There are lots of ways to get to know us.
- Watch our recorded information sessions.
- Review our major pages and other online resources.
- Join a virtual information session or visit us in person. (Please note that Cornell University and the College of Human Ecology do not track demonstrated interest. Visiting campus is not required nor expected of applicants. Faculty appointments are discouraged unless you are interested in our design-based majors.)
- Reflect on how our mission to improve lives connects with your values and how our majors align with — and expand on — your academic interests.
Your response should illustrate how your interests and aspirations align with Cornell Human Ecology and your choice of major. Don’t just reuse a general essay.
Share how CHE can help you examine your interests, support your goals and create purpose. We want to know why you're interested in the college and your selected major so we can better understand your candidacy.
Reflect on and prioritize your experiences — academic, extracurricular, work and volunteer — that make CHE a compelling and meaningful choice for you. Or explore a human-focused, community-based, organizational or systemic challenge that our programs could help you address.
It's okay if you're not ready to choose a major yet. If you apply as “Undecided,” identify the specific CHE majors you're considering and how they will help you explore your intellectual interests.
We are less interested in the job title you want than in how you plan to use our programs to support the impact you want to make.
These supplements are required in addition to the materials needed to complete the Common Application. These materials must be submitted by the Common Application deadline for critical evaluation by department faculty.
Carefully review the design supplement instructions for the major of interest, as these supplements are unique to the programs and require written and creative work.
Submit the design supplement, in addition to the Common Application, by the deadline that corresponds to your application timeline.
Draw on your creativity in all components of the design supplement.
We consider your academic rigor, preparation, persistence and growth when reviewing your transcript.
Competitive candidates, regardless of major choice, pursue the highest level of coursework available at their school, particularly in math and science, and earn very strong grades.
Complete advanced level (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, etc.) calculus and core science work (biology, chemistry and/or physics) if they are available, regardless of your intended major. Elective science courses in place of core sciences are not compelling.
You can explain coursework choices and/or grades that are not consistent with these points with a statement on the "Additional Essay."
Apply yourself to your schoolwork throughout your senior year. The required senior mid-term grades, as well as the final grade reports for admitted students, are important. We will contact admitted students who do not maintain the academic momentum presented at the time of application.
Admitted students need to consult with us before making changes to their senior course load.
We want to know how you use your time outside school — what engages, informs and tests your academic interests, and how do those pursuits connect to the college?
Tell us about a few of your extracurricular activities. Multiple page lists of activities/résumés are not helpful.
Remember that leadership is more about how your commitment and contribution leads to impact than just a title.
We encourage you to find ways to test your possible career interests. You can do this in a variety of ways. Be creative in finding those opportunities — they're often more accessible than you think!
Reflect on what you learned about communities, institutions, people and organizations as a result of your activities. Consider how to share those reflections in your supplemental essay.
You can share your research experiences as an entry on the Common Application listing or on a résumé. If you want to include more information, you can submit a short (100 words) overview of your research topic with a focus on the most significant aspect of it as a learning experience, why it matters, and/or how you were supported in this work. Research abstracts are not helpful.
Letters of recommendation help us understand your maturity, self-motivation, initiative, character and role in the classroom and community.
Ask a science or math teacher to submit a letter on your behalf especially if you apply to one of our natural science-based majors.
Only submit the number of letters required in the application instructions. More is not better.
Remember to use your best manners to request a letter of recommendation and to thank the letter writer afterwards.
Our faculty and academic departments are focused on teaching, advising and conducting research as they work with our current students. You can find information about CHE research — both faculty projects and undergraduate involvement — on our website.
If you need to, you can use this section to contextualize your academic record, address a circumstance that might have impacted your performance, or clarify a specific aspect of your application. Otherwise, you can leave it blank.
