Blog/Does Cornell Require SAT? Yes for First-Years, No for Transfers
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Does Cornell Require SAT? Yes for First-Years, No for Transfers
Cornell requires SAT or ACT for first-year applicants. Transfer applicants are not required or expected to send those scores. Science on the ACT is not required.
Larry Learns Team
Yes for first-year applicants. Cornell requires SAT or ACT scores when you apply as a first-year. SAT or ACT scores are neither required nor expected for transfer applicants. The science section of the ACT is not required.
Cornell reinstated testing after a task force found scores help complete a file when read with GPA, rigor, activities, essays, and recommendations. First-years may self-report on the Common App or in the Cornell portal. Recruited athletes must send official scores during the application. Everyone who enrolls must verify self-reported scores with the agency or the offer can be pulled. Cornell considers highest SAT section scores across dates (Score Choice) and the ACT-provided superscore. SAT code 2098, ACT code 2726.
If you are a first-year, treat October 3 or November 7 as the assignment. If you are a transfer, do not send an SAT to satisfy a rule that does not exist. You may still take the SAT for other schools.
What To Do With the Next Test Dates
The next SAT dates after this update are October 3, 2026, November 7, 2026, and December 5, 2026. The next ACT dates are September 19, 2026 (registration closed), October 17, 2026, and December 12, 2026. Register on the official site, not through a prep company. If this school is required, a test date you cannot enter is not a plan. If this school is optional, sit only if you will use the score somewhere.
The bank is 25,000+ questions on iPhone, Android, and the web with the same account. Free accounts get three quizzes a day, five questions by default. Ace at $19/month removes both daily caps. Official full-length practice stays in Bluebook. Daily practice is start a free practice set.
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How This School Differs From a Score-Range Page
The score page is the band by college. This page is who must send a test: first-years yes, transfers no.
Practice Is Separate From the Policy
A required school does not grade your homework. An optional school does not forbid a test date. A test-free campus will not read the SAT in admissions even if the PDF is in the portal. The work is still five questions a day if any campus on the list will use a number. The bank is 25,000+ questions on iPhone, Android, and the web with the same account. Free accounts get three quizzes a day, five questions by default. Ace at $19/month removes both daily caps. Official full-length practice stays in Bluebook. Khan Academy Official SAT Prep is the lesson when a named miss needs a teacher. Larry Learns is the dose. The next SAT dates after this update are October 3, 2026, November 7, 2026, and December 5, 2026. The next ACT dates are September 19, 2026 (registration closed), October 17, 2026, and December 12, 2026. Registration is on College Board or ACT, not inside a quiz app. October 3 regular registration closes September 18. Late registration for that date stays open through September 22. If you still need October 3 for Early Action or Early Decision, use the late window. After September 22, November 7 is the live target (regular deadline October 23). December 5 remains if you need two months.
Cornell's operational rules, in order. Self-report on the Common Application or the applicant portal. SAT code 2098, ACT code 2726. Recruited athletes are the exception: they must submit official scores during the application process, not after. Cornell warns that failing to verify self-reported scores against official ones may result in the revocation of an offer. The ACT Science section is not required. Score Choice applies and Cornell will consider highest section scores, while the ACT super-score is the one the agency provides.
Mistakes Specific to This School
The Cornell-specific miss is a transfer student paying for an SAT to satisfy a first-year rule. Transfers are not required or expected to send SAT or ACT. The opposite miss is a first-year who skips because a roommate is transferring. First-years must send SAT or ACT. Recruited athletes send official scores during the process, not only after an offer. Everyone who enrolls verifies self-reported scores or the offer can be pulled. Science on the ACT is not required; do not delay a test date for Science. Use Score Choice and the ACT-provided superscore. Codes 2098 and 2726. If Cornell is required and NYU is optional, you still sit. NYU can be the one form later. Cornell cannot be skipped.
Frequently Asked Questions About Does Cornell Require SAT
Does Cornell require the SAT?
First-year applicants must submit SAT or ACT. Transfers are not required or expected to.
Does Cornell require ACT Science?
No.
Can I self-report Cornell SAT scores?
Yes, except recruited athletes, who send official scores during the process. Enrolling students verify all self-reported scores.
Does Cornell super-score?
Yes for SAT sections across dates, and it uses the ACT-provided superscore.
Is the requirement the same for every Cornell college?
Cornell's policy page states the first-year requirement without a college-by-college opt-out.
First-year at Cornell means a test date. start a free practice set is the daily version of that test date.