Cornell Engineering requires one calculus course as a component of the engineering application because our engineering curriculum is fundamentally driven by facility in calculus. You may review detailed information about the Cornell Engineering math sequence on the Choosing Your First Math Class section of the Cornell Engineering website. Any applicant choosing to apply to Cornell Engineering without meeting this requirement would be placed at a substantial disadvantage relative to the engineering applicant pool. This is important to factor in during the college search process. Rare exceptions can be made, but may require the admitted student to come to Cornell during the summer before the first-year fall semester to take a college-level calculus class in preparation for the start of the first-year fall semester.

If it is possible for a student to gain calculus experience during their senior year through a local or community college, it would be in their best interest to do so. Calculus classes are also available online through a variety of universities and vendors.