Introduction

Cornell University, founded in 1865, is one of the prestigious Ivy League colleges. This private research university is located in Ithaca, New York, and is spread over 745 acres of land that is sure to give students an amazing campus life. The college consists of seven graduate and seven undergraduate divisions and has two satellite medical colleges in New York and Qatar. The college’s alumni are notable and consist of 53 Nobel laureates, 4 Turing Award winners, 1 Fields Medalist, 7 Gates Scholars, 33 Marshall Scholars, 55 Olympic Medalists, 33 Rhodes scholars, 29 Truman Scholars, and many more.

English Proficiency Test Requirements

Cornell University requires international students to submit English proficiency test scores if their first language isn’t English. Here are the test scores they currently accept:

• 100 and above on the TOEFL iBT
• 600 and above on the TOEFL paper-based test
• 7.0 and above on the IELTS Academic

*International students would be waived-off from submitting their IELTS/TOEFL scores if they score a minimum of 35 on the SAT Reading test or a minimum of 30 on the ACT Reading and English sections.

ACT/SAT Requirements

Getting into a university that’s as competitive as Cornell would require competitive scores on the ACT or SAT tests as well. Mentioned below are the score ranges that would improve but not guarantee your chances of admission.

Tuition Fee and Cost of Living

The tuition fee is for international students and should be verified on the university’s official website. The living expenses are completely an estimate and would solely depend on the student’s preferences and lifestyle. Given below is the annual average cost for your reference:

The conversion from USD to INR has been made with $1 = ₹70. The cost may vary with the varying exchange rate.

Application Portal

International students wanting to apply to Cornell University must submit their application through the Common Application portal or the Universal College Application portal. Before you apply, it’s best if you go through this guide on the university’s website to make sure you don’t miss out on anything important: https://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/admissions-requirements. You can access the Common Application portal here https://www.commonapp.org/ and the Universal College Application portal can be found here https://www.universalcollegeapp.com/colleges/cornell-university

Essay Prompts

In addition to the essays on the Common Application, Cornell University requires students to submit supplemental essays. You’d have to submit an essay depending on the course of study you’ll be opting for. Here are the essay prompts for various schools:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:

Word Limit: 650 words 

“Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected? Please discuss how your interests and related experiences have influenced your choice. Specifically, how will an education from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and Cornell University help you achieve your academic goals?”

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: 

Word Limit: 650 words

“What is your “thing”? What energizes you or engages you so deeply that you lose track of time? Everyone has different passions, obsessions, quirks, inspirations. What are yours?”

College of Arts and Sciences:

Word Limit: 650 words 

“Students in Arts and Sciences embrace the opportunity to delve into multifaceted academic interests, embodying in 21st-century terms Ezra Cornell’s “any person…any study” founding vision. Tell us about the areas of study you are excited to explore, and specifically why you wish to pursue them in our College.”

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business: 

Word Limit: 650 words

“What kind of a business student are you? The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business offers two distinct business programs, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and the School of Hotel Administration. Please describe how your interests and ambitions can be met through one or both of the Schools within the College.”

College of Engineering: 

Word Limit: 650 words 

“Tell us about what excites you most about Cornell Engineering and/or studying engineering at Cornell University. How do you see yourself becoming a part of the Cornell Engineering community?”

College of Human Ecology:

Word Limit: 650 words  

“How has your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology been influenced by your related experiences? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future?”

School of Industrial and Labor Relations: 

Word Limit: 650 words 

“Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you. Your response should show us that your interests align with the ILR School.”

College Application Deadlines

If you’re applying to other colleges in the US along with Cornell University, you might want to pay attention to the other university deadlines as well. This will ensure you give your best while filling out applications and writing essays and not feel rushed when the deadline would be approaching.

Conclusion

Cornell University is a dream college for many and has an acceptance rate of 14.1%. A college that’s this selective will only guarantee the best for its students which is why thousands of students apply each year in the hope to get an admit to the college.

UniRely makes dreams like these possible. UniRely’s student mentors studying at Ivy League colleges and many top universities around the world have been helping students in their admission process and guiding them in a way that they move closer to getting into their desired college. What better way than to know about a college than from a current student studying there? Sign up at UniRely for free!