Master of Engineering Application
Required Materials
To be considered, all applicants must provide the following in their online application:
- Online Application: You must submit a completed Master of Engineering online application. Please note that this is a separate application from other Cornell Engineering programs, and our applications are not transferable across programs.
- Résumé: Your resume must list your professional history, academic background, and any skills or activities that are relevant to your admission into this program. Please limit your resume to two pages.
- Personal Statement: *A note about AI: Cornell Tech does not prohibit the use of generative artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) to assist with the preparation of personal statements or statements of purpose, however use of any AI tool must be disclosed and properly cited. The content of the Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement must be truthful and accurate. Failure to disclose can justify the denial or cancellation of my admission to this program before or after enrollment.
Choose one of the prompts: (1100 words or less):
Option 1: Cornell Tech fosters an innovative environment rooted in creativity, technical depth, leadership, and commitment to the broader tech ecosystem in New York City. Describe the personal and professional experiences that have prepared you to contribute to this environment by focusing on one key example that highlights a project, team collaboration and entrepreneurship or leadership role. In your response, also explain how it shapes your potential contributions to your chosen master’s program and Cornell Tech’s mission.
Option 2: Cornell Tech’s programs provide students the opportunity to build something meaningful and innovative with a cross-disciplinary team and test it with real users and industry experts. Many of our students have prior software development experience. Have you ever developed a complete software application (i.e., an end-to-end user interface application, one or more web services, a database, etc.)? If so, describe that application and your experience developing it.
- Video Essay: Applicants are required to complete a 3 minute video essay via an online platform. The questions focus on the applicant’s goals, professional and/or academic experiences, and help determine personal fit for the applied focus of the program.
Note: the admissions committee will not provide interviewees with the question-set ahead of time and we cannot answer any questions related to the content of the interview prior to its completion. - Letters of Recommendation:
Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation. It is recommended that they submit one academic and one professional letter of recommendation. For applicants who have been out of academia for a long period of time, two professional recommendation letters are acceptable. Recommenders should be faculty members, supervisors, or other individuals who know the applicant professionally and/or academically. Ideally, the recommenders should either be able to speak to the applicant’s performance in relevant technical coursework or they should be able to discuss the applicant’s role in substantial projects. Recommendations must be submitted online via our application system. If you believe a third letter will add value to your candidacy, you may include one additional letter. Please ensure that these letters are sent from a professional email address. This is to maintain the integrity and credibility of the recommendations.
*Note: Recommendation letters submitted after the deadline date will be moved to the next round.
- GRE Test Scores
The GRE General Test is not required and will not be accepted for admission to the Master of Engineering programs. - Academic Records or Transcripts: You must provide all academic records or transcripts from each previously attended university and proof of graduation from a Bachelor’s program (if this is not indicated on the transcript). While we do not require official transcripts at the time of application, you may send any official transcripts to Cornell Tech admissions electronically or via postal service. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly from the academic institution.*Please note our Master of Engineering Degrees do not accept transfer credits from other programs.
- International Credentials:
Cornell Tech requires that transcripts from colleges and universities outside the U.S. and Canada undergo a course-by-course evaluation by an expert academic credential evaluator in the United States. Students are responsible for paying all fees for such evaluations and making arrangements with the credential evaluation company to send and receive their documents.
Cornell Tech will accept evaluations from:
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
International Educations Evaluation (IEE)
Scholaro
SpanTran
World Education Services (WES) Select: Cornell University – Manhattan NY
Or any NACES organization member.
Evaluations may be sent electronically (preferred) or via postal mail. You may also upload a copy through your Status Portal.
Note: The admissions committee requires this evaluation prior to reviewing your application for an admissions decision.
- Language Test Scores (international Students Only): If your first language is not English, you must submit a valid TOEFL score of minimum 100 or IELTS score of minimum 7.0 overall band. Please note we do not accept MyBestScore Results. Official test scores are not required at the time of submitting your application. However, all students that are accepted to the program will need to report their official scores to Cornell Tech for verification.
To report your scores:
TOEFL Testing Code: 2098
IELTS: Cornell University Cornell Tech
*Please note we do not accept MyBestScore Results
Waivers: A candidate may be considered exempt from submitting English language proficiency exam scores. If you meet the criteria for one of the following standing exemptions listed below, you will indicate this in your Application for Graduate Admission. There is no need to contact the admissions office in advance.
1. Speak English as a first language and are a citizen or permanent resident of a country where English is an official language (including but not limited to Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan). Research degree applicants who meet this exemption are automatically approved to serve as a TA without an individual English Language Assessment.
2. At the time of enrollment at Cornell, will have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university located in the U.S. (Please note that you must have been physically present in the U.S. for the majority of your enrollment.) Research degree applicants who meet this exemption will need to complete the English Language Assessment and may be offered an individual support plan.
3. At the time of enrollment at Cornell, will have earned the international equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university located in a country where English is an official language, and where English is the language of instruction (including but not limited to Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan). The medium of instruction must be indicated on the transcript or easily verified on the institution’s website. (Please note that you must have been physically present in the exempt country for the majority of your enrollment.) Research degree applicants who meet this exemption will need to complete the English Language Assessment and may be offered an individual support plan.
4. At the time of enrollment at Cornell, will have studied and/or worked full-time for at least 2 consecutive years* within the last 10 years in a country where English is an official and widely spoken language. This experience must be noted on a transcript and/or described on a resume or CV. We will accept a combination of study and work—e.g., an applicant who completed a 1-year master’s degree in the U.S. followed by 1 year of OPT. If you are or were a student, the full-time study must have been for at least 2 consecutive academic years (potentially slightly less than 24 months) AND English must have been the language of instruction for your studies. (Please note that you must have been physically present in the exempt country for the majority of your enrollment.) Research degree applicants who meet this exemption will need to complete the English Language Assessment and may be offered an individual support plan.
Special Exemptions: Applicants who speak English as a first language, but do not otherwise qualify for a standing exemption, may be considered for a special exemption under the following circumstances:
• Speak English as a first or native language, but citizenship does not meet the Standing Exemption criteria.
• Full-time study or work in a primary English country was for less than 2 years, was not consecutive, or occurred more than 10 years ago. For more information on language requirements and exemptions, please visit the Cornell Graduate website.
- Application Fee: A non-refundable application fee of $95 must be submitted with the online application.
Scholarships
Cornell Tech offers scholarship aid to a limited number of master’s degree students each year. Aid is determined by a holistic review of all the applicants’ credentials at the time of their admission.
Applicants who wish to be fully considered for a scholarship are advised to apply by the priority deadline date.
- All admitted students who are not fully sponsored are considered – no additional application is needed.
- While it is not possible for Cornell Tech to offer full-tuition funding for master’s students, scholarships may cover a significant portion of tuition costs.
- Scholarships cannot be applied to housing or costs other than tuition.
- Please note that requesting consideration for scholarship aid does not affect your admission decision.
- Need-based financial aid is not available from Cornell Tech, but students who are qualified for federal loans may refer to Cornell Graduate Financial Aid for more information about financing their degree.
- For more information about the cost of attendance, please refer to our Tuition & Fees.
External Funding
We encourage all students to pursue additional funding sources to supplement any available scholarship aid. We recommend you begin this process early to ensure you adhere to their respective application deadlines. Below is a list of potential additional sources of aid:
Websites:
Cornell Graduate School Financial Aid
External Scholarships and Resources:
UCLA External Scholarships
College Scholarships
Federal Resources:
Financial Aid for Graduate or Professional Students
Veteran Benefits:
Veteran Aid Benefits
Yellow Ribbon Program
International Students:
International Aid Resources
Private Education Loan Resources
“Please note that external resources are not all affiliated with or endorsed by Cornell University or Cornell Tech.”
Pathway Program Participation
Cornell Tech is pleased to offer application fee waivers to qualified participants of programs designed to provide educational and/or career support to students. If your program is listed, please email admissions@tech.cornell.edu at least three days before the application deadline to request an application fee waiver.
If you are an administrator or a participant of a program not listed below, you may request that we consider adding the program to our list of programs eligible for an application fee waiver for its participants by writing to admissions@tech.cornell.edu, provided the program’s mission explicitly aligns with Cornell Tech’s mission and demonstrates a clear intent for students to enter a professional or research-based master’s program.
Fee waivers are available to participants of the following programs:
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS)
AIESEC
American Economic Association Committee on the Status of Minorities in the Economics Profession Mentoring Program (CSMGEP: Mentoring Program)
American Economic Association Summer Training Program (AEASP)
American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
AmeriCorps
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
Annual Ivy Plus University of Puerto Rico Event
Anointed Foundation
Association Computing Machinery Women Council (ACM-W)
Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC)
Big 10 Grad Expo at Purdue University
Black in AI
Black Doctoral Network (BDN)
Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD)
Cal-Bridge Program
California Forum for Diversity in Graduate Education
Carleton College Summer Mathematics Program for Women Undergraduates
Cientifico Latino Graduate School Mentorship Program
Center for Bright Beams Summer Program (CBB)
CCMR NSF PREM
CCMR Summer REU Program at Cornell
CLASSE Summer REU Program at Cornell
CLASSE Summer Research for Community College Students (SRCCS)
CNF/ NNIN REU Program at Cornell
Columbia University Bridge to the PhD Program
COMPASS
Cornell Diversity Preview Weekend (DPW)
Cornell, Maryland, Max Planck Pre-doctoral Research School
Cornell Summer Math Institute (CSMI)
Cornell Summer School on Designing Technology for Social Impact
Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)
CU Integrated Graduate Education, Research and Training (IGERT) Visitation
The CUNY Pipeline Program
EDGE Program: Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education
ENGINE (engineering name exchange)
Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Program
FLIP (Diversifying Future Leadership in the Professoriate) Alliance
Florida A&M Graduate Feeder Conference
Forte Fellows
Gates Millennium Scholars
National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM)
Grace Hopper Celebration
HSI Pathways to the Professoriate: Cal State- Northridge, FIU, UTexas- El Paso, NYU, UC-Berkeley, UPenn, Northwestern, UC-Davis
Dr. John H. Hopps Jr. Defense Research Scholars Program
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS Annual Conference)
LASPAU
Laureates & Leaders Program at MIT
Learn IT, Girl Fellowship
LXAI (Latinx in AI members only)
The Leadership Alliance
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Summer Undergraduates (LSAMP)
Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute (MTBI)
Mathematics Summer REU Program at Cornell
McNair Scholars
Mentoring, Educating, Networking, and Thematic Opportunities for Research in Engineering & Sciences (MENTORES)
Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP)
National Name Exchange
National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCCHE)
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)
National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP)
Northwestern, UC-Davis
Ohio State University- Research Internship for Young Academics Program (OSU-RIYA)
Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (oSTEM)
Out for Undergrad (O4U)
Peace Corps
Philosophy in an Inclusive Key Summer Institute (PIKSI)
Philosophy of Law Undergraduate Summer School (PLUSS)
PREP
Project 1000
Rutgers Summer Institute for Diversity in Philosophy
SHAWCO
Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
SoNIC Summer Workshop
Summer Immersion Program in Philosophy (SIPP)
Summer Mathematics Institute at Cornell
Summer Program for Women in Mathematics (SPWM)
Summer Program for Women in Philosophy (SPWP)
Summer Undergraduate Research in Science and Engineering (SUnRiSE)
Tapia Conference
Team for Research in Ubiquitous Secure Technology (TRUST)
The Sadie Collective
Thrive Scholars
Univ. of Arizona Summer Undergraduate Program for Engaging w/ Research (SUPER)
University of Michigan Building Bridges to the Doctorate Program
West Virginia University Summer Law Institute
Williams Math Summer Research Program
Women and Mathematics Program (WAM)
Women in Data Science (WiDS)