A baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
University minimums for the iBT version of the TOEFL are: Writing, 20, Listening, 15, Reading, 20, Speaking, 22. You must receive the minimum score on each subsection.
The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult the field's brochures to determine if their research and study interests parallel those of current field faculty members, brochures are available on request from the graduate field office.
Three recommendations
Each applicant must submit an on-line application, which includes a statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, and college transcripts. It is not necessary to mail a hard copy of these materials to the field office. All foreign transcripts must be translated to English by the institution or university that issues them before they are scanned. The Selection Committee will weigh all of these materials in addition to the student's academic background in making decisions on admission to the field. All fields of graduate study at Cornell are competitive, so you are advised to write a clear thoughtful statement of purpose, select your referees carefully and inform them of your specific goals, request your undergraduate records early, and complete your application as soon as possible.

All applicants are required to submit GRE scores, and most students who are admitted score above 319 in the combined Verbal and Quantitative sections, the Verbal score should be 153 or above. GRE scores are valid for five years only. The Field of Asian Studies does not require any advanced subject tests, such as the GMAT.