Welcome to Cornell!

Congratulations on your acceptance into Cornell…and welcome! We are excited that you will begin your graduate program soon and look forward to working with you. 

The Graduate School will be offering a variety of events leading up to and continuing through the start of the Fall 2024 semester. We want to warmly welcome you to campus and help you transition into graduate school by introducing you to the values, expectations, and resources of an inclusive Cornell community that will be your home for the duration of your degree program.

Please consult your field’s website for field-, college-, and program-specific orientation programs and also make sure to keep track of your new student to do list.

This page will be updated as more information becomes available. A complete schedule should be posted by July 1.

Fall 2024 Orientation Highlights:

Dean’s Welcome – Thursday, August 22, 9 – 10 a.m., Bailey Hall

The formal program features Cornell Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff, Graduate School Dean and Vice Provost for Graduate Education Kathryn J. Boor, and a panel of esteemed faculty and students. 

Grad Connect: A Resource Fair for Graduate and Professional Students – Thursday, August 22, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Barton Hall

This collaborative resource fair will allow graduate and professional degree students from across programs to engage with each other while learning more about the resources, offices, and organizations that help support their development and progression at Cornell. Open to incoming and current students.

Graduate School Primer: Navigating Academia Workshop Series (via Zoom) – dates from mid-July through August 2024

This workshop series is designed exclusively for first-year graduate and professional students and covers topics like understanding doctoral funding, mentoring, and much more. Sessions are all online via Zoom. View Primer session details.

Summer Success Symposium – Tuesday, August 20, 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., G10 Biotechnology Building

The Summer Success Symposium is a professional and community development event for new and continuing research students from across all graduate fields. Open to all doctoral students committed to advancing diversity, inclusion, access, and equity in academia, this symposium has a particular focus on bringing together recipients of graduate fellowships in support of diversity as well as all other doctoral students from backgrounds historically excluded from and underrepresented in the academy.

Community Events for New Graduate and Professional Students – dates starting mid-August 2024

The Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center will provide connection opportunities for all incoming students before the semester begins through the first two weeks of classes, including trivia night, a language mixer, socials, TGIF, and more! More details will be made available.

For Our International Student Community:

Fall 2024 International Graduate and Professional Student Orientation – Saturday, August 24, 1 – 3:30 p.m., Statler Auditorium

Register to attend the International Graduate and Professional Student Orientation! The Office of Global Learning’s orientation is for first year international graduate and professional students. It gives students an early start on their Cornell experience by introducing them to important resources for international students and helping them connect with their classmates from around the world.  

The English Language Support Office provides writing, speaking, and language support to Cornell graduate and professional students who use English as an additional language. Attend an online ELSO information session to meet the ELSO faculty and learn about ELSO courses, tutoring programs, workshops, and conversational English support.

Find Your Community

Knowing where to look can give you a head start

With 26,300 students, Cornell is large. One tip for incoming students is to establish your networks early by getting out and meeting new people. The programs, organizations, and resources below are designed to bring people together.

• Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center. The Barn is the heart of the graduate and professional community with numerous events scheduled throughout the fall semester.
• Student Groups. With over 1,000 student groups, find a group that corresponds to your personal or professional interests.
• Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA). Cornell’s system of governance includes an active student component. Becoming part of the GPSA is a great way to meet people.
• Graduate and Professional Student Diversity Council. Help advance a sense of community, professional excellence, and a climate of inclusion for all graduate and professional students, but especially for those from marginalized communities and backgrounds historically underrepresented in the academy.
• Student Communities. Review our short list of student groups and links to other places to find community.

If you have any questions, or need any support regarding accommodations, please contact Janna Lamey, associate dean for graduate student life (607-255-5184 or [email protected]).

Please note: This information and related orientation events are designed for students in programs administered by the Cornell Graduate School. See our Graduate School Degrees and Graduate Degrees Administered by Colleges Other Than the Graduate School pages for more information.