PhD Program FAQs
Q: By when can I expect to hear the status of my application?
A: We download materials from grad school in early January and send them to each area for assessment. Each area makes decisions at different times. We will be in touch when there’s a decision to communicate. Write to us if you have a deadline on another offer you are considering.
Q: Can you look at my materials and tell me what my chances are?
A: Admission decisions depend on the pool of applications received. We are unable to provide probability estimates or cut-off requirements.
Q: My undergraduate GPA is low, but my Master’s GPA is better. What are my chances of admission?
A: Admissions is a holistic look at your academic record and academic potential. Your academic statement, standardized test scores, and recommendation letters also affect admission decisions.
Q: What are minimum GPA, test scores etc. to be considered competitive?
A: We do not provide this information. We are a highly selective and small program.
Q: I applied and was rejected. Can you provide more insight so I can improve my future applications?
A: We don’t provide this information. We have a very small program and receive many applications, including strong ones that we have to unfortunately reject.
Q: How many slots do you have this year?
A: We are unable to share this information. For Fall ’20 and Fall ’21 intake, we had about 11-12 slots across all areas.
Q: I am currently in a program and will complete my course work soon, would it be possible to finish my dissertation in the Management Ph.D. program?
A: Transfers (including students from other Cornell Ph.D. programs) are through the regular application process. Transfer credits from previous programs are determined by the area faculty on a case-by-case basis, the Ph.D. program office is unable to provide any broad guidelines to applicants in this process.
Q: Are distance learning degrees accepted for applications?
A: We follow grad school rules, please consult them on this matter.
Q: I don’t have a business undergrad. Will this hurt my admission chances?
A: While this is not a requirement, having an idea of what research entails makes the application stronger.
Q: Do you require an undergraduate background in economics/quantitative subjects as a prerequisite for the finance area?
A: No, we do not have such requirements.
Q: Will I get credit for prior degrees and work experience?
A: We do not give advanced standing for prior degrees.
Q: I have been out of school for several years. How does this affect admission chances?
A: Several of our students have work experience, a couple of our best recent placements worked for almost a decade. We look at the totality of applicant strengths.
Q: I don’t have previous research experience. Will this hurt my chances?
A: While this is not a requirement, having an idea of what research entails makes the application stronger.
Q: I am a double degree/major, how should I enter this information?
A: Describe one degree/major per line in the application, including separating GPAs if you wish.
Q: What is the math requirement?
A: We do not have an overall math requirement. File readers take in to account what level of math fluency is needed in each area, and within specialty in each area.
Q: Some of my previous credits are from part-time college/ I transferred from a community college. How should I report these GPAs?
A: List them sequentially.
Q: I am currently in another PhD program. Will this be seen negatively?
A: No, we have had transfer students in the past. These applications are considered through the regular application process.
Q: I don’t have a business undergrad. Will this hurt my admission chances?
A: No, our students have a variety of college majors like CS, Econ, Stats, Pyschology, Sociology, etc.
Q: I have a 3-year undergraduate degree, no further degrees after, can I apply for a PhD?
A: We follow the graduate school’s requirements.
Q: Which professors in area XYZ are accepting PhD students?
A: Admission is by area, matches for research happen after you get here. Professor availability has to be assessed by students after they get here.
Q: I want to apply to Operations, I can’t find it listed. What should I do?
A: Operations and OTIM are the same.
Q: My research interests lie in the intersection of two areas. To which area should I apply?
A: See professor profiles in both areas to look for a research interest match
Q: Are you accepting applications right now?
A: We follow graduate school dates for opening and closing of applications. These are typically early Fall and December 15th.
Q: I missed the application deadline. Can I still apply?
A: In rare cases like political and other crises, we have delayed submission deadlines for applicants from particular countries/ areas. Please write to us if you’re in such a situation.
Q: Are the decisions made yet, can I write to ask?
A: We will be in touch with you as our decisions are made.
Q: Can you give me a conditional waiver of application fee that I will pay if I am accepted?
A: No, we do not offer this.
Q: Can I request an application fee waiver?
A: This is the list for which we waive fees. For candidates who face economic hardships, please write to us with your standardized test scores and reasons for requesting fee waivers. We grant very rare fee waiver requests for candidates we think are likely to be competitive.
Q: What is the word limit on an academic statement?
A: We follow grad school guidelines.
Q: My application status still says “in process” even though I submitted all materials. Should I be worried?
A: No, it takes time for the grad school system to get updated. We will contact you if we need additional information from you.
Q: Can I upload my application materials in stages?
A: We refer you to grad school admissions website for details.
Q: Can I change recommenders?
A: We refer you to grad school application process.
Q: Do you have a cutoff for GRE/ GMAT scores?
A: We do not, but we rarely admit students with scores below 90-95%.
Q: What is the minimum TOEFL score?
A: See grad school page for details, the minimum score is 22.
Q: I took the home test version of the TOEFL( TOEFL iBT Home Edition). Is this acceptable?
A: Yes, the grad school has made exceptions for this exam due to COVID 19. See their FAQ for more details.
Q: Do I have to upload my official transcripts with my online application?
A: The graduate school requires unofficial transcripts at the time of applying. Once admitted, students will then need to send their official electronic transcripts to the graduate school admissions office.
Q: Is it ok if there’s a delay in sending any materials?
A: We download materials in early January, any materials not in the application by then will not be considered.
Q: Can I ask my school to send a transcript electronically to your office?
A: Given our application volume, we are unable to accept these in our office. We refer you to grad school application process.
Q: I made an error in the application, can I fix this?
A: The graduate school controls this process, we do not accept materials outside of that portal.
Q: What is the institution code for submitting test scores?
A: 2098. You don’t need to add extensions to this. You can choose 01 (grad school) or 02 (management).
Q: My test scores will arrive after the application deadline. How can I submit these?
A: Given the volume of applications, we only accept materials submitted through the graduate school portal.
Q: What is the link to send to recommenders?
A: We refer you to grad school application guidelines.
Q: I took the test 5 years ago. Can I use these scores?
A: Scores have to be no older than 5 years prior to arrival on campus.
Q: Do you require a personal statement?
A: Yes, this is another opportunity to review the applicant holistically.
Q: I sent my scores last year when I applied to another program, should I send them again?
A: Yes.
Q: I applied last admission cycle, can I use my previous letters of recommendation?
A: Yes, once you have submitted your application, reach out to gradadmissions@cornell.edu to request your previously submitted letters be added to your application package.
Q: I don’t have current academic references. Can I submit all professional references?
A: We are looking for references who can speak to your ability to perform research and can address your academic life.
Q: Can I send just professional letters?
A: Not having academic references might affect your admission likelihood.
Q: Can I submit more than the required number of recommendation letters?
A: Yes.
Q: Can my referees send paper letters?
A: We only accept materials through the graduate school portal.
Q: My references don’t want to give their official email address. Can they give their private email?
A: Given our concerns about fraud etc., we require official work addresses.
Q: My application says my scores haven’t reached, I’ve submitted them. Should I be worried?
A: It takes time to update, and if we have questions, we will be in touch.
Q: Can I submit my unofficial scores, and submit official scores if admitted?
A: We only consider applications with official scores. We download the materials for assessment from the grad school portal in early January.
Q: Can I update materials during the application process?
A: We refer you to grad school application guidelines
Q: Can I update my materials after the application deadline?
A: We download materials from the graduate school application website, and pass those on to each areas’ admissions committee. Given the volume of materials we receive, we cannot manually update materials after we download materials from graduate school.
Q: Can you add/change materials for me after I submit my application?
A: No, given the volume of materials we receive, we cannot manually update materials after we have downloaded them from graduate school.
Q: Can you waive GRE/GMAT? Is it optional?
A: Yes, but if you do not include these test materials please explain in your personal statement.
Q: Can I quality for TOEFL waiver?
A: We follow graduate school rules, no exceptions: TOEFL waiver? (See COVID exceptions)
Q: I completed my degrees in Singapore/ India/ Nigeria/ etc. Do I still have to take TOEFL/ IELTS?
A: Yes, we follow grad school requirements. (See COVID exceptions)
Q: I am an international applicant, studying in the U.S. Do I have still have to take TOEFL/ IELTS?
A: See grad school rules here. (See COVID exceptions)
Q: The application asks whether I want to apply for F1 or J1 visa. Which should I pick?
A: We cannot advise you on this, we suggest you research the best fit for your situation.
Q: I have applied to another field and also want to apply to Management at Cornell. Can I do this?
A: No, you have to pick one. If the first rejects you, you can ask for your application to then be transferred to the second option for consideration.
Q: I took my TOEFL test two years before the application deadline. Can I still use these scores?
A: IELTS Academic and TOEFL scores are valid only if dated within two years of the application deadline.
Q: I am interested in both the Masters and Ph.D. programs, can I apply to the MPS in Management program in Management and to the Ph.D. program in Management?
A: Yes, it is up to you to disclose this information on your application.
Q: Can I speak to someone about my interest in the program and visit?
A: Our information is on our PhD program website, and you should feel free to reach out to any professor with whom you see a good research fit. We are unable to offer other resources.
Q: Can I interview with someone?
A: We offer interviews only to a few applications after first screening.
Q: Can I talk to a professor or advisor?
A: You are welcome to contact any professor with whom you see a research match. Faculty are more likely to respond to specific research queries.
Q: I have questions, can I write to this program email address?
A: Yes, our response time will vary depending on whether we view your question as urgent or needing action on our part. We are not able to answer complex detailed questions that are better assessed by faculty during the application process, or questions already answered in this FAQ.
Q: Can I do classes at Cornell Tech?
A: Our coursework is in Ithaca. If your advisor is at Cornell Tech, you can move there after your required coursework is finished. You can continue to take further classes at Tech depending on your interest.
Q: How is the Cornell Tech Ph.D. different from the Ithaca Ph.D.?
A: The Cornell Tech program is not a different program, but an alternate location. If your advisor is a Cornell Tech faculty member from the Management field (e.g. in Marketing or OTIM currently), you can move there after your coursework in Ithaca.
Q: Do you expect to be admitting students for the Fall ’22 class?
A: Yes.
Q: My semester grades suffered from COVID disruptions. How will you account for this?
A: We will follow Graduate School guidelines to holistically view any COVID-related disruptions.
I am an international applicant.
Q: How will COVID affect my chances?
A: Our admission decisions are not affected by student locations.
Q: I am an international applicant. Will I be able to attend if admitted?
A: We are hoping travel and visa restrictions are favorable for the upcoming admission cycle.
Q: I can’t take the test due to COVID cancellations. Do you still need scores?
A: GRE/GMAT is optional. Feel free to use your personal statement to explain your reasons for not having taken the tests, though you’re not required to explain the lack of scores. If you have any other substitute test scores, include this in your personal statement. If you’re able, upload this supporting evidence with your transcripts.
Q: Can I do the program part-time?
A: No, our program is full-time residential.
Q: How long does a PhD last?
A: 5-6 years.
Q: Can I do an online degree?
A: No, our program is in person/residential.
Q: The grad school website says 6 semesters of residence are required. Does this mean I can work from anywhere after these 6 semesters?
A: This refers to full-time tuition levels, our program is full-time residential.
Q: Does my advisor have to be from my chosen area of study?
A: Yes.
Q: My interests straddle two areas. Can I have two advisors?
A: Your advisor has to be from your area, you can pick a co-advisor with your primary advisor’s consent, and/or have committee members from other areas.
Q: Will I be considered for financial aid?
A: All admission offers come with full tuition support, health insurance and a stipend.
Q: I have a full scholarship lined up. Where should I include this information?
A: Yes, include this in the application.
Q: How much funding do you offer?
A: We provide full tuition, health insurance and competitive stipend for 5 years. We have students with families who live on this stipend, you have to pay insurance for your family yourself. We only make fully-funded offers. We share these numbers in our offer of admission.
Q: Can I schedule a campus tour?
A: We do not offer this. You are welcome to come to campus, as well as set up any appointment with professors as you see fit.
Q: Can you give me more information about your program?
A: Information is available on our website, the graduate school website, this FAQ and profiles of our faculty and students.
Q: Do you offer a DBA?
A: No, our predominant goal is academic placement, Cornell grad school has resources for students seeking non-academic opportunities.
Q: Do you support non-academic placement?
A: Our program is geared towards academic placement, we do not have support for non-academic placement. Students use grad school resources and their own networking for non-academic placement.
Q: Can you provide information on past placement?
A: Our website has all the information we are able to share.
Q: I am an employee of Cornell, can I apply for the Management Ph.D. program?
A: Unfortunately no, our program is full-time residential.
Q: Do you offer an integrated program with a Masters’s degree?
A: Yes, you can obtain a Master’s degree with committee approval, after the successful completion of your A exam.
Q: Can you give me more information about your program?
A: Information is available on our website, the grad school website, this FAQ, and profiles of our faculty and students.
Q: How many and what courses are students required to take?
A: Each area has its own requirements. There is flexibility in each area.
Q: I’m interested in XYZ. Do you offer a PhD in that?
A: Our areas are Accounting, Business Economics, Finance, Management and Organization, Marketing, and OTIM, as seen on our website.
Q: Does my research interest have to match one of the current faculty?
A: Some advisors are open to areas other than their expertise, some are not.
Q: When do students start doing research, after courses?
A: This varies by area.
Q: Can you provide me information on Masters degree in XYZ?
A: No, this is the PhD program mailbox.
Q: Is the Ph.D. degree STEM-certified?
A: No, it is not.