Graduate Applications are due December 1

Application Requirements

All applicants must:

1. Hold (or expect to hold at the time of matriculation) a baccalaureate degree, or its equivalent, granted by a university of recognized standing
2. Have fluent command of the English language
3. Have adequate preparation for graduate work in the chosen field of study
4. Present evidence of promise in advanced study and research

The Field of Entomology requires that applicants residing in the United States, Canada, and all other countries in which English is the official language, take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test.  The advanced “subject” test in biology is also recommended although is not strictly required.  Applicants residing in other countries are also encouraged to take the GRE general and biology subject tests. It is your responsibility to arrange that the Educational Testing Service in Princeton send your scores directly to the Graduate School. If you know your scores, please also indicate them on your application. Since it frequently takes at least 8 weeks for ETS to release the scores after you take the examination, you should take the GRE no later than October 1 in order to meet our deadline for applications. If you receive your scores close to our deadlines (see below), please send us a copy immediately. Information concerning the sites for the GRE in you country can be obtained by writing to: Graduate Record Examination, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08450, USA. You can also visit their web site at www.gre.org.

All instruction at Cornell is in English, and fluency in English is essential for graduate study. If your native language is not English or if you have not studied at least two years in a college program in a country where the native language is English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and obtain a satisfactory score (550 or higher on the paper-based exam; for the computer-based exam, Cornell requires minimum scores of 20 on Writing, 15 on Listening, 20 on Reading, 22 on Speaking).

How to Apply

It is strongly recommended that you identify a Field member or members with interests closely matching your own and correspond with them regarding their program and their potential for taking on new graduate students prior to application.  The primary criterion for admission is scholarly ability and potential.

Applications must be submitted online to the Cornell Graduate School. Click here to apply to Graduate School at Cornell.  Your application will need to include

1. A written statement of purpose describing yourself, your personal background, your motivation for pursing graduate study in Entomology, and anything else that you feel to be of relevance or importance.  The point of this statement is to give our admissions committee and faculty a sense of who you are.
2. Official course transcripts from undergraduate and any prior graduate education.
3. The letters of recommendation.  Letters of recommendation may be uploaded directly your references.  See the instructions on the Graduate School website.

Once your application is complete, the Graduate School will forward it to the Field of Entomology for consideration. Applications must be received by the Entomology Field by December 1.   You may contact the Graduate Field Assistant if you wish to inquire about the status of your application.

Submitted applications will be evaluated by the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Field of Entomology, and by the Field faculty at large. Applications will be reviewed in December and early January.  Prospective students who are deemed to be potentially good fits for the program will be contacted in January or early February to arrange interview visits to the Cornell campus where possible (it is sometimes not possible to bring international students to campus for recruitment interviews; this will not decrease the probability of acceptance for international students).  Formal offers of admission will be extended after the interview visits.

Response to an Offer of Admission is requested as soon as possible, although you are not obligated to notify us of your decision as to whether to join our program until April 15th. If you have made your decision to accept or decline admission earlier, however, it is helpful for us to know that so we can update students on the admissions waiting list and make plans for the coming year.

Please contact our Graduate Field Assistant if you have any questions or would like any further information about the application process.