How to Apply to Biology at Cornell University: The Biological Sciences Major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (B.S.) or Arts and Sciences (B.A.), 14 Concentrations, for Domestic, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

At Cornell University (Ithaca, New York), the biology major in the sciences is Biological Sciences, overseen by the Office of Undergraduate Biology (OUB). The major page says Biological Sciences majors are enrolled in either the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS, B.S.) or the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S, B.A.); "the requirements of the major itself are identical in both colleges," although each college's own requirements make the overall programs somewhat different. Nutritional sciences, human biology, global and public health sciences, biological engineering, and medicine, veterinary and nursing routes are outside the scope of this article (see the Cornell website).

1. Degree, college and concentrations

• Degree: CALS offers the B.S. and A&S the B.A. (the catalog links are titled "Biological Sciences BS (CALS)" and "BA (CAS)"). Students tailor their plan by choosing a college, a concentration and specific courses.
• Concentrations: every Biological Sciences major must declare one. The concentrations page lists 14: Animal Physiology; Biochemistry; Biodiversity & Systematics; Computational Biology; Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; General Biology; Genetics, Genomics & Development; Human Nutrition; Immunology in Health & Disease (new from fall 2026); Marine Biology; Microbiology; Molecular & Cell Biology; Neurobiology & Behavior; and Plant Biology. The major page says "13 biology concentrations"; the two pages differ, so check the official source.
• Scale: the site cites about 1,300 majors from A&S and CALS, 300+ faculty teaching in the curriculum and 380+ courses.
• Learning outcomes: graduates should be able to explain life from molecules to ecosystems, apply quantitative reasoning and physical-science principles, evaluate scientific claims, and communicate clearly in writing and speech.
• Course lists: the requirement lists for each college sit in the official course catalog, which this article did not read; the major page says students are broadly educated in chemistry, physics and mathematics while building a foundation in biology from the entry-level courses and more advanced courses in genetics and biochemistry.

2. Do you apply to the major? When do you declare?

• Admissions says you apply directly to a college. The CALS first-year page says applicants apply directly to one of its 20+ majors and, if admitted, go straight into the major, while the OUB page says CALS first-year students declare Biological Sciences at a spring planning meeting; how the two fit together is not explained on the pages read, so ask CALS admissions. The A&S requirements page has no separate Biological Sciences entry.
• A&S (CAS) students entering the Biological Sciences major (OUB page): a minimum cumulative Cornell GPA of 2.75; one semester of the Introductory Biology Cluster or Evolutionary Biology and Diversity completed, plus one other Biological Sciences course; grades of C or better in all completed required courses; and the general chemistry sequence finished before the start of junior year. First-year students declare at a first-year planning meeting in the spring semester, applications are reviewed at the end of the spring semester, and students are notified over the summer before sophomore year. A denied student may reapply.
• CALS students changing to or adding Biological Sciences: the same two course conditions apply, with the same spring planning meeting.
• Internal transfer: the earliest application is at the end of the second semester (a single-semester application is denied); the student submits both the major application and the university's Internal Transfer Application and needs a Cornell GPA of at least 2.75.

3. Prerequisites and advanced standing

• CALS high school courses: 4 units of English; 4 units of mathematics (pre-calculus required, and calculus is listed as required for Biological Sciences); 3 units of science (biology and chemistry required, physics strongly recommended); an additional unit of science is also recommended. A&S: 4 units of English, 3 of mathematics including pre-calculus, 3 of science and 3 of one language; an additional unit of advanced mathematics and science is recommended.
• AP, IB and GCE Biology (OUB page): AP Biology 4 or IB Higher Level 6 earns BIOG 1101F; AP 5, A-Level A or B, IB Higher Level 7 or Cambridge Pre-U M3 or higher earns BIOG 1102F. These credits satisfy no requirement of the Biological Sciences major but count toward the 120 credits needed to graduate; the page also says AP Biology cannot be used toward the major.
• Other subjects (same page): A-Level Chemistry B maps to CHEM 2070/2071 and A* or A to CHEM 2070/2071 and 2080/2081; IB Higher Level Chemistry 6 or 7 maps to CHEM 2070/2071. Mathematics: AP Calculus BC 4 or 5 maps to MATH 1110 and 1120; AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 (or the AB subscore of BC) for non-engineering majors maps to MATH 1110; IB Higher Level Mathematics 6 or 7 maps to MATH 1110. See the page for physics, statistics and computer science; a statistics course can satisfy the second mathematics requirement, but some concentrations require Calculus II, so the page advises consulting an OUB advisor.
• Chemistry: the chemistry department's CASE page grants 4 credits for AP Chemistry 5, and its advising guide gives CHEM 2070-71 and 2080-81 followed by organic chemistry as the standard route for biology-related majors.
• Mathematics and chemistry placement details and the required courses of each concentration are not stated on the pages read; see the course catalog and the OUB.

4. Research and honors

• The OUB home page offers research advising appointments, including "Getting Started in Research" sessions with student advisors who do research; the major page cites the share of majors who do research and earn credit for it, but the percentages are not fully printed in the text read.
• Biological Sciences Honors Program: students do original research under an Ithaca-campus Cornell faculty mentor, write an honors thesis in scientific-paper format and present a poster, and graduate with Honors in Research (the page also uses "Distinction in Research"). Conditions: a cumulative Cornell GPA of at least 3.0, maintained; CALS juniors whose research is within the biological sciences, or CAS junior Biological Sciences majors; transfer students need at least 30 Cornell credits or junior standing. The page says May 2027 candidates enroll in BIOG 4999 in fall 2026 and lists an application window of 23 April to 10 July 2026 for that cohort; check the site for later cohorts.

5. Rounds, materials and testing (reference for fall 2027 entry)

• Rounds (admissions): Early Decision (binding) 1 November for the application and fee or waiver, 13 November for other materials, decisions mid-December; Regular Decision 2 January, other materials 19 January, decisions late March. The page prints no year; the international financial aid page states 1 November 2026 and 2 January 2027, which matches fall 2027 entry.
• Materials: Common Application; $85 fee (a waiver can be requested through the Common App); official high school transcript and school report; counselor recommendation; two teacher recommendations; the Cornell supplement with the college-specific writing prompt; no interviews (A&S neither requires nor offers them; CALS says it does not conduct personal interviews); SAT or ACT scores are required (SAT code 2098, ACT code 2726; self-reporting is allowed, official scores on enrollment). CALS does not require SAT Subject Tests.
• A&S does not review, apart from music recordings, portfolios, films, writing samples or papers.

6. By reader

US domestic applicants

• Tuition: the cost page separates endowed colleges from New York State contract colleges (split by New York residency). CALS is a contract college and A&S an endowed college. The three tables list $73,946 tuition for endowed colleges, $73,946 for non-NY residents in contract colleges and $49,816 for NY residents in contract colleges (with mandatory fees $1,024, housing $13,744 and food $7,604; billed subtotals of $96,318 and $72,188; books $1,234 and personal expenses $2,182; totals of $99,734 and $75,604 as printed). The tables are captioned 2025-26; the page also has a 2026-27 heading but the text read gave no amounts under it, so check the official site.
• Aid: the admissions page says aid packages cover the difference between the cost of attendance and what a family can reasonably be expected to afford, with domestic priority aid dates of 15 November (ED) and 15 February (RD).

International applicants

• About 10% of students come from more than 125 countries; international admission is need-aware.
• English: not required if you are a US citizen or permanent resident, English is your native language, or English has been your primary language of instruction for four years; otherwise submit a score. Listed minimums: TOEFL 100 (exams before January 2026), TOEFL 5.0 minimum and 5.5 recommended (January 2026 or later), IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130, Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 191.
• Aid: international applicants seeking Cornell grant aid must submit the CSS Profile (code 2098) when applying, by 1 November 2026 (ED) or 2 January 2027 (RD). Cornell says it meets 100% of admitted international students' demonstrated need with grants, an annual work-study award and reasonable loans; CSS fee waivers are generally not available to international students; grant aid above tuition and mandatory fees is taxable in the US and 14% is withheld unless a tax treaty applies.
• The CALS page links to additional information for international students and additional testing information; these were not expanded here, so check the site. Credential evaluation and proof-of-funds details are not stated on the pages read.

Applicants from China

• Whether and how the gaokao is used is not published on the pages read, and neither are China-specific transcript or huikao rules; ask Cornell admissions.
• All the international requirements above apply: SAT/ACT, English proficiency, CSS Profile.

Transfer students

• Fall entry only: 15 March for the application and fee, 15 April for other materials, decisions from late April through June; SAT/ACT is neither required nor expected.
• CALS: transfer students make up nearly a third of the student body; you need at least 2 full-time semesters (or 3 quarters) of transferable college work; 2 semesters means sophomore status, 4 semesters or an associate's degree junior status, and more than 4 semesters at a four-year institution is not eligible; minimum GPA 3.0 overall and 3.5 for Biological Sciences; you apply to a specific major and should have its prerequisite courses completed or in progress; transfer credit needs a letter grade of C or better; at most 15 AP credits count, and test plus transfer credit is capped at 60 credits.
• External transfers and the Biological Sciences major (OUB page): sophomore-status transfers need a full year of introductory biology with labs (AP, IB and GCE biology not accepted), two college writing courses (or one writing plus public speaking), general chemistry I and II with labs, and Calculus I plus either Calculus II or statistics; junior-status transfers need two writing courses, Calculus I plus Calculus II or statistics, organic chemistry I and II, and physics I and II with labs.
• A&S: at least 60 credits and four semesters at Cornell; to transfer as a junior you must have completed the prerequisite coursework for the intended major.

7. Outcomes

• The OUB pages offer appointments for research advising and graduate or professional school advising but print no outcome statistics in the text read; outcome data was not read.

8. Checklist

US applicants: 1 November (ED) or 2 January (RD); $85 fee; SAT or ACT required; two teacher recommendations plus a counselor recommendation; decide between CALS (B.S.) and A&S (B.A.); AP Biology does not replace major requirements but counts toward 120 credits; declare Biological Sciences and a concentration through the spring planning meeting.

International applicants (including China): SAT/ACT; English evidence (TOEFL 5.0/100, IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 130, or exempt); CSS Profile at application if you need aid; gaokao use is not published, so ask admissions.

Transfer students: 15 March application, 15 April other materials; CALS Biological Sciences needs a 3.5 GPA; introductory biology, chemistry and calculus completed or in progress.

Sources: Cornell University, Office of Undergraduate Biology (OUB); Biological Sciences major; Admission to the Biological Sciences major; AP, IB and GCE credit for Biological Sciences; Biological Sciences concentrations; Biological Sciences Honors Program; CALS: first-year applicants; CALS: transfer applicants; Arts & Sciences: admissions requirements; Admissions: first-year applicants; Admissions: transfer applicants; Admissions: testing and English policy; Financial Aid: cost to attend; Financial Aid: international students. Some dates on the pages carry no year; check that they refer to fall 2027 entry (the international financial aid page states 1 November 2026, 2 January 2027 and 15 March 2027). The cost page shows both 2026-27 and 2025-26 headings; use the latest figures on the Cornell site. The requirement lists for the Biological Sciences major in both colleges are in the official course catalog (courses.cornell.edu), which was not read.