Requirements

College/School Eligibility:

  • Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Architecture, Art and Planning
  • Arts and Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Human Ecology
  • Industrial and Labor Relations
  • SC Johnson Business - Dyson
  • SC Johnson Business - Hotel

Class Year Eligibility:

  • Second Year (undergrad)
  • Third Year (undergrad)

Open to:

  • Cornell Undergraduate Students

GPA Requirements:

Minimum GPA: 2.30

Students eligible to apply for membership in The Cornell Tradition program include undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens OR possess US permanent resident status OR F1-visa status.  All students MUST be authorized for employment in the United States, (either on-campus or off-campus) in order to meet the work requirement as a member of The Cornell Tradition (minimum 100 hours during each academic year).  International students will not be eligible for the financial aid benefit of membership but would enjoy access to the $3500 service support account and other program benefits.

In order to remain in good standing in the program, current and prospective Fellows MUST apply every year; once you join, it is our expectation that you will maintain your membership for the duration of your undergraduate years. Applications are due near the end of each academic year. 

In order to remain a fellow, you must:

  • Complete a minimum of 100 hours of legal paid work (no cash or under-the-table work) during the academic year. This can include work done at home over fall, winter, and spring breaks. (Over the past several years, the average number of work hours per student was approximately 300 hours).
  • Contribute a minimum of 100 total hours of service (15 of which must be Community Service)**.
    • ** For our purposes, we divide service into two categories: community service and campus service (including varsity and JV athletics). Community Service is defined as volunteer work for which the primary beneficiar(ies) are not associated with Cornell.  Campus Service is defined as volunteer work for which the primary beneficiar(ies) are associated with Cornell.  See the Service Guidelines for more details. Students may choose how to fulfill their total hourly requirement, as long as they complete at least fifteen hours in the community service category.  (Over the past several years, students averaged more than twice the number of required service hours.)
  • For more information, please refer to our service guidelines page for more details.
  • Complete a minimum of 50 “flex” hours (can be either work or service or any combination of the two).
  • Achieve at least a 2.3 cumulative grade point average in a full-time degree program. (The average GPA for the past several years was approximately 3.18.)
  • Attend all required Explore CT events (freshmen fellows only; transfers must attend Orientation).