Applied to through a college
Cornell says you apply directly to one of its colleges or schools. Cornell Admissions lists Information Science, Systems, and Technology under Duffield Engineering and Cornell Bowers.
Undergraduate · Cornell Duffield Engineering
Cornell Information Science, Systems, and Technology: the engineering route
Cornell applicants apply directly to one of its colleges or schools. Information Science, Systems, and Technology (ISST) is offered through Cornell Engineering, while Information Science itself can be pursued through CALS and Arts and Sciences. This guide sets out what the department says about the engineering route and where it ends.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Cornell says about Cornell Information Science, Systems, and Technology
Taken from the Cornell Bowers Department of Information Science's page for the Bachelor of Science in Information Science, Systems, and Technology, Cornell Admissions' Majors, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, read on 1 November 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.
An engineering degree
The department says this programme is offered through Cornell Engineering.
Digital and AI-driven solutions
Students design, build and optimise them.
Listed with Bowers
Cornell Admissions lists it under Duffield Engineering and Cornell Bowers.
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: Majorsadmissions.cornell.edu
- Cornell Bowers: Bachelor of Science in Information Science, Systems, and Technologyinfosci.cornell.edu
- Cornell Admissions: Standardized Testing Policyadmissions.cornell.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Cornell Bowers Department of Information Science's page for the Bachelor of Science in Information Science, Systems, and Technology, Cornell Admissions' Majors, First-Year Applicants and Standardized Testing Policy pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The major's curriculum pages, course descriptions, college admission requirements, 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 major
What the college and department pages say the major is
The department's page says students in the Bachelor of Science in Information Science, Systems, and Technology learn to design, build and optimise digital and AI-driven solutions that turn data into powerful tools, and that this programme is offered through Cornell Engineering, whereas an information science degree can be pursued through the College of Arts and Sciences and CALS. This guide does not describe the curriculum, which it did not read.
Is it the right major?
ISST beside Information Science and other engineering majors
Cornell lists these as separate majors, and the colleges differ, so the choice starts at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
ISST fits if
you want engineering-based design of data and AI systems.
Information Science fits if
you want the social-context version through CALS, A&S or Bowers. Avandy's Cornell Information Science guide covers it.
Another engineering major fits if
you want a different discipline. Avandy's Cornell Engineering guide covers the model.
Admission and testing
A college application and the SAT or ACT
Cornell says you apply directly to one of its colleges or schools, so the college is part of the application; the pages read list Information Science, Systems, and Technology under Duffield Engineering and Cornell Bowers. Cornell has reinstituted standardized testing and requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. The pages read do not mention A levels or the IB by name, and Cornell says all students must show a strong command of English. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Cornell's.
Do you want the engineering college?
This programme is offered through Cornell Engineering.
Is building and optimising systems your interest?
It is the department's framing.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Cornell requires one of them for first-year applicants.
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 1 November 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
Read the major page and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
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
Which Cornell college is Information Science, Systems, and Technology in?
Cornell Admissions lists it under Duffield Engineering and Cornell Bowers.
Which college offers ISST?
The department says Cornell Engineering.
Where can I study Information Science instead?
The department says through the College of Arts and Sciences and CALS.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Cornell says first-year applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Does Cornell name A levels or the IB on these pages?
No. The pages read do not mention them by name.
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 Information Science, Systems, and Technology
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics and computing, how they weigh an engineering information degree against Information Science 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.