Waitlist Information

Thank you for visiting our waitlist page. We hope you remain excited about Cornell Engineering. Before taking any action, please read the following information to understand our waitlist process.

Information for Applicants on the Waitlist

If you remain interested in Cornell Engineering, we require just two simple tasks for wait-listed applicants:

  1. Officially Accept Your Waitlist Offer by April 23

    Log into your application status page and indicate your wish to remain on the waitlist. You must do this by April 23 to be considered.

  2. Check On Your Midterm Grades

    Ask your guidance counselor whether your mid-term grades have been sent. If not, request they be sent to Cornell. Only applicants with mid-year grade reports will be considered for offers of admission from the waitlist.

We understand that the waitlist seems daunting but we truly want you to focus on finishing your senior year. For applicants to Cornell Engineering, we have found that interest letters and extra recommendations do not substantively add useful information to an application at this phase of the review process. It is our recommendation that you simply submit your mid-term grades. However, if you feel it is important to submit additional information, we ask that you upload materials to your application directly through your application status page.

Thank you for your interest in Cornell Engineering and your patience throughout the process. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How large is the waitlist?

    Of the 3,000 candidates offered a space on the Cornell Engineering waitlist, approximately half will ask to remain on the waitlist. Of those individuals who want to remain on the waitlist, some percentage will drift away over April and May. So in actuality, the operative number is much smaller than 3,000.

    The waitlist is not ranked. If the university asks us to make offers of admission to our waitlist engineering candidates, we look carefully at the candidates who have told us that they want to remain on our waitlist. We use initial reviews of applications to determine which students we will select from the waitlist.

  • When will I know if I’ve been offered admission from the waitlist?

    Although we make every effort to notify students as soon as possible after the May 1 response deadline, we will not know if we will make admission offers to our waitlist candidates until mid-May at the earliest. In some years, we have made waitlist offers as late as mid-June. If we are able to make an offer of admission to you, you will receive an email notification alerting you to check the status of your application. All offers of admission are made via your applicant portal.

  • Should I accept an offer from another college?

    Yes, you should do whatever is necessary, including making a deposit, to secure a spot at one of the institutions to which you have been admitted. We often do not know if we will go to the waitlist until after the deposit deadline. If you are offered a spot off the Cornell Engineering waitlist, you will have a short window of time (usually five days from when you receive the official offer of admission or, if you have applied for financial aid, five days from the electronic receipt of your financial aid award) to make your decision. If you choose to accept the offer of admission from Cornell you may forfeit the deposit that you had previously made at the other institution. Some colleges and universities will refund your deposit, others may not.

  • Will financial aid still be available if I’m offered admission from the waitlist?

    Yes, if you are offered admission from the waitlist, your application for financial aid will be reviewed and you will receive official correspondence from the Financial Aid Office soon thereafter. You must have submitted all financial aid documents in order to be considered for financial aid. If you have applied for financial aid, we recommend that you check your financial aid checklist to ensure all documents have been submitted. If you have not completed your paperwork, please do so immediately.

  • Will housing still be available if I’m offered admission from the waitlist?

    Yes. All first-year students live in on-campus housing, so housing will be available to you if you are offered a spot from the waitlist. On-campus housing is available to all incoming first-year students.

  • May I take a gap year if I’m offered admission from the waitlist?

    If you are offered admission from the pool of wait-listed applicants, you must enroll in the fall. We cannot grant deferrals for students admitted from the waitlist.