Cornell University is a top research university and a member of the famed Ivy League. The program is unique among the Ivy League for many of their programs, especially those related to agriculture, management, and labor relations. This makes it highly sought after as a transfer option, offering both highly-respected degrees and uniquely focused career trajectories.
The Cornell undergraduate program is divided into a number of specialized colleges. As a transfer, you can pick between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Public Policy, the College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Human Ecology, and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. It’s immensely important that you apply to the right school for you — as transferring between undergraduate colleges at Cornell is not guaranteed.
Because there are so many colleges at Cornell, it can be hard to figure out the likelihood of acceptance as a transfer to any particular program. The broad strokes numbers can still be useful, though. For the fall of 2024, Cornell received 7,218 applications for transfer and accepted only 670 students — or a mere 9%. Like most top schools, then, transfer is not an ‘easy’ way into Cornell. It’s true that it is a way in, but it surely isn’t easy. We can help.
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The Cornell transfer application has two essay questions: one that all transfer applicants answer, and one that is specific to the undergraduate college you are applying to. Both are long, allowing for 2,000 or more characters or 400+ words. To execute these essays exceptionally, plan to start early.
Cornell University Essay Question
We all contribute to, and are influenced by, the communities that are meaningful to us. Share how you’ve been shaped by one of the communities you belong to.
Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. This community example can be drawn from your family, school, workplace, activities or interests, or any other group you belong to. (2,000 characters)
This essay is a classic, and we love that they are asking you to share something that is important to you instead of validating why you want to leave the collegiate community you are in right now. So, don’t bring up what you don’t like about your college but do brainstorm communities that are currently in your life. The community you focus on for this supplement really can’t be something you used to do in high school, but aren’t involved in anymore. We also advise our students to avoid writing about their own family for this supplement, unless it is about where your family intersects with another community, like a faith group or cultural community.
This supplement can, however, be a social group, a team, a club, a community program, a non-profit, or a cultural group.
Once you’ve picked what you want to focus on, you need to zoom in on a story. Instead of writing something broad and vague, we guide our students towards identifying a vivid story or two that illustrates the core values of a community that matter to you through narrative storytelling. Don’t shy away from really leaning into the storytelling potential for this supplement. You can even use dialog to really bring an experience to life for the reader!
Next, it’s time for the college-specific supplements.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
What three words best describe you?
This one is not complicated. It’s really just three words. Literally just 3 words. Brainstorm 10, then pick 3. We advise students to choose one word that is fun, one that is earnest, and one that is academically-minded.
By applying to Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), you are also applying for direct entry into one of our 20 majors. From here, you would be part of a community dedicated to purpose-driven science; working within your major and across disciplines to tackle the complex challenges of our time.
Why are you drawn to studying the major you have selected and specifically, why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell CALS? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals influenced your choice. (2,500 characters)
Note that CALS practices direct entry into a major for transfers, so they except you to be focused and certain of what you want to study. This supplement is designed to give you the space to convince them that you are Cornell and CALS material academically, and are seriously committed to a collegiate path.
Start your supplement with a short, 150-word or so introductory story that situates you within the world of your major. It should illuminate your passion and highlight a way that you are already engaging with the major field outside of the classroom, whether through independent pursuit, employment, a club, or another avenue.
Next, tie what you’ve already been doing in the field of your major into the academic future you are hoping for at Cornell. Be as specific as you can be, so spend time researching professors, courses, and programs that you’d like to take advantage of. You have this passion, but now you need to illustrate to Cornell how you would pursue it through CALS.
Close with another anecdote that either relates directly to Cornell, connects strongly to your prospective major, or both.
College of Architecture, Art and Planning
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, you may want to consider how you could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students you may want to emphasize your enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (3,000 characters)
For the College of Architecture, Art and Planning, there are three majors available to undergraduates and you need to know exactly what you want to do when you arrive. Below, we’ll break down the question that is specific to each major to help you make your case.
Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program.
If you want to do the B. Arch path, you are signing on for five years — and don’t assume that the time you’ve spent in college already will directly transfer over. They don’t want to hear all about the logistics of your interest in architecture, though. They want to see your passion. It’s that passion, after all, that will drive you through the longer program.
We love essays here that focus on a creative project that illustrates your deep passion. Don’t be afraid if the project you have to write about is ‘small’ — you are a student, after all. What matters is how you write about it. Bring it to life, write passionately, and use vivid imagery to pull the application reader in.
College of Arts and Sciences
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. (3,000 characters)
This is a classic “why us” prompt that you probably completed a bunch of when you first applied to college, so you sort of know the drill. As a transfer, though, it’s extremely important that you have a clear path and a sense of purpose. While they allow for multiple areas of study or majors, we highly recommend that you pick only one or two potential paths — and if you pick two, they should be interconnected in some way.
Once you have your major or majors selected, you need to get really specific. You have 3,000 characters to work with, and while you don’t have to use all of them that means you have lots of room for detail. Look up specific professors, courses, and programs (like research opportunities or lab roles), and weave them together into a narrative structure that is more compelling than a list of things you’d like to do.
End the supplement by envisioning yourself at Cornell. Maybe you are deeply engaged in a lab, having a lively class discussion, or studying with new friends. Whatever you pick, use detail. This should be undeniably Cornell-specific.
Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
Why are you interested in studying policy, and why do you want to pursue this major at Cornell’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy? You should share how your current interests, related experiences, and/or goals have influenced your choice of policy major. (3,000 characters)
This is another classic “why us” with the transfer twist. They want to know why you want Cornell, with even more specifics than when you were a high school senior. One of the most important pieces of the prompt, though, in guiding your response is “related experiences,” and the other is “goals.”
Sharing how you have already engaged with the subject you are aiming to major in at Cornell is critical to this supplement. Simply wanting to pursue something isn’t all that interesting to the university, they want to see how you are already doing it. The strides you’ve taken may be small, or they may be majorly impressive. Either way, you need to write about it in ways that are vivid and exciting for the reader.
Then, the goals. Cornell doesn’t just want to know what you’d do in college — they want to see what you envision having come next. What are your dreams for after graduation? Think hard, and share it.
Most importantly, though, you need to include specifics about the Cornell program. This means courses, professors, and programs you would love to pursue as a student. Weave them into the response to avoid it sounding like a list.
College of Business
Tell us what you'd like to major in at Cornell, and why or how your past academic or work experience influenced your decision, and how transferring to Cornell would further your academic interests. (3,000 characters)
This is the first prompt that specifically calls out transferring, and it’s an interesting move by the College of Business. They know that you could get a business degree from a lot of places, and that you are probably already pursuing business now. So, they want to know why you want to transfer to continue (probably, we know this isn’t always true) studying business, but at Cornell. Typically, this is because there is something that Cornell offers that you aren’t able to access where you are currently. Be as specific as you can be about what it is that you can pursue at Cornell that draws you to the program, and project it into the future. Your response needs to be about more than this moment, or even the next few years. What could you do at Cornell that would propel you towards your dreams?
Remember not to forget to write about past academic experience or work experience that is guiding your path. Ideally, take the work experience route because Cornell wants to see you doing — not just studying.
College of Engineering
How do your interests directly connect with Cornell Engineering? What draws you to the particular major you are applying to and how would transferring to Cornell Engineering further your academic interests? (3,000 characters)
The College of Engineering prompt is basically the same as the College of Business prompt, but wearing an engineering hat. All the same rules apply, so we’re not going to repeat them unnecessarily. However, remember that Cornell wants to see you doing. Start your supplemental essay with a strong story that shows you engaging in engineering in a hands-on way. Ideally, this is outside of the classroom and spotlights an independent project that you have pursued on your own or with friends.
College of Human Ecology
Identify a challenge in your greater community or in the career/industry in which you are interested. Share how the CHE education, your CHE major of choice, as well as the breadth of CHE majors, will help you address that challenge. (3,000 characters)
The College of Human Ecology is very specific to Cornell, and they know that if you have decided to apply to CHE it is probably because you really know that you want what they offer. The frame for this essay is also interesting, as they want you to focus your response on a challenge you have witnessed or know personally that relates to your community or future career.
Identifying the challenge you want to write about is, ultimately, the most important part of a successful response to this supplement. So, start there. Ideally, this is also a challenge that you have engaged with personally in some way. Then, knit that challenge and your work within it into what draws you to CHE: courses, professors, and programs.
End the supplement by circling back to the challenge and projecting towards the future. CHE wants to know how you will address the challenge that you have built this supplement around after you get your degree. They want to see you making a difference someday, so show them.
School of Industrial and Labor Relations
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. (3,250 characters)
The ILR School at Cornell is quite unique, and one of the biggest qualifications for applications — after having top-tier academics and extracurriculars — is how you are already engaging with issues around labor relations. They want to know what you would do at ILR, of course, but sharing courses, professors, or programs needs to be nested within a larger narrative of purpose, passion, and a desire to pursue a carrier in the ILR world.
Getting into Cornell as a transfer isn’t easy, and the number one factor is whether Cornell sees you as a strong academic and cultural fit for the college you are applying to. You can be a great student, but if Cornell can’t envision you within the program, they won’t let you into it. So, paint the picture.
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