Cornell has eight undergraduate colleges and schools that together offer over 80 majors and more than 4,000 courses of study. In other words, it’s a big university. Many of the programs Cornell offers are, in fact, the only one of their kind of that caliber. For example, the hospitality program at Cornell sets a global standard for hotel management (think Four Seasons, not Red Roof Inn), and the agriculture programs literally keep our nation fed.
The university is also a land grant college in the State of New York, so while it is not part of the SUNY system, they do give strong preference to New York-based applicants to particular programs. The programs for which New Yorkers receive preferential consideration are the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Human Ecology, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Because of its “kinda” status as a state school, assessing the acceptance rate for Cornell can be a bit tricky. There is the , and then there are the unpublished numbers around in-state vs. out-of-state acceptances. Using the published numbers, the Early Decision acceptance rate for students enrolling in the fall of 2024 was 11.6%, while the overall acceptance rate was 9.3%. The following year, for the fall of 2025, the overall acceptance rate was .
When deciding where you want to go within Cornell, it is critically important that you pick not only the right major, but also the right college. Once at Cornell, it is extremely difficult to switch colleges. This isn’t a matter of complicated paperwork and perseverance. Rather, they don’t want people switching schools, so often they simply will not let you. Given the importance of getting into the right program for you at Cornell, you first need to .
If we look at Cornell in a college agnostic way, though, or through a very zoomed out lens, we know that there are a few programs that are incredibly popular — and problematic to aim for as a first-year applicant. There are simply so many students trying to get into these specific programs that putting one of them down on your application automatically throws you into a pool full of sharks. Even with perfect grades, stellar scores, and outstanding extracurriculars, you’ll be struggling just to tread water. These programs are:
Computer Science
Biological Sciences
Engineering
Hospitality & Tourism Management
Applied Economics & Management
In this post, we will break down five alternatives to the most popular majors at Cornell. We have chosen each of these alternative programs because a strong application for them requires and works with the same academic and extracurricular pursuits you have been developing already. Rather than your hard work being a waste, it’s even more of an asset now.
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The five most popular majors at Cornell are practical and highly career-oriented. Each program is very much true to the Cornell ethos of pursuing knowledge with purpose and drive towards the future. As we break each down, you will notice that the importance of showing drive, purpose, and commitment is massive. This isn’t just picking a major, it’s picking a path.
Instead of Computer Science, do Statistical Science
At Cornell, Computer Science is housed within , the College of Computing + Information Science. At Bowers, they offer both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science. Both are fabulous programs, but it’s hard to stand out as an applicant unless you have done work in computer science already that goes far beyond what is simply offered through schools. You need to have built something that impacts others, interned at a major firm for at least a month (ideally a few months), and worked with other students in a collaborative way. Even if you do all those things, computer science is such a competitive program that you may only appear to be a decent applicant, rather than an exceptional one.
We advise our students who are struggling to stand out as computer science applicants to consider the Bachelor of Arts in . The Statistical Science program is also within Bowers and in collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, but fewer first-year applicants pick it on their applications simply because they don’t know what it really is. It sounds on its face like a math major, but it’s so much more than that. The Statistical Science major runs alongside computer sciences, training students to be in key decision-making roles around Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Prepare for the application by taking the hardest math courses that you have access to, and then some. Add in a course or two from accredited local schools, tutor other (especially younger) students through a tutoring provider or by starting your own tutoring business, and definitely work for a local summer program or science and technology museum that offers students access to high level math and STEM.
Instead of Biological Sciences (CAS), do Biological Sciences (CALS)
The Biological Sciences major at Cornell exists in two places, but . Students can pursue the major through the College of Arts and Sciences, or through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Again, it’s the same major. When you apply to Cornell, though, you need to pick the college you want to be in: CALS or CAS.
Most students pick the College of Arts and Sciences because it offers the most flexibility academically. It also sounds more like an Ivy League program to many first-year applicants, as silly as that may seem. We are consistently astonished by how many students don’t want to apply to CALS simply because of the word “agriculture” in the name. “But I don’t want to be a farmer,” the argument goes. We challenge you to learn more about CALS though, because it’s about so much more than farming and it comes with some major boosts.
First, CALS is less competitive admissions-wise. So that makes it a great choice regardless of where you are applying from. However, if you are a resident of New York, applying to CALS gives your application a significant leg-up. Remember that CALS is part of the New York Land Grant relationship between Cornell and the State, so New York applicants are given preference.
Applying to CALS does mean that you are committing to a smaller number of major options, so you only want to do this if you are sure of your path. Students to pick from one of 13 concentrations. These concentrations can be used to set you up for medical school, veterinary school, research, field work, and so much more.
Instead of Electrical and Computer Engineering, do Earth and Climate Sciences
Cornell offers a mountain of engineering options through . One of the most popular for first-year applicants is Electrical and Computer Engineering, and it is an amazing program. However, it isn’t the most strategic major to pick if you want to go to Duffield.
Appearing as a strong major requires all the normal things like top grades and scores, but also requires you to have built something already. This ‘something’ doesn’t need to be anything massive, and it doesn’t need to even exist in the world outside of your school, friend group, or community, but there needs to be a record of you building it, working with others in some way, and showing it to other people. For example, it could be a tech tool for your school, but you don’t need to put it on the app store or go on Shark Tank. If you don’t have time to do this, there is something else you should do: pick a different major.
Instead of selecting Electrical and Computer Engineering, pick . The major is within Duffield, still, but takes a very different tack. Applicants are measured on a different graph, and it’s one with more purpose in the mix. When reviewing an application for Earth and Climate Sciences, they want to see a combination of passion and action, and pursuing a project around the impact of climate change, such as sea level rise, wild fires, or drought, on your community can help you stand out by amplifying both your interest and your core values.
Instead of (just) Hotel Administration, add a Minor or Specialization
The program at Nolan is literally the gold standard of undergraduate hospitality education. It especially attracts students who have grown up in or around the hospitality industry, and who want to build a career in it themselves. This means that strong applicants have worked in hotels and restaurants, and they have hands-on experiences and deep passion for the industry before even applying to Cornell. This isn’t just a curiosity, it’s a drive.
One of the hard things with this program, though, is that it’s the only undergraduate major within Nolan. There is no other major to pick. So, you need to get a bit clever. If a student is a strong academic candidate for Cornell and wants to study hospitality, but does not have experience in the field themselves nor the time to gain experience, we advise applying to Nolan with more than just the major in mind.
In your application, you need to really emphasize the specialization or minor for which you have the strongest credentials already, and can build further ones before pressing submit. This could be the marketing specialization (maybe get an internship for a local business), the food & beverage specialization (a summer job as a server is calling your name), or even the real estate minor (a summer working for a contractor or painting company shows hands-on engagement). The most important thing is to pick something that strongly aligns with where you’ve already been investing time and energy such that they aren’t judging you by what you haven’t done yet, but by what you have.
Instead of (just) Applied Economics & Management, add a Minor in Business
The degree in is offered through within the SC Johnson College of Business. Dyson is extremely competitive, but the good news is that, like with hospitality, there are other options within Dyson and the College of Business that offer opportunities to pick a program within the college that matches best with your application.
This is because standing out as an economics and management-focused teenager is sort of hard. It’s even harder to stand out in a good way, as many economics-minded students amplify their studies and extracurriculars in ways that, by mistake, make them seem self-centered and, sadly, quite insufferable. That’s bad, obviously. Getting into Cornell isn’t just about having grades, scores, and awards that exceed their expectations. The admissions officers should want to get a coffee with you after reading your application. They should genuinely like you, not be scared of you.
One of the best ways to build good will for your application — and yourself — is to in Entrepreneurship or Business. There are so many more ways to stand out in a good way as a business-savvy student with a strong sense of purpose and a desire to give back. Maybe you’ve worked as a tutor, so make it a business and offer free sessions to less privileged families. If you’ve mowed lawns, make it a business and mow the lawns of local elderly residents for free. Find something you are already doing, and make it a business plus add a social good angle.
That social good angle isn’t just a suggestion — it’s really important. So many young people today are building screen-based hustles that may net an income that exceeds any allowance you would get, but that doesn’t connect to application readers on an emotional level. Collector sneakers are not compelling. So, build something that is small, local, and personal, with that social good side, too.
It doesn’t even need to be a registered business, but you should be making money (so file taxes as needed). Recruit a few friends to work with you, and you can speak to teamwork, leadership, passion, and, ideally, purpose through compelling stories that do a lot more for your application than an economics competition does.
As you probably noticed, the level of focus and specialization within each of Cornell’s schools means that there aren’t always clear alternatives for a highly competitive major, but there are routes you can take to increase your odds of admission simply by making a strategic selection on your application. This type of strategy is something we specialize in, and support students through alongside the other pieces of their college applications. A strong essay is great, but if you aren’t submitting it to the right program for you there isn’t much it can do to move the needle.
Whatever you select on your application to Cornell, they will be assessing more than just you. They are also looking for the college equivalent of You can be objectively fabulous on paper, but if they don’t feel that you are a strong fit for the program you have expressed the most interest in, that’s no good. This is why simply picking a less competitive sounding major does not solve the problem of getting into Cornell, either.
Every year, we help students navigate this maze of Cornell admissions to gain acceptance to one of the most prestigious and competitive universities in the country.
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