Admissions Requirements
Admission to ILR is competitive. Each application is considered in its entirety and in comparison with other applications for the same class. The admission committee, composed of faculty members from all concentrations, review the applications carefully and consider many factors in admissions decisions.
- Areas of study - successful applicants have undergraduate (and graduate) degrees from a wide variety of majors including: the social sciences, humanities, psychology, business, history, law and others
- Work experience - work experience is not required but a majority of applicants for the professional masters programs (MILR and MPS) have spent a few years in the workplace. The MILR program is intended for students with 1-4 years of work experience.
- Required tests - All applicants are required to submit test scores. Applicants may take either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Graduate Management Admissions Test. The GRE is our preferred test and is taken by the vast majority of applicants. Applicants to the MILR/MBA dual degree program should take the GMAT, which is required by most business schools. The mean GRE scores from recent MILR classes are:
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- GRE 2007: Verbal: 550 Quantitative: 710
- GRE 2008: Verbal: 564 Quantitative: 666
- GRE 2009: Verbal: 564 Quantitative: 676
Please note that the graduate committee considers applications as a whole and test scores are only one of the criteria considered in making admissions decisions. There is no "cut off" score for admission to the program or for funding. **The LSAT is not accepted in place of the GRE or GMAT.**
- TOEFL is required for international students from countries the official language of which is not English. The minimum TOEFL requirements are as follows:
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- Writing: 20
- Listening: 15
- Reading: 20
- Speaking: 22
According to Cornell Graduate School requirements, applicants with TOEFL scores below these minimums in any of the four categories can not be admitted to Cornell University.
- Transcripts from all colleges or universities you've attended must be submitted. There is no specific minimum grade point average used as a cut-off, although undergraduate coursework and grades are a factor in the admission decisions.
- Recommendations - 2 academic recommendations are required. Some applicants may want to submit professional recommendations instead of academic ones. This is permitted, but bear in mind that the admissions committee will want to know how you are likely to function in an academic setting. More than 2 letters of recommendation are permitted.
- Interviews - Official admissions interviews are not offered but informal visits are welcomed. See the visit information page.