What is Human Ecology?
As the name suggests, human ecology involves people and their environments. This means studying relationships and institutions that affect people’s lives. Cornell says that “Cornell Human Ecology is pioneering the study of human life from scientific, social and design perspectives. Using a blend of academic disciplines and a global perspective, our students and faculty use their knowledge to identify, explore and develop solutions to the challenges facing people today.”1
Examples would be studying how human activities affect the natural ecosystem or how proximity to a grocery store can affect a population’s health. These are just a couple of many, however. As stated before, human ecology includes the study of human life from scientific, social, and design perspectives, encompassing many topics to discuss, challenges to consider, and problems to solve.
What is the Acceptance Rate for Cornell’s College of Human Ecology?
Unfortunately, it’s nowhere to be found. Cornell has not released any recent acceptance rates for their College of Human Ecology. It’s not on their statistics website for the incoming classes, and the only other information available are guesses from alumni on Reddit. I even called Cornell to ask, and they said that they would not disclose that information if it were not on their website. Here’s how that conversation went.
Me: Hi! I’m writing an article on your College of Human Ecology. I haven’t had much luck finding the acceptance rate; do you know where I could find that?
Cornell Admissions Officer: I do! If you google “Cornell Institutional Research and Planning,” the website with all the admissions statistics should appear.
Me: Thanks—that’s great. I think I’ve already checked there and didn’t find anything. I’ll check again, though. If I don’t find it there, would there be anyone I can talk to to get that information?
Cornell Admissions Officer: There isn’t. My guess is that if it’s not on that website, then Cornell is not willing to disclose that information.
Not so shocking a spoiler…it wasn’t on the website.
Be Authentic: The Right Approach to Applying to Cornell
However, Cornell did release an article that dissuaded prospective students from applying to the College of Human Ecology simply to have a better chance of being admitted into Cornell. This suggests that the acceptance rate for the College of Human Ecology is higher than it is for other colleges at Cornell and most likely higher than the overall acceptance rate at Cornell of 7.4%2. While that may sound like good news to those hoping to attend Cornell, it’s really only good news for those who genuinely want to study in the College of Human Ecology. Here’s what Cornell said about applying to the College of Human Ecology simply to have a better chance of acceptance.
If you apply to a particular college or school solely on the basis of its acceptance rate, the chances are good that the selection process will work against you. It will be more difficult to demonstrate a compelling connection to and logical reasoning for applying to that program or major. We encourage you to explore all of the undergraduate colleges and schools to help you make a decision on which college might be your best “fit.”3
The bottom line is this: Cornell can sniff out the phonies. So, be genuine in your application, and that will give you the best chance of acceptance.
What majors are offered by the Cornell College of Human Ecology?
If you’re interested in the Cornell College of Human Ecology, here are some more specific paths you could take. Human Ecology majors include Biology and Society, Design and Environmental Analysis, Human Biology Health and Society, Human Development, Nutritional Sciences, Policy Analysis and Management and Fiber Science & Apparel Design. 4
Biology and Society Major
A major in Biology and Society is for those who would want an added social perspective to their biology knowledge and training. This major includes some heavy and in-depth biology classes paired with social science classes to give that perspective. This means that you would have classes on biochemistry and the anatomy of birds, while also having a more social class about health systems around the world.5
The Biology & Society Major is designed for students who wish to combine training in biology with perspectives from the social sciences and humanities on the social, political and ethical aspects of modern biology. Many of the most critical social concerns of our time — food and population; impact of genetic engineering and new medical technologies; testing for drugs; AIDS and genes; the influence of heredity versus environment on human behavior; environmental quality; and ethical, legal and social aspects of modern medical practice — are innately biological. At the same time, each of these issues is inherently a social concern and involves complex relations between biological and sociocultural forces. The Biology & Society major is intended to provide the skills and perspectives to enable its students to systematically confront these and many other social-biological issues.6
The class topics for discussion would be endless in this major. If you are more biology-focused, this major could be a good fit for you.
Design and Environmental Analysis Major
This major is for those with a creative spark. As a student, you would study how the environment affects daily living and how you might aid our world through design.
Through multi-disciplinary training in interior design, environmental psychology, ergonomics, and workplace strategies, we tackle problems from a whole systems view – people, process, technology, and place – to create a healthy, strategic, and sustainable future by design.7
If a class in Lighting Design or Ergonomics and Anthropometrics sounds interesting, then this could be the route for you. 8
Human Biology, Health and Society Major
This major is not to be confused with the Biology and Society major we discussed earlier. This major still includes a heavy biology class workload. One major difference is that HBHS includes more public health courses, focusing more on humans alone (as opposed to studying all kinds of animals as Biology and Society majors do).
The HBHS major may be a good fit for students who wish to pursue careers related to human health and well-being issues. Many health problems are complex in origin. For this reason, promoting health and reducing the risk of disease requires practitioners, researchers, and policymakers who can consider the biological and physical aspects of health and illness, as well as their social, psychological, economic, cultural and political dimensions.9
Human Development Major
If you find human psychology fascinating, then Human Development could be a good fit for you.
Students interested in pursuing a Human Development major will gain an understanding of Psychological Science broadly, building a strong theoretical and empirical foundation in the behavioral sciences while exploring the social, cultural, biological, and cognitive development of humans across the life course.10
This major gives students a bird’ s-eye view of human life, which gives a solid foundation to those wanting to go into differing social science fields.
Nutritional Sciences Major
For those that recognize the importance of a wholesome diet, consider majoring in Nutritional Sciences.
Nutritional Sciences draws upon biology, chemistry and the social sciences to answer such questions as:
How do dietary patterns influence the health and well-being of individuals, communities and populations?
What are the biological mechanisms through which nutrients affect metabolism?
What are recommended dietary patterns for people of different activity levels and medical conditions?
How can people be encouraged to adopt and maintain healthy eating patterns?
What are the roles of government and business in providing accessible, healthy food supplies and in promoting healthy eating practices?11
A major in Nutritional Sciences could someday land you in medicine, public health, or dietetics to name a few.
Policy Analysis and Management Major
A major in Policy Analysis and Management would give you tools to change the system. Government at all levels has a great influence on how people live. Thus, the policies that the government makes can make a world of difference.
In the Policy Analysis and Management major, students and faculty study the effects of government policies on individuals and families, public health, education, crime, product markets, financial markets, and a wide variety of other social impacts. The research tools learned and used—robust theory, rigorous empirical quantitative skills, and practical applications to real-world policy issues—are highly sought after by the best in both industry and government.12
This major could be a good choice if you’re pre-law, pre-MBA, or someone interested in economics, sociology, or public policy. In the program, you would also be expected to pick a policy emphasis as reflected in your later chosen electives. For example, you could choose family/social welfare, health policy, or market regulation classes as some of your final electives.13
Fiber Science and Apparel Design Major
This one is for more engineering-focused minds. You would have classes that include fashion design, the study of different types of materials, and fashion graphics.14 This is the study of all things that have fiber materials.
The common focus of the field is the study of fibrous materials and their use as apparel, as engineering structures (such as composite materials), in biomedical applications, and in home furnishings. The Field of Fiber Science and Apparel Design is applied and multidisciplinary, with faculty members drawn from the Colleges of Human Ecology and Engineering.15
A Fiber Science and Apparel Design major could land you a job as a product developer, materials specialist, or even a patent examiner.
Cornell: Human Ecology Takeaways
Cornell’s College of Human Ecology has many unique and exciting majors, so if this is your genuine academic interest, consider Cornell for your future studies. Whether you’re drawn to biology, design, policy, or health, the programs encourage students to think critically, creatively, and competitively.
While specific acceptance rates remain elusive, we do know this:
The College emphasizes application authenticity, advising prospective students to apply only if they are genuinely interested in its unique offerings. In other words, do not apply to this College just to get into Cornell. For those passionate about understanding and improving the human condition, you couldn’t apply to a better program.
1 – “Admissions | Cornell Human Ecology | Cornell College of Human Ecology.” Cornell College of Human Ecology, https://www.human.cornell.edu/admissions/home. Accessed 29 May 2024.
2 – Institutional Research and Planning, https://irp.dpb.cornell.edu/university-factbook/freshman-profile-archives/first-year-admissions. Accessed 4 June 2024.
3 – Lemon, Katy. FAQ Enrollment, https://faq.enrollment.cornell.edu/kb/article/22-are-my-chances-of-acceptance-higher-if-i-apply-to-the-college-of-human-ecology-versus-another-school-at-cornell/. Accessed 6 June 2024.
4 – “Human Ecology – Cornell University – Modern Campus Catalog™.” Cornell Courses of Study, https://courses.cornell.edu/content.php?catoid=31&navoid=8006. Accessed 29 May 2024.
5 – “Departments & Fields of Study: Biology & Society| – Cornell University – Modern Campus Catalog™.” Cornell Courses of Study, https://courses.cornell.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=31&poid=15126. Accessed 6 June 2024.
6 – Department of Science and Technology Studies, https://sts.cornell.edu/bio-society. Accessed 3 June 2024.
7 – Human Centered Design – Cornell Human Ecology, https://www.human.cornell.edu/hcd/academics/undergraduate-study/design-and-environmental-analysis. Accessed 3 June 2024.
8 – Cornell University Registrar, https://courses.cornell.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=31&poid=15180. Accessed 6 June 2024.
9 – Nutritional Sciences – Cornell Human Ecology, https://www.human.cornell.edu/dns/academics/undergraduate/majors/hbhs. Accessed 3 June 2024.
10 – Department of Psychology – Cornell, https://psychology.cornell.edu/-human-development-major-. Accessed 3 June 2024.
11 – “Nutritional Sciences Major | Division of Nutritional Sciences | Cornell College of Human Ecology.” Cornell College of Human Ecology, https://www.human.cornell.edu/dns/academics/undergraduate/majors/ns. Accessed 3 June 2024.
12 – Cornell University Registrar, https://courses.cornell.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=31&poid=15329. Accessed 3 June 2024.
13 – Ibid
14 – Graduate School – Cornell, https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/fiber-science-and-apparel-design/. Accessed 3 June 2024.
15 – Graduate School – Cornell, https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academics/fields-of-study/field/fiber-science-and-apparel-design/. Accessed 3 June 2024.