<p>I am very interested in attending Cornell's Applied Economics and Management (AEM) program at Dyson within CALS. I was wondering if anyone here who has been accepted or knows about the school can tell me about how they got accepted. Since the acceptance rate is so low and almost all applicants are qualified I was wondering how they choose. I heard that it is all about showing them you are a perfect fit. What makes you a perfect fit? Cornell AEM is my dream school and so I'd like to know what it takes/how I would go about becoming the right fight/showing them I am! Basically, what are the specifics that make someone stand out to AEM? Thanks.</p>
<p>Other than having a good GPA and test scores, having extra-curriculars related to your intended major is very helpful as are writing excellent essays to show how you are a fit. With a good essay, admissions shouldn’t have to guess whether or not you are a fit, because you told them why you were in the essay.</p>
<p>So does your essay weigh more than your test scores essentially? Or do you need near perfect scores and GPA THEN they read the essay? I have a 32 ACT and about a 3.7 GPA. I know it is low, especially for AEM, but I have had many successes starting my own business already and a few other business experiences that I’m sure would stand out. </p>
<p>So is it more so about knowing what you want to major in and proving it to them that you belong?</p>
<p>It really depends. They all highly correlate with each other. It’s not like one aspect “compensates” for another. I wouldn’t say it’s “more” about knowing what you want to major in and prove you along, but it’s a part of it. I would say a weak essay is worse than weak test scores, but at some point, test scores are going to be too low for you to be admitted.</p>
<p>Do you know how I’d go about standing out and proving that I’m the perfect fit then? I think my test scores are on the low side but if I am able to prove it to them I would be set. Are there any specific ECs or jobs I should do - or what? </p>
<p>I really appreciate the responses, thanks so much!</p>
<p>Cornell will be looking for you to articulate your match to the program. So you’re going to have to say why the AEM program meets what you are looking for and what you have to done specifically to demonstrate that interest. You should research specific aspects of the AEM program and detail how these specific areas are really of interest to you and how you’ve gone about exploring these areas in your high school courses and ec’s.</p>
<p>I’m a junior in AEM right now. It’s even more competitive since we surpassed Wharton in Bloomberg Business Week. I’m sure you’ve done your homework on AEM, but if you haven’t, know that it’s in CALS, started as Agricultural Economics, now transformed to AEM. Fit is a big thing here, as well as identifying some way with CALS mission statement. You’re much more likely to get admitted by NOT declaring Finance or Accounting as your specialization when applying either. Almost everyone here is in that. Be unique.</p>
<p>I’m also a junior in AEM and I’m going to say that the essay is probably the most important thing. That’s assuming you don’t have any hooks (athlete, URM, legacy) that would put you above many other people who are also applying. It’s also fine to not have related EC’s when you apply, but having them certainly does help.</p>
<p>I got in as a transfer from a community college. I have worked for 3 years in the solar industry, so that probably didn’t hurt. I indicated my interest for sustainability and economics, how they are related, and how green technologies can prove to be both environmentally responsible and financially lucrative.</p>
<p>That was the jist of my essay. I love my job, so I talked about it (whether or not I choose to specialize in resource economics remains to be seen )</p>
<p>I was just accepted as a sophomore transfer to AEM. It’s a very competitive program, and it’s even more competitive for transfers because there are so few spots and a large volume of applicants. My stats weren’t amazing; they qualified me, but wouldn’t have made your jaw drop, you know? I have a 3.75 GPA in college (I attend the honors program at a top 50 state school), take a lot of high level and honors math & economics courses, and do some volunteer tutoring. What got me in was my essay in which, yes, I articulated why I’m a perfect fit for the program. Look on Dyson’s website and do some research, then talk about how the program fits your personal academic and career goals as well as what aspects of your character will help you succeed in it.</p>
<p>EDIT: I actually declared a double concentration in finance and accounting as my main interest when I applied, so even if they are very popular concentrations, it’s important to pick what fits for you. I have an extremely extensive background in high level mathematics, so those concentrations make sense for me. Cater to your individuality.</p>
<p>As a guy in AEM, rankings don’t really matter. I transferred when I knew where Wharton was in the rankings. If you’re an employer, do you look to Bloomberg and say “Oh, look, they ranked Notre Dame and U Virginia higher than Cornell’s AEM and UPenn’s Wharton”? </p>
<p>Of course not. Wharton and AEM dominate in comparison. I guarantee you if most of the students in these schools could do it all over again they would choose AEM or Wharton over their schools in a heartbeat. Thought I saw one kid trying to transfer to AEM from Mendoza actually.</p>
<p>It’s very difficult getting into since it is such a small program even though it is in high demand. AEM was my 1st choice as a freshman- I got rejected even with a 1560/1600 SAT, 3.96 UW GPA, plenty of AP and IB classes, and great EC’s that included running my own business. I got in as a transfer though out of another top 20 school (the one that is ranked #1 for business by a certain ranking…), so if you don’t get in on your first try, getting in as a transfer is probably a bit easier so don’t give up.</p>
)</p>