An application processing fee of $80 charged through the application system. Application fee waivers are available to US citizens, permanent residents, or undocumented applicants who have demonstrated financial hardship or participated in specific pipeline programs. Please visit the following link for more information about our <LINK to Fee Waiver section in FAQs>
U.S. Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts from U.S. institutions may be uploaded directly onto the application portal and can be used for application review. Official transcripts are not required at the time you apply but can be sent via email to wcgs-admissions@med.cornell.edu or postal mail. To be considered official, transcripts must be received in envelopes sealed by the institution or sent electronically from the institution to Weill Cornell.
Foreign Transcripts - Transcripts from institutions outside of the U.S., including Canada, must be transcribed and evaluated by World Education Services (WES), SpanTran, IEE or a similar member evaluation service (electronic submission preferred).
If using WES, please select the WES Basic Course-by-Course evaluation and choose "Cornell University - Manhattan NY" as the recipient with "Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences" as the School/Division.
Evaluations are accepted only from current members of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). Official course-by-course evaluations are required for application review.
We require three letters of recommendation from professors or other professionals who are able to judge your preparation and fitness for graduate work in the proposed program of study. Letters must be submitted electronically by your recommenders using the link provided through your application. Letters will not be accepted via email or postal mail.
GRE scores are optional for all Weill Cornell PhD programs. GRE scores are valid for five years after the test date and official scores are required if you choose to submit them.
Your personal statement should outline your interest in research science, the program you are applying to, as well as why Weill Cornell is the right school for you. You may also want to discuss any faculty members you would be interested in working with and why.
The Weill Cornell Graduate School prides itself on the diversity of our learning environment. To give our review committee a more comprehensive understanding of you, we encourage you to also include how your education may have been affected by your cultural, economic, or social experiences. Please keep your statement to 1500 words.
Please upload an updated, professional resume to your application.
International applicants must submit current scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Duolingo English Test, or Cambridge English exam directly through the testing site via e-delivery to "Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences". Tests scores for TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo English Test are valid for two years after the test date.
To see if you qualify for an exemption, see below:
Citizenship/Permanent Residency
If the applicant is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories (e.g., Puerto Rico), or a citizen of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada, they are exempt.
Applicants who are citizens of all other countries, including India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. are not exempt and must submit English language proficiency exam scores.
English-Language Instruction
Applicants who, at the time of enrollment, have studied in full-time status for at least two academic years within the last five years in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, or with English language instruction in Canada or South Africa, are exempt.
Applicants must submit a transcript that shows they studied in one of the approved locations, and that the academic program was at least two years in length.
Even if English was the language of instruction of the course or institution, it must have been in one of the eligible locations, otherwise the applicant is not exempt from the requirement.