First-year domestic applicants are students who will complete high school during the current academic year and hold one of the following United States citizenship or residency statuses:

You must apply to Cornell as a transfer student if you've graduated from high school and have earned 12 or more credits at another college or university since then. If you are enrolled as a full-time student at another institution, you are also considered a transfer applicant. Please be sure to review the How to Apply webpage for more information about Cornell's application process and requirements.

Cornell University has always been a university with a strong international focus, and today we continue to welcome students and faculty from across the globe. Approximately 10% of our undergraduate students are international, coming to Cornell from more than 120 nations. The Office of Global Learning offers a range of services to international students and their families. For information about the application process, see our How to Apply webpage.

Cornell will typically defer a student's offer of admission to permit them to complete required military service. If you are an admitted student wishing to defer enrollment for one or two years, you can submit an official request to Cornell undergraduate admissions by visiting your Applicant Portal and completing the Deferral Request Form. You can indicate your interest in connecting with an admissions officer about deferral plans before submitting an official request.

The Cornell application process is the same for international students as it is for prospective students in the United States. International first-year applicants are welcome to apply under the early decision plan (deadline November 1) or the regular decision plan (deadline January 2).

Please be sure to review the First-Year Applicants page for more information.

In the United States, students earn an undergraduate degree (first degree) to prepare for medical school. The most common choice at Cornell for students hoping to go to medical school is to major in biological sciences through the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, or the College of Human Ecology. The College of Engineering is yet another option and prepares students well for the medical school application process. As long as undergraduates take the required pre-med courses, their major course of study doesn't have to be in the biological sciences.

The application process and requirements are the same for all students applying to Cornell University. Please visit the How to Apply page for details. International first-year and transfer students should submit their application using the Common Application, which can be completed and submitted online. Cornell also requires a Writing Supplement. The Cornell undergraduate college or school a student applies to may have additional requirements, such as a portfolio or a design submission.

Cornell accepts official documents only. All transcripts should be translated into English and sent to Cornell online by the applicant’s school official. If online submission is not possible, the school official should mail the translated transcript(s) to:

Undergraduate Admissions Office 
Cornell University
410 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850

All applications are reviewed by the specific Cornell college or school to which a student has applied. The evaluation process is based on where a student currently attends school, rather than by citizenship status. International students attending the same high school are evaluated as a group, as are applicants from the same state (U.S.) or country.

International students receive information about the student visa process and the required documents for the I-20 after they are admitted to Cornell. The I-20 will be issued by Undergraduate Admissions Office staff.