Two majors
Public Policy, and Health Care Policy, which bridges policy and health professions and can include pre-health requirements.
Undergraduate · Cornell
Cornell's Brooks School of Public Policy: two majors and an optional DC semester
Cornell's Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy admits first-year students to one of two multidisciplinary, social science-based majors: Public Policy and Health Care Policy. Its admissions page lists a minimum of 16 units with mathematics that includes calculus and/or statistics, and describes DC Start, a first-semester residential experience in Washington, D.C. for incoming majors. For an A-level or IB applicant, the questions are which major to choose, whether DC Start appeals and what Cornell requires, including the SAT or ACT. This guide makes no claim about odds.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Cornell says about Cornell Brooks School
Taken from Cornell Admissions' First-Year Brooks School Applicants, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Cornell's pages for the 2028-entry details.
DC Start
A first-semester residential experience in Washington, D.C., offered exclusively to incoming first-year majors; interest is indicated on the Common Application.
Minimum 16 units
The page lists 4 units of English, 4 of mathematics with calculus and/or statistics recommended, and 3 of science.
A-levels and the IB are not named
The page read lists units of preparation and does not mention A-levels or the IB by name.
The SAT or ACT is required
Cornell has reinstituted standardized testing and requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Official sources
- Cornell Admissions: First-Year Applicantsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: First-Year Brooks School Applicantsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: Standardized Testing Policyadmissions.cornell.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Cornell Admissions' First-Year Brooks School Applicants, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Cornell's Brooks School curriculum pages, the DC Start programme details, the English proficiency method list, deadlines and financial aid were not read, and the pages do not mention A-levels or the IB by name and are not stated.
The school
What the Brooks School says it is
The Brooks School describes itself as training the next generation of policy leaders and scholars, with a tight-knit community and two multidisciplinary, social science-based majors. Public Policy students study the effects of government policy on subjects from crime and democracy to education, inequality, financial markets and technology, and the major allows pre-law preparation. Health Care Policy bridges policy and the health professions, with a foundation in natural sciences and optional pre-health requirements. DC Start gives first-year majors a semester in Washington, D.C. This guide did not read the curriculum pages.
Is it the right school?
Brooks, Arts & Sciences or Dyson
Cornell asks you to choose a college or school, so the choice is made when applying. Avandy's comparison is general.
Brooks fits if
you want a policy-focused degree with quantitative and social science methods.
Arts & Sciences fits if
you want to decide later among more than 40 majors. Avandy's Cornell Arts & Sciences guide covers it.
Dyson fits if
your interest is applied economics and management. Avandy's Cornell Dyson guide covers it.
Admission and testing
SAT or ACT required; A-levels and the IB are not named
Cornell says it has reinstituted standardized testing, requiring first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. The Brooks page lists units of preparation, recommends calculus and/or statistics, and describes the kind of student it seeks, including exceptional competence in writing and quantitative coursework. It does not name A-levels or the IB. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cornell's.
Which major fits: Public Policy or Health Care Policy?
They differ in their link to the health professions.
Do you want to start in Washington, D.C.?
DC Start is optional and indicated on the Common Application.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT?
Cornell requires one of them.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Cornell's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Cornell's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Cornell has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Cornell for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Compare the two Brooks majors and plan the SAT or ACT.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Cornell University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Cornell University. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What majors does Brooks offer?
Two: Public Policy and Health Care Policy.
What is DC Start?
A first-semester residential experience in Washington, D.C., offered exclusively to incoming first-year public policy and health care policy majors.
Is calculus required?
The page recommends calculus and/or statistics for the 4 units of mathematics.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Does the page name A-levels or the IB?
No. It lists units of preparation.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Cornell's wording with no entry-year label. Check Cornell's pages again when Cornell publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Cornell Brooks School
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their interest in policy, quantitative work, whether DC Start appeals and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.