Cornell University Essays, Prompt by Prompt

In the online Common Application Writing Supplement for those applying for Fall 2027 entry, please respond to the essay prompt(s) that correspond to the undergraduate college or school to which you are applying.

One big change: Cornell dropped its university-wide community essay for Fall 2027. Every essay in your Cornell supplement now belongs to the college or school you’re applying to, so find yours below and go all in.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Required: 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.

Question #1: 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. (350 word limit)

Question #2: 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). (350 word limit)

CALS used to ask one 500-word essay about your major AND why CALS. For Fall 2027 it’s two essays of 350 words each, and they split that job down the middle: Question #1 is the major and what led you to it, Question #2 is CALS itself. Keep each one in its lane. If your major essay drifts into a list of CALS programs, or your CALS essay retells how you fell for the field, you’re spending words in the wrong place.

Before you write either one, imagine getting accepted to Cornell, but in the WRONG COLLEGE. If you’re an Agriculture and Life Sciences person and end up in Hotel Administration, think through all the ways that would upset you to your core. “Wait, but if I’m in College X, I won’t be able to …” Won’t be able to WHAT? The first step is to capture whatever finishes that sentence.

Now, zoom out a bit to consider your life, and your background. What led to this trajectory? What experiences made you realize you DIDN’T like Field A, and preferred Field B instead? There are likely several experiences along the way. Don’t just include the obvious ones that we could have predicted. It’s neat to see a complete picture. Was there ever a time you dabbled in anything else? Have you truly HATED some stuff? What is it that really inspires you about Agriculture and Life Sciences? We want to see where the momentum comes from, and we want to believe that your commitment to this field of study is real and exciting.

One thing to remember. What if you get rejected from Cornell and this particular school, and, oh well, you end up getting into Harvard and Stanford instead? Will you not go because you have no ability to succeed at a “normal liberal arts school”? Of course not (we hope). The best way to mentally frame Question #2 is to imagine multiple paths to a future ambition of yours. One of those might pass through Cornell, others will not. The question you need to really ask is… why does the version that passes through Cornell (and this particular college WITHIN Cornell) excite you in specific ways? Which experiences have led you to conclude that? See how that’s different from “this is my destiny and nothing else will work!”?

Two 350-word essays add up to 700 words, which is a lot of words. Most supplementals are in the 250-word range, so each of these is a proper essay. As such, you’ll want to develop your arguments well. Here’s an outline to get you going (steps 1 and 2 are Question #1, steps 3 and 4 are Question #2):

1. Establish a quick vision of where it’s all headed. What’s a VERSION of your ultimate vision? What inspires you? What kinds of things do you wanna be doing/achieving? Be quick, be straightforward, but give us a sense of your passion. [50 words]
2. Now take us through some highlights of your life so far, in and out of the classroom, that have played a significant role in steering you in that direction. Two or three examples should be good enough, but even one great one can suffice. Toss in the questions you can’t stop asking, too. It should be clear here WHAT intrigues you, and also WHY (through these examples). [300 words, two or three paragraphs]
3. Explain briefly, what it is you hope to achieve in college, and then perhaps a few years out of college. And therefore what it is that would make for an ideal education IN GENERAL (forget Cornell, for now, just talk generally). What things in a college experience (the learning, the community, the chance to make an impact) will bring out the BEST in you? [150 words]
4. Now, talk about specific aspects of Cornell and THIS SCHOOL IN PARTICULAR that tie to specific aspects of YOUR SKILL SET and AMBITIONS. Make it clear that THIS ENVIRONMENT might just deliver a better version of success for you than another program at another school. [200 words]

These are rough wording guidelines that’ll at least get you a serviceable first draft. From there, lots can happen (and WILL, in our experience). You’ll probably end up expanding the essay beyond the word limit, and then paring back down later. That’s a healthy part of the writing process.

And on Question #2, look at the last few words: “as you understand it currently.” CALS knows you haven’t lived there yet, so nobody expects insider knowledge. They DO expect homework: courses, programs and people you actually looked up, each one tied to something you said matters to you.

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning:

Architecture (B.Arch): Describe how your interests connect to architecture. Include an example of a creative project, design experience, or personal passion that sparked your interest in pursuing a 5-year professional degree in architecture. Reflect on how this experience shaped your understanding of the field and your motivation to study architecture. (650 word limit)

Fine Arts (BFA): Submit an artist statement describing your creative interests and practice. Address how your work reflects your artistic voice, influences, and process, and how studying art at Cornell AAP would support and expand your practice. (You will also be prompted to upload a copy to your Slideroom portal.) (650 word limit)

Urban and Regional Studies (URS): Describe your interest in urban and regional studies. Discuss experiences, ideas, or issues that have shaped your interest in cities, communities, and regional systems, and explain how URS at Cornell aligns with your academic and career goals. (650 word limit)

[See above, and substitute in Architecture, Art, and Planning.] But also add in an argument about why the offerings at Cornell are likely to propel you forward somehow BETTER than another school that offers the same stuff. What makes this program unique, given your specific interest within the AAP umbrella?

Since AAP doesn’t have a separate question to discuss social impact and purpose, if you have a purpose / impact story that dovetails well with this essay, do include it in the ‘what it is you hope to achieve in college, and then perhaps a few years out of college’ piece, or right after.

One exception: BFA applicants. Yours is an artist statement, so it should read like one. Lead with the work itself: what you make, how you make it, who and what feeds it. Then show how studying art at Cornell AAP would push that practice somewhere it can’t go on its own.

College of Arts and Sciences:

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? (650 word limit)

Same basic idea here as with the first two, except this addresses a broader crop of applicants, and there’s less of an expectation that candidates will come in with a clear idea of the exact career (or major) they ultimately want. In other words: what interests you, and why Cornell specifically? The key here is to zero in on one intellectual passion, question or idea, and explain what fuels it. And then MAP that to SPECIFIC aspects of the liberal arts curriculum to demonstrate that the combination of you + Cornell ultimately leads to a better result than you + Another School.

Notice where the prompt ends: “explore and connect your varied interests.” A&S wants a mind that links things up. If your fascination with, say, language keeps bumping into computer science and philosophy, show us how you’d tie those threads together in the College.

Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy:

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. (650 word limit)

Follow the prompt for the CALS essay above, including an impact angle (desire to work for the public good, in some way). As in the CALS and AAP applications, you will want to highlight SPECIFIC experiences and goals that make THIS the right school WITHIN Cornell for you. You’re applying directly to a major, so you’ll want to convince them through credible evidence (activities you’ve done, courses you’ve taken, etc.) that you really want to go to THIS school (rather than going in through Arts & Sciences and majoring in Government) in order to fulfill your goals.

DC Start applicants only: Please describe why you are interested in being considered for the Brooks School DC Start program. (350 word limit)

Applying for DC Start? Then there’s one more essay on your plate. DC Start is a first-semester residential program that begins your Cornell education in Washington, D.C., and it’s open only to incoming first-year public policy and health care policy majors. You take foundational Brooks coursework, including a course where you work on policy-based projects with a community policy partner.

So the real question underneath: why start college in Washington instead of Ithaca? “It sounds exciting” won’t fill 350 words. What policy issue do you want to watch up close? What kind of partner project would you jump at? What could you learn in the city where so much policy gets made that a lecture hall can’t teach you?

Try this shape:

1. The issue or experience that makes Washington matter to you, specifically. [100-125 words]
2. What you’d do with that semester: the coursework, the policy work, the city itself. [125-150 words]
3. How starting in Washington sets up the rest of your time at Cornell. [75-100 words]

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business:

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). (650 word limit)

Same basic idea here as with the others, except you now have to grapple with this relatively new program and demonstrate that you’ve researched it thoroughly. Here’s one cool way to go about it: Whatever your business/econ goals are, imagine SUCCEEDING at them AT A DIFFERENT SCHOOL (pick a school, any school). Spoiler Alert: You’ll be able to succeed (we hope) at many schools OTHER than Cornell. (Right?)

Cool, now imagine one more version of success, this time, the one that passes THROUGH this program at Cornell. What’s different about THIS version of success for you? Why? What is it about this program, and YOUR GOALS SPECIFICALLY, that makes the collision of YOU + THIS PROGRAM a particularly dangerous combination? 

For the Dyson School, if you can’t make a compelling argument here for why THIS combo is necessarily better than You + UPenn (Wharton) or You + (any other Ivy), it’s not gonna land. There’s gotta be a compelling set of arguments. Find em. Approaching it THIS way is a great way to get unstuck if you’re having trouble developing momentum.

For the Nolan School, there needs to be some magnetic force between you and this specific college at Cornell. Walk us through the events and experiences that led to your decision to pursue this field. Then, convince us that among all the folks out there who share equally compelling reasons to pursue hospitality degrees, YOU deserve a seat in particular. What about YOU should convince the gatekeeper that your future is brighter and more impactful in this arena than someone else?

Duffield College of Engineering:

Instructions: All engineering applicants are required to write two long essays and four short essays.

Long Essay Responses (200 word limit)

Question 1: Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering?

This is your opportunity to defy the stereotype that engineering students have chosen that course of study at their parents’ behest, or just because they believe it equals success. SHOW them your passion for the field… don’t just rehash your transcript and activities list. 

Sketch out where it’s all headed. What’s one version of your ultimate life/career? What really inspires you? What kinds of things do you want to achieve within engineering? What do you love about the process? You can pull in any experiences that have played an important role in steering you in that direction. Tell us WHAT you love about engineering, and then tell us WHY.

Question 2: Why do you think you would love to study at Duffield Engineering?

Duffield Engineering is pretty unique: in Cornell’s own words, it “offers one of the broadest engineering curricula in the world.” You don’t need to answer this question as if you know EXACTLY which courses you’re going to take each semester, but you DO need to convince them that you’re SPECIFICALLY interested in THEIR engineering program, beyond just its ranking. Think collaboration, student-led projects, the ability to go deep on a very broad range of subjects within engineering, proximity of other top programs, etc. We’ll say it once again… be specific!

Short Answer Responses (100 word limit)

The key to these short answers is that they must complement one another (and your transcript and activities list) without repeating any of them. The cool thing about this short answer format is that you can show different sides of yourself without needing to tie them all together with one big bow.

Before you decide on how to answer each question specifically, make a list of things that are really cool, great or impressive about you that HAVEN’T been exhausted elsewhere in your application: qualities of your character, activities, passions, challenges you’ve gone through, etc. Some of these miscellaneous, unallocated 'greatest hits’ stories might find their way into your short answers. 

Question 1: What brings you joy?

This is not a trick question! Show them a new side of yourself. Make a list of all the things that really bring you joy. Now review them and see which ones include the following: (1) working closely with others, especially others who are different from you, (2) exploration and curiosity, and (3) a novelty/salience/wow factor. It doesn’t have to have all three, but try to pick something that at least satisfies either #1 or #2. Oh, and it should actually, literally bring you joy!

Question 2: 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 no longer asks everyone the community question, so this is where your community story lives now. Think about times you’ve worked on a team… what was your superpower? The brainstormer? The excellent listener and synthesizer? The person who breaks the ice and finds similarities across differences? You only have 100 words, use them to give the admissions committee a new, clear and concise angle on who you are when in relationship to teammates.

Question 3: 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.

Don’t mistake this question for, ‘tell us again about the most impressive thing you’ve done’. This is about personal significance. Make a list of the most meaningful involvements in your life. Whittle the list down by focusing on longer commitments (nothing you started this year) where you’ve really invested yourself. Of those, pick the one that’s most meaningful to you, and follow the prompt to tell them about its significance for you. 

Question 4: 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. 

Once again, pay attention to the language here: they want to hear about the achievement that has meant the most to you, and they want to understand its importance to you. Make a list of achievements or awards that you haven’t already exhausted elsewhere in the application (totally fine if something is in your activities list, but if you’ve written about it in an essay, try to find new examples that highlight your values, your tenacity, your emotional intelligence in a new way). Again, treat this as an opportunity to add NEW information about yourself in the context of a WHOLE application, rather than a standalone ‘tell me your greatest achievement’ question. If you want to touch on a big 'win' but there's something with greater personal significance, you could say, 'you might think I'd answer X, but it's actually Y, because of personal significance [ABC]!'

College of Human Ecology:

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.) (550 word limit)

Same general idea as the others, with a twist: CHE now wants you to build the essay around ONE experience (extracurricular, community engagement or work) that ties you to its mission and your intended major. Pick the one that taught you the most about the people around you and what they need. Then walk us through what you learned about your broader community, the impact you think you can make, and how your intended major gets you there. Given that the departments within this college are quite broad, ensure that you’re digging deep and getting detailed about your fit for the specific program you’re applying to. Refer to CHE's first-year applicant tips here.

A rough budget for your 550 words:

1. The experience itself: what you did, who it was for, and the moment it clicked. [150-200 words]
2. What it taught you about your broader community and its needs. [150-175 words]
3. The impact you want to make, and the role your intended CHE major plays in it. [175-200 words]

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. (650 word limit)

Same general idea as the others. Walk us through your specific inspiration for this field, and why pursuing a college at Cornell that focuses on this is preferable to a broader education framework elsewhere. ILR’s reputation can’t be your ‘why’. The admissions committee needs to know that YOU KNOW why you’re committing to this field of study.

Learn more and explore each step of Cornell’s undergraduate application process here.