All application materials must be uploaded into your online application. Paper copies of application materials will not be accepted. If you request updates to materials included in a previously submitted application, please email mse-admissions@cornell.edu.
Once we have received all of your materials, your application status will change from “in progress” to “complete”. If the deadline has passed and review has begun without us receiving all of your required documents, you will see a status change to “incomplete”.
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Application Deadline
January 2 at 11:59 p.m. EDT
All required materials must be uploaded into your online application prior to submission. Applications with missing materials after the deadline may not be reviewed. This includes letters of recommendation, so please communicate this deadline and give your recommenders plenty of time to submit prior to the deadline.
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GRE Requirements
The GRE is optional for our Ph.D. program. You may submit GRE results to us if you feel that your GRE results help to demonstrate math ability that is otherwise not demonstrated in your academic records.
- Upload self-reported GRE scores into the online application themselves
- Have official GRE scores sent to Cornell University by the Educational Testing Service. The Graduate School must receive all scores prior to the field’s application deadline.
All official test scores should be reported directly to Cornell University’s institution code 2098. If the Educational Testing Service requires you to select a department code, you may choose “0000 undecided.”
Be sure to use the exact spelling and formatting of your name on both your application and test score report. Name punctuation and spacing must also be the same.
- If your name is misspelled, formatted incorrectly, or inverted, your scores will not be matched and your application may remain incomplete. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
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English Language Exam Requirement
Please visit the Graduate School website for information on the English Language Exam Requirement.
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Letter of Recommendation
Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation electronically through the ApplyWeb application system.
Letters of recommendation should include appropriate letterhead and come from company or institutional email accounts.
You should choose your letter of recommendation writers purposefully, identifying individuals who can provide a detailed description of your academic, professional, and/or research experiences and motivations.
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Statement of Purpose
Ph.D. applicants must electronically submit a statement of purpose through the ApplyWeb application system. Suggestions for writing a Statement of Purpose can be found on the Graduate School website.
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Unofficial Transcripts
Applicants to the Ph.D. program are required to submit electronic copies of unofficial transcripts through the ApplyWeb application system. For more information, please consult the Graduate School’s Transcript Requirements webpage.
Fellowship Eligibility and Requirements
Though fully funded through Teaching Assistant and/or Graduate Research Assistant appointments, it is highly encouraged that Ph.D. applicants be aware of and/or apply for additional fellowships:
- Fellowships in support of Diversity
- Presidential Life Sciences Fellowship (no additional application required beyond the graduate program application)
- External Fellowships
- NSF GRFP Fellowship
Assistantships Requirements and Eligibility
- Required to serve as a Teaching Assistant for one semester during the Ph.D. program, generally in the 2nd year or later.
- Teaching Assistant opportunities beyond one semester are not guaranteed.
- Generally funded as a Graduate Research Assistant for the remainder of the guaranteed funding (as detailed in admission letters).
Faculty Correspondence
Applicants are not required to contact faculty prior to submitting an application. If offered admission, Cornell Materials Science and Engineering graduate matriculates will match with an advisor during their time at Cornell, not before.
While not required, applicants or prospective applicants who wish to contact faculty in field of materials science and engineering are welcome to; however, all questions regarding applications, the application process, or an applicant’s status should be sent to mse-admissions@cornell.edu.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our Ph.D. program after reviewing the above information and Graduate School: Admissions and Admitted Student FAQ, please email our admissions representative at mse-admissions@cornell.edu.