There are four short essay questions within the Consider Cornell: Experience application. We will use your responses to these questions to learn more about you and determine your fit for the program. Please limit your answers to 150-250 words per question.

Note that the information you choose to disclose in your short essay answers might be viewed by the faculty in the academic program you are interested in pursuing.

Essay Question #1: Benefits of this Experience

Consider Cornell: Experience aims to provide students from historically underrepresented identities and lived experiences with immersive engagement opportunities with Cornell faculty, staff, and current graduate students, as well as exposure to campus and other unique opportunities. This program seeks to help you make informed decisions about your path to graduate school. Please share how and why you would personally benefit from participating in Consider Cornell: Experience?

Essay Question #2: Research Interests

What are your interests in your research field? How have you pursued these interests through research, experience, coursework, employment, etc.?

Essay Question #3: Motivation for Graduate Study

Why do you want to pursue graduate school in your field of interest?

Essay Question #4: Potential Contributions to our Cornell Community

Open to scholars from all backgrounds, Consider Cornell: Experience has a particular focus on engaging scholars who have demonstrated commitment and potential to significantly contribute to Cornell’s core value to provide a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and work productively and positively together. How will you contribute to our community?

Within this essay, you may provide details of lessons learned from any of your lived experiences including but not limited to

• being a first-generation college student or graduate (no parent/guardian completed a baccalaureate degree)
• being racialized as someone who identifies with racial/ethnic backgrounds (such as Black or African American, Indigenous, Hispanic/Latine, and/or Southeast Asian) historically excluded from and underrepresented in graduate education
• managing a disability or chronic health condition
• experiencing housing, food, economic, and/or other forms of significant insecurity
• being a solo parent
• identifying with a gender and/or sexual orientation historically underrepresented in a field of study
• having served in the military
• holding DACA, refugee, TPS, or asylee status