Heard at Cornell – Merit and Hard Work
Heard at Cornell is a column that regularly quotes important statements from Cornellians. This excerpt is taken from President Kotlikoff’s 2025 December Commencement Address delivered on December 21.
“Yet the students came, from near and far — drawn to an institution where what mattered wasn’t where you came from, but what you did when you got here.
Where students were admitted, as they are today, based on merit. And not excluded, as they were elsewhere, on the basis of irrelevant characteristics like religion, sex, or skin color.
Where students came, as they do today, seeking a certain kind of education — the kind you work hard for, that prepares you to make a mark on the world.
And just as Cornell has a deserved reputation, for a certain kind of education — we also have a deserved reputation, for a certain kind of graduate.”
