to be admitted as a transfer student.

For Students Waitlisted to Cornell

In 2022, Cornell waitlisted 7,746 students and 5,800 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 24 eventually were offered a spot.

What's Most Important for Getting Into Cornell?

Colleges consider a range of factors when deciding who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college determines which factors are are most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that prioritize the admissions factors where you stand out.

Admissions Factors at Cornell

What does Cornell consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Very Important
Extracurricular Activities	Very Important
Application Essay	Very Important
Recommendation(s)	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Talent/Ability	Very Important
Class Rank	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
First Generation	Considered
Interview	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
State Residency	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
Volunteer Work	Considered

Make sure to check with Cornell for more information on admission factors.

Cornell 2022-2023 Application Requirements

To apply to Cornell, all applicants must submit the following items. Make sure to check in with Cornell's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Interview			√
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Letter(s) of Recommendation	2
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√
Transcript of High School Record	√

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Cornell?

Cornell has not provided an information about GPAs of accepted students. Any questions regarding applicant expectations should be addressed directly with the school.

Out of all students that were admitted, 22.3% submitted a class rank. At Cornell 84.2% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 96.5% were in the top 25% and 99.6% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Cornell University, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	––
3.75 and 3.99	––
3.50 and 3.74	––
3.25 and 3.49	––
3.00 and 3.24	––
2.50 and 2.9	––
2.00 and 2.49	––

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Cornell directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Cornell considers standardized tests scores during the admissions process.

Cornell is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 41% of Cornell's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 20% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Cornell?

To be competitive with other Cornell applicants, you should strive to score between 1450 and 1540 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Cornell 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1540 and 25% of scored lower than 1450, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Cornell students scored 800 or higher and 75% of students scored 700 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Cornell students scored 760 or higher, and 75% scored a 700 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for Cornell?

To be most competitive at Cornell, you should strive to earn between 33 and 35 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 35 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Cornell's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 35, and three out of four students scored lower than 35 on the ACT.

A 33 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Cornell students. Only one out of every four students scored below 33.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

More Information on Transferring to Cornell University

For transfer students, it is extremely difficult to get admitted to Cornell.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 15.

Transfer students can enroll in Cornell during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term

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Cornell Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Cornell?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Cornell.

Does Cornell accept transfer credits?

✅ Cornell accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions.

Does Cornell accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Cornell accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Cornell?

❌ No, Cornell is test optional, so it's up to you if you want to submit test scores or not. If you have higher than average scores, you should strongly consider submitting them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you it might make sense to leave them out of your application.

What is Cornell's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for Cornell is 9%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Cornell?

✅ Cornell's early decision acceptance rate was 21% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About Cornell?

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

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