Applicants to colleges for the 2026-27 application cycle will see a distinct change in how they apply to the No.1 school in New York — for the first time since 2024, Cornell’s application will not include a 350-word universitywide essay question.
According to a statement from Pamela Tan ’97, director of undergraduate admissions, the University “determined that the college/school-specific essays were sufficient to help [it] see a student’s fit for Cornell.”
The removal of the universitywide essay question was the only change for this application cycle, and the college/school-specific essays will remain a part of the application, according to Tan. The previous year’s universitywide essay question asked students to write about the importance of community in their lives.
“We all contribute to, and are influenced by, the communities that are meaningful to us. Share how you’ve been shaped by one of the communities you belong to,” last year’s 350-word question read. “Define community in the way that is most meaningful to you. This community example can be drawn from your family, school, workplace, activities or interests, or any other group you belong to.”
By removing the universitywide essay question, the University wanted to send the message that an applicant’s desired college or school is distinct from the rest of campus.
“You’re not just applying to Cornell; you’re applying to [a] specific part of campus, with a unique academic approach and mission,” Tan wrote to The Sun. “Researching this and expressing your interest in one of the colleges/schools through the program-specific essay is one of the most important parts of your application to Cornell.”
Multiple other universities also removed supplemental essays for this application cycle, according to Inside Higher Ed. Washington University St. Louis removed an optional essay question, Tulane University paused its “Why Tulane?” essay question and the University of Georgia removed an essay question asking students to discuss a book they read and enjoyed.
The University of Virginia made a similar decision the year prior, choosing to remove a prompt which asked applicants about a part of their background that would serve as a strength for them at the school, according to The Cavalier Daily.
Following this decision, the University of Virginia saw a surge in applicants for the class of 2030.
Cornell’s decision to remove its universitywide essay question was not made in response to other universities removing their essay questions, Tan wrote in a statement to The Sun.
The 350-word universitywide essay question was originally introduced in 2024, based on a recommendation from the Presidential Task Force on Undergraduate Admissions, according to Tan.
The task force released a report in 2023, which included its recommended question, asking students to explain how their life experiences, "particularly with a community that is important to you," would improve Cornell's "any person, any study" ethos.
During a November 2024 town hall-style panel between Black Students United Cornell and several top administrators, an audience member asked how Cornell planned to “rebuild to pre-SCOTUS numbers,” following the Supreme Court's June 2023 decision to ban race-based admissions. Tan responded, citing the introduction of the universitywide essay question, which was introduced in that semester’s application cycle.
“The Supreme Court decision happened at the end of the summer at Cornell. … We knew all the way back then that this was very likely to happen — it was still devastating. So, look at this tiny amount of time before the application cycle of what we had to do,” Tan said at the meeting. “We cobbled together a Cornell-level essay to try to get to that question of community, hoping that students would discuss it, because I could look at it there.”
When asked if the University’s decision to remove the universitywide essay question was in relation to an increase in enrollment for Black and Hispanic students following a drop post-SCOTUS decision, the University responded, “No.”
Everett Chambala is a member of the Class of 2027 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is an assistant news editor for the 144th Editorial Board and can be reached at echambala@cornellsun.com.
