No matter what you've heard about admission formulas, there aren't any magic numbers that can perfectly predict our admissions decisions. The admissions committee reviews each applicant's academic achievement and interests as they relate to the mission of the college, and considers how each applicant might contribute to the life of the Cornell community. The fact is, a profile of grades and standardized exam scores, that will ensure who'll be admitted and who won't simply does not exist. So, how do we make admission decisions?

Academic Achievement 
 
Academic achievement is the primary selection criterion. And by that we mean, whether you have taken a reasonable number of the most rigorous courses offered at your school (e.g. advanced placement or honors courses where available), and how well you have performed in those classes. We look at the rigor of your high school courses, how well you did in those courses, and whether or not you really challenged yourself within the academic framework offered at your school. We realize that not all students will have the same opportunities available to them, so we evaluate whether students have fully utilized the resources at hand.

Standardized Test Scores 

Standardized test scores suggest the potential for academic success. Either an SAT or ACT is required to be considered for admission to the college, and we encourage students to submit two SAT Subject Tests (mathematics, and a science). There are no score cut-offs, and we find that successful applicants to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences present a wide range of standardized test results.

Academic Interests 

A significant factor taken into consideration by our college's selection committee is how well a student's academic interests relate to the mission of the college. If you decide to apply for admission to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, we'll ask you to choose major field of study. As a part of the application process, you'll be asked to write about your academic interests and to articulate how you see your interests blending into what we are all about as the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Once you begin to explore our undergraduate programs, you will quickly discover that they all contribute to defining the mission of our college. Our majors fall within these broad areas: life sciences, environment, social sciences, and agriculture & food . Many of our best candidates have academic interests that cross several areas within our college.

Accomplishments Outside of the Classroom 

The decision to admit a student looks at a combination of academic and personal factors, so thorough consideration is given to a student's accomplishments outside of the classroom. Prospective students often ask us what extracurricular activities our admissions committee will want to see as a part of the application. The fact is we don't approach application review with any preconceived ideas of the number of activities or types of affiliation students should have pursued outside of class. Rather, we look for students who have the capacity to handle the academic workload at Cornell and contribute to the life of the campus community.