Calling all Cornell Johnson MBA Applicants 2020 Intake; Class of 2022!

Cornell One Year MBA - App Progress Tracker & Applicant Stats

Cornell (Johnson) MBA Deadlines

Two-Year MBA
Round	Application Due	Decisions Released Between
Oct Round	October 8, 2019	November 15, 2019–December 20, 2019
Nov Round	November 5, 2019	January 15, 2020–February 20, 2020
Jan Round	January 8, 2020	March 20, 2020–April 10, 2020
Apr Round	April 8, 2020	May 8, 2020–June 1, 2020

One-Year MBA
Round	Application Due	Decisions Released Between
Early Action	September 5, 2019	October 15, 2019–November 20, 2019
Oct Round	October 8, 2019	November 15, 2019–December 20, 2019
Nov Round	November 5, 2019	January 15, 2020–February 20, 2020
Jan Round	January 8, 2020	February 20, 2020–March 20, 2020

Cornell Essay Questions and Analysis

• Goals Statements: Use this short answer question to succinctly share your short and long term goals. If invited to interview, you will have the opportunity to elaborate further and should be prepared to connect your prior experience with your future aspirations.
  
  A statement of your goals will begin a conversation that will last throughout the admissions process and guide your steps during the MBA program and experience. To the best of your understanding today, please share your short and long term goals by completing the following sentences and answering the enclosed short answer question:
  
  
  • Immediately post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) ____[Role]____ at ___[Company]___within___[Industry]___.
    
    • Targeted Job Role:
    • Target Job Company:
    • Industry:
  • In 5 – 10 years post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) ____[Role]____ at ___[Company]___within___[Industry]___.
    
    • Targeted Job Role:
    • Target Job Company:
    • Industry:
  • How has your experience prepared and encouraged you to pursue these goals? (350 words maximum)
• Impact Essay: At Cornell, our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. How do you intend to make an impact during the next several years of your education and/or career? (350 words maximum)
  
• Back of Your Resume Essay: The front page of your resume has given us a sense of your professional experience and accomplishments as well as your academic summary and extracurricular involvement. If the back page reflects “the rest of your story,” please help us get to know you better by sharing ONE example of a life experience, achievement, or passion that will give us a sense of who you are as a potential community member.
  
• Optional Essay: You may use this essay to call attention to items needing clarification and to add additional details to any aspects of your application that do not accurately reflect your potential for success at Johnson (350 words maximum).
  *If you are reapplying for admission, please use this essay to indicate how you have strengthened your application and candidacy since the last time you applied for admission. Please also review our Admissions Policy for additional information about re-applying
  
• Roy H. Park Leadership Fellows* Program Essay: What is your greatest example of leadership and what personal qualities helped you succeed in that role? Please limit your submission to 500 words or fewer.
  *The Roy H. Park Leadership Fellows Program is a two-year full tuition fellowship award for Two-Year MBA candidates in Ithaca who have demonstrated outstanding leadership potential and who are committed to making an impact within their communities. Each year it is awarded to up to 25 incoming students, with the expectation that they will participate in additional leadership and personal development activities outside of our regular curriculum, serve in leadership roles within the school, and complete a public service project by the time they graduate. The Park Fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens applying for the Two-Year MBA program.

Please refer the Application Requirements for guidance on how to approach the essays.. https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/program ... uirements/

Analysis of Cornell Essays By:

Regarding the impact essay - in order to best articulate how you plan to make an impact, you need to do a lot of research on what they have going on at Johnson.

Go way past the internet research. Make sure to contact current students and recent alumni to better understand where you could add value to this very tight-knit community.

What is in your wheelhouse and where could you leverage it for the good of the whole community? It's best to provide a thoughtful vision on how you will contribute in one or two areas. Listing off how you will be the VP of 5 or 6 student clubs won't be persuasive.

This school is often the safety school and loses out to other programs, so they really need for you to be clear about why it's your top choice.

Attend a Cornell admissions event and ask to be put in contact with a student ambassador. Through the research and connections you've made, the essay should write itself.
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I am excited to announce that vinayakvaish will be the Cornell Johnson moderator and lead this discussion. He is also the moderator for Duke Fuqua.

He is applying to Cornell and a few other schools this year. We look forward to seeing new initiatives being taken by him for the prospective Cornell Johnson applicants.

Please join me in welcoming the new Cornell Johnson Class of 2022 moderator!

vinayakvaish Please introduce yourself when you get a chance.
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Hey! Thank You workout for the warm welcome.

My name is Vinayak and I am an Instrumentation Engineer by profession with six years of experience in the Petrochemical Sector. I started my career as a maintenance guy but later switched to internal consulting within the sector. I work with my country's largest Oil&Gas explorer, optimizing operations and when not in the field, I help firms better their digital presence and raise seed funding by providing consulting services as freelance Digital Consultant and pitch-deck creator.

I am drawn to Cornell's strong ops program and the wonderful learning opportunity it provides to a diverse cohort of candidates from around the world.

Really excited to be here. Good luck everyone!!

Hi Guys, Today we will have a live chat session with Cornell admissions in our chat room. I am sure all applicants will be eager to join this chat and interact with adcom members; however, in case anyone is unable to make it due to other commitments but has questions for adcom, you can PM your questions to me or Cornell forum moderator - vinayakvaish. We will try our best to get answers to your questions from adcom members.

Look forward to all applicants in the chat session.

We are starting the chat session. If you are around, please join us here.. https://gmatclub.com/forum/mchat.php?fl=menu

Thanks everyone for participating in the latest Cornell adcom chat. Special thanks to Christineb99e, Shrey9, Blaketer, daversions, nitesh1357, Itgelee, & Businessconquerer for asking some great questions in the session.

Here's are key takeaways from the chat. Full transcript is also available to download below.

• Cornell accepts both GMAT and GRE scores and recommend that you take the test that you feel you can perform strongest on. Cornell does not have a preference and one test is not preferred over the other.
  
• When looking at candidates it is much more than scores. We look at your undergrad and post-grad performance. Work experience is the first thing I will look at. From your career progression to accomplishments/achievements. We look at your goals to get a better understanding of what you want to do. Letters of recs and what is said about you. Interviews are very key too. This is your opportunity to show who you are. Finally, the essays are important too.
  
• About 30% of our students are awarded merit-based scholarships and awards range from 10% up to full tuition. All candidates who are given an offer of admission are considered for merit-based scholarship.
  
• The best way to demonstrate fit is by getting to know our community. We host various information sessions, webinars, etc. all around the world where you will meet our Admissions Team, Alumni, Current Students, and more. Come to visit campus if you can. You will get a good sense of the community and ways you can make an impact. Make sure you reach out students and alums about their experience

Full Chat Transcript

Moderator: Hello Everyone, Thanks for joining us in today’s chat session with Cornell admissions team. Today we are joined by…
• Eddie Asbie, Associate Director of Admissions & Financial Aid
• Lisa Curry, Director of Operations, Admissions & Financial Aid
• Jade Kinsman, Admissions Officer.
I welcome all adcom members in this chat session and request them to introduce themselves before starting the Q&A round.

Eddie: Hi All! My name is Eddie Asbie, Associate Director of Admissions. Thank you for joining the chat today. We look forward to answering your questions.

Lisa: Hello everyone! Thanks for joining us today. I’m excited to answer your questions and share insight into our admissions process. Looking forward to your questions.

Jade: Hi everyone! I’m Jade Kinsman, Admissions Officer. We’re happy to see you all joining us today for the chat and please let us know what questions you have!

MeherAnand: Hi, how much weightage do undergraduate scores have in the application process?

Eddie: Thank you for joining us today. When reviewing an application, undergrad scores are important in the application process but is not the deciding factor. We take a holistic approach when making a final decision. If you are concern with your undergrad performance, you may want to consider taking a course, etc. before applying to the program.

Neerajlalotra: Is it possible to do 2 immersions?

Eddie: The best option for you would be to customize your immersion, if you are interested in multiple areas. To learn more about this options, please review this link: https://
https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/program ... immersion/

Shrey9: How competitive I could be, coming from a family business (SME) at a school like Cornell ? shall I be looking to score more than the average on the GMAT because of my family business? How many years of experience is a median one for your school ?

Lisa: Not just for family business, but for all of our programs its important to have a strong application. It’s ideal to submit a GMAT score that is within our average range to be competitive. If a higher score can be submitted, that’s great as well. I would also recommend connecting with our Smith Family Business initiative and with current students. Our average years of work experience prior to beginning our 2YR program is 5 years.

Vikkired: Does GMAT or GRE make difference?

Jade: That’s a great question! We leave the choice up to you, as we accept both GMAT and GRE scores and recommend that you take the test that you feel you can perform strongest on. We do not have a preference and one test is not preferred over the other.

Christineb99e: How does the school location promote/foster internships during the school term.

Lisa: We’re very fortunate at Johnson to have a strong recruitment presence on campus from top companies and industries. Depending on area of interest, students typically begin interviewing for internships in early winter, and mostly within their second semester. Since many recruiters visit campus, many of these interviews take place at Sage Hall. Students also have opportunities to interview with recruiters in other locations as well.

Kirti100: What parameters do you look upon in profile evaluation apart from scores

Eddie: When looking at candidates it is much more than scores. We look at your undergrad and post grad performance. Work experience is the first thing I will look at. From your career progression to accomplishments/achievements. We look at your goals to get a better understanding of what you want to do. Letters of recs and what is said about you. Interviews are very key too. This is your opportunity to show who you are. Finally, the essays are important too. I hope this helps

Crackgmat0108: How much weightage do you give to Extra curricular/community activities. Moreover how do you see people coming for MBA to gain skills to help them manage their business well instead of people coming to acquire skills to get employed in fields like consulting etc.

Lisa: Within our application we have an section in which applicants can discuss their community and extracurricular involvement. We find this to be important as candidates who are a good fit at Johnson tend to be highly collaborative and engaged while here. Students choose our program for a variety of reasons. Some will come here to gain the business skills they’re currently lacking, some will come to gain experience and make a career pivot, our Two-Year program is a great fit for both!

hero_with_1000_faces: How much does Cornell value diversity in class?

Lisa: Johnson places huge importance of creating a class with both diversity of experiences and background. This year our Office of Diversity and Inclusion is celebrating our 20th Anniversary and has been a major source of support in both programming, inclusion, academics, and recruitment. I encourage you to explore our diversity initiatives and event offerings!

Blaketer: How common is it for students to receive full financial aid ? and what are the best ways to get a scholarship?

Jade: Full financial aid can be offered via loans, students are able to take loans out for the full cost of attendance and this is very common. In regard to scholarships, about 30% of our students are awarded merit based scholarships and awards range from 10% up to full tuition. All candidates who are given an offer of admission are considered for merit based scholarship. We also encourage you to search for outside scholarships. More information can be found here https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/program ... nd-grants/

Daversions: What is the school’s viewpoint when it comes to an applicants age? If the applicant is in their mid thirties, but otherwise strong, how would this be viewed?

Eddie: We have many students in their mid-thirties who are in the program. The most important thing in the application process is understanding if this program is the right fit for you vs. an Executive program. An important question you will want to answer throughout the application process is, why an MBA now? I hope this helps.

Vinayakvaish: LMC334, can you please throw light on teaching and research assistantship opportunities available at Cornell in OTIM

Lisa: In a student’s second year there are opportunities to be a teaching assistant. Faculty typically reach out directly to students who demonstrate strong knowledge in particular subject area, and ask them to participate as a teaching assistant.

Nitesh1357: How can an applicant demonstrate fit with Cornell?

Eddie: The best way to demonstrate fit is by getting to know our community. We host various information sessions, webinars, etc. all around the world where you will meet our Admissions Team, Alumni, Current Students, and more. Come to visit campus if you can. You will get a good sense of the community and ways you can make an impact. Make sure you reach out students and alums about their experience

Daversions: Are the MBA and Tech MBA STEM certified? This has an impact on visas post graduation.

Eddie: Unfortunately, the MBA and Cornell Tech programs are not STEM certified. We have been exploring this option and hope to have further updates in the future.

Shrey9: How much gender diversity is at Cornell, along with international diversity?

Lisa: Great question! For our incoming class that just recently joined our program, we had our strongest showing of women enrollment ever, with 35% of incoming 2YR class. For international enrollment, we have 32% of our class coming from 30 countries this year.

Itgelee: What work experience do you prefer to see in applicants? What is your view on job hoppers?

Jade: The average years of work experience for students in our Two-year class is 5 years, and the middle 80% is 3-8 years of experience. We do not have a minimum number of years in order to apply, when reviewing your application we look at the depth and breadth of your experience, as well as if your responsibilities have progressed and what types of leadership experience you may have. If you have job hopped, again we look at your role and responsibilities, and if you are making a pivot in your career. If invited for an interview, we may ask you more questions during that time if we need any clarification. If you feel this is something you’d like to address you may also use the optional essay to explain.

Businessconquerer: Does cornell provide opportunities to people from construction background to go to a managerial post such as Project manager in same background?

Lisa: Thanks for this! Students often use our programs to jump to higher level roles within their field of choice, and often use the MBA experience to do so! We have students that come from a multitude of industries and backgrounds, and who leverage an MBA for position growth within any field.

Moderator: We have people asking about well rounded resumes and what sticks and how to make a resume better rounded if there aren’t too many extra curricular activities on it. Can you elaborate as to how a candidate can strengthen/point these areas of strength out?

Jade: Great question. On your resume you’ll want to be sure to highlight accomplishments in each role, not just what your responsibilities were. Also, if you had the opportunity to lead any times or any type of leadership experience, include that on your resume. If your resume is not able to include extracurriculars, you’ll have the opportunity to include your activities and hobbies within the application, as well as any clubs or work experience you may have had during college.

Arro44: Have the international applications taken a hit due to the current political environment and are international students more concerned about their chances to stay in the US after graduation?

Eddie: Yes, we have seen a slight decrease in international applications and I am sure there are some international students who are concerned with job placement in the U.S. after graduation but Johnson does a great job of helping our international students land amazing jobs in the U.S. As an international applicant, it is very important to really do your research in the career field you’re looking to go into, along with the company hiring international students. Also, I would recommend reaching out to our Career Management Center as your going through the application process.

Itgelee: What is difference between immersion and area of focus in 2 year program?

Lisa: Our immersion learning allows students to focus their studies on the industry of their choice. In their second semester, students will chose an immersion field that will help them accelerate in their field/industry of choice. Immersion learning combines faculty practitioners, elective coursework, coaching by industry experts, and problem solving actual business cases. Areas of focus include developing skills in other areas. To do this, students participate in clubs/organizations and leadership experiences, and take coursework and electives to develop important soft business skills. Other ways to do this are to dive into entrepreneurship, complete summer internships, and participate in global learning experiences.

Email Q1: If I have multiple GMAT scores, would the latest or best score be considered? Also do you pay attention to the scores achieved in other attempts?

Lisa: Having more than once test score allows us an informed understanding of your progression and performance on the GMAT or GRE, but we’re going to focus on the best score when evaluating an application.

Email Q2: If there is a gap year in the student’s profile will it affect his/her application negatively?

Eddie: It all depends on the reasoning. If there is a gap year, you will want to use the optional essay to explain. We understand you are human and things happen but as an applicant it is your responsibility to explain.

Email Q3: Can 1 Yr MBAs participate in on-campus recruiting activity alongside 2 yrs at the Fall and Spring career fairs or networking events?

Jade: Yes, One-year MBA students are able to participate in recruiting activities along with the Two-year students.

Email Q4: Why is there a lower Placement rate (3 months after graduation) for 1YR MBAs in comparison to 2 yr?

Lisa: Great question! There a variety of reasons for this. First, many of our 1YR students are dualdegree students, who go on to complete other programs which means they aren’t recruiting immediately after completing their 1YR program. Students in our 1YR program are able to access all of our CMC and recruitment resources, but may not necessarily follow a traditional 2YR recruitment schedule given the shorter duration of the program.

Email Q5: Any new upcoming curriculum innovations that can be shared at this time?

Lisa: At this time there are no curriculum innovations to share, however we are always assessing our curriculum and collecting feedback from students as well as companies who are hiring our students. Recent updates to the curriculum include our NYC Intensives that can be taken at the Cornell Tech campus in NYC, more information can be found here https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/program ... ntensives/

Moderator: It’s 12:00! Lisa, Eddie, and Jade, thank you for coming here and spending an hour with us to answer questions! I think this has been a very productive hour for our members, and I know all of them share my appreciation for your service here today!

Eddie: Thank you all for joining. We hope this was helpful. Johnson application is currently live! We look forward to seeing your application.

Lisa: Thanks everyone for your questions!

Jade: Thank you for joining us today! We hope we helped to answer your questions, and we look forward to connecting with you this year!

Arro44: That was quite interesting, I like these sessions

Crackgmat0108: I really liked this session.

Shrey9: Thanks guys !! such chats are really helpful for everyone
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Has anyone else had trouble getting in touch with student ambassadors? I've contacted at least 5 different students, and I haven't heard back. I'm not offended, just surprised...maybe since it's the beginning of the new school year?

Not really- 3 out of the 4 I reached out to last year were extremely helpful and even took the time to speak to me on Skype- Maybe they've just been busy.

Yeah I think it's just a busy time of year. Actually have a meeting later this week with a student, so it's just taken some time.

I'm in the same boat. I contacted four different students and didn't hear back, which isn't a problem I had with any other schools. I was surprised as well, but maybe it's being filtered to spam?

Yep, facing a similar issue. Contacted a few students back in August, didn't hear back from anyone. Thought it must be because of the busy end-of-internship period. Tried reaching out again in the last couple of weeks but still haven't heard back from anyone. Quite unusual, and definitely the only school in my personal experience where I've faced this.


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I didn’t seem to have any issue. I contacted two and two of them replied, I met them on campus during my campus tour for coffee

Posted from my mobile device

Good luck to all who applied in Oct round! Any idea about interview timeline? When invites are likely to roll out?

Cornell Webinar Join Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QG_EZEed0

Hello everyone,

I would like to invite you to learn about Johnson's leadership programs during the upcoming Cornell MBA webinar with GMAT Club. The webinar will feature the Executive Director of Leadership Programs, Laura Georgianna, and our Associate Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Eddie Asbie, who will discuss our comprehensive leadership curriculum at Cornell. The chat will also provide you with an opportunity to learn more about our performance learning approach, new NYC based curriculum, and life in gorgeous Ithaca!

Cornell MBA Webinar with GMAT Club: Leadership at Johnson
October 10 | 11:00 AM EST

Register for the event here: https://bit.ly/2p52XWq

Posted from my mobile device

Has anybody who applied for the Early Action round received an interview invite?

In Yesterday's session, Eddie elaborated on the invites timeline.

One year EA applicants: Invites have been going out within this week.
Two year Oct round invites will not go out atleast for the next couple of weeks.

https://youtu.be/S8QG_EZEed0?t=2896