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Cornell University Cornell Brooks Public Policy

How to Apply

Undergraduate Admissions

Our Majors of Study
As a Brooks School undergraduate you can major in either Health Care Policy or Policy Analysis and Management. Both majors develop a range of skills – demography, economics, econometrics, mathematics, methods, social sciences, statistics, and writing – to thrive in careers or graduate study. Our undergraduate coursework integrates analytical thinking and research skills with quantitative data analysis skills.

Learn more here: Health Care Policy and Policy Analysis and Management. 

Breadth of study
At the Brooks School, you can work side by side with world renowned faculty to understand and solve problems facing our society. The school includes faculty from across Cornell with expertise in public policy, including data science and technology policy, environmental and sustainability policy, the economics and politics of development, global security, health policy, inequality and social policy, and race, racism, and public policy. 

With a broad education at the Brooks School and with all of Cornell’s resources, you can make an impact on the world through any career path you choose – government, law, business, finance, entrepreneurship, health care, education, information science, data analytics, community organization, research, and beyond. 

The Brooks Experience
In the Brooks School, we believe it is important to step outside the traditional classroom and embrace hands-on learning and research opportunities.

At Brooks you can live, learn and intern in Washington D.C. through the Cornell in Washington program, serve as a legislative intern through the Capital Semester program in Albany, New York, or explore the globe with policy-focused short courses in Copenhagen, Denmark and Turin, Italy. We also have capstone experiences so you can use your policy skills to improve the Ithaca community, and a State Advocacy Policy Clinic where students can help develop state level legislation on a topic that is important to the student body.

Faculty work side-by-side with you, our undergraduate students, on their research teams, and give you opportunities to conduct research within their courses.The Brooks School offers you the prized opportunity to do meaningful research as undergraduates – a distinction many universities reserve only for graduate students.

The best of large and small institution experiences
Located in beautiful Upstate New York (full disclosure: it can be cold and snowy in the winter), our school is home to approximately 250 undergraduates, 240 graduate students and over 50 full-time faculty and 30 part-time faculty. At the Brooks School you can enjoy the resources of an Ivy League research university and the advantages of a close-knit, small school community.

Learn more about the application process below

First Year Applicants                      Transfer Applicants

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to the Cornell University Admissions FAQ page for additional information, including questions about deadlines, financial aid, tuition and costs.

Interested in learning more?

Review our virtual information sessions, or schedule an in person visit.
If you have questions, please contact brooks_admissions@cornell.edu.

When is the application deadline?

The application deadline for Early Decision (ED) is November 1st. Applicants are notified of Cornell’s decision in mid-December.
The application deadline for Regular Decision (RD) is January 2nd. Applicants are notified of Cornell’s decision in early April.

Are SAT/ACT tests required to apply to the Brooks School?

The Brooks School is test-optional. If you submit your scores we will review them, but SAT and ACT tests are not required.

Will additional majors be added to the Brooks School?

Once approved by New York State, the Policy Analysis and Management degree will evolve into a new major in Public Policy. Eligible students will have the option to stay in the Policy Analysis and Management major or select the new Public Policy major.

Are AP/IB test credits accepted by the Brooks School?

The Brooks School accepts a maximum of 15 AP/IB credits. More information about the credits currently accepted by the Brooks School can be found on the Brooks/CHE Registrar website. Credits will be awarded according to policies in place at the time the student begins a Brooks program.

Are Brooks School undergraduates charged contract or endowed tuition rates?

Students in our Bachelor of Science programs in Policy Analysis and Management and Health Care Policy will be charged state contract college tuition rates. More information about tuition rates and expenses can be found on the Cornell financial aid website.
 

Questions? If you have questions, please contact Brooks_admissions@cornell.edu.