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Cornell Admissions Information

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY (map)

 

Located in the scenic Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Cornell is an Ivy League research university that prides itself on its vast variety of courses and majors. Founded in 1865 upon the principle that “any person can find instruction in any study,” Cornell is distinguished by its 7 distinct colleges and 80 major fields of study. Three of its colleges: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, and Industrial and Labor Relations are considered New York State “contract” schools, which offer decreased tuition rates for in-state residents. With 14 student honor societies, the school encourages acknowledgment of students’ academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

Cornell has more than 500 student organizations on campus, ranging from the Big Red Marching Band to an Ultimate Frisbee team. First-year students live together in a cluster of dorms on North Campus, fostering a strong community bond. With more than 30 Division I athletic teams, the Big Red is perhaps best known for its men’s basketball and lacrosse teams, which regularly compete for national championships.

Ithaca itself is known as much for its beautiful gorges as for its cultural activities. The Downtown Commons hosts annual events ranging from an Apple Festival to a Chili Cook-Off, and the town’s farmer’s market is a local favorite, with 150 vendors selling fresh, organic foods. Ithaca was even named as one of the “foodiest towns in America” by Bon Appetit Magazine!

 

 

Basic Info

Main Address: 410 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850-2488
 
Phone Number: 607-255-5241  
Website: www.cornell.edu  

Characteristics

Type of school: Four-year, private  
Type of school: Coed  
Setting: Rural, large town  
Athletics: Division I, Intercollegiate, Intramural, Club  
Degrees offered: Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral  
Size of undergraduate student body: 13,931  
Percent out-of-state: 69%  
Percent international: 9%  
Female to Male ratio: 50:50  

Academic Life

Student to Professor ratio: 9:1  
Most popular majors: Engineering
Business/Marketing
Agriculture
Biology
Social Sciences
 
Special study programs: Accelerated Program
Cross-Registration
Distance Learning
Double Major
ESL
Honors Program
Independent Study
Internships
Liberal Arts/Career Combination
New York Semester
ROTC, Air Force
ROTC, Army
ROTC, Navy
Semester at Sea
Student-Designed Major
Study Abroad
Teacher Certification
Urban Semester
Visiting/Exchange Student Program
Washington Semester
 

Campus Life

Housing options:
Coed housing
Women's housing
Apartments for single students
Fraternity/Sorority housing
Special housing for international students
Men's housing
Apartments for married students
Cooperative housing
Special housing for students with disabilities
Activities:
Campus ministries
Choral groups
Dance
Drama
Fraternities
International students
La Asociacion Latina
Marching band
Music ensembles
Pep band
Sororities
Student newspaper
Television station
Campus Crusade for Christ
Concert band
Debate
Film Society
Hillel
Jazz band
Literary magazine
Model U.N.
Musical theater
Radio station
Student government
Symphony orchestra
Yearbook

Fun Facts

  • Voted #5 "Best campus food"
  • Ithaca has more restaurants per capita than Manhattan
  • Voted #5 "Best college library"
  • Bill Nye "The Science Guy," class of '77, regularly makes surprise appearances and lectures around campus
 

Admissions Information

With a 19% acceptance rate, Cornell is among the country's most competitive universities. School achievement record (difficulty of coursework and grades earned), as well as test scores and student background, are very important to Cornell's admissions office, though essays and recommendations are also carefully considered. Eighty-six percent of Cornell's incoming class was in the top 10% of their graduating high school class. Other admissions factors include class rank, interview, ethnicity, alumni relation, state residency, work experience, and first-generation college student status. The school requires either the SAT or ACT (including the ACT's writing section), and, depending on which college the student is applying to, 0, 1, or 2 SAT II subject tests. Cornell offers a binding Early Decision program, which gives applicants a slightly more competitive edge over those applying for regular admission.

Overall, Cornell is a highly selective university that looks at a wide range of attributes when considering a student for admission. When applying, be sure to place equal emphasis on your academic achievements and your uniqueness as a student, as the school favors diversity.

Admissions address: 410 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850-2488
 
Phone number: 607-255-5241  
Fax number: 607-255-5175  
Admissions Website: www.admissions.cornell.edu  
Email: admissions@cornell.edu  
Contact Person: See http://admissions.cornell.edu/contact/staff.cfm for regional contacts  
Number of first-year applications received: 34,371  
Percent of applicants admitted: 19%  

Application Information

Regular application deadline: January 2  
Early decision/action deadline: November 1  
Accepts the Common Application? Yes  
Admission requirements: -Essay
-SAT or ACT plus writing section
-Depending on college: SAT II Subject test
 

Application Information

Standardized test scores required? Yes  
Policy regarding SAT score-use: Considers highest section score for all test dates  
 
Middle 50% Scores

Low


Average


High
% Who Submitted Scores
SAT Critical Reading
630
680
730
94%
SAT Math
660
715
770
94%
SAT Writing
-
-
-
-
ACT Composite
29
31
33
34%

 
College Board code: 2098  
ACT code: 2726  
Learn more about other Top Business schools:
University of Richmond   Brigham Young University   Villanova   UVA   University of Pennsylvania  

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