Does Cornell University have supplemental essays?

Yes, for some applicants. Every Cornell University supplement in 2026-27 depends on the college or program you apply to. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 350-word limit, 650-word limit.

How many essays do you write for Cornell University in 2026-27?

It depends on the college or program you apply to. Cornell University sets no supplement every applicant writes in 2026-27; the prompts on this page name who each one is for.

What ACT score do you need for Cornell University?

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 33-35 on the ACT, with a composite of 34 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 33. Reported by Cornell University to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.

What GPA do you need for Cornell University?

The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Cornell University is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Cornell University admits 8.8% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.

How hard is it to get into Cornell University?

Cornell University admits 8.8% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 11 applicants. At that rate no set of numbers makes admission likely, a perfect one included, because the college turns away far more qualified applicants than it takes. Strong grades and scores get the application read; the essays, the recommendations and what you have actually done decide it from there.

Cornell University supplemental essays

Yes, for some applicants. Every Cornell University supplement in 2026-27 depends on the college or program you apply to. Common App. Personal statement required (250-650 words).

Early Decision closes November 1, 2026 and Regular Decision closes January 2, 2027. The prompts carry these limits: 350-word limit, 650-word limit. Every Cornell University prompt is printed on this page in full, with its word limit and who has to answer it, checked against the college’s own admissions page.

Every essay it asks for, with a status, in the free essay manager.

Deadlines

Cornell University application deadlines
Round	Date
Early Decision	November 1, 2026
Regular Decision	January 2, 2027

Checked against admissions.cornell.edu/how-to-apply/first-year-applicants. Confirm on the college’s own page before you submit.

Every college’s early deadlines, side by side

The essays, 2026-27

Required (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) applicants) · 350-word limit
What interests you about the major you selected? Tell us about experiences (both in and outside of the classroom), questions, and goals that influenced your choice.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) - Question #1. CALS applicants answer BOTH CALS questions. Preceded on the page by this intro: “By applying to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), you are also applying directly to one of our majors. From here, you would be part of a community dedicated to purpose-driven science; working within your major and across disciplines to tackle complex, real-world challenges. Please respond to the following writing prompts when completing your Common Application Writing Supplement:”
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) applicants) · 350-word limit
What draws you to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)? Reflect on the learning, community, or impact opportunities that matter most to you, and share how they align with Cornell CALS (as you understand it currently).
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) - Question #2. Replaces the old single 500-word CALS essay used through 2025-26.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (College of Arts and Sciences applicants) · Common Application Writing Supplement (650-word limit)
At the College of Arts and Sciences, your education is yours to shape. Describe an intellectual passion, question, or idea that has captured your attention—whether it emerges from your studies or extends beyond your coursework. What specific aspects of our liberal arts curriculum would you draw on to explore and connect your varied interests?
College of Arts and Sciences - the only A&S supplemental essay. New wording for 2026-27 (the 2025-26 version began 'At the College of Arts and Sciences, curiosity will be your guide').
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Architecture / B.Arch applicants answer this version) · Common Application Writing Supplement (650-word limit)
How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP)? 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.
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) - Architecture applicants. AAP publishes one 650-word prompt with a major-specific second sentence; you answer only the version for your major. Architecture and Fine Arts applicants also submit a portfolio via SlideRoom (Nov 1 ED / Jan 2 RD).
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Fine Arts / BFA applicants answer this version) · Common Application Writing Supplement (650-word limit)
How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP)? BFA applicants, you may want to consider how you could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice.
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) - Fine Arts applicants.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Urban and Regional Studies applicants answer this version) · Common Application Writing Supplement (650-word limit)
How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP)? URS students, you may want to emphasize your enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.
College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) - Urban and Regional Studies applicants.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering applicants) · 200-word limit per response
Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering?
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering - Long Essay Question 1. Duffield applicants write two long essays and four short essays (six pieces total). The college was renamed from 'Cornell Engineering' for 2026-27.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering applicants) · 200-word limit per response
Why do you think you would love to study at Duffield Engineering?
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering - Long Essay Question 2.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering applicants) · 100-word limit per response
What brings you joy?
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering - Short Answer Question 1.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering applicants) · 100-word limit per response
What do you believe you will contribute to the Duffield Engineering community beyond what you've already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring?
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering - Short Answer Question 2. The apostrophe in "you've" is a straight apostrophe on Cornell's page.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering applicants) · 100-word limit per response
What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you.
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering - Short Answer Question 3.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering applicants) · 100-word limit per response
What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you.
Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering - Short Answer Question 4.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (College of Human Ecology (CHE) applicants) · Common Application Writing Supplement (600-word limit)
The College of Human Ecology prepares students to respond to human needs through an education organized around the interconnected issues that profoundly affect individuals, communities, and the institutions that shape our lives. Think about an extracurricular/community engagement/work experience that most closely connects you to the CHE mission and your intended choice of major. Tell us what that experience taught you about your broader community and its needs, and the impact you can make. How will your intended CHE major help you make that impact? (Refer to our essay application tips as you write your essay.)
College of Human Ecology (CHE) - the only CHE supplemental essay. On the page the first sentence sits in its own paragraph above the question; both paragraphs are part of the prompt. New wording for 2026-27 (2025-26 asked applicants to 'Identify a challenge in your greater community...'). Some CHE design majors also submit a design portfolio.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) applicants) · Common Application Writing Supplement (650-word limit)
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.
School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) - the only ILR supplemental essay.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell SC Johnson College of Business applicants) · Common Application Writing Supplement (650-word limit)
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 Dyson School or the Nolan School).
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business - covers BOTH the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management AND the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration. One shared prompt; name your school inside the answer. SC Johnson applicants must also submit a resume.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy applicants) · 650-word limit
Discuss your interest in pursuing a major in policy at the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy and what draws you to this field of study. You are encouraged to consider including details related to your personal experiences, values, academic influences, or extracurricular activities that have shaped your perspective and future goals.
Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy - All Applicants.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt
Required (DC Start applicants only) · 350-word limit
Please describe why you are interested in being considered for the Brooks School DC Start program.
Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy - DC Start Applicants ONLY. Skip this unless you are applying to the DC Start program.
Get a free read on this essayPaste your draft, see the verdict before you pay.No draft yet? Pick a topic for this prompt

Your Cornell University checklist

No supplement every applicant writes: which ones you write depends on your college or program. The first deadline, Early Decision, is November 1, 2026.

Common App personal statementRequired250-650 words
17 program-specific promptsOnly if you apply to the college or program it names. All printed in full above.

Free, and no account on the first visit.

It saves these rows to your essay manager, where each one carries a status you set yourself and the prompt stays attached to it. Add your other schools and they land on the same page, in deadline order. Nothing written yet? The topic quiz is free as well.

Free: this page, the checklist, the essay manager and the topic quiz. Paid: a written review of a finished draft, $49 an essay.

Paste your essay for a free read

Have it in a document? or drop one here (Word, PDF, or Text).

Not sure what a review is? What an AI college essay review can and cannot do, and what a college essay grader leaves out. What the read checks against Cornell University’s own prompts is on the Cornell University essay review page.

Getting into Cornell University

Cornell University admits 8.8% of applicants. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1500-1570 on the SAT and 33-35 on the ACT.

About 1 in 11 applicants are admitted, at a college of 15,995 undergraduates.

Cornell University enrolled-student test score percentiles, US Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026-09-17
Enrolled students	25th	Median	75th
SAT total	1500	1540	1570
SAT reading and writing	730	750	770
SAT math	770	790	800
ACT composite	33	34	35

What SAT score do you need for Cornell University?

A 1570 puts you in the top quarter of the students who enrolled, a 1540 at their midpoint, and a 1500 at the bottom quarter, meaning one in four enrolled students scored below it. The same three points on the ACT are 33, 34 and 35. A quarter of an enrolled class scoring under the 25th percentile is not a rounding error, so a score below the range is a reason to strengthen the rest of the application rather than a reason not to apply.

US Department of Education, College Scorecard (2026-09-17). Percentiles describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. SAT totals are the reading and math bands added together, which is how every source in this market reports them and is an approximation of about 10 to 20 points, because the two sections are correlated.

What SAT score do you need for Cornell University?: Cornell University sets no minimum. Among students who enrolled, the middle 50% scored 1500-1570 on the SAT: a 1500 sits at the 25th percentile, 1540 at the median and 1570 at the 75th. A score at or above 1570 is a clear strength in the application; below 1500 it is the part of the file the rest has to make up for. These are the figures Cornell University reports to the US Department of Education, released in the College Scorecard of 2026-09-17.
What ACT score do you need for Cornell University?: The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 33-35 on the ACT, with a composite of 34 at the median. There is no cutoff: a quarter of the enrolled class scored below 33. Reported by Cornell University to the US Department of Education, College Scorecard release of 2026-09-17.
What GPA do you need for Cornell University?: The honest answer is that the federal data behind this page does not contain one. Colleges report their admit rate and their enrolled students' test scores to the Department of Education; they do not report a GPA distribution, so any site quoting an exact average GPA for Cornell University is either reading that college's own Common Data Set or estimating. What the reported data does say is that Cornell University admits 8.8% of applicants, and the more selective a college is, the closer to the top of the class its admitted students sit and the more the strength of your course load counts alongside the number itself.
How hard is it to get into Cornell University?: Cornell University admits 8.8% of the people who apply, which is about 1 in 11 applicants. At that rate no set of numbers makes admission likely, a perfect one included, because the college turns away far more qualified applicants than it takes. Strong grades and scores get the application read; the essays, the recommendations and what you have actually done decide it from there.

What Cornell University costs after grant aid, by family income, from the same federal data.

Sort your whole college list into reaches, targets and likelies, or find colleges that fit your GPA and test scores. Both are free and neither needs an account.

Cornell University essay questions, answered

Does Cornell University have supplemental essays?: Yes, for some applicants. Every Cornell University supplement in 2026-27 depends on the college or program you apply to. Every prompt is printed in full on this page. Word limits: 350-word limit, 650-word limit.
How many essays do you write for Cornell University in 2026-27?: It depends on the college or program you apply to. Cornell University sets no supplement every applicant writes in 2026-27; the prompts on this page name who each one is for.

Schools with similar admit rates

Cornell University admits 8.8% of applicants. The colleges either side of it in our set by admit rate, most selective first, each with its own prompts and deadlines: Northwestern University (7.7%), Rice University (8.0%), Williams College (8.3%), Barnard College (8.8%), Amherst College (9.0%), New York University (9.2%).