Apply

The Cornell Baker Program in Real Estate reviews and admits students to the master’s degree program in four rounds. Applying in earlier rounds ensures earlier decision notification to assist with your planning. Priority for Baker Program scholarship funding is given in earlier rounds.

• Round one: December 1
• Round two: January 15
• Round three: March 1
• Round four: April 15

*Individuals applying in round one are eligible to have their application fee waived.*

Please email us when your application is complete and ready to submit. Please include: 1) Your name; 2) The statement, “I intend to complete the admission requirements and submit my application by December 1, 2022;”. We will respond with an email that includes a unique fee waiver code that has been assigned to your application. 

Applicants may be admitted, denied, or postponed until later in the admission cycle. Admission notifications are typically released 6-8 weeks after each deadline. All required components must be received in order for your application to be considered. Applicants can view the status of their application materials via the Checklist available in the application portal.

The application fee for the Baker Program is available via ApplyWeb, the Cornell Graduate School’s online application system.

• The application can be completed in one session, or can be saved and returned to in subsequent sessions.
• Students applying online with electronically submitted supporting documents will be able to track the status of their application through an account on the ApplyWeb website.
• A $105 non-refundable fee is required to complete the application. The application fee will be waived for all current or former United States military members, for all Cornell students and recent alumni (graduates within two years of application date), and
• The application fee is also waived for individuals submitting their completed application prior to the round one deadline. Email us at real_estate@cornell.edu when your application is complete and ready to submit to request your application waiver code. After we receive your email, we will provide you with a unique fee waiver code.
• If you have questions or problems while completing the online application, contact the Baker Program coordinator of admissions at real_estate@cornell.edu.

In addition to the requirements outlined by the Graduate School, the Baker Program has the following requirements:

Academic Statement of Purpose

Please use the Academic Statement of Purpose to describe, within 1000 words: (1) your academic interests, (2) your academic background, preparation, and training, including any relevant professional experiences, (3) your reasons for pursuing graduate studies in this specific program, and (4) your professional goals.

After your application has been submitted you will be invited to complete your online video essay—detailed information will be sent to you through email. The video essay serves as a pre-recorded interview, rather than a live meeting or video chat with the admissions team. You’ll be asked to respond to additional questions and record your answers in a video format. The video essay is part of a holistic assessment that will be considered alongside your completed online application. We advise that you use the most up-to-date version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge to complete the video essay.

Please provide your most current resume. If you have updates to your resume after submitting your application, you are welcome to email an updated resume at any time during the admissions process.

Transcripts from all prior academic institutions attended are required. Please upload a PDF copy of transcripts from each institution, including any at which you are currently enrolled and/or from any institution from which you have received or will receive a degree.

Competitive applicants to the Baker Program in Real Estate will have completed coursework in the following subjects prior to enrollment:

• Microeconomics
• Financial Accounting

For students who have not taken a microeconomics or financial accounting class, the prerequisites can be satisfied before matriculation (before the first day of the program). If you have questions about your credentials, please feel free to email the Office of Admissions.

For applicants with international credentials

For students with non-U.S. credentials, an international equivalent to a bachelor’s degree is required. Please refer to the Graduate School’s website for a list of international degree equivalencies. Candidates who have earned or are on track to earn a degree that does not match the information found on the equivalency list in title or duration should strongly consider providing a credential evaluation with their application. World Education Services (WES), a third-party verification agency, is an example of a preferred provider.

All transcripts must be official documents issued by the college or university and provided in their original language. If your transcript is not in English, please submit an official and certified English translation in addition to an original copy. WES can provide this service.

If your transcripts are not issued by the college or university as original documents, they should be notarized, full-size photocopies.

Transcripts should include grades received in each subject each year and the number of weeks and hours per week each subject was studied. Courses must be described in detail.

Two letters of recommendation are required for your application. At least one should be from a current or recent supervisor who can attest to your work-related skills. The second may be from either an academic or professional source. In the application, select the “online” option for your recommenders to receive an emailed invitation to submit their letters. You will be required to enter the email or street address of your recommenders as you complete this portion of your application.

You are encouraged to request recommendations from people who are well acquainted with you and your professional capabilities. It is your responsibility to ensure that all recommendations are submitted online by the deadline for the round in which you are applying.

**The Baker Program in Real Estate is test optional for the GMAT/GRE for the fall 2023 admission cycle. When considering whether or not to submit the GMAT/GRE, please consider the following:

• Compelling applicants to the program will demonstrate strong quantitative skills and English language proficiency.
• Our admissions committee uses a holistic approach to review applications, and will seek evidence of quantitative exposure through your resume, academic transcript, essay, and letters of recommendation. The GMAT/GRE is one way to demonstrate quantitative competency and English language proficiency to the admissions committee. Unless your transcript clearly demonstrates quantitative ability, you should strongly consider taking the GMAT/GRE. Examples of quantitative classes include microeconomics, finance, accounting, calculus, and statistics with regression.
• If your secondary school transcript includes examples of quantitative coursework you are welcome to include that in your application as well.
• All applications will be considered “complete” without GMAT/GRE test scores. If you plan to submit test scores, please schedule them to be sent to us well in advance of the application deadline so they can be reviewed with your application.”

If you have graduated from Cornell University in the last 2 years with a GPA of 3.3 or greater, you may request a GMAT/GRE waiver by submitting your transcript and emailing real_estate@cornell.edu.

When sending your official score report, have your GMAT score report sent to Cornell University Graduate School or your GRE sent to Cornell University, Institution Code 2098.

The official score must arrive at Cornell prior to processing the application. Applicants who take the GMAT/GRE more than once benefit from having only their highest score considered in the admissions process, but no super scoring will be performed (i.e., adding the best verbal to the best quantitative scores). If you plan to retake the GMAT/GRE after applying, please email the Admissions office of the date on which you intend to take the test.

Apply now

(International applicants only)

All international applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting official TOEFL or IELTS scores. The Baker Program in Real Estate does not accept My Best Score reports for the TOEFL examination and requires a minimum cumulative TOEFL score of 100 in addition to the minimum sub-scores that can be found on the Graduate School’s website.

In some cases, these testing requirements can be waived. For more information on score minimums, how to submit test scores, and the criteria for waiving the requirement, please visit the Graduate School’s website.

• Cornell must receive official TOEFL or IELTS scores before the university can process your application.
• TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid only if dated within two years of your program’s application deadline.

TOEFL

For applicants in regions where the TOEFL iBT is not available, Cornell will continue to accept scores for the paper-based test (PBT).

• Please request TOEFL scores to be sent to: Cornell University Graduate School, Code #2098. If you are required to take the TOEFL, please note the following:
• Photocopies of TOEFL score reports will not be accepted.
• Take the TOEFL early enough to have the results submitted at the time of your application. Please note that we cannot confirm receipt of test scores until the student has submitted an online application. Exam dates are posted on the TOEFL website.
• If you receive your test results and any sub-score does not meet the requirement, you should make arrangements to retake the test. If your TOEFL score does not meet the requirement, we cannot issue a visa document, and you will not be able to enter the country.
• An application cannot be considered complete until Cornell receives official scores from ETS. An offer of admissions cannot be made, nor can a visa document be issued, if an application is incomplete.

IELTS

The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS.

• When you register for the exam, you may select up to 5 institutions to which you would like to have your scores sent. Cornell University has multiple IELTS accounts so please be sure to select Cornell University Graduate Admissions when registering for your IELTS test date.
• You may also submit a request to your test center to have additional score reports sent to institutions not originally listed on your test registration form. Scores must be sent electronically (e-delivery) to the Cornell University Graduate Admissions, Caldwell Hall e-download account. E-delivery may also be referred to as an e-TRF by your test center.
• The IELTS score must be dated within two years of your program’s application deadline. Scores must be delivered electronically through the IELTS E-Delivery service.
• International students may also be required to pass a writing benchmark. All of our classes are in English and require participation in class discussions, as well as intensive writing, reading, and involvement in group projects. Successful candidates will have a full command of both spoken and written English. Even if your TOEFL score exceeds the minimum requirement, you may still be required to enroll in an intensive English course, preferably in the United States, before you begin the program.

International students can find detailed information on specific application requirements on the Graduate School’s website.

IELTS and TOEFL Arrangements for COVID-19

COVID-19 has disrupted the ability of applicants in countries worldwide to take in-person English language proficiency exams.

We will temporarily accept at home test results for fall 2023 admission until regular testing resumes. Here are some additional options:

• IELTS Indicator allows test takers to take the IELTS Academic exam online from the comfort and safety of their home. The test is available for a limited time in countries where IELTS testing has been suspended due to COVID-19.
• TOEFL iBT^®  Special Home Edition is being offered temporarily to meet the needs of students who are unable to take the TOEFL iBT^® at a test center due to public health concerns. The test is identical in content and format to the regular exam and is available everywhere that the TOEFL iBT test is normally available, with the exception of China and Iran.
• TOEFL ITP® Plus for China is no longer available, however, we will continue to accept valid scores. All scores are valid for 2 years after the test date. 

Applicants to the dual-degree program must apply separately to both the Baker Program for the MPS RE and the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) for the MRP.

• Learn more about applying for an MRP at AAP.

Each college or school makes its admissions decisions independently. The Baker Program is not responsible for other college’s requirements and does not have access to information pertaining to those application files.

To be accepted and enrolled in a dual-degree program, students must:

• Meet each program’s application deadline and fulfill all admissions requirements (admissions decisions are made independently by each program)
• Accept admittance to both programs, and submit any required tuition deposits
• Submit GMAT score reports, transcripts, and TOEFL, if needed, to each program

Requests to enroll as a dual-degree student must be declared on the initial application to the Baker Program. Students not admitted to a dual-degree program upon initial enrollment in the Baker Program must complete the MPS RE degree requirements before enrolling in any other degree program at Cornell.

Students already enrolled in the MRP program may still apply to the Baker Program and, upon admission, be formally admitted to the dual-degree program.

An interview with a member of the Baker Student Admissions Team is an optional part of the admissions process. These interviews can occur virtually from anywhere. In order to request an interview, an applicant must have created a profile in the application portal and shared a resume with the Office of Admissions. You may also request your interview after you have submitted your application. To request an interview please send an email for more information.

The interview allows the Baker Program to get to know you and your professional goals. It is also your opportunity to get a firsthand understanding of what studying at the Baker Program will be like for you.