Navigating Cornell's Admitted Students Day: A Comprehensive Guide

Congratulations on your acceptance to Cornell University! This is a significant achievement, and Cornell's Admitted Students Day is designed to help you explore whether Cornell is the right fit for you. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of what you can expect and how to make the most of this important experience.

Understanding the Importance of Admitted Students Day

Choosing a college is a major decision. Admitted Students Day offers a valuable opportunity to immerse yourself in the Cornell environment, interact with current students and faculty, and gather essential information to inform your choice. Even if you are already leaning towards Cornell, this event can solidify your decision and prepare you for your transition to college life.

Typical Activities and Events

Admitted Students Day usually includes a variety of activities. While specific schedules and offerings vary from year to year and may differ across departments or programs, you can generally anticipate the following:

Campus Tours

Guided tours, often led by current students, offer a firsthand look at Cornell's campus, facilities, and residential areas. This is a great way to get a feel for the campus layout and learn about its history and traditions. Explore our various residence halls and make sure to note your preferences on where you want to live when you work on completing your student checklist. Visiting campus before you move in can prepare you for what to expect and help you plan. You can schedule a visit for a day that works well for your schedule.

Academic Program Presentations

Representatives from different academic departments and programs showcase their offerings, research opportunities, and faculty expertise. You might have the opportunity to meet and speak with professors or take part in sample lectures. As Cornell University's largest college, Arts & Sciences offers you access to an uncommonly diverse range of educational and research opportunities. In A&S you will have two years to explore a wide variety of disciplines and topics before making the important choice of selecting a major. The College of Arts & Sciences is the heart of Cornell University.

Read also: Immersive Pre-College Experience

Information Sessions

These sessions cover a range of topics essential to student life, including:

Housing: Information on residence halls, on-campus living, and the housing application process.
Dining: Details about meal plans, dining hall options, and dietary accommodations.
Financial Aid: Comprehensive information about financial aid packages, payment options, and resources for managing college expenses.
Student Support Services: Overview of the various support services available to students, such as academic advising, counseling, and career services.

Social Events

These activities are designed to help admitted students connect with each other and build relationships before starting classes. This is a great way to meet your future classmates.

Financial Aid at Cornell

We know costs and financial aid are a very important part of your college decision. Cornell proudly provides financial aid offers that meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need to all eligible undergraduate aid applicants.

Accessing Your Financial Aid Information

To view your Cornell Financial aid offer, log into Student Center with your admissions login. Note: students admitted in Cornell's Early Decision round receive a preliminary financial aid estimate. Aid estimates include an expected family contribution for the upcoming academic year and standard estimated costs for the current academic year. All costs are subject to change.

Understanding Your Financial Aid Offer

Your financial aid offer includes three important sections:

Read also: Cornell University Semester Guide

Estimated Cost of Attendance (COA): Cornell’s estimated cost of attendance includes amounts a typical full-time undergraduate student may expect for a traditional academic year (Fall and Spring), before financial aid. The estimated cost of attendance is used to determine your eligibility for need-based grant and scholarship aid. Your actual costs to attend may vary.
*What’s included in my estimated cost of attendance? The estimated cost of attendance includes standard amounts billed by the university (such as tuition, housing and food if living on-campus, and fees charged to all students), and certain amounts not billed by the university (such as books and supplies, personal items, and transportation).*Are there any other costs I should be aware of? Your estimated cost of attendance for financial aid only includes mandatory fees charged to all students. Fees not charged to all students are excluded - for example, optional course fees, gym memberships, premium on-campus or off-campus housing options, and the cost of the Cornell Student Health Insurance Plan (SHP). Need-based grant or scholarship aid is not available for these costs. Cornell requires all students to have health insurance. If you are not covered by a family policy or your insurance coverage does not meet university requirements, you will be automatically enrolled in and billed for the Cornell Student Health Plan (SHP). Because the cost of SHP is not charged to all students, it is not included in the estimated cost of attendance for financial aid. You may request student loan funding to cover the cost of optional fees and the Cornell Student Health Insurance Plan (SHP).
Expected Family Contribution (EFC): Your Cornell expected family contribution is an estimate of your family’s “out-of-pocket” costs for the academic year. Your expected family contribution is determined annually using information from your CSS Profile and other documents such as tax forms, tax schedules, and W-2 forms. Cornell considers both income and assets in our calculations. Your expected family contribution includes both student and parent contributions. If you have unusual family circumstances (such as parental abandonment or incarceration, refugee/asylee status), or if your family has experienced special economic circumstances (such as job loss), please consider using the appropriate appeal process to request a secondary review of your Cornell EFC.
Financial Aid: Your Cornell aid offer includes financial aid from a variety of sources that equals your financial need for the academic year. Financial aid offers include Cornell grants and scholarships, federal and state grants and scholarships (gift aid that does not have to be repaid), work-study (self-help aid that must be earned), and reasonable student loans (self-help aid that must be repaid), depending on your total family income. Your aid offer includes aid from all available sources known to Cornell, including federal, state, private, and university aid programs. Your aid offer may be revised, if additional aid from either internal or external sources becomes available. All aid offers are contingent upon availability of funds. Additional student, parent, or private loan options may be available to finance your expected family contribution. As a member of the Ivy League, all undergraduate grant and scholarship aid is need-based - Cornell does not offer merit-based or athletic scholarships. The difference between your estimated cost of attendance and your calculated affordable expected family contribution is your financial need for financial aid purposes. Your expected family contribution, financial need, and eligibility for Cornell grants and scholarships are determined using income and asset information from your CSS Profile.

Outside Scholarships

If you are expecting an outside scholarship from an external organization your financial aid offer will be reevaluated. Please upload a copy of your scholarship award letter to our Secure Document Upload portal.

Read also: Architecture of Donlon Hall

International Students

If you are an international student, please carefully review the Terms of International Scholar Awards. Unless you qualify for an exemption, 14% of grant and scholarship aid in excess of “qualified” tuition and fees will be withheld from your aid, per federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax requirements.

Military-Affiliated Families

Thank you for your service to our nation!

Maximizing Your Admitted Students Day Experience

To make the most of your visit, consider the following tips:

Review the Schedule: Carefully examine the schedule of events and prioritize those that align with your academic interests and personal needs.
Prepare Questions: Before attending, compile a list of questions you have about academic programs, campus life, financial aid, or any other aspect of Cornell.
Engage with Current Students and Faculty: Take advantage of opportunities to interact with current students and faculty members. Ask them about their experiences at Cornell and seek their advice.
Check your “To Do” list in Student Center. Occasionally, we may require additional documentation to confirm eligibility for certain types of aid.
Explore the Campus: Take time to explore the campus on your own. Visit the library, student center, and other key locations to get a feel for the environment.
Connect with Fellow Admitted Students: Use social events and other opportunities to connect with your future classmates.

Beyond Admitted Students Day: Next Steps

After attending Admitted Students Day, take the following steps to finalize your decision and prepare for enrollment:

Review Your Financial Aid Offer: Carefully review your financial aid offer and contact the financial aid office with any questions.
Submit Your Enrollment Deposit: If you decide to attend Cornell, submit your enrollment deposit by the deadline.
Complete Required Forms: Complete all required forms, such as housing applications and health forms.
Attend Orientation: Attend orientation to learn more about Cornell's academic policies, resources, and community.
Finalize your financial aid: After you finalize your financial aid and secure your spot with your enrollment deposit, you might want to start thinking about what living on campus will be like.
Destination Cornell: We also highly recommend you attend a special event with your family that we will host for all new students; we call it Destination Cornell.

tags: #Cornell #admitted #students #day #schedule