How to Write the Cornell University Essays 2024-2025

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The largest of the eight Ivy League universities, Cornell University is made up of eight undergraduate schools that applicants apply directly to. Because of this, you will be required to submit a school-specific supplemental essay (or essays) in addition to one campus-wide essay.

Cornell is an incredibly prestigious school with tens of thousands of applicants each year. In order to be one of the chosen few to attend, your essays will need to be thoughtful, well-written, and uniquely you. In this post, we’ll explain how to write the Cornell essays so you can maximize your chances of acceptance.

Cornell University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Before you apply to Cornell, you should determine which specific college is right for you. Each of Cornell’s colleges has its own majors and specific graduation requirements, though there are some majors that exist within multiple colleges. Understanding the differences between the colleges is essential when applying, since you will need to highlight the specific resources offered by each of them in your essays.

Below are the supplemental essay prompts for Cornell’s colleges (click to jump to the right section):

All Applicants
Brooks School of Public Policy
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
College of Engineering
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business
College of Human Ecology
School of Industrial and Labor Relations
College of Art, Architecture and Planning

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College of Art, Architecture and Planning
Note: Upon selecting this college on the Common App, you will be asked to provide the 3 words that best describe you. This is essentially a major-specific short response section.

How do your interests directly connect with your intended major at the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP)? Why architecture (B.Arch), art (BFA) or urban and regional studies (URS)? B.Arch applicants, please provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program. BFA applicants may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice. URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues. (650 words)

Before you scroll down to the writing supplement prompt, you’ll be asked for three words that best describe you. It’s tough to distill your personality down to three words, so to start, come up with a long list of words that you think characterize you, and then narrow them down to the ones that are most important to you. If you need help, you can poll your friends and family.

You don’t need the most exotic words, but you should avoid very simple descriptors like “fun, nice, smart.” These choices are too safe and plain, and don’t tell the admissions committee anything about you. Try more interesting words like “determined, upbeat, daring,” or even nouns like “brother, athlete, artist.”

If words are your thing or you consider yourself a writer, you can try to be more ambitious with your choices. You might even want to pick a word from another language if that language is an important part of your identity. Maybe you’re a hard worker, a lighthearted person, and a singer of Latin music; you may choose to write “indefatigable, whimsical, cantante.” Note that you should strive to only choose words you know and use regularly. Don’t just use a thesaurus to try to find big words, because you may accidentally use a word with a nuanced meaning that isn’t what you’re looking for. Additionally, if you use flowery language in this section but not in your writing supplement, this will come off as contradictory and insincere.

Now, let’s move onto the actual prompt. Since the prompt asks for different things depending on whether you are applying as an architecture, art, or planning student, we will break down the responses accordingly. However, like most other “Why This Major?” essays, all three types of applicants should still describe their interest in the topic, explain their goals, and describe how the AAP resources will be beneficial to them.

Architecture

The prompt tells Architecture students to “provide an example of how a creative project or passion sparks your motivation to pursue a 5-year professional degree program.” The major focus for your essay should be on a project you worked on that led to your love for architecture.

Try and pick a project from high school, that way it’s more recent, and pick something longer-term that you worked on to highlight the impressiveness. An essay about a year-long model bridge you built out of toothpicks for your design class will have a lot more to delve into than one about a lego structure you built with your younger brother in a weekend.

That being said, if you think you can write a passionate, deeply emotional essay about a moment you shared with your brother that also opened your eyes to the wonders of architecture through tiny plastic blocks, go ahead!

Make sure to describe the project in detail—highlight what the development process looked like, explain your thought process (were you stressed about each detail or did you lose track of all time as you worked for hours on end?), and provide imagery to show your actions and the final product—that way the admissions officers get a feel for the heart and soul you put into your work. Remember, you are trying to prove to them you love architecture enough to spend the next five years studying it, so don’t hold back on showing us your passion.

Also remember to save space in your essay to address how you will further your passion for architecture at Cornell. Like we mentioned in previous sections, hone in on three or four highly-specific and unique opportunities you want to take advantage of while at Cornell. Make sure to include both what excites you about the given resource and how it will prepare you for your future goals.

Art

Art students within AAP are told they “may want to consider how they could integrate a range of interests and available resources at Cornell into a coherent art practice.” While this prompt is more geared towards the Cornell resources and opportunities you will utilize as a student than the other two, that doesn’t mean you can completely forgo discussing your passion for art.

Like any other essay, you’ll want to make yourself the focus. Through detailed examples, show the admissions committee how you first got into art or what draws you to the subject each day. The prompt specifically mentions “integrating a range of interests,” so it would be a great idea to demonstrate how you combine interdisciplinary topics through your art.

For example, a student interested in climate activism might describe how she started a business to paint other people’s campaign posters and then donate the proceeds to environmental justice campaigns. Another student might highlight how they used their passion for graphic design to mimic other art mediums like sculpting and photography.

It’s also important to include your goals for your art in your response. Obviously, you don’t have to have your whole life figured out at 17, but in order to explain how you plan to use Cornell resources to develop a “coherent art practice” you should be able to articulate what you want in a general sense. Whether you want to bring back the era of rococo paintings or you think it would be cool to open your own gallery one day, share your dreams with us in the essay.

Finally, you’ll need to provide both depth and breadth when discussing the Cornell offerings you want to take advantage of. Try and discuss resources across a variety of areas—classes, professors, extracurricular organizations, special centers, etc. Cornell even has its own museum on campus you could get involved with!

Aim to include three to five resources you want to engage with, depending on how much space you have. The key is to tie each resource back to yourself, either by mentioning how you are excited by an aspect of it because it connects to your interest or previous experience in a particular way or by explaining how participating in the opportunity will help you achieve your goals.

Urban and Regional Studies

The prompt is fairly generic for urban and regional studies majors: “URS students may want to emphasize their enthusiasm and depth of interest in the study of urban and regional issues.” Luckily, the lack of specificity means you have the freedom to write about anything you want.

You might want to talk about your personal experiences and how aspects of where you grew up affected you. Another approach could be to discuss a regional or global issue in the field of urban studies and discuss why you are drawn to that problem and how you would go about fixing it. You might focus on extracurricular involvement related to the subject that was particularly meaningful to you. Or, perhaps you want to express your enthusiasm through highlighting the ways you think about the world around you as an urban planner.

The moral of the story is there is no wrong way to structure your answer to this question.

Similar to Architecture and Art applicants, once you establish your passion for the topic and explain what you love about it, the next step is to put your interests in the context of Cornell. Again, quality over quantity—we are looking for a few well-developed descriptions of why you are drawn to each resource and what you hope to get out of them.

Also make sure to weave your career goals into the essay. You can smoothly transition from talking about your established interest and current events to how you want to use an urban and regional studies degree in the future, or you can discuss how certain opportunities will give you the skills and tools to go down a certain path one day.

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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 words)

The School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) studies the world of work, and the intellectual interests you write about should also involve labor and human capital. The ILR community has a strong drive for public service, so making social service the focus of your essay will help explain your choice in ILR. This isn’t exactly a community service prompt, but you might want to mention any service experience you have, how you feel about that experience, and how that experience has motivated your interest in ILR.

Given the specificity of the prompt, it’s imperative that you provide concrete examples of how your experiences relate to your intellectual interests. For example, you can discuss how studying disability rights in your American History class made you want to become an advocate, or how volunteering in a local lawyer’s office helped you discover a deep interest in labor law.

Your essay should also explain why you are interested in your chosen subject matter to fully address what makes it exciting to you. Does the ability to advocate for others inspire your passion for disability rights in the workplace?

Your reasons can be more personal too. Maybe you have a friend or relative with a disability and have witnessed how many workers with disabilities are underpaid and exploited. Or, perhaps you’re interested in labor law because you want to defend workers in minority groups from discrimination.

Once you’ve established your experiences and motivations, you need to draw connections to ILR. This is where research will be extremely helpful. Look into ILR’s departments and courses, faculty, areas of expertise, and research opportunities to inspire your writing. Keep in mind that all undergraduate students at ILR have the same major — Industrial and Labor Relations. Nevertheless, there are opportunities to focus your study on one of the related disciplines, so be sure to write to your strengths and interests.

Choose ILR-specific programs to explain why the school is the right fit for you. For example, a future law student could mention ILR’s intensive legal writing seminars. The prospective student could also discuss the Labor & Employment Law Program in NYC, which focuses on managing repositories for documents related to acts of workplace discrimination.

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College of Human Ecology
How has your decision to apply to the College of Human Ecology (CHE) been shaped and informed by your related experiences? How will what you learn through CHE and your chosen major impact your goals and plans for the future? Your response should demonstrate how your interests and aspirations align with CHE’s programs and mission. (650 words)

This prompt is sort of a blend between the “Why This College?” and “Why This Major?” prompts. The College of Human Ecology (CHE) wants to find the applicants who have the most sincere interest in the school and their anticipated major, so this essay is your chance to let your background and passion shine through.

Before you begin writing, think about the reasons for your decision. What life experiences led you to want to study at the College of Human Ecology? If you’ve decided on a major, why do you want to pursue that major? Think about your academic and career goals, but don’t just write about wanting a prestigious education or trying to make a large salary. Colleges don’t like selfish and shallow goals; they want students with deeper aspirations and a genuine interest in their respective fields.

CHE focuses on the exploration of human connection and the human experience. Human Ecology is interdisciplinary by nature and has strong roots in research and public engagement. Your supplemental essay should reflect these themes while also explaining your interest in your intended major.

Use your high school classes, extracurriculars, and personal projects to explain why you applied to CHE. If you want to study nutritional sciences, you could discuss your role in the Health Club at your high school. Make sure to explain why your intended career path interests you. Maybe you’re a runner and you’re fascinated by how diet impacts physical performance. Connecting your unique personal experiences to a broader desire to improve the human experience — and potentially adding interdisciplinary elements — will help deepen your connection to the College of Human Ecology.

The next part of this prompt asks how your specific major will contribute to your plans for the future. Be as specific as possible. For example, instead of broadly stating that studying fashion design and management will help prepare you for the fashion industry, discuss how the studio-based classes will provide you with both a strong physical skill set and a portfolio of work for job applications. Or if you want to start your own sustainable fashion brand, mention how the courses in Fiber Science will allow you to learn about innovative ways to create eco-friendly fibers and dyes.

After you have some idea of your motivations and goals, do your research. You need to demonstrate how CHE and your desired major will help you achieve your goals. Look over the departments and courses, faculty, and research to find some unique features of the college that you can benefit from during and after your college career.

If you don’t have a specific major in mind, you should still show interest in CHE by mentioning two or three majors you’re considering and why. Include personal stories that can corroborate your interest in Human Ecology, then try to connect those stories with a couple of CHE majors.

As we discussed before, there are several things you should avoid when writing your response:

Empty flattery: Don’t simply write about how good the College of Human Ecology is or how cool a specific major is without elaborating in a very specific manner. Talking about the university with such vague flattery suggests you have nothing more substantive or specific to say.
Name-dropping: You should do research on the college, but don’t name classes or faculty members just to have them in your essay. A list of names doesn’t speak to your goals or interests. Instead, explain why those courses, activities, or professors are interesting to you. The college wants to hear about what resonates with you, but also about why it resonates with you.
Being generic: Don’t write about resources common to all colleges such as location, class size, a strong program in X, etc. This would suggest that you don’t have anything specific to say or that you copied the response you wrote for another school.

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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 Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management or the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration). (650 words)

The SC Johnson College of Business is made up of two schools: The Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the School of Hotel Administration. Our breakdown will focus on these two schools separately, but keep in mind that you can write about both in your essay, especially if your interests and goals are best served by both schools.

Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

The Dyson School is known as one of the most competitive at Cornell. In order to stand out among the tough competition, you will need to clearly explain why your goals and interests align with Dyson’s unique program.

Your choice to apply to Dyson should extend beyond a basic interest in economics or management. Dyson’s program is interdisciplinary in nature, and the school encourages its students to study various disciplines outside of AEM. Having a distinct interdisciplinary focus such as agro-economics is a great way to stand out in your supplemental essay.

Your reasons for applying to Dyson should be supported by your present interests and activities. For example, a student discussing agricultural economics could discuss leadership roles in a local 4H club, or efforts to learn more about agricultural economics through recent journals and news pieces.

Aim to be as detailed as possible when discussing your future goals and clearly connect them to Dyson’s offerings. The agricultural economics student could talk about how Dyson’s flexible curriculum would also allow them to take agriculture classes.

Be sure to include your post-college goals and how the College of Business would help you achieve them. For example, our hypothetical agro-economics student might be interested in starting an organization to eliminate food deserts, by diverting food that would’ve otherwise gone to waste. They could mention the course “HADM 4315: Hunger, Health and Nonprofit Social Enterprise” in the School of Hotel Administration (remember that you can talk about both schools in the College of Business!). This would allow the student to learn “management best practices for leading nonprofit food service organizations.”

School of Hotel Administration

SHA consistently ranks as the best hotel school in the United States, and applicants should have a clear, demonstrated interest in hospitality-related careers. In addition to relevant experience, SHA looks for the interpersonal skills required to be successful in the hospitality industry.

Your hospitality experiences should directly show why you chose to apply to SHA and why you are interested in hospitality management. For example, instead of simply listing your duties as a bellhop at a local hotel, describe how the integration of many fast-paced movements at a hotel invigorates you.

Connect these experiences to your long-term plans and aspirations, and explain how the Hotel School will provide you with the tools you need to achieve these goals. If you want to manage a hotel one day, explain how SHA will provide the hands-on experiences and practical skills you will need to run an establishment.

SHA is the only college at Cornell that requires an admissions interview, which focuses on the applicant’s interpersonal skills. While describing your experiences within hospitality, make sure to highlight personal attributes such as your empathy or adaptability, especially through anecdotes. Perhaps a hotel client once lost his dog, and you went above and beyond to help him make missing dog signs, even putting them up across the city. Maybe the hotel’s fitness center yoga instructor once called in sick at the last minute, and you stepped in with your knowledge of yoga, leading the class in her stead. These details allow an admissions counselor to see that you would thrive at SHA.

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College of Engineering, Prompt 4
What do you believe you will contribute to the Cornell Engineering community beyond what you’ve already detailed in your application? What unique voice will you bring? (100 words)

The goal of this type of essay is to find out how your values and background influence your personal views and goals. Admissions committees look to build diverse classes, so you’ll want your response for this to be individualized and authentic. To learn more about this kind of prompt, check out our tips for writing a diversity essay.

What to Consider Before You Write

Coming up with a good topic for a diversity essay can be tricky. This is what you’ll want to keep in mind as you think of how to approach the question:

Think about your various identities and what makes you unique. This could be your community, racial identity, religion, hobbies, disability status, gender, language, hometown, country of origin, etc. You may want to make a list and write about the one you are most familiar with and feel most comfortable talking about.
Consider how you relate to this identity and how you feel about being a part of this group. Have you developed any personality traits through this background? If so, how have they changed over time?
Have any major formative events occurred in your life because of this background? What were they and how did they shape you into the person you are today?
Have you learned any skills through one of these identities? What are they?
How can you connect this with Cornell Engineering?

It is important to consider how your emotions tie in with one of your identities and what personal stories demonstrate this emotional connection. This way, you can write an essay that shows an aspect of your background and how it has shaped you.

You’ll want about 25% of the essay to summarize the part of your background that you are describing* and the remaining 75% to talk about how you have been impacted by it. As you wrap up your response, write about how your background will make you a good addition to the Cornell Engineering community.

Mistakes To Avoid

Don’t list all your identities: This essay isn’t the time to talk about all your personal identities. Instead, focus on one of them and dive deeper into what it is and why it’s important to you.

Don’t focus solely on negative experiences: It’s fine to mention negative experiences related to your identity, and you should absolutely make sure that the experiences you write about are authentic to you. However, admissions committees often look for stories with positive or optimistic endings. Not everything has a happy ending, but it’s harder to write a successful and compelling negative essay.

Don’t pick a cliché topic: There are topics such as immigration stories that have been used time and time again in supplementary essays. Think about an identity you have that may be unique or more nuanced.

Here’s how a response might look:

“Although jazz is often seen as ‘outdated’ or ‘pretentious’, in reality it’s one of the only music genres that stays current with new beats and rhythms. Jazz is always adapting, but jazz pianists like me must adapt as well. Sometimes engineers get mired in the details or a singular desired outcome, which closes them off to potential accidental breakthroughs. I’m excited to apply the adaptive out-of-the-box thinking that I’ve learned through jazz improvisation to engineering projects at Cornell, like the one I already did at home where I harnessed the energy of my hamster’s wheel to power his heating pad.”

This example starts by describing how jazz, an important part of the student’s background, is perceived, then connects the skills and lessons that the student learned through improvisation to engineering. In other words, the student shows that their identity as a jazz pianist goes beyond when they’re actually playing the piano, and that this identity can help them in other areas of their life as well, including engineering.

Finally, the concrete example of how they’ve already applied their improvisation abilities to a project in their own home proves to Cornell admissions officers that they aren’t just speaking in hypotheticals—they’re truly ready to hit the ground running the second they arrive on Cornell’s campus.

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College of Engineering ‌rompt 3
What brings you joy? (100 words)

Understanding the Prompt

This prompt asks you to reflect on what truly makes you happy. While the other engineering prompts are more technical in nature, and want to concretely evaluate your fit for this rigorous course of study, here the admissions committee wants to get a broader sense of your personality, interests, and values. Don’t worry about being stereotypically impressive–just be honest.

Brainstorming Questions

What are the activities, experiences, or moments in your life that make you feel most fulfilled?
Are there particular people, places, or hobbies that bring you joy?
How do you feel when you engage in these joyful activities or moments?
Why does this bring you joy, and what does it say about you?

What Makes a Good Response

Specificity: Rather than listing several things, focus on one or two that are deeply meaningful to you. You only have 100 words, and you want to provide some reflection on the things you choose, so don’t let your essay turn into a bullet point list.
Emotional Connection: Describe why this thing brings you joy, using vivid language to convey your feelings.
Authenticity: Choose something that genuinely makes you happy, rather than what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. With this kind of more unconventional supplement, genuine enthusiasm goes a long way.
Storytelling: If possible, include a brief anecdote or example that illustrates your joy.

Hypothetical Student Examples

A nature lover who feels most at peace when hiking in the mountains might describe the awe they feel when watching the sun rise from a peak, and how that wipes away their exhaustion from waking up in the middle of the night.
A music enthusiast who finds joy in playing the piano could describe the moments when they use a challenging piece as an opportunity to process their own emotions.
A family-oriented student who loves cooking with their grandparents might talk about the joy of recreating a family recipe, which connects them to their cultural heritage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Being too broad or vague: Saying “spending time with friends” won’t do anything to show what you have to offer that another applicant doesn’t. “Picking out our favorite donuts–maple bar, for me, chocolate sprinkles for Dean, and cream-filled for Andy” is more at the level you want.
Listing too many things: Avoid trying to cover too much in just 100 words. Exploring one thing in depth will make more of an impact than rattling off 10 without exploring them in depth.
Writing what you think they want to hear: As noted above, you’ve had plenty of chances to impress already. Here, focus on telling something that they can’t already learn from some other part of your application.

Good and Bad Examples

Good Example:

“Sunday mornings spent with my grandmother in her kitchen bring me the most joy. The aroma of her homemade tamales fills the air as she recounts tales of her childhood in Mexico. Her stories, rich with tradition, connect me to my roots, and I cherish every moment of learning her recipes. Cooking together isn’t just about food; it’s about preserving a piece of our family’s history and the bond we share. These mornings remind me of the importance of family, culture, and the simple joys in life.”

Why it’s good: This example is specific, evokes strong imagery, and shows a deep emotional connection to family and cultural traditions.

Bad Example:

“What brings me joy is spending time with my friends. We always have fun together, whether we’re hanging out at the mall, watching movies, or just talking. Being with them makes me happy because we have a lot in common and always laugh a lot.”

Why it’s bad: This example is too vague, lacks specific details, and doesn’t convey a deep emotional connection to these moments or personal insight into why they’re meaningful to the student.

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College of Engineering ‌rompt 2
Why do you think you would love to study at Cornell Engineering? (200 words)

This is basically a classic “Why This College?” prompt, but focused on Cornell Engineering, rather than the whole institution of Cornell. Your goal is to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the program by connecting your academic interests and future goals with specific resources, opportunities, and aspects of Cornell’s engineering program.

Understanding the Prompt

To answer this prompt effectively, you need to do thorough research on Cornell Engineering and identify the unique aspects of the program that align with your interests. Avoid generalities that could apply to any school, like “Cornell has one of the top-ranked engineering programs,” and instead focus on what specifically draws you to their engineering program–classes, labs, professors, internship or study abroad opportunities, and so on. Your response should highlight things that can only be found at Cornell, and explain how they will help you achieve your specific goals.

Brainstorming Questions

To get started, consider these questions:

Is there coursework at Cornell in a specific area of engineering that you find especially appealing?
Are there any particular professors at Cornell whose work or research excites you? Why?
What unique facilities, labs, or research centers at Cornell would you like to use?
How do Cornell’s clubs, organizations, or community initiatives connect with your engineering interests?
How will Cornell Engineering help you achieve your long-term goals?
Have you visited the campus or attended any online sessions? What did you notice that stood out to you?

What Makes a Good Response

A strong response will include:

Specificity: Mention specific programs, labs, or professors that align with your interests, and explain why these resources excite you.
Connection to Goals: Clearly link how Cornell’s offerings will help you realize your academic or career aspirations.
Passion for Engineering: Show why you’re drawn to these specific opportunities, by citing past experiences or projects that have set you up for success at Cornell.
Personalization: Relate your interests and goals to Cornell in a way that shows you’ve done your research and can’t get the same experience anywhere else.

Hypothetical Student Examples

Robotics Enthusiast: A student passionate about robotics, who has built several robots in high school and is interested in designing space exploration rovers. They could discuss how they’re eager to work with Professor Hadas Kress-Gazit, to refine their understanding of the language robots use, and develop more sophisticated ways for humans on earth to communicate with rovers millions of miles away. They might also mention a desire to join the Cornell University Unmanned Air Systems team to connect with peers who share their interests.
Sustainable Energy Advocate: A student focused on renewable energy and sustainability, especially solar power. They could talk about their interest in Cornell’s Atkinson Center for Sustainability, particularly research that’s been done there on using lower-quality agricultural land for solar farming instead of food farming, and how that research would connect to their theoretical work in classes like “Analysis of Sustainable Energy Systems”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Being Too General: Avoid vague statements like “Cornell is a top engineering school,” or even “Cornell has renowned professors in my areas of interest.” Don’t just mention those professors–actually find one and describe how your interests align with their work.
Name-Dropping Without Substance: At the same time, don’t just mention a professor’s name or reference a lab. There should always be a clear explanation of how this resource will help you continue to grow as an engineer.
Ignoring Your Personal Connection: Again, don’t just list what Cornell offers. Show how their resources connect to your past experiences and future goals.
Stay Focused On Engineering: There are likely other aspects of Cornell that appeal to you beyond the engineering program, but remember that this is a supplement for the College of Engineering specifically, so talking about your passion for acapella probably won’t move the needle much for admissions officers.

Excerpts From Good and Bad Examples

Good Example:

“Ever since I disassembled my first remote-control car at nine, I’ve been captivated by mechanical engineering. This curiosity led me to build a robotic arm for my high school science fair, designed to assist people with limited mobility. The project sparked my interest in biomechanics and deepened my passion for creating technology that improves lives.

When I discovered Cornell’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, I was thrilled by the Biorobotics and Locomotion Lab. Professor Andy Ruina’s work on the dynamics of human locomotion directly applies to my vision of designing next-generation prosthetics, and will assuredly present opportunities for me to contribute to projects that ensure all people can navigate the world with ease and confidence.”

Why it’s good: This response is specific, personal, and shows a clear connection between the student’s past experiences, their engineering goals, and the unique opportunities available at Cornell. The student demonstrates deep knowledge of Cornell’s resources and explains how they will help them achieve their aspirations.

Bad Example:

“I want to study at Cornell Engineering because it is one of the best engineering schools in the country. Cornell’s reputation, especially in computer engineering, and the opportunity to work with top-notch faculty will certainly open lots of doors for me at innovative startups, in fields from AI to modeling.”

Why it’s bad: This response is generic and could apply to almost any engineering school. There is no detail about Cornell, nor description of the student’s personal goals and how Cornell will help them reach them. The student doesn’t seem to have done any research on Cornell or why the school is right for them.

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College of Engineering Prompt 1
Fundamentally, engineering is the application of math, science, and technology to solve complex problems. Why do you want to study engineering? (200 words)

This is an archetypal “Why This Major?” prompt, focused on engineering in particular. Your goals are to convey your passion for engineering, and to show how your past experiences have prepared you to succeed in the field. The admissions committee wants to understand what drives your interest in engineering, how you’ve explored this interest, what your future goals in the field are, and how you see yourself achieving them.

Note: Typically, in a “Why Major” essay you would also want to incorporate details about why you want to study this field at the school in question, but since there is a separate “Why Cornell Engineering” supplement here, your response here doesn’t have to have that element.

Understanding the Prompt

To answer this prompt effectively, you need to reflect on why you were initially drawn to engineering, and which experiences you’ve had that have refined your interest in the field. Think about specific moments, projects, or topics that sparked your fascination. Then, consider what excites you most about studying engineering and how you envision applying what you learn to solve real-world problems.

Brainstorming Questions

What was the first experience that made you interested in engineering? A class, a specific project, an extracurricular activity, a self-driven passion project? Something else entirely?
How have you explored engineering outside the classroom? Have you participated in clubs or internships, or pursued personal projects, that furthered your interest?
What specific problems or challenges in the world do you want to address through engineering?
Which areas of engineering (mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.) particularly interest you, and why?
How do you see engineering shaping your future? What impact do you hope to make in the field, or in society as a whole by using engineering principles?

What Makes a Good Response

Personal and Specific: Your essay should include specific experiences that ignited and sustained your interest in engineering. Avoid vague statements like “I like solving problems”–instead, go deeper, to “Moving from Seattle to Miami made me fully appreciate the transformative power of solar energy.”
Connected to Future Goals: Show how your interest in engineering is tied to what you want to accomplish in the future. Whether your goal is making the world more sustainable, developing new technologies, or exploring outer space or the deep sea, make sure they’re clear.
Exploration and Engagement: Demonstrate how you’ve actively engaged with engineering beyond the classroom, through clubs, competitions, internships, or self-driven projects.

Hypothetical Student Examples

Student A: A student who grew up in an area prone to flooding and became interested in civil engineering after seeing the impact of natural disasters on their community. They have spent their high school years researching flood control methods and participating in environmental science clubs. They hope to study civil engineering to design innovative infrastructure that can protect vulnerable communities.
Student B: A student who has always loved boats and machines. They spent weekends working on engines with their grandfather and later joined their school’s robotics team. They want to study mechanical engineering to design boat motors with less risk of harming sea life, as in addition to their love of mechanics, they want to protect the manatees who live in the lagoon near their house in Florida.
Student C: A student fascinated by the intersection of biology and technology, who got hooked on biomedical engineering after shadowing a doctor who used robotic surgery techniques. They’ve volunteered in a lab which designs prosthetics, and they hope to continue this work in college to keep improving patients’ quality of life.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Generic Statements: Avoid saying things like “Engineering is a stable career” or “I’m good at math and science.” These statements don’t tell the admissions committee anything unique about you, and as a result they make your interest in engineering seem shallow.
Lack of Specificity: Don’t just mention a general interest in engineering as a whole. Be specific about what type of engineering interests you, as well as which topics within that subfield you’re most drawn to, and why.
Résumé-Like Listing: Don’t simply list your achievements or experiences. Instead, provide meaningful reflection on how these experiences deepened your interest in engineering and what you learned from them.
Cliché Narratives: Steer clear of overused stories, like simply “taking things apart as a child.” Remember, your goal is to set yourself apart from other applicants, so while you don’t have to write something Cornell has absolutely never seen before–which would be practically impossible–make sure that you choose anecdotes that are at least somewhat distinctive to you.

Good and Bad Examples

Good Example:

“The first time I used a 3D printer, my mind started spinning with all the possibilities of things I could design to the finest degree of precision on my computer, whether a prosthetic hand or a valve for a leaky sink, and then have exactly that object appear before me. Then, I learned that the miniature World Cup trophy I was test printing would not be ready for hours.

My mind kept spinning, but this time in dismay, at how long someone would need to design a prototype, print it, test it, and then reprint the next version with any adjustments. When I went home, I didn’t run to tell my parents about my pending creation, but instead opened my laptop immediately, and began researching how other kinds of printers–printing presses, or even just my own clunky Epson–had been made more efficient over time.

By dinnertime, my goal had shifted. I no longer wanted to code blueprints of devices that could improve daily life for everyone, but design the machinery that would allow those devices to reach people as soon as possible. I had woken up a computer engineer, and was going to sleep a mechanical engineer.”

Why it’s good: This example is specific, personal, and shows a clear connection between the student’s past experiences and future goals. The student demonstrates a deep understanding of and clear excitement about a particular topic within engineering, and we can easily imagine what they’d bring to the field as a Cornell engineering student and after graduation.

Bad Example:

“I want to study engineering because I care about the environment, and I think sustainable infrastructure is the most realistic path to a greener future. I want to make a real difference in the world, whether that’s by identifying new sources of energy, contributing to the electric vehicle movement, or something else entirely–the possibilities are simply endless.”

Why it’s bad: This student comes across as earnest, but their interest in engineering stays way too broad. Sure, they identify environmental engineering as the field they’re most interested in, but they fail to pick out one specific topic that especially fascinates them, or incorporate anecdotes that show where their fascination comes from in the first place.

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College of Engineering Short Answer Questions
Note: Upon selecting this college on the Common App, you will be asked to provide the 3 words that best describe you, the three words that you would use to describe Cornell Engineering, an especially meaningful extracurricular activity, and an especially meaningful award or achievement. This is essentially a major-specific short response section.

It’s challenging to distill your personality down to three words, so to begin, come up with a long list of words that you think characterize you, and then narrow them down to the ones that are most important to you. They don’t need to be directly related to engineering, but you want to choose words that at least describe qualities of yourself that could translate to the field of engineering broadly. If you need help, you can ask your friends and family for ideas.

You don’t have to write the most exotic words, but you should avoid very simple descriptors like “fun, nice, smart.” These choices can come across as cliché, and don’t tell the admissions committee anything about you. Try more interesting words like “determined, upbeat, daring,” or even nouns like “brother, athlete, artist.”

If words are your strong suit, you can try to be more creative with your choices. You might even want to pick a word from another language if that language or its culture is an important part of your identity. Maybe you’re a hard worker, a lighthearted person, and you help your father fix cars in your predominantly Hispanic community; you may choose to write “indefatigable, whimsical, mecánico.”

Note that you should strive to only choose words you know/use regularly. Don’t just use a thesaurus to try to find big words, because you may accidentally use a word with a nuanced meaning that isn’t what you’re looking for. Additionally, if you use flowery language in this section but not in your writing supplement, this will come off as contradictory and insincere.

The same idea applies to the three words you choose to describe Cornell Engineering. You should do plenty of research on Cornell Engineering before even attempting to choose three words. Determine what is important to their program, reach out to friends you may know in the program, or look through their website and social media to figure out what their program is all about.

You should not attempt to randomly select words about engineering in general. In fact, you could write an inspiring answer by picking some that seemingly have nothing to do with engineering! Avoid picking generic, simple words as well as words of empty praise, such as “unique,” “competitive,” “prestigious,” and “innovative.” Anyone can tell Cornell that it’s a good university — doing so here would sound hollow and plain. Try to think of more nuanced and descriptive words that wouldn’t apply broadly to every engineering college.

For example, you might choose “eclectic,” “defiant,” and “virtuous.” These are creative choices, but more importantly, they are words you could defend in an interview. If asked about “eclectic,” you can mention the diversity of the fields which Cornell has facilities for — the university has centers in subjects ranging from data science to nanomedical technology to waste management. You can defend “defiant” by discussing how a certain lab you researched never settles for the status quo, but instead seeks to always go beyond what is deemed possible. Finally, you might defend “virtuous” by mentioning Cornell Engineering’s mission to “advance the quality of life on our planet.”

With regards to the “extracurricular” short response, you’ll want to reflect on an activity, organization, or responsibility that has had a significant impact on your life. You should focus on one specific experience, and briefly explain what you did and why it was meaningful to you. Since this is a short answer, focus on the most important details and avoid unnecessary elaboration.

For example, you might talk about volunteering at an animal shelter, to demonstrate your passion for animal welfare and giving back to your community, and explain how working with animals has taught you to be more patient and empathetic. Or, you could talk about how babysitting your six younger siblings, and sometimes missing out on social events as a result, showed you the importance of putting others’ needs above your own.

Your approach should be similar with the award/achievement short response. You want to make sure your readers understand not just what the award is and what you had to do to earn it, but also the skills you developed along the way, and/or how the experience shaped your future goals. Again, be concise, and don’t brag: stay focused on just the most important details so that you don’t run out of space.

For example, you could describe the time you won a regional science fair, even after faulty data forced you to completely change your project halfway through, and how this experience taught you to always keep the bigger picture of your research in mind, rather than allowing relatively minor snags to throw you off course.

Or, you might talk about the mural you designed for your Spanish classroom, which included images from a wide range of Spanish-speaking cultures, not just Spain and Mexico like the previous classroom decorations, and how your motivation was to show that even within something we typically treat as monolithic, like a language, there is always diversity of experience beneath the surface, and that diversity should be celebrated.

Whatever the activity, responsibility, or award is, make sure you touch on its broader relevance to your personality and development. Even in a short response, you always want to make sure admissions officers understand why this thing matters for imagining what kind of college student you’ll be.