Is UMass Amherst or Cornell harder to get into?

Question

I’m trying to get a realistic sense of how selective these two schools are compared with each other. I know both are popular, but people seem to describe them very differently in terms of admissions difficulty.

I’m not asking about this year’s numbers, just the general idea of which one is usually considered harder to get into.

I’m not asking about this year’s numbers, just the general idea of which one is usually considered harder to get into.

Accepted Answer

Cornell is much harder to get into than UMass Amherst in the usual admissions sense. It is an Ivy League university with a far more selective applicant pool, stronger national and international demand, and a review process where even many top students are turned away. UMass Amherst is a respected public flagship and can still be competitive for certain applicants or majors, but it is not viewed as selective on the same level overall.

For a student with very strong grades, rigorous coursework, and standout activities, Cornell is still the kind of place where admission is never close to guaranteed. Applicants often need not just strong academics but also a compelling overall profile that fits the college or program they are applying to.

UMass Amherst is a different category. It attracts plenty of applicants and has some programs that are notably more competitive than the university as a whole, but many solid students have a realistic path there with strong but not extraordinary credentials. In-state applicants may also see it as more accessible than a highly selective private university like Cornell.

So if you are asking purely which school is usually considered tougher to get into, the answer is Cornell by a wide margin.

Is UMass Amherst or Cornell harder to get into?

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