Cornell Welcomes Diverse Class of 2030

Admitted students bring global perspectives and a drive for real-world impact

Mar. 26, 2026 at 11:04pm

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The 5,776 students admitted to Cornell's Class of 2030 hail from all 50 states and 102 countries, representing a breadth of talent and potential. The incoming class includes students like Mason Hilburgh, who plans to study civil engineering and join ROTC, Faith Baker, who will study animal science and hopes to become a large animal vet, and Raine Honeycutt, who will study English and aims to give voice to displaced peoples through her writing.

Why it matters

Cornell's land-grant mission emphasizes admitting students who can take full advantage of a Cornell education and make a real-world impact. This diverse incoming class reflects the university's commitment to enrolling scholars with a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and aspirations.

The details

The admitted students have diverse experiences - Mason Hilburgh has lived all over the world as part of a military family, Ryan Hu was born in Montreal, grew up in Australia, and trained as a figure skater in Michigan, while Faith Baker and Raine Honeycutt are from small towns in New York and North Carolina respectively. But they are united in their drive to use their Cornell education to make a difference, whether that's through engineering, agriculture, business, or the humanities.

  • The regular decision students were notified of their admission on March 26, 2026.
  • Admitted students have until May 1, 2026 to accept their offer of admission and commit to attending Cornell.

The players

Mason Hilburgh

A student planning to study civil engineering in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering and join the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), with the goal of supporting his country and building critical infrastructure.

Faith Baker

A student from a farming community in Marathon, New York who will study animal science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and hopes to become a large animal veterinarian with a small beef farm.

Raine Honeycutt

A student from Chapel Hill, North Carolina who will study English in the College of Arts and Sciences, with the goal of giving voice to displaced peoples through her writing.

Ryan Hu

A student from Berwyn, Pennsylvania who will enroll in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and plans to explore his interests in marketing.

Lisa Nishii

The senior vice provost for enrollment management and undergraduate education at Cornell.

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What they’re saying

“Cornell's land-grant mission informs our admissions process deeply. We aren't just looking for the highest-achieving students; we're looking for students who are capable of taking the fullest advantage of a Cornell education, to achieve great things throughout their lives.”

— Lisa Nishii, Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Education

“I want to be part of a community where students not only pursue their ambitions, but also try to turn them into meaningful projects, to benefit other people.”

— Ryan Hu

“People who have been displaced, whether it's the Cherokee having to move across the country or the Nicaraguans having to flee their home, they feel like no one's listening. I can't fix what has been happening to them, but I can tell some semblance of their story.”

— Raine Honeycutt

What’s next

Admitted students have until May 1, 2026 to accept their offer of admission and commit to attending Cornell. They can connect with current students and staff through virtual communities and are invited to visit campus during Cornell Days in April.

The takeaway

Cornell's diverse incoming Class of 2030 reflects the university's commitment to enrolling students who can leverage a Cornell education to make a real-world impact, whether through engineering, agriculture, business, the humanities, or other fields. This class brings a breadth of talent and global perspectives that will enrich the Cornell community.