Cornell:Easiest and Best ROI School

I got a major life decision I have to make and only a few days to do it. I need help choosing whether to apply to Cornel ILR or Hotel. I'm decently competitive at both with a 1510 SAT but my GPA is a little lacking at a 3.7 uw(at a top private/boarding school though).The big question is whether a school will be a better fit for my profile and my future. On one hand, I like the ILR reading/non-quant focus of ILR but I hate the heavy HR-aspect and I heard it's more competitive to gain acceptance. On the other, the face-to-face part of Hotel is really appealing to me but I heard that there's a stigma about the vocational-side of and I have no hospitality experience(admissions committee might not think I'm a good fit.

Which one do you think I'm most likely to gain acceptance to and what would be the best for me?

(I also run a small internet business if that gives more information to the fit part of the application)

12 Comments
 

Hotel because it is now a part of the Cornell College of Business so it's easier to switch over to AEM. Hotel places more into finance because they have a lot more business focused students. Especially the Real Estate minor within Hotel.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 

As a senior myself, I've looked into it as much as possible. It's too close to call. They're very close in difficulty of admission.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 

That's a nice list. I got Michigan(heard back from LSA today now just got to wait for Ross) and I'm still deciding if I should apply to Virginia or not. Besides though I've got all the good private schools on my list (USC, ND, etc.)

 

If you have no hospitality experience I would advise against applying to the Hotel school, as it is very fit focused and a portion of the curriculum revolves around more hospitality-focused classes. ILR does have more of an HR-aspect and is not part of the College of Business but you can still make it into finance from there without much of an issue. Any particular reason you're not looking to apply to AEM? That is the most relevant major for finance.

 

I'm fine with hospitality, in fact it would be great experience but would adcoms reject me simply for not having it? I'm hesitant to to apply to aem simply because I'm concerned that I wouldn't be accepted. My stats are good but any Cornell school will be a reach, so I want to find the school that I will have the best chance of being accepted to.

 

Nihil pariatur tempora enim accusamus nemo omnis quos. Officiis et et est culpa culpa. Est minus similique fuga saepe iste distinctio.

Ab quos doloremque aut quia explicabo voluptas. Inventore vero placeat fugiat quidem optio. Dicta non rerum perferendis autem consequuntur veniam error expedita.

Culpa voluptatum odio tenetur aspernatur eum. Eligendi dolores est est quo eius dolorum. Et blanditiis illum temporibus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”