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Transfer Option Frequently Asked Questions

Transfer option logistics.

You must respond to the Transfer Option offer by using the Transfer Option Response Form. The TO Response Form must be submitted by the expressed deadline. No deposit is required.

Saying "yes" to the Transfer Option is not binding and you can decide not to pursue the Transfer Option at any time by communicating with the CALS Admissions Office ( cals_admissions [at] cornell.edu (cals_admissions[at]cornell[dot]edu) ).

The Transfer Option and Waitlist are separate decisions made by the Selection Committee.  All decisions are final and there is no appeal process. 

A Transfer Option Candidate may request a major change.  Please provide a one page statement explaining why you would like to change your major in CALS and please share your future goals related to this major.   Candidates requesting a change of major during the academic year should also include an unofficial transcript and a copy of your spring course schedule, if available.   

Major change requests should be sent to cals_admissions [at] cornell.edu (cals_admissions[at]cornell[dot]edu)  by December 1.

You cannot request a change of major to Applied Economics and Management, Biological Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Global and Public Health Sciences, or Information Science. The Selection Committee reserves the right to deny any change of major request.

Your Transfer Option is only valid for fall of the following year.  If you are planning on taking a gap year, you would need forgo the TO and apply to Cornell as a traditional external transfer applicant.  During the review process, the Selection Committee would see that you were awarded a TO previously and give your application every consideration.

The transfer option is only valid for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).  If you are interested in transferring to another college at Cornell you should apply as an external transfer applicant.

Please keep in mind that as a CALS student you will have the opportunity to either double major or minor in CALS or minor in any of the other 6 colleges at Cornell.  You can view a list of all of the minors available to Cornell students here .

While there are no specific GPA requirements or course requirements for you final semester of HS, we encourage you to work hard and get the best possible grades.  A successful end of your senior year will only make your transition to college (and later to Cornell) easier.  We will request a final transcript (showing your final senior grades) at the time of application however, the Selection Committee will put the most weight on your college transcripts and if you have met the TO requirements.

You will need to complete the Transfer Option application (no fee) and submit it along with a final official high school transcript, an official college transcript, a mid-term grade report (for your spring semester courses) and a college report to be considered for admission.

A new requirement for the Transfer Option application is a short essay. The essay is an opportunity for you to express your continued interest in CALS and your major, and for us to learn more about you and your new perspective after a year at another institution.  Your essay should highlight experiences during your first year of college (internships, research, coursework, etc).   While there is no official word limit, please plan not to exceed 500 words.  You'll upload your essay as a PDF on the TO application.

Yes, you will need to resubmit your application for financial aid at the time of application.  Please use the financial aid calculator to receive an estimated financial aid package or visit finaid.cornell.edu.

Whether you enter as a freshman or transfer, all students who are interested in studying abroad are encouraged to do so.  We have amazing programs through Cornell Abroad but also through CALS Exchange, which is a program specifically for CALS Students. 

• Learn more about the various international opportunities CALS offers

Your First-Year Institution

Cornell does not have a preference for which school you attend next year.  You may attend any 2- or 4-year accredited institution, preferably in the U.S.  It is extremely important that you choose a school where

• You can see yourself being happy for the remainder of your college career.
• You will be able to complete the course requirements for your transfer option.

We have found that students who attend institutions outside the US often have a difficult time fulfilling course requirements because the content may vary greatly from what is offered at US institutions.  Please attend an institution in the US or your country of residence.  You will have an opportunity to study abroad upon arrival at Cornell.

Attending a school that is on the quarter system is OK.  CALS semester system awards transfer credit for quarter system credits by calculating .67 credits per credit of study at an institution on the quarter system. A 5-credit quarter system course is equivalent to a 3 credit semester course. If your major requires 2 semesters of a course (ex: Biology), plan on taking two 5-credit quarters of Biology. 

Pass/Fail grading or written evaluations will not satisfy the Transfer Option requirements - you will be required to submit grades to the CALS Admissions committee in order to demonstrate your academic performance in the courses you are taking.  Pass/Fail grades will not count for credit; to be considered a transfer student you must complete 12 or more college credits (post-high school graduation).

Meeting Course Requirements

Your major has a list of required coursework that you will need to complete in order to transfer.  Find your major on the "Course Requirements by Major" tab on the Transfer Option home page , click the "Transfer" tab, and follow the Sophomore requirements. 

AP/IB credit may be used to fulfill required coursework for transfer. Please use the AP/IB Chart and the CALS Transfer Credit Policy to see which scores will count for credit. The following restrictions apply:  

• AP/IB credit can only be used to fulfill ONE of writing requirements; the other must be taken during your freshman year.
• AP Literature may not be used to fulfill the writing requirement for Communication.
• AP Biology credit cannot be used to fulfill the requirement for the Biological Sciences, Biology and Society, Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, or Food Science majors.
• AP Chemistry may not be used to fulfill the requirement for Food Science.
• Information Science will not accept AP Statistics.

Please report any scores that you plan on using towards requirements on your TO application and have any new scores (since your freshman application) be sent to Cornell next spring.

NOTE: Requirements for a specific course will not automatically be fulfilled if your first-year institution accepts AP/IB credit for that course. Please refer to the AP/IB Chart to see our score requirements. If you do not receive the minimum score for Cornell or if you are applying to a major that does not accept AP/IB credit for specific courses, you will need to take the class your freshman year.

Cornell University does not accept credit for courses sponsored by colleges or universities but taught in the high school to high school students, even if the college provides a transcript of such work. CALS does not accept credit from College Now, SUPA, University in High School, NOLS and other comparable programs. CALS does not accept credit for programs offered to students for completion of high school degree in a college setting such as, but not limited to, Bard, TAMS, etc.

Students that have not completed the Transfer Option requirements will still be evaluated as a Transfer Option applicant. While our most successful applicants have completed all requirements, our admissions process is holistic, which means we consider all parts of an application. During our review, we consider whether candidates have the academic backgrounds (rigor, coursework and grades) to be successful at Cornell CALS; whether the personal attributes and extracurricular experiences shared demonstrate a solid connection with the CALS approach and mission; and that thoughtful fit is expressed for the candidate’s desired major, within Cornell CALS.

No.  You must receive a grade in the course for it to count towards transfer requirements and to transfer for credit to Cornell. In the eyes of Cornell, a P/F course is like not taking the course at all. If your institution has a policy that all grades are taken P/F, you must ask to have your grades uncovered to receive credit.

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

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Extracurriculars.

How to Write the Cornell University Essays 2023-2024

The largest of the eight Ivy League universities, Cornell University is made up of eight undergraduate schools that applicants apply directly to. Because of this, you will be required to submit a school-specific supplemental essay (or essays) in addition to one campus-wide essay.

Cornell is an incredibly prestigious school with tens of thousands of applicants each year. In order to be one of the chosen few to attend, your essays will need to be thoughtful, well-written, and uniquely you. In this post, we’ll explain how to write the Cornell essays so you can maximize your chances of acceptance.

Read these Cornell essay examples to inspire your writing.

Cornell University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Before you apply to Cornell, you should determine which specific college is right for you. Each of Cornell’s colleges has its own majors and specific graduation requirements, though there are some majors that exist within multiple colleges. Understanding the differences between the colleges is essential when applying, since you will need to highlight the specific resources offered by each of them in your essays.

Below are the supplemental essay prompts for Cornell’s colleges (click to jump to the right section):

All Applicants

Brooks school of public policy.

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

• College of Engineering

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

College of human ecology, school of industrial and labor relations, college of art, architecture and planning, in the aftermath of the u.s. civil war, ezra cornell wrote, “i would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” for over 150 years, cornell university has remained deeply committed to ezra’s vision. explain how your life experiences will help inform your contributions to a learning community devoted to “…any person…any study.” we encourage you to think broadly about your life experiences, including how local (e.g., family, school, neighborhood) or global communities you’ve been part of have helped shape your perspective. (350 words).

Cornell prides itself on its motto, “any person…any study” so it’s important that you approach this prompt with care and attention to the deeper meaning behind the phrase. Before you start writing, consider what the school means by “any person…any study”.

Any Person…Any Study

As the prompt states, Cornell was founded in 1865 and within its first few years, Black and female students were admitted in a time when most universities were closed to them. Cornell has a history of accepting anyone of any background, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, religion, or sexuality. 

Any one can attend Cornell, but the second part of the founder’s motto emphasizes the idea that you can study any thing at the school. From the range of eight undergraduate schools specializing in everything from classic arts and sciences to architecture to public policy to hotel management, you can find a major, minor, or department that aligns with any interest you might have. 

This phrase stands for the possibility for people to do whatever they want with a Cornell education. Your response should allude to these ideals to demonstrate to the admissions committee that you understand the school’s history and the deeper meaning that enables you to pursue anything regardless of where you came from.

Approaches to the Essay

Now that you have more context, there are a few general ways to go about answering this prompt that you might want to use. Below, we’ll go over what each one might entail so you can get a feel of the best way to attack this essay to showcase your connection to Cornell.

Any Person Approach

For students who find that an aspect of their background is central to their personality, this might be a good route for you. In this essay style, you can highlight how your race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation, sexuality, etc, impacts the way you see and approach the world.

You’ll need to show the reader what your unique personal characteristic is, demonstrate the way it affected your thinking, and illustrate how you will bring your unique perspective to Cornell. It’s also a good idea to tie in the “any study” part by mentioning how your background or your way of thinking influenced your academic interests.

A student who grew up as the only international kid in their school might write about how the lack of others with shared cultural experiences made him feel lonely and isolated. This led him to spend a lot of time in his imagination where he found creative writing as an outlet and now he wants to pursue English at Cornell. He’s planning to join the student newspaper and publish his short stories to share with others who also enjoy escapism through writing.

Another example of a student taking the “any person” approach would be a Latinx student who had to serve as a translator for her parents from a young age, which exposed her to many legal and procedural discussions. Because of this, she developed an interest in conflict mediation and wants to concentrate in Human Resources at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Although a larger focus in this essay approach might be on your background, still make sure that you are relating your personal experiences to your studies and the school.

Any Study Approach

Maybe you don’t think there’s anything significant enough in your background to highlight, but you are really passionate about your chosen major. In that case, you could consider structuring your essay so you showcase what you love about your major, why you are drawn to that particular topic, and how your knowledge in that field will help you contribute to the campus community.

Even if you go down this road, you still want to emphasize how your interests or passions have given you a unique perspective that will make you a beneficial contributor to the Cornell campus.

For example, a student might describe how they are addicted to the Food Network, hosted their own annual Chopped competitions with their friends, and dream of opening their own restaurant because cooking allows them to express their creativity in a way no other medium can. They are planning on working in the restaurant run by Hotel Administration students to continue exploring creative ways to cook.

On the other hand, a student who is in love with robotics could write about how piecing parts together to create a fully-functioning robot helps her appreciate the power of collaboration. She wants to work with others as an engineering student to both create more intricate robots and to solve global problems by technology and bringing together multiple perspectives.

These aren’t the only two ways to go about writing this essay, but they are good starting points to help you frame your ideas. Remember, regardless of whether you focus more heavily on your unique background or your academic interests—or if you split the essay evenly between the two—make sure you are touching upon both “any person…any study”.

Why are you drawn to studying public policy? Drawing on your experiences, tell us about why you are interested in your chosen major and how attending the Brooks School will help you achieve your life goals. (650 words)

This is a fairly straightforward “Why This Major?” prompt. A prompt like this seeks to understand your motives and interest in your intended major, how your background aligns with this interest, and what you intend to do with the major after college.

Before you begin writing, you should do some self-reflection. Ponder these questions for a bit and jot down some notes:

1) What are your genuine reasons for deciding on your major/this particular school?

You should ideally have picked a subject that you have a passion for, or at least a moderate interest in. If your reasons include parental pressures, money, or prestige, you’re already off to a bad start. You aren’t bound to any major until after you declare well into your college career, so if your reasons are any of the above, consider picking a different major to write about.

2) What are specific examples of things you enjoy in your field of study?

Instead of thinking “math” or “reading,” think “the paired samples t-test in statistics” or “novels that explore existentialist themes.” Specificity is essential to a good “Why This Major?” essay.

3) How will this major help you achieve your life and/or career goals?

Again, avoid writing about things like money or status. Universities want to see individuals with depth, people who strive to live fulfilling lives, realize their potential, and contribute to the betterment of the world, even in some small way. Saying that you want to make a lot of money is one-dimensional and self-serving, and will definitely not lead to a successful essay.

4) What was the best part of your experience, both within and outside the classroom?

5) Do you move into a certain emotional state of mind every time you explore this field of study? What do you find appealing about this state of mind?

Questions 4 and 5 are the ones you will probably be able to probe for personal anecdotes about the field of study. Remember, anecdotes are going to be your biggest asset when answering this prompt.

It’s okay if you’re undecided and picked this major because it appealed to you a bit more than others. Just be sure you can back up your decision with stories and experiences. If you can’t corroborate your interest at all, you may want to consider writing about a different major.

There is a writing trope you may have heard before that applies here: “Show, don’t tell.” Sure, you can explain that you have an interest in public policy then explain things you’ve done that are related to your intended major, but a better way to go about structuring your response is to let your background illustrate your passion for public policy. Allow your experiences and their outcomes to show your interest so that you don’t have to waste a chunk of your word count talking about your interest explicitly.

For example, consider two hypothetical responses from a student who wants to study Spanish in college:

• Example 1: I have always liked the Spanish language for a few reasons. I am of Mexican descent and grew up in California, where I learned to speak Spanish at 14 years old. My predominantly Mexican neighborhood has greatly influenced my worldview, making me want to major in Spanish. The language is part of my identity and is becoming more and more essential in the modern United States, so I feel like studying it will help me further people’s understanding of it.
• Example 2: I am a Mexican-American who grew up in California. Every day of my childhood, the musical sounds of the Spanish language fluttered by my ears, but I didn’t understand them until I began learning the language at 14 years of age. When I finally knew enough to get by in conversation, it was as if a new world had spawned right before my eyes. I would greet street vendors as I walked by, help lost travelers find their way around my town, anything to fully immerse myself in this culture that had been in my blood since before I understood it. As I fell in love with the language, I began to read about its origins and the linguistic principles that made it what it is today. Spanish is more than a language to me; it’s a work of art. Taking vacations and traveling throughout the United States only furthered my fascination with the language. Everywhere I went, I could find a predominantly Spanish-speaking community. That’s when I realized how important Spanish has become in the modern world. Studying the language in college will deepen my understanding of it, and allow me to gain the knowledge I need to teach and be a translator for this increasingly important language that resonates with me so much.

The first example sounds rather generic and uses many declarative statements that lack feeling, so it doesn’t strongly convey the students interest in Spanish or motives for taking on the major. The second example, on the other hand, paints a vivid picture of the student’s formative experiences that inspired such a deep passion for the field of study. It thoroughly explores the student’s motivations through anecdotes, and even discusses future career plans.

The next part of the prompt moves away from your interest in the major, and toward your interest in the Brooks School. As before, you should strive for specificity here. Brooks offers two undergraduate majors: Policy Analysis and Management , and Health Care Policy . Browse your desired major’s website to get a feel for how this major at Brooks is different from equivalent majors elsewhere. One place to look for unique features is in the course offerings (here are PAM courses and here are HCP courses ).

You’re trying to express a strong interest in Brooks, so you don’t want to say something common to most schools. Saying that you appreciate Brooks’s interdisciplinary approach to health care policy is inadequate because almost every college offering a Health Care Policy (or similar) major has a multidisciplinary approach. It simply isn’t possible to study this field without tackling multiple fields of study such as economics, political science, and health.

Instead of being general in your response, find something particular to focus on that piques your interest. For example, let’s say an Asian student is applying to Brooks to major in Health Care Policy, and her racial and gender identity serve as career motivations (which, incidentally, can be a strong personal angle to use when writing why she is interested in this major). She might notice that of all the HCP programs she’s looked at, only Brooks has a focus on the effects of demography on health care policy. Since she wants to pursue a career in helping to ensure that Asian women get proper representation in healthcare policy making, Brooks’s concentration on demographics is a unique feature that will contribute to her professional goals.

Remember to be well-intentioned in your motivations, honest and specific about your interests, and sincere in your entire response, and you will have a strongly crafted essay that is sure to catch Cornell’s attention.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Prompt 1

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 (650 words).

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is the second-largest school at Cornell with majors ranging from communication to entomology. Even if you decide to apply as an undeclared major, you need to have potential areas of interest in mind to fully address the essay prompt.

The first half of this prompt follows the “Why This Major?” format that will become familiar as you apply to more colleges. You should use your current experiences to explain why you want to study the major you selected. A longitudinal approach lends itself well to this portion of the essay.

Think about the following questions we went over before to help you direct your response:

1) What are your sincere reasons for choosing this major and/or this particular school?

2) What are specific examples of things you enjoy in this field?

3) How will completing a degree in this major help you achieve your life and/or career goals?

4) What was the best part of your experience in this field, both academically and in your free time?

5) Do you experience a certain emotional state or frame of mind every time you explore this field of study? What about this state is appealing to you?

For example, if you want to study animal science, you could begin by explaining how you always loved going to the zoo growing up. You can then transition into describing how this love of animals led you to volunteer at the local animal hospital, and conclude your essay by explaining that your time at the animal hospital inspired your desire to become a veterinarian. 

The second half of this prompt asks you to explain why you want to study your intended major through CALS and Cornell. You need to provide college-specific examples that directly relate to your prospective major . Find courses (course offerings can be found after clicking on your desired major), clubs, research opportunities , or opportunities for outreach that would be difficult to find at another university. Be very careful not to mention something generic that could apply to many schools, such as location, as this indicates that you have not done sufficient research and aren’t as interested in CALS as you claim to be.

Specificity is key. For example, a prospective Viticulture and Enology major could discuss the Stocking Hall teaching winery, which allows students to gain hands-on vineyard harvesting experience. A prospective Global Development major could talk about the course called “Just Food,” which offers a comprehensive review of food system paradigms in just one course. Don’t be afraid to discuss relevant programs in colleges outside of CALS as well, as CALS is interdisciplinary.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Prompt 3 (optional)

The college of agriculture and life sciences (cals) is dedicated to the exploration of the agricultural, life, environmental, and social sciences and welcomes students with interests that span a wide variety of disciplines. given our agricultural history and commitment to educating the next generation of agriculturalists, please share if you have a background in agriculture or are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, regardless of your intended major. (100 words), select all that apply:, a primary source of income for my parent/guardian(s) comes from ownership of or employment by an agricultural entity., my extended family owns or operates an agricultural entity., i have experience working in an agricultural entity., i have interest in pursuing a career in an agricultural entity..

Bear in mind that immediately after the prompt there is a section where you are asked to select all that apply. This is not a writing portion, but rather a quick survey for the admissions committee to know about your background.

The prompt itself is optional, but if you have a substantial agricultural background or a keen interest in pursuing a career in agriculture, we encourage you to respond to it. The prompt is rather straightforward, so if you are able and willing to answer it, it should not be a stressful undertaking.

For this kind of prompt, you may wish to consider a collection essay structure. If you have an agricultural background, you won’t be able to thoroughly describe your responsibilities and experiences with just one anecdote. The best structure to respond to this prompt is a small collection of personal anecdotes that showcase your background as well as your sincere interest in an agricultural career.

Despite our recommendation of a collection structure, you may find it helpful to connect each of your anecdotes with some kind of thread. A narrative that links each of your anecdotes together may provide the admissions committee with a clearer picture of where you came from, where you’re going, and why.

For example, consider a hypothetical student who grew up on a farm and developed a deep passion for the agricultural sciences. He might have started helping his family do farm work from a very young age, waking up at the break of dawn to feed the chickens and milk the cows. He might write about how these formative experiences forged his entire identity and how he’ll always be a farm boy at heart. 

He could then move into a discussion of how some of his tasks became his full responsibilities when he got old enough, and how he now does more and more of the essential work as his dad is getting older. He could wrap up his response with a sincere examination of his future goals, whether they be to come home and improve his family’s own farm through his education or to move into agricultural research to improve farming methods for everyone.

Be genuine about your experiences and passions — let them both shine through in your word choice and anecdotes.

At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide. Discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey, and what areas of study or majors excite you and why. Your response should convey how your interests align with the College, and how you would take advantage of the opportunities and curriculum in Arts and Sciences. (650 words)

This prompt is a pretty standard “ Why This Major? ” archetype. Unless you are undecided , you should narrow down the broad statement of your “passion for learning” into a more manageable focus on a specific topic you are interested in pursuing. In order to write a successful essay, you need to accomplish three main things:

• Explain how your interest developed
• Detail your goals and aspirations
• Describe how you will use school resources to your benefit

Beginning with explaining how your interest developed, the best way to do this is through examples. Whether you include a few examples of you deep in research or you share an anecdote about your first encounter with the subject, make sure to paint a picture for the reader. Show us what about the topic excites you, how it makes you feel, and why you fell in love with it. Here are a few examples of successful ways to accomplish this:

Example 1: “ My mom’s bookshelf is the cheapest, fastest airplane you will ever find. On the left, bound in thick leather is Shakespeare’s first play, Henry VI. Move one over and we’ve traveled to the south of the continent to Greece for a quick tour of Plato’s Republic. Next stop: tsarist Russia for War and Peace. Every day, I get to leave behind the drone of suburban Ohio and transport myself to a new country and period. The noise of the outside world falls away as I travel through the pages, across space and time. ”

Example 2: “ Age 7: I see a white rhino at the zoo and buy a stuffed animal, affectionately named Rob the Rhino.

Age 11: I ask all my friends to donate to the World Wildlife Fund to support endangered rhinos in place of a new lego set for my birthday.

Age 15: I learn climate change causes the rhinos’ grasslands to dry up and flood in an unpredictable cycle.

Age 16: I found the Forces of Nature club in my school to develop creative solutions to protect habitats from the effects of climate change. ”

Once you’ve established what your interest is, where it came from, and why you are passionate about it, it’s time to be more forward-looking. Cornell wants to admit students who are ambitious and driven, with a passion for changing the world. Now’s the time to share your aspirations with the admissions committee.

Tell the reader what you hope to accomplish one day in regards to your field of study. You might know exactly what you want, for example a student who is going into Information Science might want to create a social media platform that actively promotes diversity of ideas rather than echo chambers as part of its mission. On the other hand, another student might know they want to major in psychology, but they don’t know how they want to use it yet.

In the event you don’t have a clearly defined goal, it’s okay to admit you don’t know where your studies will take you—after all, the whole point of college is to explore new ideas and figure out what you are passionate about. Don’t completely write off this portion of the essay though. Still talk about what you hope to bring to the world in a broader sense. Rather than describing the specific contribution you will make to the world of medicine, describe how you are studying biology to learn about the inner workings of the human body so you are equipped to handle any organ or system.

Finally, you’ll want to dedicate a good portion (around 200-300 words) on the Cornell-specific opportunities you will utilize during your four years to both deepen your passion and work towards your goals.

There are two key things to keep in mind. First, quality over quantity is everything here. Name dropping four classes and three professors without expanding on why you are drawn to them won’t add much to your essay. Instead, pick three or four resources that closely align with you and explain why you are excited about this opportunity and how it will help you achieve your goals.

Secondly, the offerings you discuss have to be unique to Cornell. Nearly every school you apply to will offer Chemistry 101 or have a finance club. You need to spend some time poking around Cornell’s website to find distinctive opportunities you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else to prove to the admissions committee you genuinely want to go to the school. Below are some ideas of things to look for as you research the school:

• Look at the course roster and find classes in your major (don’t just pick Biology 101; the more specific, the better!)
• Find professors in your department and the research they conduct
• Explore unique clubs and extracurriculars that align with your interests 
• Look into special programs or centers (ie. Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity or College Scholar Program
• Research Cornell-specific study abroad programs and hubs

For example, the student who loves books and reading may want to one day become a fantasy writer to help others immerse themselves in new worlds. They could mention wanting to take the Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Witchcraft First-Year Writing Seminar at Cornell in their essay.

College of Engineering Short Answer Questions

Note: upon selecting this college on the common app, you will be asked to provide the 3 words that best describe you and the three words that you would use to describe cornell engineering. this is essentially a major-specific short response section..

It’s challenging to distill your personality down to three words, so to begin, come up with a long list of words that you think characterize you, and then narrow them down to the ones that are most important to you. They don’t need to be directly related to engineering, but you want to choose words that at least describe qualities of yourself that could translate to the field of engineering broadly. If you need help, you can ask your friends and family for ideas.

You don’t have to write the most exotic words, but you should avoid very simple descriptors like “fun, nice, smart.” These choices can come across as cliché, and don’t tell the admissions committee anything about you. Try more interesting words like “determined, upbeat, daring,” or even nouns like “brother, athlete, artist.”

If words are your strong suit, you can try to be more creative with your choices. You might even want to pick a word from another language if that language or its culture is an important part of your identity. Maybe you’re a hard worker, a lighthearted person, and you help your father fix cars in your predominantly Hispanic community; you may choose to write “indefatigable, whimsical, mecánico.” Note that you should strive to only choose words you know/use regularly. Don’t just use a thesaurus to try to find big words, because you may accidentally use a word with a nuanced meaning that isn’t what you’re looking for. Additionally, if you use flowery language in this section but not in your writing supplement, this will come off as contradictory and insincere.

The same idea applies to the three words you choose to describe Cornell Engineering. You should do plenty of research on Cornell Engineering before even attempting to choose three words. Determine what is important to their program, reach out to friends you may know in the program, or look through their website and social media to figure out what their program is all about.

You should not attempt to randomly select words about engineering in general. In fact, you could write an inspiring answer by picking some that seemingly have nothing to do with engineering! Avoid picking generic, simple words as well as words of empty praise, such as “unique,” “competitive,” “prestigious,” and “innovative.” Anyone can tell Cornell that it’s a good university — doing so here would sound hollow and plain. Try to think of more nuanced and descriptive words that wouldn’t apply broadly to every engineering college.

For example, you might choose “eclectic,” “defiant,” and “virtuous.” These are creative choices, but more importantly, they are words you could defend in an interview. If asked about “eclectic,” you can mention the diversity of the fields which Cornell has facilities for — the university has centers in subjects ranging from data science to nanomedical technology to waste management. You can defend “defiant” by discussing how a certain lab you researched never settles for the status quo, but instead seeks to always go beyond what is deemed possible. Finally, you might defend “virtuous” by mentioning Cornell Engineering’s mission to “ advance the quality of life on our planet. ”

College of Engineering, Prompt 1 

How do your interests directly connect with cornell engineering if you have an intended major, what draws you to that department at cornell engineering if you are unsure what specific engineering field you would like to study, describe how your general interest in engineering most directly connects with cornell engineering. it may be helpful to concentrate on one or two things that you are most excited about. (250 words).

This prompt is sort of a mix of two traditional kinds of prompts: “Why This College?” and “Why This Major?” It’s primarily a “Why This College?” prompt, as it asks twice how your personal interests connect with Cornell Engineering, but if you do have a specific intended major, you will have to back up your choice as well.

Before you begin writing, you should thoroughly consider what you want to get out of college. Think about your academic and career goals beyond getting a degree or making a lot of money. Colleges don’t want to hear superficial or self-serving goals; they are seeking students with passion and drive who want to contribute to the world in some way.

After you have some idea of your goals, do ample research. You need to establish at least a tangible connection with the college in a way that shows how it will help you achieve your goals. A tangible connection involves specific reasons for choosing the college that are unique to that college. This is where research will really be useful. Browse the departments and courses , faculty , and research groups to find some unique features of the college.

For example, a student might be particularly interested in computer-aided diagnosis because it was used to help diagnose his grandmother’s lung cancer and save her life. He might write about the Biomedical Imaging and Instrumentation concentration within the Biomedical Engineering major. Courses like “Computer Vision” and “Computer Analysis of Biomed Images” would be essential to mention in his essay. 

Additionally, he might want to write about the Vision and Image Analysis Lab. He could also discuss how the head of the lab, Dr. Anthony Reeves, does research on “computer methods for analyzing digital images especially with regards to accurate image measurements and with a primary focus on biomedical applications,” which is exactly what this hypothetical student wants to study.

The hypothetical student above very effectively establishes a tangible connection to the college through specific courses, a lab, and a particular faculty member whose research expertise resonates with him. You should strive to link your personal interests and goals with particular parts of the college in this way.

If you don’t have an intended major in mind, you should still emphasize your general engineering interests. Provide anecdotes that demonstrate the experiences that got you interested in engineering in the first place, then try to connect those experiences with some aspect of the college.

Additionally, if you can, you should try to establish an intangible connection with the college. This involves looking into Cornell Engineering’s values to see how much they align with yours. For example, Cornell’s Diversity Programs in Engineering (DPE) focuses on “enhancing equity for [their] community in terms of: ethnicity, race, sex, gender, orientation, identity, first generation status, socioeconomic class, and veteran status.” Perhaps your racial or gender identity is particularly important to your conception of who you are. You could write about the DPE initiatives to establish this sort of intangible connection in value systems.

There are several things you should avoid when writing your response:

• Empty flattery: Don’t simply write about how good Cornell Engineering is or how cool a specific major is without elaborating in a very specific manner. Talking about the university with such vague flattery suggests you have nothing more substantive or specific to say.
• Name-dropping: You should do research on the college, but don’t name classes or faculty members just to have them in your essay. A list of names doesn’t speak to your goals or interests. Instead, explain why those courses, activities, or professors are interesting to you. The college wants to hear about what resonates with you, but also about why it resonates with you.
• Being generic: Don’t write about resources common to all colleges such as location, class size, a strong program in X, etc. This would suggest that you don’t have anything specific to say or that you copied the response you wrote for another school.

College Engineering, Prompt 2, Option A

Describe an engineering problem that impacts your local community. this could be your school, neighborhood, town, region, or a group you identify with. describe one to three things you might do as an engineer to solve the problem. (250 words).

This prompt is designed to elicit several things: your ability to locate and describe problems that can be solved through engineering, the kinds of problems that personally motivate you, and your critical thinking skills. In many ways, the prompt is like a future-tense version of the common community service essay , but rather than writing about previous service experiences, you’re tasked with writing about how you would serve a community to which you belong.

Before you begin writing, think back to when you were younger (or even to as recently as last week). What physical features of your natural and created environments have bothered you in your hometown, school, or other community to which you belong? Perhaps there are too many unfilled potholes or maybe your local playground is becoming rundown and overgrown. The problem doesn’t have to be profound and widespread; it just has to be important to you and amenable to engineering solutions.

In addition to things that have bothered you, try to think of deep-rooted issues and problems that might only apply to particular neighborhoods or groups of people. Use all of these thoughts to create a preliminary list of problems. Once you have a list, narrow it down to the one problem that you most connect with and can think of viable solutions to. This prompt is attempting to gauge your critical thinking skills as well as to understand your passion for engineering.

Once you determine your problem, brainstorm some of the possible solutions to it. These solutions can take shape in a number of ways. You can try to approach the problem through different subfields of engineering to see how alternative areas of expertise can contribute to the same issue in unique ways.

For example, a student might come from a city with a rather dated transit system. Perhaps her home neighborhood is served by an above ground train network that is lacking in accessibility. She might have noticed this problem upon seeing a man in a wheelchair unable to get up to the elevated platform. When writing about this issue, she can propose several solutions involving different kinds of engineering. For example, she might think of three potential solutions:

• “As a mechanical engineer, I can design an elevator car and cable system to provide greater accessibility within our transportation network.” (She can also adapt her response to the kind of engineering she wishes to study – e.g., “As a structural engineer, I can design the foundations of an elevator shaft that could be affixed to the existing elevated train structures.”)
• “As a civil engineer, I can design a workable ramp system that can be attached to each of the train stations in the transportation network. Each station will have its own needs and regulations, which I can use my training as an engineer to adapt to.”
• “As a civil engineer, I could contribute to a total overhaul of the transportation network by designing a trolley system at ground level or perhaps even an underground subway network in which it would be easier to provide wheelchair accessibility.”

Bear in mind that this essay has a limit of 250 words, which will be taken up quickly if you present a problem and provide multiple solutions to it. Be mindful of your word count and avoid overly flowery language and unnecessarily complicated words/sentences. Let your critical and creative thinking be seen in your choice of problem and your proposed solutions. 

And remember, you aren’t an engineer yet; you haven’t even started college! Don’t feel like you have to have all the right answers. You shouldn’t overdo it with your proposed solution, but also avoid being too minimal in your descriptions. Think through what information is necessary to include as part of a solution and use that to guide your essay.

College of Engineering, Prompt 2, Option B

Diversity in all forms is intrinsic to excellence in engineering. engineering the best solutions to complex problems is often achieved by drawing from the diverse ingenuity of people from different backgrounds, lived experiences, and identities. how do you see yourself contributing to the diversity and/or the inclusion of the cornell engineering community what is the unique voice you would bring to the cornell engineering community (250 words).

The goal of this type of essay is to find out how your values and background influence your personal views and goals. Admissions committees look to build diverse classes, so you’ll want your response for this to be individualized and authentic. To learn more about this kind of prompt, check out our tips for writing a diversity essay .

What to Consider Before You Write

Coming up with a good topic for a diversity essay can be tricky. This is what you’ll want to keep in mind as you think of how to approach the question:

• Think about your various identities and what makes you unique. This could be your community, racial identity, religion, hobbies, disability status, gender, language, hometown, country of origin, etc. You may want to make a list and write about the one you are most familiar with and feel most comfortable talking about.
• Consider how you relate to this identity and how you feel about being a part of this group. Have you developed any personality traits through this background? If so, how have they changed over time?
• Have any major formative events occurred in your life because of this background? What were they and how did they shape you into the person you are today?
• Have you learned any skills through one of these identities? What are they?
• How can you connect this with Cornell Engineering?

It is important to consider how your emotions tie in with one of your identities and what personal stories demonstrate this emotional connection. This way, you can write an essay that shows an aspect of your background and how it has shaped you.

You’ll want about 25% of the essay to summarize the part of your background that you are describing* and the remaining 75% to talk about how you have been impacted by it. As you wrap up your response, write about how your background will make you a good addition to the Cornell Engineering community.

Mistakes To Avoid

Don’t list all your identities: This essay isn’t the time to talk about all your personal identities. Instead, focus on one of them and dive deeper into what it is and why it’s important to you.

Don’t focus solely on negative experiences: It’s fine to mention negative experiences related to your identity, and you should absolutely make sure that the experiences you write about are authentic to you. However, admissions committees often look for stories with positive or optimistic endings. Not everything has a happy ending, but it’s harder to write a successful and compelling negative essay.

Don’t pick a cliché topic: There are topics such as immigration stories that have been used time and time again in supplementary essays. Think about an identity you have that may be unique or more nuanced.

Here’s how a response might begin:

One community that I’ve been part of for many years is the jazz piano community. Although jazz is often seen as being “outdated” or “pretentious” by the outside world, true jazz lovers know that it is actually one of the only music genres that stays current with new beats and rhythms. Jazz is always adapting, but jazz pianists must adapt as well. They improvise while also keeping a fast tempo and staying moving between keys. My years playing piano taught me to go with the flow and to accept alternative, unusual, or unique outcomes–usually, the best jazz pieces are created in the spur of the moment. Sometimes engineers get mired in the details or the singular desired outcome, which closes them off to potential accidental breakthroughs. As a student within the College of Engineering at Cornell, I would use the adaptive out-of-the-box thinking that I’ve learned through improvisation and apply it to my engineering projects.

This example starts by describing how jazz, an important part of the student’s background, is perceived, then connects the skills and lessons that the student learned through improvisation to a skill that can be applied to engineering. The student describes how the job of a jazz pianist is not just limited to piano, and that those lessons can be applied to other aspects of life. The student also connects his response to the College of Engineering, thus connecting his identity to Cornell.

What kind of business student are you? 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 convey how your interests align with the school to which you are applying within the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 words)

The SC Johnson College of Business is made up of two schools: The Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the School of Hotel Administration. Our breakdown will focus on these two schools separately, but keep in mind that you can write about both in your essay, especially if your interests and goals are best served by both schools.

Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

The Dyson School is known as one of the most competitive at Cornell. In order to stand out among the tough competition, you will need to clearly explain why your goals and interests align with Dyson’s unique program.

Your choice to apply to Dyson should extend beyond a basic interest in economics or management. Dyson’s program is interdisciplinary in nature, and the school encourages its students to study various disciplines outside of AEM. Having a distinct interdisciplinary focus such as agro-economics is a great way to stand out in your supplemental essay.

Your reasons for applying to Dyson should be supported by your present interests and activities. For example, a student discussing agricultural economics could discuss leadership roles in a local 4H club, or efforts to learn more about agricultural economics through recent journals and news pieces.

Aim to be as detailed as possible when discussing your future goals and clearly connect them to Dyson’s offerings. The agricultural economics student could talk about how Dyson’s flexible curriculum would also allow them to take agriculture classes.

Be sure to include your post-college goals and how the College of Business would help you achieve them. For example, our hypothetical agro-economics student might be interested in starting an organization to eliminate food deserts, by diverting food that would’ve otherwise gone to waste. They could mention the course “HADM 4315: Hunger, Health and Nonprofit Social Enterprise” in the School of Hotel Administration (remember that you can talk about both schools in the College of Business!). This would allow the student to learn “management best practices for leading nonprofit food service organizations.”

School of Hotel Administration

SHA consistently ranks as the best hotel school in the United States, and applicants should have a clear, demonstrated interest in hospitality-related careers. In addition to relevant experience, SHA looks for the interpersonal skills required to be successful in the hospitality industry.

Your hospitality experiences should directly show why you chose to apply to SHA and why you are interested in hospitality management. For example, instead of simply listing your duties as a bellhop at a local hotel, describe how the integration of many fast-paced movements at a hotel invigorates you.

Connect these experiences to your long-term plans and aspirations, and explain how the Hotel School will provide you with the tools you need to achieve these goals. If you want to manage a hotel one day, explain how SHA will provide the hands-on experiences and practical skills you will need to run an establishment.

SHA is the only college at Cornell that requires an admissions interview, which focuses on the applicant’s interpersonal skills. While describing your experiences within hospitality, make sure to highlight personal attributes such as your empathy or adaptability, especially through anecdotes. Perhaps a hotel client once lost his dog, and you went above and beyond to help him make missing dog signs, even putting them up across the city. Maybe the hotel’s fitness center yoga instructor once called in sick at the last minute, and you stepped in with your knowledge of yoga, leading the class in her stead. These details allow an admissions counselor to see that you would thrive at SHA.

How have your related experiences influenced your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE)? How will your choice of major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should show us that your interests and aspirations align with CHE and your choice of major. (650 words)

This prompt is sort of a blend between the “Why This College?” and “Why This Major?” prompts. The College of Human Ecology (CHE) wants to find the applicants who have the most sincere interest in the school and their anticipated major, so this essay is your chance to let your background and passion shine through.

Before you begin writing, think about the reasons for your decision. What life experiences led you to want to study at the College of Human Ecology? If you’ve decided on a major, why do you want to pursue that major? Think about your academic and career goals, but don’t just write about wanting a prestigious education or trying to make a large salary. Colleges don’t like selfish and shallow goals; they want students with deeper aspirations and a genuine interest in their respective fields.

CHE focuses on the exploration of human connection and the human experience. Human Ecology is interdisciplinary by nature and has strong roots in research and public engagement. Your supplemental essay should reflect these themes while also explaining your interest in your intended major.

Use your high school classes, extracurriculars, and personal projects to explain why you applied to CHE. If you want to study nutritional sciences, you could discuss your role in the Health Club at your high school. Make sure to explain why your intended career path interests you. Maybe you’re a runner and you’re fascinated by how diet impacts physical performance. Connecting your unique personal experiences to a broader desire to improve the human experience — and potentially adding interdisciplinary elements — will help deepen your connection to the College of Human Ecology.

The next part of this prompt asks how your specific major will contribute to your plans for the future. Be as specific as possible. For example, instead of broadly stating that studying fashion design and management will help prepare you for the fashion industry, discuss how the studio-based classes will provide you with both a strong physical skill set and a portfolio of work for job applications. Or if you want to start your own sustainable fashion brand, mention how the courses in Fiber Science will allow you to learn about innovative ways to create eco-friendly fibers and dyes.

After you have some idea of your motivations and goals, do your research. You need to demonstrate how CHE and your desired major will help you achieve your goals. Look over the departments and courses , faculty , and research to find some unique features of the college that you can benefit from during and after your college career.

If you don’t have a specific major in mind, you should still show interest in CHE by mentioning two or three majors you’re considering and why . Include personal stories that can corroborate your interest in Human Ecology, then try to connect those stories with a couple of CHE majors.

As we discussed before, there are several things you should avoid when writing your response:

• Empty flattery: Don’t simply write about how good the College of Human Ecology is or how cool a specific major is without elaborating in a very specific manner. Talking about the university with such vague flattery suggests you have nothing more substantive or specific to say.

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. (650 words)

The School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) studies the world of work, and the intellectual interests you write about should also involve labor and human capital. The ILR community has a strong drive for public service, so making social service the focus of your essay will help explain your choice in ILR. This isn’t exactly a community service prompt , but you might want to mention any service experience you have, how you feel about that experience, and how that experience has motivated your interest in ILR.

Given the specificity of the prompt, it’s imperative that you provide concrete examples of how your experiences relate to your intellectual interests. For example, you can discuss how studying disability rights in your American History class made you want to become an advocate, or how volunteering in a local lawyer’s office helped you discover a deep interest in labor law.

Your essay should also explain why you are interested in your chosen subject matter to fully address what makes it exciting to you. Does the ability to advocate for others inspire your passion for disability rights in the workplace? 

Your reasons can be more personal too. Maybe you have a friend or relative with a disability and have witnessed how many workers with disabilities are underpaid and exploited. Or, perhaps you’re interested in labor law because you want to defend workers in minority groups from discrimination.

Once you’ve established your experiences and motivations, you need to draw connections to ILR. This is where research will be extremely helpful. Look into ILR’s departments and courses , faculty , areas of expertise , and research opportunities to inspire your writing. Keep in mind that all undergraduate students at ILR have the same major — Industrial and Labor Relations. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to focus your study on one of the related disciplines , so be sure to write to your strengths and interests.

Choose ILR-specific programs to explain why the school is the right fit for you. For example, a future law student could mention ILR’s intensive legal writing seminars. The prospective student could also discuss the Labor & Employment Law Program in NYC, which focuses on managing repositories for documents related to acts of workplace discrimination.

Note: Upon selecting this college on the Common App, you will be asked to provide the 3 words that best describe you. This is essentially a major-specific short response section.

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the college of architecture, art and planning (aap) why architecture (b.arch), art (bfa) or urban and regional studies (urs) b.arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. bfa applicants may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at cornell into a coherent art practice. urs students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 words).

Before you scroll down to the writing supplement prompt, you’ll be asked for three words that best describe you. It’s tough to distill your personality down to three words, so to start, come up with a long list of words that you think characterize you, and then narrow them down to the ones that are most important to you. If you need help, you can poll your friends and family.

You don’t need the most exotic words, but you should avoid very simple descriptors like “fun, nice, smart.” These choices are too safe and plain, and don’t tell the admissions committee anything about you. Try more interesting words like “determined, upbeat, daring,” or even nouns like “brother, athlete, artist.”

If words are your thing or you consider yourself a writer, you can try to be more ambitious with your choices. You might even want to pick a word from another language if that language is an important part of your identity. Maybe you’re a hard worker, a lighthearted person, and a singer of Latin music; you may choose to write “indefatigable, whimsical, cantante.” Note that you should strive to only choose words you know and use regularly. Don’t just use a thesaurus to try to find big words, because you may accidentally use a word with a nuanced meaning that isn’t what you’re looking for. Additionally, if you use flowery language in this section but not in your writing supplement, this will come off as contradictory and insincere.

Now, let’s move onto the actual prompt. Since the prompt asks for different things depending on whether you are applying as an architecture, art, or planning student, we will break down the responses accordingly. However, like most other “ Why This Major? ” essays, all three types of applicants should still describe their interest in the topic, explain their goals, and describe how the AAP resources will be beneficial to them.

Architecture

The prompt tells Architecture students to “provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program.” The major focus for your essay should be on a project you worked on that led to your love for architecture.

Try and pick a project from high school, that way it’s more recent, and pick something longer-term that you worked on to highlight the impressiveness. An essay about a year-long model bridge you built out of toothpicks for your design class will have a lot more to delve into than one about a lego structure you built with your younger brother in a weekend. 

That being said, if you think you can write a passionate, deeply emotional essay about a moment you shared with your brother that also opened your eyes to the wonders of architecture through tiny plastic blocks, go ahead!

Make sure to describe the project in detail—highlight what the development process looked like, explain your thought process (were you stressed about each detail or did you lose track of all time as you worked for hours on end?), and provide imagery to show your actions and the final product—that way the admissions officers get a feel for the heart and soul you put into your work. Remember, you are trying to prove to them you love architecture enough to spend the next five years studying it, so don’t hold back on showing us your passion.

Also remember to save space in your essay to address how you will further your passion for architecture at Cornell. Like we mentioned in previous sections, hone in on three or four highly-specific and unique opportunities you want to take advantage of while at Cornell. Make sure to include both what excites you about the given resource and how it will prepare you for your future goals.

Art students within AAP are told they “may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice.” While this prompt is more geared towards the Cornell resources and opportunities you will utilize as a student than the other two, that doesn’t mean you can completely forgo discussing your passion for art.

Like any other essay, you’ll want to make yourself the focus. Through detailed examples, show the admissions committee how you first got into art or what draws you to the subject each day. The prompt specifically mentions “integrating a range of interests,” so it would be a great idea to demonstrate how you combine interdisciplinary topics through your art.

For example, a student interested in climate activism might describe how she started a business to paint other people’s campaign posters and then donate the proceeds to environmental justice campaigns. Another student might highlight how they used their passion for graphic design to mimic other art mediums like sculpting and photography.

It’s also important to include your goals for your art in your response. Obviously, you don’t have to have your whole life figured out at 17, but in order to explain how you plan to use Cornell resources to develop a “coherent art practice” you should be able to articulate what you want in a general sense. Whether you want to bring back the era of rococo paintings or you think it would be cool to open your own gallery one day, share your dreams with us in the essay.

Finally, you’ll need to provide both depth and breadth when discussing the Cornell offerings you want to take advantage of. Try and discuss resources across a variety of areas—classes, professors, extracurricular organizations, special centers, etc. Cornell even has its own museum on campus you could get involved with! 

Aim to include three to five resources you want to engage with, depending on how much space you have. The key is to tie each resource back to yourself, either by mentioning how you are excited by an aspect of it because it connects to your interest or previous experience in a particular way or by explaining how participating in the opportunity will help you achieve your goals.

Urban and Regional Studies

The prompt is fairly generic for urban and regional studies majors: “URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.” Luckily, the lack of specificity means you have the freedom to write about anything you want.

You might want to talk about your personal experiences and how aspects of where you grew up affected you. Another approach could be to discuss a regional or global issue in the field of urban studies and discuss why you are drawn to that problem and how you would go about fixing it. You might focus on extracurricular involvement related to the subject that was particularly meaningful to you. Or, perhaps you want to express your enthusiasm through highlighting the ways you think about the world around you as an urban planner.

The moral of the story is there is no wrong way to structure your answer to this question.

Similar to Architecture and Art applicants, once you establish your passion for the topic and explain what you love about it, the next step is to put your interests in the context of Cornell. Again, quality over quantity—we are looking for a few well-developed descriptions of why you are drawn to each resource and what you hope to get out of them.

Also make sure to weave your career goals into the essay. You can smoothly transition from talking about your established interest and current events to how you want to use an urban and regional studies degree in the future, or you can discuss how certain opportunities will give you the skills and tools to go down a certain path one day.

Where to Get Your Cornell University Essay Edited

Do you want feedback on your Cornell essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Cornell Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Search cornell admissions, transfer option applicants.

Let’s Get Started

If you were offered the Transfer Option for fall 2024, please review the application instructions below. If you have questions, please contact the college or school that offered you the Transfer Option.

The deadline to complete your Transfer Option application is March 15, 2024 . Your online application must be submitted by this date, and we encourage you to submit all other application materials as close to this date as possible.

Application Materials

To complete your application, you’ll need to submit the following items:

• Online application : You should use the same credentials you used to access your previous Cornell University application status portal. If you cannot remember your previous credentials, please select Create an Account under First-time users or contact [email protected] for assistance.
• Official eTranscripts may be sent to [email protected] .
• Transcripts and the College Report must come directly from the institution, they cannot be sent from you. We are unable to approve a TO application without receiving these materials.
• College Officials Report .
• Mid-Term Reports should be completed for your spring 2024 courses in progress, even if official mid-term grades are not issued by your institution.

Please note that there is no application fee for the Transfer Option application.

Additional Requirements for Your College or School

In addition to the general application materials listed above, please be sure to submit the materials required by the college or school you're applying to:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• Current semester schedule of courses.
• List of all Advanced Placement (AP) scores. For the purposes of the TO application, these scores may be self-reported.
• Essay: Please share how the experiences during your first year of college have helped to prepare you for a transition into Cornell University CALS and impacted your intended academic goals.

College of Art, Architecture, & Planning

The College of Art, Architecture, & Planning does not require any additional materials.

College of Arts & Sciences

The College of Arts & Sciences does not require any additional materials.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering does not require any additional materials.

College of Human Ecology

• List of all Advanced Placement (AP) scores.
• Essay: How will transferring to your intended major in the College of Human Ecology advance your academic goals and plans for the future? Responses should be no more than 650 words.
• Design supplements are required for Design & Environmental Analysis, Fashion Design & Management , and new in 2024, Fiber Science applicants, in addition to submitting the Transfer Option Application. These materials must be submitted by the application deadline for critical evaluation by department faculty. Applications to those majors without the required supplement will not be reviewed. Be sure to use the current instructions when developing your supplement. Do not resubmit your original design supplement.

Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy

• Essay: How will transferring to your intended major in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy advance your academic goals and plans for the future? Responses should be no longer than 3000 characters.

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

All Business-Hotel Administration applicants: Please attach an updated résumé to this application. You do not need to schedule an interview.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

• Frequently Asked Questions

When will I receive my application decision?

Transfer admissions are released on a rolling basis starting in mid-April. There may be occasions when we need to hold for final semester grades, but most decisions are sent in late April/early May.

What material needs to be submitted?

Be sure to submit the required documents listed in each section of the application, in the format requested.

When will my materials be processed?

Please know that application materials submitted in January or February may not be processed until March and that it is very common for those materials to take at least 2–3 weeks to process. If you don’t see your application checklist updated after submitting those documents, don't panic. The University will inform you if something is missing.

Can I submit letters of recommendation?

You can submit letters of recommendation, though they are not required as part of the Transfer Option application. Letters of recommendation should be from college/university faculty and/or advisors. Letter writers can email their materials to [email protected] or you can upload the file(s) as supplemental information via the application portal.

How should I submit documents?

Documents can be uploaded to your application or can be submitted later using the Upload Materials section in your Applicant Status Portal. Don’t forget to click the upload button after you've chosen your file.

Can I send my own transcripts and college report?

Transcripts and the College Report must come directly from the institution; they cannot be sent by the applicant. We are unable to approve a TO application without receiving these materials.

Do I need to send a mid-term report if I am on the quarter system?

If you are on the quarter system, your final winter quarter grades may be used in place of the Mid-Term Report. 

Financial Aid

If you will be applying for financial aid , please make sure to complete the financial aid application by March 15. We strongly encourage you to apply for aid before you receive your admissions decision, or you may not receive your aid package in time to deposit.

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Still need help? Look at the Frequently Asked Questions , or contact us .

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March 12, 2024

Cornell University Internal Transfer Process & Essay Prompts

Previously Published on November 28, 2019:

Some students who earn admission to Cornell University and subsequently enroll in one of its seven undergraduate colleges realize in time that while Cornell  is  for them, the undergraduate college within Cornell is  not  for them. And while Cornell’s administration has historically made a big fuss about how difficult it is to transfer within colleges at Cornell, if a student approaches the process correctly, rest assured,  it can be done . In fact, over the years, we at Ivy Coach have helped many students transfer undergraduate colleges within Cornell. So, what exactly does the process of internally transferring at Cornell entail?

How to Transfer Within Colleges at Cornell University

Cornell’s internal transfer process varies by college.

As Winny Sun reported a few years back for  The Cornell Daily Sun  in a piece about Cornell’s internal transfer process , “The process for transferring to each college can vary considerably. While all students looking to transfer must fill out the same internal transfer application, which asks applicants for a 600-word essay on why their ’academic or career goals have led’ them to ’pursue an internal transfer,’ some colleges have more requirements than others.”

Sun went on, “For instance, while the College of Arts and Sciences requires that potential transfers have at least a 2.7 G.P.A., AEM notes that most of its successful applicants have ’at least a 3.3,’ in addition to also asking for a resume and supplemental transfer application. Acceptance rates for internal transfer vary by college and program and depend on the unique applicant pool each semester, explained Florencia Ardon, program manager and advisor at the Office of Internal Transfer and Concurrent Degrees.”

Internal Transfer Essay Requirements by College

Below is a breakdown of the internal transfer essay requirements by college within Cornell for the 2024 academic year:

The Correct Approach to Cornell’s Internal Transfer Process Leads to Success

Students should focus their Cornell internal transfer applications  not  on why their current undergraduate college isn’t right for them but instead on why their academic and career ambitions inspire them to wish to attend the undergraduate college to which they hope to earn admission as internal transfers. After all, admissions officers evaluating the applications of internal transfers understand that students’ interests and dreams can change since they applied to Cornell out of high school.

And while the internal transfer process isn’t easy, keep in mind that Cornell would much prefer students transfer internally within the school than transfer to another university entirely, as external transfers hurt the Ivy League school’s rankings. So, as difficult as the administration may make it seem to internally transfer, know that if one approaches the process correctly by meeting with the right advisors, earning strong grades, submitting a wow essay, and getting involved in the right Cornell extracurriculars, it’s absolutely in the cards.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Cornell Internal Transfer

Internal transfer applications , the requirements for which vary by college within Cornell , became available on March 1, 2024. The application deadline for all internal transfer applications is May 1, 2024, with final decisions released in mid-June 2024.

If you’re interested in optimizing your case for internal transfer at Cornell, fill out Ivy Coach ’s complimentary consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our internal transfer service.

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Read 2 Transfer Student Essays That Worked

Strong transfer essays can help pave the way to admissions offers.

Read 2 Transfer Essays That Worked

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Though it isn't a golden ticket, a strong transfer essay may boost an applicant's odds of admission.

There are as many reasons to transfer colleges as there are transfer students. But regardless of why someone wants to move to a new institution, the process for doing so usually requires an admissions essay.

Colleges With the Most Transfer Students

Josh Moody Jan. 28, 2020

In a 2018 National Association for College Admission Counseling survey , 41.5% of colleges polled said a transfer applicant's essay or writing sample is of either considerable or moderate importance in the admission decision.

A compelling, well-written transfer essay doesn't guarantee acceptance – many other factors are at play, such as an applicant's GPA. However, a strong essay can be a factor that helps move the odds in the applicant's favor, says Kathy Phillips, associate dean of undergraduate admissions at Duke University in North Carolina.

Know What Colleges Are Looking For In a Transfer Essay

Some schools have prospective transfer students use the Common App or the Coalition Application to apply. In addition to the main essay, students may be required to submit a second writing sample or respond to short-answer questions, though this isn't always the case. Prospective students can check a college's website for specific guidance regarding how to apply.

Whatever application method they use, prospective students should be aware that writing a transfer essay is not the same as writing a first-year college application essay, experts advise. First-year essays are more open-ended, says Niki Barron, associate dean of admission at Hamilton College in New York. When applying as first-years, prospective students can generally write about any experience, relationship or goal that has shaped who they are as people, she says.

This contrasts with transfer essays, where the focus is typically narrower. Barron says she thinks of transfer essays as more of a statement of purpose. "We're really looking to see students' reasons for wanting to transfer," she says.

Katie Fretwell, the recently retired dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College in Massachusetts, says prospective transfer students are in a position to be a bit more reflective about their educational goals because of their additional year or years of experience post-high school. The essay helps admissions officers get a sense of whether an applicant has done "an appropriate level of soul-searching about the match," she says.

Transfer Essay Examples

Below are two transfer essays that helped students get into Duke and Amherst, respectively. Both institutions are very selective in transfer admissions. For fall 2018, Duke had a transfer acceptance rate of 8% and Amherst accepted 4% of its transfer applicants, according to U.S. News data.

Hover over the circles to read what made these essays stand out to admissions experts.

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