Let’s take a closer look at this Cornell essay prompt.
Finally, Cornell requires students to answer four short answer questions that add further context and depth to their personality and accomplishments in 100 words or fewer.
Understanding the role that your lived experiences and identity play into your Cornell engineering focus will help build your voice in that community. This essay is an occasion for you to use that voice.
Short Responses
Question 1: What brings you joy? (100 word limit)
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? (100 word limit)
First, let’s start with the Cornell table of contents essay example:
Remember that this essay is about you and your lived experience. Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. Some examples of community you might choose from are: family, school, shared interest, virtual, local, global, cultural. (350 word limit)
You’ll notice that this is a somewhat typical and essentially a why major essay as well. So, you’ll need to choose an area of academic interest in order to complete this Cornell University essay prompt. However, as the prompt states, you can mention multiple Cornell majors. You’ll have 650 words in which you can respond to this Cornell supplemental essay prompt.
You can choose various areas of study interest to write about. However, you want to make sure that they connect. You should also highlight how they’ll help you to achieve your future goals. For example, don’t just state that you’re interested in studying and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality studies without giving any context. Maybe you’d like to explore the earning differences between different groups and find solutions to bridge those gaps. Whatever your current interests are, use this Cornell supplemental essay to logically link them to you and your future goals.
When responding to the Cornell essay prompts, reference specific opportunities only offered at Cornell. Get specific when writing about your academic interests as well as the Cornell community. How will studying at Cornell impact your education and future career?
How to Write Cornells Essay for the ILR School | CollegeVine Blog
How do you accomplish that? Discuss how you have engaged with your community of choice, and what you have learned from those interactions. How have they shaped you or impacted your perspective? The admissions officer reading your essay is hoping to connect with you through your written words, so—within your essay’s reflection—be open, humble, thoughtful, inquisitive, emotionally honest, mature, and/or insightful about what you learned and how you grew.
3 Great Cornell Essay Examples | CollegeVine Blog
Additionally, your Cornell supplemental essays should highlight your passion for the subject matter. However, this specific Cornell essay prompt asks applicants to “discuss how your passion for learning is shaping your academic journey.” What makes you a curious learner? How have those interests played a part in your education up until now? And, essentially, how will your intellectual curiosity help you when studying in the College of Arts and Sciences?
Here are some Cornell essay examples, written by a real applicant
The first of these two required prompts requires you to reflect on your interest in engineering, while the second requires you to describe your desire to pursue the field at Cornell specifically. When answering the first prompt, note that the phrasing invites you to reflect specifically on the relationship between engineering and problem solving. Consider how you might approach the prompt creatively, tying your own intellectual curiosity and desire to resolve problems with your pursuit of engineering. Then, focus the second essay on the ways in which you will take advantage of opportunities and resources at the Cornell College of Engineering to prepare yourself for the field.
How to Write the Cornell Supplemental Essay
For the 2023–2024 admission cycle, Cornell admitted only 7% of their total applicant pool. To be one of the students who gets accepted, you need to write amazing essays as part of your Cornell University application.
18 Essays that Worked at Cornell
In this article, we'll outline the different types of essays you need to write for your 2024-2025 Cornell University application and teach you how to write a Cornell supplemental essay that will help you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.