Cornell undergrad looking to apply for Cornell graduate math program?

Question

I am a sophomore at Cornell in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences...I want to get my undergraduate degree in Mathematics and possibly a minor in Economics. I am pursuing both of these right now. When I complete my undergraduate studies, I would like to stay at Cornell to continue my graduate studies. Has anyone had any experience with getting accepted to a graduate program at Cornell if they were already an undergraduate there? I will be applying directly after finishing my undergraduate degree. Will Cornell be less likely to accept me than someone who applies from another school, simply because I was already at Cornell and they want more diversity?

Thank you.

Answer 1

Since you are at Cornell, you have better access to the people who can answer these questions that we do.

You should make an appointment with the director of graduate studies for the Math Department. He will not only be able to answer your questions, but can give you advice on which classes to take to increase your chances of getting into a good graduate program.

That being said -- many colleges are willing to accept their own undergraduates who want to continue. You should not limit your choices though. While Cornell is one of th best universities in the country, there are a number of universities with better math PhD programs. You should go to the best university that you can get into.

If you really love Cornell, you should go elsewhere. It will increase your chances of getting a job there. While graduate programs will often take their own undergraduates -- universities rarely hire their own PhDs to be on the faculty.