Frequently Asked Questions

Interviews are not offered as part of the Dyson School’s undergraduate admissions process.

Score-free for fall 2021 and fall 2022:  The COVID-19 pandemic emergency has led to many SAT and ACT administration cancellations. Due to this extraordinary circumstance, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business will not use test results as a part of our admissions review for students seeking admission for fall 2021 and 2022. Instead, we will proceed with a holistic review of every application – excluding the use of SAT/ACT test results — with an increased emphasis on evidence of academic preparation, creative exploration, and potential in the other application materials.  This will be true for both the Early Decision and Regular Decision rounds of review.  Please see https://admissions.cornell.edu/standardized-testing-requirements for more information.

The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business reviews applications holistically, meaning that we take into consideration all parts of your application. All of our applicants have superior academics and where they really stand out in their application is in their extracurriculars and their supplemental essays where they can highlight their experiences and passions that align with our program.

The Dyson School will only accept a maximum of 15 advanced standing test credits. To see what scores are accepted into the Dyson School curriculum, please refer to the Credit Placement Chart.

Note: The Dyson School does not accept advanced testing credit for calculus, statistics, microeconomics, or macroeconomics. Students applying to transfer to Dyson, must take these courses in college* before enrolling in the Dyson School.

*College coursework taken in high school, before receiving your high school diploma, will not be considered as a requirement taken in college. If the course was taken in high school, and counted toward high school degree requirements, it will not transfer to the Dyson School.

For information on how international credential credits may transfer to Cornell, please review the guidelines outlined on the university Courses of Study website.

A concentration is a series of electives within a specific area of study. Courses that fulfill concentrations are defined by the academic areas. All Dyson students must choose one concentration from our eleven concentrations. You may choose up to two concentrations.

Your concentration(s) must be chosen by the end of sophomore year.

Dyson’s Grand Challenges curriculum is a required component of the undergraduate experience. You’ll work with faculty and peers on real community challenges, making the world a better place through business and service. For more information please see The Grand Challenges curriculum page.

Yes. If your transcript or any other materials are not in English, please submit an original copy and an official, certified English translation.

International freshman and transfer applicants for whom English is not the first language must submit an English Language Proficiency Exam score.

The examinations that meet this requirement include:

• TOEFL iBT, minimum score of 100
• IELTS, minimum score of 7.5
• DuoLingo, minimum score of 120
• iTEP, minimum score of 5.5
• PTE Academic, minimum score of 70
• C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency, minimum score of 192

You may be eligible for a waiver if you meet certain criteria. For more detailed information on application instructions for international students, please visit the International Students page on the Cornell Undergraduate Admissions Office website.

When applying to the SC Johnson College of Business, students must choose to apply directly to either the Hotel School or the Dyson School. However, they also have the option to choose the other school as an alternate. Most students have a clear path and should apply to whichever school they believe is the right fit for them based on the curricular and extra-curricular offerings of the school. This alternate option should only be used by students who can clearly articulate their academic path in both schools, and they will need to fully explain those interests in their supplemental essay. Choosing both schools will not increase a student’s chances of admission, as application review remains highly selective for all academic programs at Cornell. Please note that during Early Decision application review, students will only be considered for admission to their primary choice.

Yes. Students currently studying at another institution are eligible to apply as transfer students. The Dyson School only accepts transfer students in the fall semester so students need to complete a full year at another institution and apply to transfer in the spring semester. For more information on the transfer process please see our Transfer Requirements page.

Transfer applications are accepted only for the fall semester. Fall-semester transfer applications should be submitted by March 15.

We expect you to have taken calculus, microeconomics, statistics, and two college-writing/English-composition courses.

We also recommend taking macroeconomics, biology, and chemistry or physics. While these courses are not required, they will strengthen your application. For more information, please see External Transfer Applicants.

We do not admit students who have previously earned a bachelor’s degree for a second undergraduate degree.

If you have completed a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in any field, we encourage you to apply to our Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in applied economics and management degree program.