Cornell & Duke Research Notes
cornell_duke.md
Cornell & Duke Research Notes
Cornell University
Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)
- Total applicants: ~69,500 (estimated)
- Overall acceptance rate: 8.0%
- ED acceptance rate: ~24.2%
- RD acceptance rate: 5.5%
- Class size: 3,580
- Yield: 59%
Academics
- SAT middle 50%: 1470–1560 (varies by college)
- ACT middle 50%: 33–35
- Avg unweighted GPA: 3.88
- Top 10% of HS class: 93%
- Testing policy: Required
Round Strategy
- ED (binding) — acceptance rate varies significantly by internal college (Engineering ~25%, Arts & Sciences ~12%, Hotel ~32%)
- Does not offer EA
Demographics
- Women: 48.5%, Asian: 14.4%, Black: 4.9%, Hispanic: 9.2%, White: 39.7%, International: 20.2%
Financial Aid / Net Cost
| Income Bracket | Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $12,987 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $9,500 |
| Over $110,000 | $45,325 |
Athletics
- 369 varsity athletes (~2.4% of undergrads)
- NCAA Division I, Ivy League Conference
Notable
Largest Ivy. Has both private and state-funded (contract) colleges — Ag & Life Sciences and Human Ecology have lower tuition for NY residents. Acceptance rate varies dramatically by school within Cornell. One of few Ivies with explicitly school-specific admissions.
Duke University
Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)
- Total applicants: 54,191
- Overall acceptance rate: 5.0%
- ED acceptance rate: 21.1%
- RD acceptance rate: 3.5%
- Class size: 1,750
- Yield: 53%
Academics
- SAT middle 50%: 1500–1570
- ACT middle 50%: 34–35
- Avg unweighted GPA: 3.94
- Top 10% of HS class: 95%
- Testing policy: Test-optional
Round Strategy
- ED (binding) — fills ~50% of class; 21.1% ED rate vs 3.5% RD rate (~6x advantage)
- Does not offer EA
Demographics
- Women: 49.8%, Asian: 14.3%, Black: 7.3%, Hispanic: 5.0%, White: 49.1%, International: 18.3%
Financial Aid / Net Cost
| Income Bracket | Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $7,219 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $5,100 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,883 |
Athletics
- 352 varsity athletes (~5.7% of undergrads)
- NCAA Division I, ACC Conference
- Basketball program (Cameron Indoor Stadium) is legendary; major athletic hook
Notable
ED fills approximately half the class — one of the most ED-dependent elite universities. Strong athletics recruitment. Known for southern elite culture and medicine (Duke Medical Center). Yield at 53% is low for its rank — many admits use Duke as a backup for HYPSM.
Sources
- Cornell Common Data Set 2024–2025
- Duke Common Data Set 2024–2025
- research_colleges.json simulation data