BBS Recruitment 2026
The Cornell University Biomedical and Biological Sciences (BBS) Ph.D. Program Virtual Recruitment event will begin on Tuesday, January 20th. You will meet with faculty, current graduate students virtually and get a glimpse of the BBS Ph.D. program, Cornell University and Ithaca community.
To make navigating the experience a bit easier recruits are assigned a "BBS Buddy" in early January. BBS Buddies are current graduate students who have successfully navigated the recruitment experience and can be a source of information and guidance.
Schedule of Events for Recruitment
Tuesday, January 20 | |
| 10:00 - 11:00 AM | Welcome and BBS Program Informational Session with Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Education and PhD Program chair/concentration leads |
| 11:00 - 11:30 AM | Meet the Director of Graduate Study (DGS) Q&A with Dr. Cindy Leifer |
| 11:30 - 12:30 PM | Meet current BBS PhD Students Optional drop in Q&A with current PhD students |
| 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Panel Interviews You will be assigned a 10 min timeslot between 1:00 - 3:00 PM |
Faculty Interviews
Recruits are asked to identify six faculty members whose research interests them as part of the virtual registration process (survey due Jan 3rd 11:59 PM EST). The BBS program will review the list of faculty submitted, and communicate to recruits which faculty you can reach out to. It is up to to recruits to reach out to the faculty to reserve a one-on-one interview between Tuesday, January 20 and Friday, January 23. All interviews with faculty must occur before January 24th. If you and a faculty member prefer to schedule an interview before January 20, that is also acceptable.
BBS Open House: Admitted Students
March 1 - 3, 2026
Admit letters will be sent on or around February 5 and will include details about the in-person open house event. Admitted students will be provided lodging in gender-based double-occupancy rooms at the Ithaca Marriott on the Commons, and shuttle transportation will be arranged to and from campus for the event.
Sunday, March 1 | |
| 4:30 - 6:30 PM | Welcome Reception Dinner with BBS Faculty and Graduate Students |
Monday, March 2 | |
| 7:45 AM | Bus departs from Marriott Lobby to Campus |
| 8:30 - 9:45 AM | Welcome and Breakfast Paula Cohen, Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Education |
| 9:50 -10:35 AM | BBS Faculty Research Presentations |
| 10:40 - 11:00 AM | Career & Professional Development Resources Colleen McLinn, Future Faculty & Academic Careers, Susi Varvayanis, Careers Beyond Academia |
| 11:00 - 11:30 AM | CVM Facility Tours |
| 11:30 -1:00 PM | Lunch Featuring Current Student Panel |
| 1:00 - 2:00 PM | On-Campus Bus Tour with Cornell Historian |
| 2:00 - 3:30 PM | Cornell Institute of Biotechnology: Overview and Tour |
| 3:30 - 5:15 PM | Biomedical Research Poster Session |
| 5:30 - 7:45 PM | Dinner with BBS Faculty and PhD Students |
| 8:00 PM | Bus Pickup to Hotel for Informal Gatherings with Current Students on the Commons |
Tuesday, March 3 – Departure Day (No Scheduled Activities) | |