Located in Ithaca, New York about four hours away from New York City, Cornell University has produced just under 50 Nobel laureates and is nestled inside gorgeous trails for hiking and farmers markets for healthy eating. As one of the prestigious Ivy League schools, you can imagine how competitive the Cornell acceptance rate is. But don’t let that stop you from filling out your application. Walk away today knowing not only its acceptance rate, but my top tips for getting your application noticed.

What is the Cornell Acceptance Rate?

It may surprise you to know that the Cornell acceptance rate is 16.2%. Only 3,275 students were accepted of the nearly 45,000 applications Cornell’s admissions team received. Although this makes Cornell the most accepting of its fellow Ivy League schools, it has become more selective. Last year, Cornell accepted 18% of received applications. This follows the nationwide trend of colleges receiving more applications and accepting less students. So what do the students inside the Cornell acceptance rate look like?

•    Average GPA is 4.01
•    Nearly 90% are in the top 10% of their graduating high school class
•    Average ACT score is 33
•    Average SAT score on the 2400 scale is 2120
•    Average SAT score on the 1600 scale is 1480

Cornell is a competitive school with incredible opportunities and gives you the chance to say you attended an Ivy League school. Are you worried that your scores aren’t high enough to be accepted? Do you want to know if you’re doing everything you can to get your application noticed by Cornell’s admissions team? What if I were to tell you four ways you can start making yourself more likely to be part of the Cornell acceptance rate?

Improve Your Chances of Being Accepted to Cornell

Because Cornell is an Ivy League with a very selective admissions process, you’ll need your application to stand out against the thousands of applications they will receive. Make sure you look over the college requirements to ensure you’re academically on the right track. I’m going to share with you some of the tactics that have worked for my students in the past that can help get your application noticed by Cornell’s admissions committee.

Get a College Consultant

You’re applying to an Ivy League school and I cannot stress enough how important a college consultant is to the application process. Their job is knowing what gets the attention of college admissions teams and how to make your application more appealing to them. College consultants are there for you to help you succeed and with the increasing competitiveness in college admissions, your application process will be so much easier with a consultant.

Are You Excited For College? Show It!

Considering Cornell’s intellectual rigor, you’ll need to send them a college application that shows you’re up to the challenge. That means almost four years taking classes in your major academic areas with as many AP and IB classes as your school offers. You should also working with a tutor to help you earn the best grades possible. AP and IB courses are challenging material — don’t let your pride stand between you and your future at an Ivy League school. Reach out for help when you feel like you’re struggling.

Snag High Scores on the ACT or SATCornell’s average ACT and SAT scores are relatively high, but still achievable. Use the averages I provided as your minimum target score. Remember: the higher the better. Here are five proven ways you can increase your ACT or SAT scores:

•    Use your scores from the Pre-ACT and PSAT to determine which test to focus on.
•    Look at your scores and the averages from Cornell to figure out how far you need to go to hit that minimum mark.
•    Practice, practice some more, and keep on practicing. You don’t have to re-take the Pre-ACT or PSAT, but you should use tests from online or in test prep books.
•    Find a coach with a high score who can help you prepare for the official ACT or SAT. Work with them as much as you can, ask questions, learn from them.
•    Not happy with your scores? Re-take them. Cornell superscores the SAT and you can safely submit between four and six tests without jeopardizing your chances.

Show Off Your Passions

All work and no play? Say hello to more anxiety and depression. That doesn’t sound like fun, right? With all the pressure to get good grades and high standardized test scores, it probably looks like college admission boards want you to lock yourself in your room, chain yourself to your desk, and never do anything, but homework and study. This isn’t the case. In fact, college admission boards look to your extra-curriculars to get a better handle on your personality, see if you’re actively making a difference in the world around you, and watch you flex your leadership muscles. Whether you’re involved with a club at school, a part-time job, or volunteer in the community, you can take a break from studying and still make your college application look amazing.

Cornell is one of the more accepting of the Ivy League schools and is located in a beautiful part of New York. With an acceptance rate of 16.2%, it’s still a competitive school and there are plenty of ways to make you more appealing to Cornell’s admissions committee. You’re leaving this article with four solid ways to get your application off to a great start. By working with a college consultant, academically preparing yourself, scoring well on the standardized test of your choice, and showing off your passions, you’re going to stand out from the thousands of other applicants Cornell will be looking at.

What do you think of Cornell? Did you know it was one of the Ivy League schools? What questions do you have about applying? Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think. We look forward to hearing from you!