M.Eng. FAQs
The following FAQs address questions that prospective applicants have raised about Cornell's Master of Engineering program in Operations Research and Information Engineering. These FAQs are informal listings; in the event of conflicts with official publications, those documents govern.
Admissions Questions
Application Logistics and Deadlines
Q: When should I apply?
A: Online applications (and all accompanying credentials) for Fall 2025 will open in late August 2024, and are due by December 1, 2024. Spring 2025 applications are only available to current Cornell University students and are due by October 1st, 2024.
Q: What, exactly, is due at the deadline?
A: The December 1st deadline is specifically for things within your control. Your resume, personal letters, unofficial transcript copy, and the various forms you need to fill out. It does not include official test score reports or letters of recommendation. Those are matched to your application as we receive them, and review is done based on self-reported scores if an official report has not been matched by the beginning of the review process.
If there is something missing from your application at the point where we need it, we will contact you.
Q: Am I eligible for Spring admission?
A: No, unless you are a current Cornell undergraduate student.
Any applications for admission in a Spring semester that are not from a current Cornell student will, with notice, be shuffled to the subsequent Fall application cycle.
Q: Where is the application?
A: The application is entirely online, and is available via the ApplyWeb portal. There is no offline/paper application.
Q: What is on the application?
A: A full, detailed breakdown can be found on our Admissions page. For quick reference, this is what you should expect to provide:
- Demographic information: your name, date of birth, etc.
- Your first-choice of concentration
- Your resume
- A copy of your unofficial transcript
- Relevant unofficial test scores (GRE, TOEFL, IELTs, etc.)
- An Academic Statement of Purpose
- A Personal Statement
- Proof that you have met the prerequisites for the program
Q: What is the Cornell ORIE MEng's Institutional and Departmental Code for submitting official test scores?
A: Cornell University uses Code 2098, and there is no Departmental Code for any department in the University. Should your vendor require you to submit a departmental code, use 99/"undecided".
Q: Is there an application fee, and can it be waived?
A: Yes, there is an application fee of $105 USD. No, it can not be waived. As a self-funded professional degree program, there is extremely limited financial aid, and this extends to the application process itself.
Q: Can I apply to multiple graduate programs at Cornell?
A: No. You can select one "second-choice" program, and if you are not accepted into the ORIE MEng, we will send your application to your second-choice program (after confirming that they are able and willing to review it).
Q: Do you accept transfer credits?
A: No, we do not accept transfer credits. There is an extremely limited exception for Cornell Undergraduates regarding their undergraduate coursework.
Q: Why don't I see CFEM as a program option?
A: CFEM is a specific component of the Financial Engineering concentration. You should select "Operations Research and Information Engineering, M.Eng (Ithaca)" as the program, and then list Financial Engineering as your first choice of concentration.
Q: Is CFEM the ORIE MEng at Cornell Tech?
A: No. The ORIE MEng at Cornell Tech is a completely separate program, and does not offer Financial Engineering as a concentration.
Qualifications for the Program
Q: Are there prerequisites for the MEng degree?
A: Yes, and they are listed in detail on our Admissions page. There are specific requirements for separate concentrations.
Q: How do I know if my classes meet the prerequisites?
A: As a general rule, review the courses provided for reference on our Admissions page. If you're still uncertain, consider the following:
- Engineering calculus-focused prerequisites: Students who come in without an in-depth understanding of systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, vector spaces, and eigenvalues/eigenvectors have an extremely difficult time. If these topics were discussed in your coursework, but were not covered extensively, that coursework will not meet the prerequisites.
- Probability and statistics-focused prerequisites: As an Engineering program, it should come as no surprise that our prerequisites include calculus and linear algebra-based probability and statistics. It is imperative that you have a strong understanding not just of how the methods are used, but why they work. If your classes were designed for non-engineers or the underlying theory of the methods was not covered, it does not satisfy the prerequisites.
- Programming-focused prerequisites: We expect our students to have an in-depth enough understanding of a general programming language that the underlying principles can translate to multiple languages. To use a non-Engineering metaphor, it's not enough to know the vocabulary, you need to know the grammar.
- Finance-focused prerequisites (FE only): While the finance requirement is listed as "introductory", you should bear in mind that we still expect a level of mathematical rigor. If your finance-relevant coursework was geared towards accounting or general budget management, it will not meet the prerequisites.
Q: Do you require the GRE/GMAT?
A: Yes. For the Fall 2025 application season, we require the GRE or GMAT. We prefer the GRE. You can submit your scores via ETS or mba.com, using the Institution code 2098 and, if asked, the Department code "undecided."
Applicants who have completed or are completing an undergraduate program at Cornell University are not required to submit these test scores.
Q: Do you require the TOEFL or IELTs for international applicants, and is there a minimum score?
A: Yes. There is a narrow set of exemptions to this rule, and if you believe that you are exempt, you are able to select the reason on the application itself. We will confirm your exemption during the review process, and if we find that you are not exempt, we will request your relevant scores.
For the ORIE MEng, we require the following at minimum (myBest score are acceptable):
- IELTS: Overall band score of at least 7.0
- TOEFL iBT overall minimum: 100
- TOEFL iBT Speaking: 22 or above
- TOEFL iBT Reading: 20 or above
- TOEFL iBT Listening: 15 or above
- TOEFL iBT Writing: 20 or above
Submit your scores to the Institutional Code 2098.
Q: Is there a GPA minimum?
A: The College of Engineering, of which we are a part, sets a minimum grade point average of 2.7 for admission. In recent years, demand in ORIE has effectively raised this level above 3.0.
That said, admission is based on the entire application, not on a fixed grade point cutoff.
Letters of Recommendation
Q: How many letters of recommendation do I need?
Two letters of recommendation are required for application to the ORIE MEng program, but three are preferred.
Ideally, submit two letters from academic contacts who can speak to the skills relevant to your concentration, and one letter from a professional (i.e., internship) reference that highlights your achievements while working in a non-academic setting.
Q: How do I submit letters of recommendation?
There is a recommendation section within the application, and the forms are sent digitally using the information you provide: your recommender's name, email address, and physical address (University or workplace address is fine). They complete their portion of the recommendation independent of the rest of your application.
Q: My recommender hasn't finished their letter and it's almost the deadline!
You can, and should submit your application with unfinished letters of recommendation. Letters are accepted after the deadline, however, at least 2 must be completed for us to begin the review process on your application. Within your ApplyWeb portal, you will have the option to remind your letter writers.
Q: My recommender can't receive the ApplyWeb emails because of (job or security-related complication), what should I do?
You will need to fill out the first box of this form (PDF download) with your information, and send it to your recommender. They fill out the rest of the form and email it, along with their letter of recommendation, directly to the Graduate Field Administrator. They must email it from a professional or academic email address. It will then be added to your application, and you will be able to see its status.
Q: Do you accept Interfolio?
A: We do not accept Interfolio or any other third-party aggregate letter program.
After Applying
Q: When will I learn if I have been accepted?
A: We begin sending acceptance letters in late January, and aim to have all decisions released by the end of March.
Q: How do I know if my test scores/letters/something else have been received?
A: You will be able to review the status of your letters of recommendation within the ApplyWeb portal. For all other requirements, we will contact you directly if something is missing at the point where we need it. Reaching out to the Department is unnecessary.
Q: Can I update my resume/personal statement/something else after the deadline if circumstances change?
A: You can not. The only new document you are permitted to submit is a new unofficial transcript after the conclusion of your Fall semester, which we will solicit from you in January. We understand that this is frustrating, but it is a matter of fairness to all applicants.
Q: My question isn't answered here, what should I do?
A: You can email the main ORIE office. If your question genuinely could not be answered by this page, you can expect a reply within 3-5 business days. If you have not received a reply by then, please carefully reread this page, our Admissions page, or the current MEng Handbook, as every effort has been made to make this information readily available to interested students.