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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Please visit our Standardized Testing Policy webpage for details.
Cornell's admission committees want to review at least three years of a student's secondary school records which list the subjects the applicant has studied, and the marks received for each subject taken. State or national tests, or other external exams taken, should also be included (GCSE, Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, ICSE, etc.).
Your transcripts do not need to be evaluated by a credential evaluation service. We are familiar with all educational systems and will evaluate your credentials here. We need to receive your transcripts as they are issued by your school/college in their original grading system (including English translations). Your grades should not be converted to a U.S. grade point average (GPA). We will evaluate the classes you have taken and the grades you received in those classes, rather than using an overall GPA to assess academic achievement.
The application and requirements are the same for all students. All applications are reviewed by the specific Cornell undergraduate college or school to which a student has applied. The selection committees read applications based on where you currently attend school, rather than by your citizenship status. Your application will be read with others from the school you attend and those 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.
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.
