At Cornell you apply not to the university but to one of its colleges. The essay, subject requirements, portfolio and even the tuition rate depend on that choice.
Cornell’s requirements for autumn 2027 entry: the colleges and their essays, the SAT or ACT, English, Early Decision, aid for international students and cost. With an explanation of why, for an international applicant, the choice of college is the first strategic decision.
Four questions an application starts with.
Yes. Cornell has reinstated testing: first-year applicants submit the SAT or ACT. Scores may be self-reported on the Common App, but enrolling students confirm them with official results or the offer may be revoked. The ACT Science section is not required.
The application goes to one of Cornell’s undergraduate schools: Arts and Sciences, Duffield Engineering, Architecture, Art, and Planning, Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, the Brooks School of Public Policy, the Nolan School of Hotel Administration, the Dyson School or ILR. Each sets its own essays, and some add requirements.
Early Decision: 1 November (other materials by 13 November), decision in mid-December, binding. Regular Decision: 2 January (other materials by 19 January), decision in late March, deposit by 1 May. An international applicant’s financial documents are due 1 November and 2 January.
Yes, but international admission is need-aware: need for aid is one factor in the decision. For admitted students Cornell meets 100% of demonstrated need with grants, work-study and, depending on family income, reasonable loans. The CSS Profile is filed with the application.
The direct answer: each Cornell school sets its own essay, Architecture, Art, and Planning adds a portfolio, SC Johnson a résumé, and Engineering requires one recommendation from a maths, science or computing teacher.
| College | Essay | What else |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Sciences | One essay of up to 650 words on an intellectual passion and the parts of the curriculum you would draw on | — |
| Duffield Engineering | Two 200-word essays and four 100-word short answers | One of the two teacher recommendations from a maths, science or computer science teacher |
| Architecture, Art, and Planning | A 650-word essay for the specific major; an artist statement for the BFA | A portfolio for the B.Arch and the BFA: 1 November or 2 January, no later |
| SC Johnson: Dyson, Nolan | One 650-word essay: what kind of business student you are | A résumé; Nolan lists required school courses including pre-calculus and chemistry |
The other colleges (Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, Brooks, ILR) set their own questions in the same section of the Common App. The logic is the same: each reads why the applicant chose it, and an essay cannot be carried from one college to another.
The direct answer: the SAT or ACT is required; an English test is needed unless the applicant is a US citizen or permanent resident, a native speaker, or has been taught in English for the past four years.
| Test | Minimum for a competitive application |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT before January 2026 | 100 |
| TOEFL iBT from January 2026 | 5.0, 5.5 recommended |
| IELTS | 7.5 |
| Duolingo English Test | 130 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency | 191 |
The direct answer: the lower New York State contract-college rate applies only to state residents; an international student pays the full rate of USD 73,946 in tuition, with a total cost of USD 99,734.
| Colleges | Tuition | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|
| Endowed: Arts and Sciences, Engineering, AAP, SC Johnson, Nolan | 73 946 USD | All students |
| NY State contract colleges: CALS, Human Ecology, ILR, Dyson, Brooks (BS) | 73 946 USD | Non-New York residents, including international students |
| NY State contract colleges | 49 816 USD | New York residents only |
On top of tuition: mandatory fees USD 1,024, housing USD 13,744, food USD 7,604; with books and personal costs the full cost is USD 99,734. Cornell withholds 14% US tax on aid above tuition and mandatory fees unless a tax treaty exemption applies.
The direct answer: international applicants who want aid at any point in their studies file the CSS Profile with the application; admission is need-aware.
For an international applicant Cornell is several different applications under one name. The choice comes before the essay.
Which college fits the profile and what it asks beyond the common package.
Whether the school courses meet the college’s requirements, especially at Engineering, AAP and Nolan.
An international student pays the full rate at every college. The contract-college reduction does not apply.
Cornell aid can include loans, unlike several of its Ivy peers. That changes how offers compare.
For the B.Arch and BFA the portfolio is ready by 1 November or 2 January, with no extension.
The EDMONT sequence: formal eligibility → academic competitiveness → funding → fit with the university and programme → application strategy. We do not calculate admission probabilities and we promise no outcome.
Tell us where the applicant is studying now, the intended year of entry and the field they are considering.
The Cornell University pages this page was checked against.
The EDMONT editorial standards set out how we check facts, date material and correct errors.
At Cornell the application is a choice of college, and it determines everything else. A profile review shows which college fits the applicant and what has to be ready by November.
ELIGIBILITY → COLLEGE → FUNDING → APPLICATION