Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program

The Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program represents the pinnacle of the liberal arts experience at Cornell. The program is focused on a small group of stellar students whose interests transcend disciplinary boundaries. These students have demonstrated exceptional promise and maturity to plan and carry out a well-designed individualized program of study and research. 

Students design their own interdisciplinary major, organized around a question or issue of interest, and pursue a course of study that cannot be found in an established major. College Scholars explore subjects with a broader integration of related disciplines than most students would attempt.

They pursue their subjects using advanced, often graduate-level, techniques. As a capstone to their studies, all Scholars undertake an independent senior project, usually culminating in an honors thesis. It is a unique opportunity within the College of Arts & Sciences for engagement and learning, in the classroom and beyond.

Program Structure

Upon acceptance into the program, students are paired with a faculty advisor from the College Scholar Advisory Board.  Students work with their advisors to construct their curriculum and plan their research program. In the spring of sophomore year, students take COLLS 3001, The College Scholar Seminar, to learn methods for finding, evaluating, using, and presenting both qualitative and quantitative information. Students develop skills for presenting complex ideas in written research proposals and oral presentations. The seminar bridges traditional divides between the sciences, humanities, and arts.

During their time at Cornell, College Scholars create their own curriculum and are not required to complete college distribution or foreign language requirements. However, College Scholars are required to complete two first-year writing seminars,120 total credits and 100 credits in Arts & Sciences to graduate, as well as meet the university graduation requirements of two semesters of PE and passing the swim test.  Students may double-major, combining a College Scholar major with other majors or minors in the College.

The main requirement of the Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program is the completion of an independent project and thesis. Projects vary widely in their scope and content. Some students focus on library-based research, some do laboratory work and others focus on community engagement. Students may design their own empirical studies; others incorporate creative components, and some do both. 

Students become part of a community of scholars and work with faculty advisors who are known for their independent and interdisciplinary studies. Faculty advisors and program staff help College Scholars put together an advisory committee of several faculty who share their research interests. See the student profiles for examples of their innovative and challenging projects.

Student Research and Activity Funding

The Lynne S. Abel ‘62 College Scholar Endowment Fund supports College Scholars' independent research year-round. Students may receive up to $500 per semester, including summer, to support research costs, conference expenses, and travel. This fund memorializes Associate Dean Abel, who through her spirit and actions, supported students in a wide variety of ways, including by directing and expanding the College Scholar Program from 1974-2003.

How to Apply

Spring 2025 Information Sessions:

Wednesday 4/23/25 and Thursday 4/24/25, 7–8pm
Uris Hall Room 394

Students gain entry to the program via a competitive application process in the fall semester of the sophomore year. In the application, students write a research proposal outlining their program of study and why it is appropriate for the Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program (instead of a traditional major). They also write a personal statement articulating why they are ready to assume responsibility for determining their own program of study. The application includes a link to a recommendation form for your faculty recommender. The Scholars are chosen by the faculty advisory board and the director. Applications are due in October of sophomore year.

Applications will be accepted in October. Check back here for the application link.

The application will require the following elements: 

1. Recommender: Your recommender must be a Cornell faculty member.  This should be someone who could attest to your general ability and maturity, and, if possible, to any particular talent in the proposed field of study. Please ask your recommender to go to https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5sWOMXR2hZG5iVU to complete the recommendation form. The recommendation deadline is October 18th at midnight.

2. Proposed courses: What courses do you plan to take next semester (Spring 2025) if you are admitted to the College Scholar Program? Include the name and number of each course in your list.

3. Research proposal: Describe the intellectual question(s) you wish to explore as a College Scholar. In a thoughtful, well-crafted essay, please describe your intellectual interests and the focus of your proposed College Scholar project. Keep the following questions in mind:  What have you learned from courses you have already taken and conversations you've had with faculty? How are the courses you propose to take related to the intellectual focus you have identified? Which academic disciplines do you see as playing a central role in preparing you to pursue these lines of inquiry? What will the College Scholar program enable you to do that a more traditional A&S major may not? Please explain how the courses you propose to take will contribute to what you envision the intellectual focus of your College Scholar project to be.  It will be easiest to write your essay in a word processing application and then cut-and-paste the essay into the box below. Your essay is limited to 6000 characters (including spaces).  The word limit roughly corresponds to 3 pages double-spaced, with 1" margins and using 12-point Times or Times New Roman font.  Essays over the character limit will be truncated.

4. Personal statement: Your statement should address why you want to be a College Scholar. Please describe your experiences that have prepared you for original, independent research and the design of your curriculum. What past experience do you have with academic and non-academic independent projects (e.g. independent reading, work experience) that have helped you to be prepared to take on the responsibility for doing independent research and designing your own interdisciplinary curriculum?  In addition, describe what you hope to get out of your participation in the College Scholar Program.  It will be easiest to write your essay in a word processing application and then cut-and-paste the essay into the box below. Your essay is limited to 4000 characters (including spaces). The word limit roughly corresponds to 2 pages double-spaced, with 1" margins and using 12-point Times or Times New Roman font. Essays over the character limit will be truncated.

Program Benefits and Outcomes

Cornell’s Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program is a crown jewel of the College of Arts & Sciences. The impact on our students is profound and life-long.  College Scholars often go on to advanced study in the arts, medicine, business, and sciences. The maturity, academic rigor, and independence this unique program requires creates students who are highly desirable in a range of contexts. A College Scholar degree from Cornell opens doors to employment with companies like Google, careers in medicine, finance, law, and the arts, and research and faculty positions in the sciences and humanities across the globe. Our graduates include faculty at Cornell and the current chair of the Cornell Board of Trustees. 

"I think that I developed a better understanding about how organizations and political bodies are driven by personalities than I would have had I been a traditional government major."

— Bob Harrison ’76, College Scholar
Chair of the Cornell Board of Trustees
Chief Executive Officer, Clinton Global Initiative

Contact Information

Program Director

Professor Michael Goldstein
mhg26@cornell.edu
270 Uris Hall
607-793-0537

Advising Dean

Meg Elliott MAT, MFA
mme3@cornell.edu
KG17 Klarman Hall
 

For general questions, please email as_csp@cornell.edu.

Give to the College Scholar Program

The Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program gives students unique opportunities to develop their intellectual interests. The program is continually innovating new ways to better facilitate our students’ lofty goals and create stronger interdisciplinary connections. Your gift to the program will directly benefit our students.

You can support the Robert S. Harrison College Scholar program in two ways:

College Scholar Program Gift Fund: This fund supports programming to benefit the College Scholars, including program-sponsored lectures and workshops.

Lynne S. Abel ’62 College Scholar Endowment Fund: The Lynne S. Abel fund supports students in meeting the costs of their independent research projects. The fund also supports their attendance at professional conferences to present their findings. College Scholars can apply for $500 per semester, including summer. This fund memorializes Associate Dean Abel, who through her spirit and actions, supported students in a wide variety of ways, including by directing and expanding the College Scholar Program from 1974-2003.

Click here to give to the Robert S. Harrison College Scholar Program