Winter online classes: January 2–17, 2026
| Date | Event |
| October 15, 2025 | Registration and enrollment begin. |
| December 1, 2025 | Financial aid deadline for Cornell students (financial aid is not available for visiting students). |
| December 1, 2025 | Registration deadline for visiting and precollege students. |
| December 10, 2025 | Deadline for Precollege pre-enrollment forms. |
| December 11, 2025 | Deadline for Precollege course selection form. |
| December 19, 2025 | Last day to petition to exceed the credit limit. |
| December 22, 2025 | Deadline for Precollege post-enrollment forms. |
| December 25, 2025 to January 1, 2026 |
Cornell is closed for winter break. The university reopens on Friday, January 2, 2026. |
| January 2, 2026 | Instruction begins. |
| January 2, 2026 (3:00 p.m. ET) |
Last day for Cornell students to request access for Winter enrollment
Requests to add a class beyond this date require a petition. |
| January 3, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET) |
Last day to add a class or change credit hours for all students.
Requests to add a class beyond this date require a petition. |
| January 2–4, 2026 | 0% tuition liability for courses dropped during this period. |
| January 5–6, 2026 | 50% tuition liability for courses dropped during this period. |
| January 7, 2026 | 100% tuition liability for courses dropped on or after this date. |
| January 9, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET) |
Last day to drop a class without a petition and without the letter “W” appearing on your transcript.
Last day to change grading basis. |
| Variable dates | Course evaluation system open for students a few days before the end of class. |
| January 16–17, 2026 | Instruction ends.
Final exams may be held on the last day of class (1/16) or on the following Saturday (1/17) at a time arranged by your instructor. Last day to withdraw (the day of your final exam; petition required). |
Note: Due to the limited number of instructional days for Winter Session 2026 (which happens to open on a Friday this year), classes may meet on Saturday, January 3, and Saturday, January 10. Please confirm class dates on the class roster or your class syllabus. Final exams will be held on the last day of class, Friday, January 16, unless otherwise noted by the class instructor in the class syllabus.