sample admission essay

In the list of notable universities in the United States, Cornell University ranks as one of the top educational institutions, priding itself for its notable history, distinctive educational programs, and upheld ideals. Its contributions to the overall educational experiences of a student body of various races and backgrounds have made Cornell a historic university that has not only built a foundation on the classic educational field, but has also forged new paths and opportunities for eager minds. Cornell is part of the Ivy League .

History of Cornell University

Founded in 1868 , Cornell built its first foundations on the farm of founder Ezra Cornell . With Cornell’s endowment of half a million dollars, construction of the University on the area of little Ithaca, New York began. Additional aid was received through the Merrill Act , which allocated public land solely for educational institutions.

The University’s first President was co-founder Andrew Dickson White , who was also instrumental in seeking scholars that would compose the faculty.

Cornell University quickly established itself as a pioneer institution, being the first in the country to provide education centered on hotel administration, veterinary medicine, and labor relations, along with the classic educational programs. It also presented the country’s first doctorate degrees in electrical engineering and industrial engineering, signifying the level of attention it gave to industry-related education.

The institution’s reputation of being of distinctive and egalitarian ideals during its inception was further pushed forward when it presented a degree to its first female graduate in 1873, and another to its first African-American graduate in 1897.

Today, Cornell offers over 4,000 courses to a student body of nearly 20,000 individuals, from more than 100 countries. It has an overall faculty composed of 2,588 educators, both national and international.

An Institution of Notable Prestige

Cornell University has received numerous commendations from a vast number of notable educational authorities.

Washington Monthly’s 2007 college rankings placed the university in the #7 spot, with an overall score of 71 out of 100.

In its 2007 list of 100 best North and Latin American universities, the Academic Rankings of World Universities gave Cornell the #10 spot in the national universities, and #12 among the international institutions.

A study by the Princeton Review also revealed the university to be the ninth most considered by high school students and parents as a “dream college”, with the considerations based on both admission standards, and costs.

Famous Alumni

Cornell’s list of alumni, considered “Cornellians,” includes an extensive list of Nobel awardees, including Robert F. Furchgott (Physiology and Medicine, 1998), Douglas Osheroff (Physics, 1996), Robert W. Fogel (Economics, 1993), and Toni Morrison (Literature, 1993).

Other notable Cornellians include Joyce Brothers, psychologist and author; Dean Arthur, former U.S. Ambassador to Korea; Ruth Bader Ginsburg , U.S. Supreme Court Justice; Bill Maher, comedian and author; Sidney Kingsley, author and playwright; and E.B. White, author of Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little.

Application Procedures

Undergraduate programs are available for high school graduates, and students who have enrolled and completed courses in other institutions.

Documents required for submission include a filled-out Common Application form, a copy of either the final high school or college transcript, whichever is applicable, official SAT test scores, if available, and the completed current Financial Aid form for those interested in applying.

An interview may be either encouraged or required, depending on the field.

The University also offers Graduate programs for students with either a baccalaureate degree, or the equivalent for students with credits from foreign institutions.

Only one application form will be accepted per student, and those who were not offered application are encouraged to request for a reevaluation. Unsolicited documents such as theses, award certificates, and other similar documents will not be entertained without a given approval by the field of study.

Deadlines for applications may vary, depending on the field.

Applicants of either undergraduate or graduate programs are required to pay the $70 application fee.

Additional Information

Undergraduate Admissions Office
410 Thurston Ave.
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14850-2488

Website: admissions.cornell.edu

Telephone: (607) 255-5241
Fax: (607) 254-5175
Email: admissions@cornell.edu

Office hours are from 8 am to 10 pm, Monday through Friday, and 8 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.

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Applying to a prestigious Ivy League school vs. applying to a state school

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The words “Ivy League school” connote a certain prestige among people, not just in the US but in the global community as well. After all, who wouldn’t want to receive a diploma from any of the eight places of higher learning comprising the so-called Ivy League—Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard , Penn, Princeton, and Yale. It has also been the tradition of parents who have an Ivy League degree to encourage their children to also enroll in an Ivy League university. Further, the prestige associated with these schools come from the fact that Ivy League schools have much higher college fees (and endowments) than other schools such as, say, state schools or universities.

Think of the prep school boys in the movie “Dead Poets’ Society.” In the movie, most of these boys have affluent parents—specifically fathers—who came from Ivy League schools and who were pressuring their sons into joining the same university as theirs. You may ask yourself why the predominance of male Ivy League degree holders in the previous century. Well, Ivy League schools did not open their doors to women until the mid-20th century; Harvard, for example, officially allowed women into its classrooms only in 1943.

There’s also a certain romanticism and nostalgia associated with Ivy League schools. After all, the classic romantic movie, “A Love Story,” was set in Harvard. It was also written by an Ivy Leaguer, Eric Segal, who graduated from Harvard. The founders of “Time” magazine all came from Yale. A good number of Nobel Prize winners in the past century came from Ivy League schools.

So, is having an Ivy League degree the only option for high school graduates? Will success be not far behind after you receive your diploma from Yale or Princeton? Do Ivy League schools have superior programs than state schools or universities? Well, perhaps state schools are worth looking into.

Top State Schools

In any survey of the top universities of the world, the University of California – Berkeley, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and the New York University are usually found at the top of the list (side by side with some of the Ivy League schools). Yes, these schools are state schools or state universities. Yes, these schools have outstanding programs which are considered the best in the field. NYU has been known to to have excellent creative writing and film programs. The University of Chicago has one of the best medical programs in the US. Also, a good number of University of Chicago alumni have won the Nobel Prize in the latter part of the previous century. In the last decade, 13 Nobel Prize winners came from the University of Chicago.

State Schools: Good, Perhaps Better, Alternatives

While state schools may not have the same level of historical relevance as Ivy League schools, they are worth looking into. Of course, state schools charge less fees to their students, as compared to Ivy League schools. Perhaps it may not be a question of choosing a school first and then choosing your major next. Maybe the more logical thing to do is to choose a program first and then look at the schools that offer excellent courses on your chosen program—whether they are state schools or Ivy League. Ask yourself: is prestige really important? Would the place where I got my diploma matter in the real world? Or, would the experience I will be getting from the top state schools in the country far outweigh the advantages concerning the prestige of an Ivy League diploma?