How to get into Cornell
What 547 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 2,016 Cornell results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Cornell admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.97
Middle half 3.90 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,540
Middle half 1,500 to 1,565
Median ACT
35
Middle half 33 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.55
Middle half 4.38 to 4.72
Results posted: 547 admitted, 997 rejected, 472 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Cornell acceptance rate; the official rate is in Cornell’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.97 | 3.93 |
| SAT | 1,540 | 1,530 |
| ACT | 35 | 34 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Cornell admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service68%
- Athletics48%
- Tutoring/Teaching47%
- Research41%
- STEM club/competition40%
- Internship37%
- Music33%
- Work/Job32%
Held a leadership role
89%
Founded something
43%
National or intl. award
75%
Did research
41%
Early vs. regular decision at Cornell
- Early (251 results)37%
- Regular (795 results)27%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of Cornell admits
- Computer Science16%
- Engineering14%
- Economics7%
- Biology7%
- Business7%
- Political Science6%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 16% first-generation, 15% low income, 21% underrepresented minority, 10% legacy, 2% recruited athlete and 8% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 36% chose Cornell.
Three recent Cornell admits
2027 cycle · RD · Political Science
Los Angeles applicant whose essay examined the inequality between his commute's two worlds.
GPA 3.98 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Biology
Microbiology researcher who discovered a new virus, with debate captaincy and political canvassing experience.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
2026 cycle
Lacrosse captain and BPA competitor who started a clothing closet and taught elementary kids.
GPA 3.95 UW · SAT 1350 · Original post
Essays that worked for Cornell
Stanford Roommate Essay: Oscar
“Hello (no, too formal) Can’t wait to live together (just weird) Howdy (…what am I, a cowboy?)”
Published by CollegeEssayGuy
How the Cornell admissions office reads a file
Where else Cornell admits got in
Cornell admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Cornell?
- Among 547 applicants who posted a Cornell admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.97 and the middle half reported 3.90 to 4.00 (420 reported a GPA). Cornell sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Cornell?
- Among 547 applicants who posted a Cornell admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,540 and the middle half scored 1,500 to 1,565 (411 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
- Does applying early help at Cornell?
- In these posts, 37% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (93 of 251), against 27% in regular decision (218 of 795). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do Cornell admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (68%), athletics (48%), tutoring/teaching (47%), research (41%). 89% held at least one leadership role and 75% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Cornell acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Cornell in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Cornell?
A Specialist who got into a school like Cornell can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Cornell. All colleges