The Ultimate Guide: How To Write the Cornell Supplemental Essays for 2025/26

Cornell's 2025-26 Supplemental Essays Updates: What's Changed?

Cornell, like all Ivy League schools, ranks among the top in the nation, ranked 12th in the US in 2026 by US News, and stands out around the world as a top university. As such, Cornell is highly selective, with an acceptance rate under in the last admissions cycle, making it crucial to strengthen your Cornell application with essays that offer insights into your background, values, and perspectives and truly help you stand out.

Top schools like Cornell routinely update application requirements, including changes to supplemental essay prompts that reflect efforts to clarify what's being asked or so essay topics evolve alongside changing campus priorities or dynamics.

For 2025-26, Cornell and the specific colleges have made few or no changes to their essay prompts.

Updates for Clarity

The Cornell University Essay prompt for 2025-26 continues to probe how applicants have been shaped by concrete community experiences in their lives while encouraging students to define community broadly, but has introduced minor changes to add greater clarity for respondents.

The Brooks School of Public Policy essay prompt remains essentially the same for 2025-26, but specific phrasing has been revised and additional wording added, providing greater clarity for respondents.

Updated Cornell University Essay Prompt

Updated Prompt for Applicants to the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy

Updates for Change in Emphasis

The prompt for applicants to the College of Human Ecology has been updated to direct students to reveal a challenge they have identified in their community or in the career/industry they're interest in and explain how their major might help them address the challenge.

The remaining college- and school-specific prompts for 2025=26 applicants to Cornell remain unchanged from last year.

What Are Cornell's Supplemental Essay Prompts for 2025/26?

In addition to their Common App essay, applicants to Cornell need to complete required essays in two categories:

1. The Cornell University Essay (all first-year applicants)

2. The College- and School-Specific Essays (corresponding to the specific Cornell college/school you're applying to).

What Is the Cornell University Prompt for 25/26?

What Are the College- and School-Specific Prompts for 25/26?

While the University essay prompt focuses on community experiences that have shaped you, it's also an opportunity to foreground how you engage in community settings — be they small or large — and how you anticipate contributing to community life at Cornell.

For the College-Specific prompts, you'll only write to the one that corresponds to your major and the School you're applying to within Cornell. Most of these prompts ask students to explore the influences or experiences that led them to pursue their chosen field of study.

How To Answer Cornell's Supplementary Essay Prompts

How To Answer the Cornell University Prompt

This prompt invites you to identify and explore one or more specific communities you've engaged with and how the experience shaped you.

Cornell isn’t so much interested in what kind of community you choose; it's more about the nature of the interactions and how they contributed to your personal growth or shaped you values, perspectives, or social and emotional skills.

1. Choose a Community That Reveals Something Core

Think beyond surface-level groupings. Focus on a community that has challenged, shaped, or grounded you. Don't worry about whether the community was a selective one or not — your example "can be drawn from your family, school, workplace" or based on individual "activities or interests" etc.

• Is there a group or community that influenced how you see the those around you or yourself? Or how you navigate community or group interactions?
• Whatever the group was, what were the community dynamics that stood out to you or most impacted your personal growth?
• What made your participation in this particular community important or meaningful to you?
• How did the community support you? How did you support it?

2. Focus on Influence and Impact

Avoid simply describing the group’s activities or values. Instead, be sure to explore and reflect on how the community influenced and shaped you, such as any important values, understandings, insights, or commitments.

• What have you learned from this group?
• How has it shaped your habits, ethics, interests, or aspirations?
• How do you show up differently — in other spaces — because of this influence?

3. Link To Your Future Contribution

Even though the prompt doesn’t ask directly, it certainly offers an opportunity to make a bridge to community life at Cornell.

• How do your definition of community, the example you chose, and the impact it had on you inform how you'll engage at Cornell — in classrooms, residence halls, or student groups?
• How do you anticipate your communities at Cornell to contribute to your learning or ongoing personal growth? What contributions do you envision making to them?

Recap

Choose a community that has left a lasting mark on how you think, relate, or lead. Use this example to help you explore how you define community, and to reflect on the role community life can play in personal growth and academic learning. Use these reflections to build a bridge to the admissions context: why will communities at Cornell be a valuable part of your college journey, and In what ways will you contribute to them?

How To Answer College-Specific Prompts About Why You're Interested in Your Chosen Major or Area of Study

The prompts required for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, and the SC Johnson College Business all ask their applicants a similar question: what experiences, influences, and insights shape the passion or interest you have in pursuing your major or chosen area of study?

1. Reflect on the Interests or Passions Behind the Major You've Chosen

Before you begin writing your essay, think about what genuine interests, passions, experiences, influences, or insights led you to choose your major.

• Was there a specific experience that got you interested in this area?
• Were you inspired by a teacher or other figure in your life?
• Was it forged due to a challenge you had to overcome?
• How has your interest evolved over time?

Begin your essay by telling the story of how your interest came to light or how it has evolved:

• Telling the reader a story about your interest rather than stating it will make the essay more compelling.
• Make sure you communicate why it’s meaningful to you.
• How do you want to contribute to the world in this field given your life experiences?

2. Make a Connection to the College or School

Show how the personal experiences and interests you highlighted and your academic aspirations make you a strong match for the college to which you are applying.

Be sure to research Cornell's offerings and those at the college or school you're applying to, so you can make compelling and concrete connections between your interests and aspirations and why your chosen college at Cornell is your top choice.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are there specific classes that are unique and align perfectly with your interests?
• Does a professor do research that focuses on your interest?
• Will being part of the larger Ithaca community further your interest?

Connecting your interest to Cornell is critical. Be sure your essay explores authentic motivations and aspirations — ones important to you personally — and highlight compelling ways these make you and your chosen college or school an ideal match.

3. Adapt Your Response to Your Respective Prompt as Needed

Be sure to take note of any important nuances of emphasis in the prompt you're responding to, based on the college you're applying to.

For example, the School of Public Policy prompt refers to "current interests, related experiences, and/or goals" influencing your decision to be a policy major.

By contrast, the SC Johnson College of Business prompt asks you to describe topics or issues that you care about, and why they are important to you as you build a bridge to your interest in attending one of the specific schools in the College of Business.

Look for the nuances like these in the prompt you're responding to, and be sure you adapt your response accordingly.

How To Answer the Prompts for the College of Engineering

All engineering applicants are required to write two long essays (200 words max. each) and four short essays (100 words max. each)

Answering the Long Essay Prompt 1 (College of Engineering)

Question 1 is a variation of the the prompts we decoded above, asking you why you want to study engineering.

Refer to the guidance above about exploring the experiences, influences, and insights that shape your passion or interest for majoring in Engineering.

Be sure to adapt your response to highlight concrete interests in learning about and applying specific topics in math, science, and technology.

1. Dig Deep Into Motivations and Aspirations

Consider how you might probe deeper motivations and aspirations when you explain why you want to study engineering. For example:

• Are you motivated to use your engineering skills to solve important social problems?
• Do any of these problems present urgency or have potential significant impacts for society, human welfare, or the environment?
• Are you fascinated by complex puzzles and enjoy the challenges they present?

2. Show Instead of Telling

As you delve into any of the deeper motivations and aspirations driving your interest in studying engineering, consider using personal narrative or vivid anecdotes to help capture a key experience, influence and the interest, motivation, or aspiration it sparked.

Add authenticity and vivid detail to make your response more personal, more revealing, and more memorable.

Answering the Long Essay Prompt 2 (College of Engineering)

Question 2 shifts the focus from exploring the personal factors shaping your interest in studying engineering (question 1) to a focus on why Cornell Engineering?

This means your response to the second long essay prompt needs to center key features of the College of Engineering that appeal to you personally, and why.

1. Which College Features?

Start by identifying the college features that most attract you to studying engineering at Cornell.

• Are there specific programs, facilities, academic resources, or research initiatives that stand out to you?
• Are you interested in specific courses, course sequences, or concentrations available to you at the college?
• Does a professor do research in an area of specialization that interests you?
• Does the school have any unique extracurricular offerings you want to engage with?

As you highlight the features that most attract, be sure you don't just name them. It's also important to reveal the reasons why they attract you personally.

2. Dig Beneath the Surface

Find concrete college features through research. The College of Engineering website, alumni contacts, and other internet sources should help you uncover some concrete offerings that can generate genuine excitement for you because of strong alignment with a specific interest you have.

How To Answer the College of Engineering Short Answer Responses

Question 1

What brings you joy?

1. Find the “What”

This prompt invites you to write about any source of joy — mundane or meaningful. Consider thinking of the attributes of joy — it doesn't have to be loud excitement, it can be quiet contentment, a feeling of gratitude, a deeply personal feeling of peace, a release from a burden or worry...

Zero in quickly on something that brings you genuine happiness. Don’t just summarize an activity like a sport or hobby. Instead, zoom in on a specific moment, memory, or detail that captures your joy with clarity and originality.

2. Show, Don’t Just Tell

Be concise but evocative. Consider anchoring your reflection in a vivid personal vignette. A brief narrative can bring your joy to life while naturally revealing insight, personality, and perspective.

How did the moment feel? What does that moment say about you?

3. Bridge to the Admissions Context

What does this reflection point to as you contemplate college life?

Will this joy, your ability to tap into it, be a personal anchor amid big changes, a source of good will toward others around you, a source of greater confidence in yourself, or of greater resilience?

Question 2

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?

This short response question can help you highlight what kind of teammate, thinker, ally, or leader you’ll be in collaborative and group settings — how will you engage with others and what kind of influence will you be?

1. Go Deeper Than Surface Traits

• Go beyond your résumé and reflect on the personal qualities, values, or perspective you’ll contribute to Cornell Engineering
• Focus on character, not credentials, with concise depictions of your collaborative style, intellectual curiosity, cultural background, or mindset in group settings or problem-solving contexts.
• Be authentic by focusing on genuine personality traits and unique ways you "show up" in group or community interactions.

2. Be Specific and Personal

Avoid vague claims like “I’m empathetic” or "I'm a good listener." Instead, share something authentic that reveals the nuances of how you interact with others and the perspective behind your actions.

3. Bridge To Specific College Communities or Scenarios

Share how your unique voice might influence interactions or shape the impact of lab groups, project teams, club meetings, or the larger campus culture.

Question 3

What is one activity, club, team, organization, work/volunteer experience or family responsibility that is especially meaningful to you? Please briefly tell us about its significance for you.

This is an opportunity to show how you exhibit accountability towards others in group experiences, and also a chance to show your capacity for introspection, reflection, and personal growth as you engage with different kinds of community: including teams, groups, or family roles or responsibilities.

• Choose depth and authenticity over prestige. Whether it's a national award or caring for a sibling, what matters is why it’s meaningful to you.
• Focus on impact. How has this experience sparked or influenced meaningful introspection, new understanding, deeper sense of purpose, or other personal growth?
• Be personal and precise. Let your reflection reveal something about who you are — not just what you do.

Question 4

What is one award you have received or achievement you have attained that has meant the most to you? Please briefly describe its importance to you.

This isn't just about the award, right? You've listed those elsewhere in your Cornell application, so you'll want to focus on something personal and compelling about you that will also influence your future learning, growth, contributions, or achievements at Cornell.

1. Choosing the "Award" or "Achievement"

• Ensure authenticity by choosing something that's genuinely meaningful to you personally
• Don't give too much weight to the prestige factor: don't shy away from choosing a high profile award, honor, or achievement if it's connected to an important personal experience or insight, and define "achievement" broadly — even as something that only you view as an "achievement," as long as you show why, show how it's meaningful to you, and if it's a purposeful example for bridging to the Cornell context.

2. Highlight the Journey

Be sure to show key experiential contours of the journey culminating in the award or the achievement.

• What effort, growth, or challenge led to this achievement?
• What does it say about your values or drive?

3. Reveal Insight

Use your limited space to show what this award reveals about who you are — not just what you’ve done.

Use this insight and reflection to insert a bridge to Cornell, very briefly pointing to a way this experience will shape or prepare you to make more of your Cornell experience or contribute uniquely to the Cornell community.

How To Answer the Prompt for the College of Human Ecology

This essay invites you to connect your personal values and observations to a real-world problem — and to show how a CHE education offers you the tools, lenses, and collaborative structure to address it.

At its heart, this prompt is asking: What problem do you care about solving — and why is Cornell Human Ecology the place where you’ll learn how to solve it?

1. Start With a Real Challenge You Care About

Choose a challenge that is specific and meaningful for you — not just socially important, but personally resonant. This could be:

• An issue you’ve experienced in your home or community (healthcare access, housing inequality, food insecurity).
• A broader problem in your intended field (fast fashion’s environmental toll, racial bias in healthcare, tech’s impact on well-being).

Don’t just describe the problem; explain why it matters to you, how you’ve encountered or understood it, and what deeper motivations drive your desire to help address it.

2. Connect Your Passion to a CHE Major — and to CHE’s Interdisciplinary Ethos

Be sure to zoom in on how your chosen CHE major aligns with your interest in that challenge.

• What intellectual or practical tools will this major give you?
• What specific coursework or perspective excites you?
• How does this major equip students to address specific challenges via different proficiencies and roles, such as problem-solvers, researchers, policy advocates, or organizational leaders?

Then, take it a step further: how will the breadth of CHE majors and community shape your ability to address this problem holistically?

Think across disciplines — policy, design, health, development, human behavior. Link your reflections to the Cornell CHE ethos, with it's emphasis on collaboration, community engagement, and interdisciplinary inquiry.

3. Show Long-Term Thinking and Fit

Make clear that this challenge is not a passing interest — it’s part of a long-term direction and purposeful commitment for you.

• How might your time at CHE lead to future impact?
• Are there specific CHE faculty, labs, initiatives, or centers whose work you hope to join?
• What kind of thinker, leader, or contributor do you hope to become?

In essence, this is an opportunity to show not just why you’ve chosen CHE, but also why CHE should choose you.

Recap

Use this essay to make a clear, compelling connection between a challenge that matters to you and concrete ways the Human Ecology approach at Cornell will empower you to contribute to real solutions.

Start personal and specific, then expand into interdisciplinary thinking, showing how CHE’s academic offerings and values align with your aspirations.

Be reflective, authentic, and forward-looking — and let the essay serve as a bridge between your present awareness and your future impact.

How To Answer the Prompt for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Central to this essay will be, not your activities and experiences, but the topics or issues you care about.

• How can you use real personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences to peel back the veil and reveal some very personal and authentic interests you have?
• What topics or issues come to the fore?
• Why are they important to you? How do they shape your motivations for attending the ILR School?

1. Choose Your Stating Point

To get the ball rolling, you'll need to think about how specific activities and experiences reveal your interest in specific topics or issues.

This means you can start by describing or depicting a specific activity or experience and using this to highlight what issues and topics you care about and why.

Another approach is to begin by identifying the topics or issues you genuinely care about, and then anchor your interest and commitment in one or more specific, lived experiences.

2. What Kinds of Experiences?

• Personal: family, intellectual reflections, background experiences, influential friendships or mentor relationships...
• Academic: a teacher or class that inspired you or sparked curiosity, an academic subject or topic, a class project, research or academic reading...
• Extracurricular: team or club role or activity, internship, volunteer or community service work, job, other civic engagement...

3. What Issue or Topic?

If you're not sure what issue or topic to focus on, think backwards from your motivations for applying to ILR.

• Why did you apply to ILR and what are you passionate about studying?
• What are your aspirations for after you graduate from ILR?

What do these motivations and interests reveal about underlying issues or topics that you care about or are simply intellectually curious to explore and learn more about?

Be sure the topic or issue is one you care about genuinely, can anchor in lived experiences, and points to your interest in ILR .

Examples could include:

• Workplace equity or labor law
• Immigration and labor rights
• Human resource strategy
• Economic mobility and education
• Policy reform, organizational dynamics, or advocacy

Go deeper by asking yourself:

• What sparked your interest in this issue?
• How has that interest deepened over time?
• Why does it continue to matter to you?

4. Align With Core ILR Strengths & Concrete ILR Features

ILR is unique — blending disciplines such as law, policy, business, economics, history, and social justice. How can you show that you:

• Understand the interdisciplinary nature of ILR.
• See how your interests intersect with its offerings.
• Are excited by the real-world impact that ILR’s curriculum and community can support.

ILR features to reference could include:

• Courses like Labor and Employment Law or Negotiation.
• ILR’s research centers (e.g., Worker Institute, Labor Dynamics Institute).
• A broader vision of how you’ll explore the legal, social, economic, or international dimensions of labor.

5. Underline a Strong Match

Use the latter part of your essay to look ahead to why ILR School will be an ideal fit for your interests, goals, and aspirations and why you're ideally fitted as well to contribute to the larger ILR community and live into the school's ethos of using inquiry, rigor, and engaged action to achieve meaningful impacts.

• How will ILR help you sharpen your thinking and expand your impact?
• What kind of scholar, leader, or advocate do you hope to become?
• How might your voice and background add to ILR’s community?

Recap

This essay is an opportunity to reveal meaningful underlying interests, motivations, and commitments you have for exploring and impacting significant topics and issues, underlining genuine convictions that align with ILR values and offerings.

Be sincere, specific, and reflective. At its best, your essay should introduce a student who’s not just applying to ILR — but who has reflected deeply on why ILR is a strong fit and who already has a plan for what to achieve there and ways to make unique personal contributions.

Final Thoughts

Cornell’s supplemental essays are a strategic opportunity to introduce personal attributes, values, and perspectives that might not fully come through elsewhere in your application. Done well, they can highlight your intellectual direction, clarify your motivations, and show why you're an excellent fit for Cornell and the specific college or school you’ve selected.

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