Consider Cornell: Experience Field Participation Website

What is Consider Cornell: Experience?

This two-day, discipline-specific, all-expenses-paid program is an immersive on-campus experience that gives participants an in-depth introduction to the graduate application process and specific application components.  It provides curated, discipline-specific connections with Cornell faculty, graduate students, and program leadership and is the ultimate opportunity for prospective PhD students to learn about graduate education at Cornell!

The Consider Cornell: Experience program is intended for scholars, currently residing in the United States, who are preparing to apply to a PhD program at Cornell University for the upcoming application cycle. The program is specifically designed for scholars from historically underrepresented backgrounds. 

What are the requirements for a graduate field to participate?

  1. Faculty members (and any others) who are willing to review applicant files and work with the Office of Access and Recruitment staff to select students for your discipline cohort.
  2. A dedicated four and a half hour block of time for field-specific programming on Friday, October 13 (12:00 – 4:30 pm).  Note: this includes a lunch provided by the Graduate School 12:00 – 1:30 pm (see schedule below).
  3. Interaction with graduate students on Friday, October 13 and Saturday, October 14.

Consider Cornell: Experience Discipline-Specific Program Schedule Friday, October 13, 2023
TimeLocationDescription
11:45am-12:00pmG10 Biotechnology BldgGraduate students arrive. Lunch is served.
12:00-1:00pmG10 Biotechnology BldgLunch with graduate student mentors
1:00-4:30pmVariousGraduate students usher students to discipline-specific campus programming (faculty meetings, building/lab tours, etc.)
4:30pmTBDGraduate student mentors usher students to predetermined location to meet charter bus back to hotel.

Who from the field needs to participate?

  • Faculty to review applicant files and work with our staff to select participants for your discipline
  • The DGS or another faculty designee – someone who can provide an overview of the field and PhD program
  • GFA or another designee – someone who can work with faculty and graduate students to arrange the discipline-specific programming including the 1:1 meetings with faculty
  • Faculty to have short 1:1 meetings with attendees
  • Graduate students – a team of enthusiastic graduate students willing to share their experiences and help organize the discipline-specific portion, review the participant’s draft Academic Statement of Purpose, and join participants for certain meals.

Planning timeline

DateDescription
July 24, 2023Online application closes at midnight
July 25-August 4, 2023Recruitment office compiles applications to share with graduate fields
August 7-22, 2023Fields work with the Office of Access and Recruitment staff to review applicant files and select students*
August 23-25, 2023Acceptance and decline letters sent to applicants
September 1, 2023Applicants' deadline to confirm their participation
Weeks of September 4 & 11, 2023Participant travel arrangements are finalized
September 18, 2023Discipline-specific programming and 1:1 faculty meetings are finalized

*The Office of Access and Recruitment staff will make every effort to provide the graduate fields with the applicant’s information for review prior to the application deadline.  

My field wants to participate, what’s next?

To indicate your field’s interest, please complete the short Consider Cornell: Explore Graduate Field Interest Form