PRE Welcomes Class of 2009
Cohort distinguished for its maturity, diversity
The Cornell Program in Real Estate welcomed the Class of 2009 into its two-year graduate master’s program this fall. In past years, the Program limited its entering class to 20 students, but due to a surge in applications the Admissions Committee admitted 26 students.
More than three applications were received for each seat available this fall, and overall applications were up 14%, noted Susan Tosto, Coordinator of Admissions and Students Services. “The academic strength, maturity and remarkable breadth of professional experience that this class brings adds much to the overall caliber of the Program in Real Estate,” said Tosto.
A tenet of the Cornell Program in Real Estate has always been to select candidates from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds. The Class of 2009 is no exception, boasting students from not only within the real estate industry, but also from architecture, economics, industrial and labor relations, and investment banking. Female students account for 19% of the incoming class. International students comprise 38% of the class, representing Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.
“The new students average 29 years of age, and bring terrific work experience to the Program,” said Dr. David Funk, director of the Program, adding “we’re seeing applicants select Cornell to build on their own experiences through our comprehensive, two-year real estate education.”
This year’s class earned undergraduate degrees from a prestigious and diverse set of institutions: Brigham Young, Cornell, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, and Princeton universities, Spelman College, Seoul National University, and the US Naval Academy are all represented. Students range from 23 to 37 years of age, and had an average GMAT score of 650, up from 633 a year ago, and an average college GPA of 3.44.
The strength of the Program is its position within the broader university. The curriculum is taught by the largest on-campus real estate field faculty in the country. As a multidisciplinary department, the curriculum boasts classes from across Cornell’s seven colleges. In addition to core requirements, students also pursue one of eight concentrations or work with a faculty advisor to develop a unique course of study. The Program of Real Estate, in partnership with the Johnson Graduate School of Management, offers two formal dual-degree options leading to the Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate (MPS-RE) and Master of Business Administration (MBA), with additional dual-degree programs in law, planning, landscape architecture, and hotel administration planned. Five members of this year’s class will participate in the dual-degree program.