First-year applicants must submit two teacher recommendations. In addition, Cornell requires a written statement from your school counselor. Please be sure to review the How to Apply page for more information about our requirements for first-year and transfer applicants.
The application fee for both first-year and transfer students is $85. Applications must be submitted with a nonrefundable $85 application fee or a fee waiver in order to be considered. Cornell University has an enduring commitment to equity and access for all students. If the application fee would cause financial hardship for your family, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. For information about fee waivers, please visit the How to Apply webpage.
After applying to Cornell, students sometimes wish to submit additional information beyond the required items. Examples include a supplemental letter of recommendation from an individual who is not a teacher, an update regarding a recent honor or award received, or an explanation of a change in coursework. Supplemental information does not include required materials.
We conduct a holistic admissions process for all applicants. There’s no magical formula of grade-point average and standardized test scores that guarantees admission into Cornell. Cornell’s admissions committees review each student's academic transcript and are interested in the strength of their curriculum and test scores, but there is so much more that is evaluated.
Cornell uses the Common Application (CA), which can be completed and submitted online beginning on August 1 each year. We encourage applicants to review the How to Apply page as they prepare to apply to Cornell.
If your application has been postponed, you can expect to receive an admission decision in late March, and you're no longer subject to the Early Decision agreement. We encourage you to apply to additional colleges and universities.
We're not able to estimate your chances for admission at this time. Please know there is sincere interest in continued review of your application, and we look forward to giving it full and thoughtful review during Regular Decision consideration.
Cornell does not use any single formula for its admission decisions, and there is no GPA or SAT/ACT cutoff for admission. Effective for students applying for Fall 2026 or beyond, first-year applicants to all undergraduate colleges and schools will be required to submit standardized test scores. For more information, see our Standardized Testing Policy and the How to Apply page.
As an early decision applicant, first quarter grades and the Midyear Report are not required and will not appear on your application checklist.
For more information about Cornell's application requirements, please see the How to Apply page.
Please contact the Graduate School for information about applying for admission to Cornell’s graduate programs.
Cornell accepts the Common Application (CA),which is completed and submitted via the Common Application website. For more information on how to submit materials for your application, please review the Application Material Submission Instructions.
