Transfer admissions decisions are released on a rolling basis beginning in April. For more information, see our Transfer Applicants page.
Cornell accepts transfer students who have completed two to four semesters at another college or university. Applicants in their first college semester are not eligible to apply. Candidates are encouraged to apply when they feel they have a strong application and should follow the guidelines and deadlines outlined on the Transfer Applicants webpage. The transfer application deadline for fall semester is March 15.
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.
Applicants who do not have recent teachers, instructors, or professors to write their recommendations are advised to have supervisors, mentors, and/or coaches write on their behalf. Current or former members of the military can utilize a recommendation from an appropriate member of their chain of command for this purpose.
Cornell prefers recommenders submit their letters of support through the Common Application using the official forms and instructions provided. Recommenders can also mail their letters directly to:
High school and college transcripts must come directly from the student's school(s), whether digitally or via standard mail. In addition, enrolling students must have their final high school grades sent directly from their high school to Cornell before matriculating.
Please note that the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Cornell University conducts audits to verify the authenticity of final transcripts for a random sampling of entering first-year students.
If a student detects an error in their application after it has been submitted, they can write a brief statement explaining the error and provide the corrected information. Applicants can then upload this statement via the Supplemental Materials section of their online Applicant Portal. The statement will be added to their application file. Applicants can also correct or update their contact information in their applicant portal.
Cornell students can choose from nearly 80 majors. Applicants seek admission to one of Cornell's undergraduate colleges or schools, which then becomes their academic home if they’re admitted. Depending on the Cornell college or school, applicants may be required to indicate an intended major on their application.
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.
Please contact the Graduate School for information about applying for admission to Cornell’s graduate programs.
Cornell University does not accept the Coalition Application. Prospective students may use the Common Application to apply for admission.
