If it helps to know someone else is in the same situation, I’m also scared because I haven’t gotten my award yet either.
For what it is worth I think there are many of us in this position. Admitted RD and still no award.
For the people who are still waiting, have you already committed? Wondering if they are prioritizing those who have not yet committed. Cornell was always my first choice so I committed right away.
I was told that they are processing FA in the order of when the applications were complete, with all supporting documents. We are waiting as well. It’s nerve wracking.
Mine has been complete with all docs since 11/21!
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I’m actually getting worried about the aid package…
Have you called them? That seems like the most prudent thing to do. Call them and let them know that you can’t make an educated decision without having all the facts in front of you that you need to make that decision and how can you do that if you don’t have the financial aid package and will you have that before May 3 when the decision is due?
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late but I was waitlisted at Cornell… I sent in a LOCI now and praying I get off, but if not it’s fine because I have an amazing option in UCSD
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My son is in the same position. I have called multiple times, confirmed they have all of the information, etc and they still can’t even give me a date by when their FA evaluations will be complete. They wouldn’t even commit to providing FA by 5/1.
Something is seriously wrong in their FA office. I know they have a lot going on but other schools do too. IMHO, they need to get some of their B-School folks to do a process improvement project and find out why they are unable to process FA on a timely basis.
Good luck with that. While there are some things Cornell is AMAZING about there are many they are not. FA is one that is an annual issue for some and last fall classes had started while many returning students still didn’t have their packages for the year yet.
Another area they aren’t so great on is with registration. Every freshman registers at the exact same time no matter what usually in July. Every Soph, Junior and Senior usually the April before on their class respective days. No benefit of credit hours - fine, but at least stagger the days out. But nope and then multiple students get booted out of the process when the system crashes due to thousands registering at the same time.
My two biggest beefs are registration process and poor advisors. Not advising but just horrible advisors that are not really qualified to advise students in their majors because they’re assigned random advisors. Some have great advisors but many are lackluster.
Usually with financial aid you do the CSS once then not again but now people are complaining they suddenly are being asked for it again so now some say in future years it’s random request for that.
Having 3 kids at 3 different schools next fall I’m finally beginning to see the big difference at each with communication and while Cornell gives the least parental communication I realize that’s also the best. It teaches the kids they have to be responsible for themselves early on and forces many helicopter parents to back off. I assumed that was normal for a college but now I see where my son is going that maybe it isn’t because both he and I are receiving the same emails and most of them are unnecessary for the parents to receive. It’s his job to send his transcript not mine to be all over him for it. Transition into adulthood.
The joys of college and adulthood lol. But with the FA office I would just keep harping on them. Also have you considered having your child email admissions and advise them of the situation and see what they suggest? Maybe they can shed some light on options or what to do. But note if your kid is considering this and other schools take this to heart for it may not he a one off. Other than those who waited forever for FA this fall you can probably find more detail about it from actual students on reddit.
I have kids in other schools so I can compare. For example, Dartmouth provided financial aid information for ongoing students in March prior to the next year. They also directed all communications to my daughter, not me. Other than completing the FAFSA each year, she handled everything else and I reimbursed her or paid directly, as appropriate.
Dartmouth’s class registration process sounds similar to Cornell’s but their system never crashes. If a student doesn’t get into a class, it’s easy to monitor the number of open spots and register later. You can also email the prof and often they will just let you in.
I’m curious about the advising. Are you saying that an engineering student isn’t necessarily assigned an engineering advisor? Is it possible for students to change advisors? My Dartmouth’s advisor was in her original major, so wasn’t particularly helpful. My daughter planned her classes pretty far in advance to ensure that she was able to get everything she needed to double major in two widely different subjects.
Back in the stone ages, it was super easy to switch advisors. Is that not the case anymore?
Dartmouth is also much smaller than Cornell so you don’t have the same number of students registering at the same time. Less issues thankfully when not all are registering from Ithaca also because there are many locations in and around a Cornell with lousy internet service.
Engineering courses are pretty set so registration doesn’t really matter much anyway at least first semester. Based on high school courses, the math assessment and AP most engineering students are automatically placed in a Chemistry section that shows up on their schedules pre registration. Those who want to try to not take it in that sequence have to wait until add/drop in August. Fws are also assigned usually after registration. That usually leaves only 2 classes that most engineering students sign up for plus PE. Not many options. Usually math and then CS or EnGR and the other the second semester. Last year no one registered until late August and there were two rounds but second semester was more back to normal.
Some professors will let you in off a waitlist but that’s more for upper classes not lose level freshman ones since there are other sections usually.
Engineering advising is what’s the pits. And there are two advisors they have. I still haven’t figured out what mine is talking about with her two but she is a CS major and her advisor is not a CS person. Even after she affiliated she did not get a CS person. Other smaller majors after affiliation sometimes have better advisors but my friend’s daughter was a Mechanical Engineer major and also had poor advising. If your kid is a self starter it isn’t an issue. Mine has had her 4 years planned out from the beginning and knows what the requirements she needs but every year there’s always one parent who’s kid missed taking a class when it’s only offered in one semester and can’t graduate because of that. Engineering will get engineering advisor. Not sure what happens if they change colleges. If they change majors they generally keep advisor or maybe change one of them.
@momofboiler1 not sure how easy it is to change advisors. Haven’t really heard people talk about that. Many complain they can’t even get a response from their advisors.
I was in CAS and had a freshman advisor and then a major specific advisor sophomore year. My major advisor wasn’t in my area of interest so I asked a prof that was if she’d be my advisor, and it was a seamless switch. She was fantastic!
It’s disappointing to hear about your D’s experience in COE.
Oh I also just realized you’re waiting on an appeal from Cornell. It sounds like some folks haven’t even gotten their initial financial aid package at all yet. You may want to at least consider that as your worst case scenario and proceed in that manner. Cornell is not known to be overly generous but I do have a friend that appealed last year and got at least the same package as first year but considering one spouse was unemployed for a long time last year that wasn’t much of anything.
That would be what you may want to research on reddit is how often they grant appeals and how generous they are. Also factor in all the other expenses. Cornell is now requiring all freshmen and sophs to live on campus going forward as well as to have the unlimited meal plan. Normally only sophs used to be required for that if living on West now its everyone. I would hope pricing is adjusted though since not everyone will eat that much food and they know it. Also travel expenses, spending money, et. Fortunately spending money isn’t expensive there but once they move off campus it is an expensive town. 
Fortunately she’s a planner in that regard so it doesn’t have an impact but as you know tons of kids need that support and guidance and miss out. I think her biggest frustration with them has been when they just don’t respond or are impossible to get ahold of.
We are very surprised by the lack of information from the fin aid office at Cornell. We had all of our documents in before RD application due date - nothing was missing. They have not been able to tell us why our offer is not completed yet. So weird that no other college is behind like this as far as we’ve heard. All of our other options are in… Cornell suggests we ask for extensions from other schools if we need to compare $$ info!!! As someone else stated above, they can not guarantee that we will be told anything before May 1st.
Ok, to take another example - my nephew was accepted to Iowa State, Penn State and University of Utah. He received FA within a week of his acceptance, appealed and received a response within 2-3 weeks. Class registration seems to occur without issue.
I’m sorry but I think there is something seriously wrong with Cornell if they can’t appropriately anticipate and plan for capacity issues, particularly regarding registration as they can’t blame that on increases due to Covid.
I appreciate your input and insight @srparent. I know there are others in the same boat but after receiving a likely letter and getting hyped about Cornell, my son is now close to choosing another school simply because FA can’t get their act together. It’s been a very frustrating process.
I don’t blame him/you, especially because it can impact someone financially for the rest of their lives, however taking that out of the equation, it is a great place. I would never take out considerable debt to attend any school though so that seems to be what he needs to find out because no college is worth that. The pressure on these kids is tough enough, but to then have the financial stress as well is really hard.
Cornell has done a great job with covid and working to get students tested 2-3x/week and having classes in person, remote or hybrid this year. While some might disagree with their child’s experience mine loves it and wouldn’t have it any other way. They are currently in a midst of 2 day off of classes for wellness days on Monday and Tuesday and planning a bunch of some events throughout campus.
As for financial aid, I don’t know how big the office is, but with 6k new admits and thousands seeking for financial aid and the entire verification process, I am sure it is a daunting one. Other schools you mentioned don’t use the CSS so that is probably part of the reason why Cornell’s process is so slow, but also the documentation process and crossing all their t’s and dotting their i’s and making sure there is no fraud and processing applications for current students. I know when my daughter was accepted she received her FA package within a week, but that was ED and when there were a lot fewer applications than the RD cycle. I guess the bottom line is everyone has to do what is best for them.
As for registration, no one said that has to do with covid. But, many schools have capacity issues. But in regards to covid, there are actually capacity issues in that regard for in person classes because certain spaces can’t be used, but that’s not what we’re talking about anyway. If you have 4k students registering at the exact same time with many trying to get into the same classes, you are just going to have problems. It ultimately works out, but it’s just one of the things that kids have to deal with. These issues of kids getting into classes or not are unfortunately not an issue only at Cornell, and specifically not only in Engineering classes as most of the lower level courses every Engineering major has to take no matter what. When you have a program as large as Cornell also you’re just going to have issues like this, that’s one of the nice things as opposed to a smaller program where you don’t have a lot of choice in electives and what not. You unfortunately have to take the good with the bad. My daughter didn’t get a class one semester and took it last summer instead of waiting until this past fall. Then in the fall when she didn’t get something,she just took something else and is now taking that class now. It usually balances out. Having AP credits also helps so that one has a cushion for double majoring or minoring or taking a lighter load if need be. The options there are endless which is a major pro we’ve found there. My daughter is probably double majoring with ORIE and has a couple classes left for her Business minor. Some classes have been great overall, and like anywhere else, some have not, but overall her experience has been nothing but positive. Being a self starter there is key as well as not expecting to be #1 in everything or a straight A student which mine definitely is not! lol
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Hi Everyone!
Quick plug for Cornell Outdoor Odyssey! Odyssey is a pre-orientation program run by Cornell Outdoor Education that takes incoming freshmen on trips the week before move-in. We do things like backpacking, canoeing, climbing, and trail service in the Finger Lakes, Catskills, and Adirondacks, and we provide a great way to make a super close-knit group of friends before you get to campus. Many students even go on to become guides and lead trips the following years!
Most importantly, no experience is required, and full and partial financial aid is available!
Let us know if you have any questions and feel free to check out our website, Instagram @cornell_outdoor_odyssey, Facebook @cornelloutdoorodyssey, or email us at coe.odyssey@gmail.com for more info! Hope to see you this summer! 
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Can’t comment about this program but for anyone else the Cornell pre-orientation programs are the best and I highly recommend. My D made some of her best friends on her program. Hers also gave an early move in but they don’t all do that.