Asian and Asian American applicants to Ivy League schools are often among the most academically-ambitious and highly talented of all applicants. That is why we at Ivy Coach have long decried the unfair discrimination that Asian and Asian American applicants face at the elite college admissions level. Back in 2016, Ivy Coach specifically called out Cornell University for engaging in unfair discrimination. We compared the Asian American enrollment data to other schools in the Ivy League, and found that Cornell’s 18.09% enrollment in the 2015-16 academic year was just above median Ivy League enrollment, but lagging far behind some of its counterparts.

What has changed in the last eight or so years? We’re glad you asked! Cornell now ranks second in the Ivy League, just shy of the University of Pennsylvania, with an Asian American campus community that makes up roughly a quarter of the student body. Other schools, such as Dartmouth College and Brown University, are still lagging behind their counterparts, but we are pleased to see that Cornell has made great strides in terms of representation. In the face of unjust discrimination against Asian and Asian Americans, it’s a good thing Cornell has risen to the occasion and sought better for these students.

Asian American Enrollment Statistics Across the Ivy League

Below is a breakdown of the Asian American enrollment percentage across the Ivy League for each school’s most recent data release — either for the 2022-2023 academic year or the 2023-2024 academic year.

School	Asian American Enrollment (%)
University of Pennsylvania	27.46%
Cornell University	24.98%
Harvard University	23.54%
Princeton University	23.45%
Yale University	22.84%
Columbia University	21.22%
Brown University	19.44%
Dartmouth College	13.85%

How Cornell and the Rest of the Ivy League Can Still Do Better

Cornell’s progress in the last few years does not negate the fact that a highly qualified applicant of Asian descent is far less likely to get in over a student of a different race who has the same application. Asian and Asian Americans face stereotyping, lower scores on qualitative and personality assessments, and higher competition on highly selective university admission committees. If this discrimination was accounted for at schools like Cornell, we would expect to see Asian representation go way up — and in some cases even constitute the majority of the student body.

You might be thinking that this is bound to happen in the wake of Affirmative Action, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023 on the basis of the practice’s unfair effect on Asian American college applicants. However, elite colleges can and will continue to evaluate race-based admissions criteria through the Roberts loophole. In effect, not much has really changed. What is a promising Asian or Asian American applicant to Cornell to do?

How Asian and Asian American College Applicants Can Optimize Their Case for Admission to Cornell

Ivy Coach may sound like a broken record on this topic, but all students, regardless of race, optimize their chance of admission to Ivy League schools by orienting their applications around a singular hook. These days, it’s the experts and specialists who make up the ranks of elite colleges, not the so-called “well-rounded” students. Don’t buy into the myth that dabbling in a little bit of everything will get you through the door!

Asian and Asian American applicants can go even further by avoiding the activities with which admissions officers unfairly identify these applicants: piano, string instruments, track, and strength in math and science over the other disciplines. The truth is that there are a large number of applicants of Asian descent in each admissions cycle who take part in some assortment of these activities. Steering clear of them — giving admissions officers no chance to stereotype and discriminate — will give promising students the best shot at admission. Combined with a singular hook, the student who breaks from the mold will optimize their chance to receive an elite education from an institution like Cornell!

How Ivy Coach Helps Asian and Asian American Students Get Into Cornell

At Ivy Coach, we know how to frame narratives — including the narratives of Asian and Asian American applicants — to optimize their cases for admission to Cornell. If you’re interested, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch.