Cornell University Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026
Just 4,908 out of over 71,000 applications were accepted for a spot in the freshman class of 2022–2023. This means that the Cornell acceptance rate was 6. 9%, the lowest in school history. The Class of 2025 admit rate was 8. 7%.
Cornell Early Decision Acceptance Rate – Class of 2026
The 2021–22 admissions cycle’s Cornell ED acceptance statistics have not yet been made public. We do know that the Class of 2026 received about 9,500 ED applications.
The Class of 2025 received 9,017 early decision applications; 1,930 of them were accepted. This works out to a 21. 4% acceptance rate. This was a lower rate of success than the 24% figure encountered by the Class of 2025 There were 6,630 ED applicants for the Class of 2025.
Cornell Admissions – SAT, ACT, and Class Rank
According to the most recent statistics available (Class of 2025), the mid-50% SAT range for enrolled freshmen was 1450-1540; on the ACT the range was 33-35 Shifting to class rank, 84% had earned a place in the top 10% of their graduating high school class and 96% landed in the top 25%
Admissions Trends & Notes
- 14.7% of the Class of 2025 are legacy students.
- 62.1% of the Class of 2025 attended public schools.
- 19.4% are first-generation college students.
- The Class of 2026 included applicants from 85 different countries and all 50 states.
- Lastly, 57. 7% of those admitted into the Class of 2026 identify as students of color
How Cornell Rates Applicants
Undergraduate applications to Cornell are not evaluated by a central admissions office, as they are instead routed to the particular college within the university that a particular applicant has applied to. After that, applications go through a “first review” to determine if the applicant has the necessary academic credentials to be given serious consideration. Typically, around 80% of applicants make it through the %E2%80%9Cfirst review ”.
After carefully reading the applicant’s supplemental essay about their interest in studying a particular discipline at Cornell, admissions officers move on to the applicant’s challenging high school coursework (more on this later). Additionally, they look for indications of a strong desire to devote oneself to the Cornell student community. Extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendation letters work best for demonstrating this.
Cornell seeks genuinely exceptional performance in one or more areas. For instance, you may have published original scientific research, won a prestigious national physics competition, been the leader of a service organization that had a significant impact, or are among the best violinists in the country. It certainly helps if you are chosen for one of Big Red’s 36 Division I sports teams as an athlete. Between 6-7% of undergraduates are recruited athletes.
In total, Cornell rates the following eight aspects of their admissions process as “very important”: the difficulty of secondary school records, GPA, standardized test scores, the essay, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities. Your chances of being accepted to this Ivy League institution increase if you stand out in each of these categories.
Who Actually Gets Into Cornell?
Geographically, the Class of 2025 includes:
- International: 10.5%
- Mid-Atlantic States: 18.6%
- Southeastern States: 6.2%
- Western States: 12.2%
- Midwestern States: 6.5%
- New England States: 9.7%
- Southwestern States: 4.4%
- New York: 31.7%
Applicants from states with a never-ending supply of qualified candidates (the entire Northeast, including New York, However, if you are from a state with fewer people, such as Alaska, South Dakota, or Nebraska, your location is more likely to improve your chances of admission.
Let’s move on to the ethnic makeup of the Class of 2025.
- White: 50.5%
- Asian American: 30%
- Hispanic: 17.4%
- African American: 13.7%
- American Indian: 2.2%
A further look reveals that 27. 9% of the Cornell Class of 2025 identifies as an under-represented minority Overall, 53. 1% identify as a student of color.
The Class of 2025 has the following gender split:
Cornell’s Yield Rate
Cornell’s overall Class of 2025 yield rate was 64%. This figure is higher than many other selective universities but significantly lower than Harvard. Comparatively, prestigious institutions like Caltech, UCLA, Washington University in St. Louis, UVA, and USC all have yield rates under 50%.
Tips for Applying to Cornell
You should be aware of the following if you intend to enroll in the 71,000 Big Red aspirants for the upcoming admissions cycle:
- Cornell has once more suspended the SAT/ACT test requirements for first-year applicants in 2023 and 2024.
- Only candidates for the programs in architecture or hotel administration are scheduled for formal, evaluative interviews at Cornell. Every year, 21,000 additional applicants meet with local Cornell alumni for informational interviews. Visit our blog, College Interview Tips, for guidance on the kinds of questions you should be prepared to ask or to answer.
- You won’t be evaluated based on whether you visited the campus, spoke with an admissions officer, or anything else because Cornell does not take “demonstrated interest” into account.
- Make sure to devote enough time and effort to the supplemental essay Cornell is requesting. In the 2021-22 cycle, they were as follows:
College Interest Essays
Please respond to the essay question below (maximum of 650 words) in the online Common Application Writing Supplement for the undergraduate college or school you are applying to.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Please explain why you chose the major you did and how your interests and related experiences influenced your decision. How specifically will a degree from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) assist you in achieving your academic objectives?
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
Everyone has different passions, obsessions, quirks, and inspirations. What do you find energizing or deeply engages you to the point where you lose track of time? What are yours?.
College of Arts and Sciences
Students in the arts and sciences seize the chance to explore a variety of academic interests, emulating Ezra Cornell’s founding principle of “any person…any study” in the twenty-first century. Tell us about the academic fields you are eager to explore and why you want to study them at our college.
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
The Charles H. Johnson College of Business at Cornell University offers two distinct business programs, the Charles H. The School of Hotel Administration and the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management Please explain how one or both of the College’s Schools can support your interests and aspirations.
College of Engineering
Tell us about the aspects of Cornell Engineering and/or engineering studies at Cornell University that most excite you. How do you envision integrating yourself into the Cornell Engineering community?
College of Human Ecology
How have your related experiences affected your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology? How will your major choice affect your future plans and goals?
School of Industrial and Labor Relations
Describe the subjects or issues you care about and why they are important to you using examples from your personal, academic, or volunteer experiences. Your response must demonstrate to us that you share the interests of the ILR School.
Visit our blog titled: Cornell University Supplemental Essay Prompts and Tips for a thorough explanation of how to approach these essays.
Should I Apply to Cornell?
In conclusion, applying to Cornell is not harmful if you have strong academic and extracurricular credentials, but even the brightest teenagers need to have a suitable college list with a balance of “target” and “safety” schools, as will be the case with all highly competitive colleges in 2022–2023.
Congratulations and Welcome, Cornell Class of 2024!
FAQ
Will college admissions be easier for 2024?
Statistics on Admissions for the Class of 2024 The overall admissions rates for the Class of 2024 represent a natural recovery from the record lows many elite schools attained last year. Harvard for instance, had a 4. This year’s acceptance rate was 9%, up from last year’s record-low of 4%. 5 percent last year.
What is the acceptance rate for Cornell 2026?
Admit Rates for the Class of 2026SchoolAdmission Rate for the Class of 2025Columbia University3 73%3. 90%Cornell UniversityNot Releasing Data~8. 70%Dartmouth College6. 20%6. 17%Duke University6. 20%5. 70%.
Is Cornell harder to get into than Harvard?
Cornell University consistently has the highest acceptance rate, as shown in the table above. Conversely, Harvard University consistently has the lowest acceptance rate. The figures don’t lie. Which Ivy League colleges are the easiest and hardest to get into is abundantly clear.
Is getting into Cornell a big deal?
Yes, what you may have heard is true: Admission to Cornell is highly selective, with approximately 10% of applicants admitted each year Access, affordability, diversity, and inclusion are all very important to us.