Does the College of Engineering award credit for college classes taken during high school?
Please review the "[Transfer Credit][1]" section of the Engineering Registrar's website. Students who have taken a course or courses offered by an accredited college or university prior to their official start term at Cornell may wish to transfer the credits and apply them toward course requirements at Cornell. Durin…
Do I have to apply to a particular major in Engineering? If so, what if I change my mind later?
First-year applicants apply to the College of Engineering and not to a particular engineering major. Students may indicate an intended major of interest on the Common Application if they wish, but they will not officially select a major until the second semester of their sophomore year.
If calculus is not offered at my high school, will this hurt my chances of being admitted to the College of Engineering?
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][1] section of the Co…
What science and math courses are prospective Engineering students expected to take in high school?
To be a competitive engineering applicant, we ask students to complete a minimum of four units of math (including one unit of calculus), one unit of physics, one unit of chemistry, and one unit of biology. One unit is typically a high school year-long class (or equivalent). Calculus is extremely important given the e…
What is the minimum high school GPA required to be admitted to the College of Engineering?
Admitted Engineering students have generally excelled in their high school studies, particularly in math and the sciences, and have grades that are generally in the A range. Most of the students admitted into the College of Engineering are within the top 5 to 10% of their high school graduating class. When considering…
What is the Cornell Engineering transfer admissions review process?
The engineering transfer admissions process is holistic and highly selective. The review includes a two-tier process. Applications are first screened by the Engineering Admissions Office, and viable applications are then delivered to academic departments for full review by the faculty. The Engineering Admissions Offic…
What if I am missing one (or more) of the prerequisite courses listed for transfer by Cornell?
Transfer applicants whose current curriculum is most closely aligned with what is taught at Cornell are typically best-prepared for transfer, and are the most likely to be admitted (if they have performed well in the coursework). Missing coursework is handled on a case-by-case basis.
Does the College of Engineering offer credit for AP, IB, and A-level scores?
The College of Engineering routinely offers credit for appropriately high scores on Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IB), and General Certificate of Education (A-level) examinations. For detailed information on the acceptable scores, please refer to the [Advanced Placement and Transfe…
What is the difference between studying Computer Science in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering?
The [Computer Science major][1] is exactly the same regardless of which College you attend: the major requirements, professors, classes, rigor, and research opportunities are all the same. The difference is in the requirements outside of the major at each college: the College of Arts & Sciences has distribution requir…
