PhD Admissions Process Information

Thanks for your interest in Cornell’s Communication PhD. If you haven’t already visited the graduate program section of our department website, I encourage you to do so. The admissions FAQ crafted by our field faculty is particularly helpful for prospective applicants.      

I understand that you are curious if I’m accepting new graduate student advisees this admissions cycle. To ensure that incoming students receive the best support possible, our department has moved toward a more holistic admissions process. While we assign all accepted students a temporary advisor, our field faculty make admissions decisions collaboratively, rather than relying on individual faculty members to champion for a particular applicant.  

If you are interested in the possibility of working with me, I recommend that you list my name in your application materials. This will allow our admissions committee to “tag” me as a potential reviewer. You can read more about my current research activities on my website. Many of the collaborative projects include work with current and former Cornell students.      

Please note that in the interest of fairness, I am no longer available to meet with prospective applicants. You will have an opportunity to connect with faculty and current students our fall recruitment events. Information about registering for these events will be available on both the Graduate School’s page and also at the top of our admissions page. Should you have any specific questions about the application process that aren’t answered on our website or through our virtual events, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Graduate Program Coordinator, Joanna Alario, at jca36 [at] cornell.edu. 

• What if you’re interacting with a prospective student at a conference?
  Use similar language to the template, highlight our collaborative process, and provide general grad admissions advice.
• What if you’re connected to a prospective applicant through a colleague?
  Use similar language to the template, but also emphasize that even though there is a personal connection, we still have a process in place to keep things fair to all applicants.
• What if you had a conversation with an applicant?
  Acknowledge your interactions with them in your written evaluation or bring it up in the admissions committee meetings if they’re being discussed.

We don’t expect faculty to not engage with prospective applicants in face-to-face situations. Instead, be mindful in the interest of fairness and acknowledge these in the “declaration of interests” field.