Cornell University

Academics

The westernmost of the Ivies, Cornell University provides its students with a prestigious education, paired with “an unwavering commitment to leave a positive impact on the world.” The school is “more than a bunch of books and exams—it’s an experience that challenges students to break free from their comfort zones.” Seven different undergraduate colleges (including the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business) “really make it feel small and specialized,” and provide “top notch faculty.” The university is “a place where any person can find instruction in any study (and it won’t feel like work),” as it allows its students to explore any kind of interest they may have (ranging from Punk Rock as a literary genre to particle physics) while “also offering an incredible amount of depth within each department.” There are endless opportunities to “pursue other topics, enhance your knowledge of things that you’re already interested in, and try completely random things that you’d never even heard of before.” Professors are “experts in their field, almost always conducting their own research, and are enthusiastic about passing their knowledge on to their students.”

“[Since] being in Ithaca, you’re kind of in the middle of nowhere,” and there are plenty of reasons to focus on your studies, but “Cornell as an administration keeps the faculty, research, and access to the most recent information so up-to-date that this campus is as connected as any place in the world.” Between balancing those amazing resources and the community feel, the Cornell bigwigs get a lot of applause, as they have “proven time and time again that they care, both on an individual and system-wide level.” Great internships, a strong alumni network, and “boundless opportunities after graduation” round out the “definition of amazing” that is Cornell University. “I was intimidated to go here, but now I will say that I cannot imagine going anywhere else,” says a junior.

Student Body

With so many different colleges within Cornell, there is “a plethora of diverse students” here, but the underlying commonality between all students is “ambition and ability.” “From farm kids and pre-med students to engineers and hoteliers, Cornell is home to all sorts of students,” says one. “You’ll find yourself with a roommate who was on Team USA, a friend who was a firefighter, and a classmate who’s backpacked around the world.” The integration of people with eclectic interests “[inspires] others to become active students,” which is easily enough done at a university with hundreds upon hundreds of student organizations. “Everyone’s smart and that’s just accepted,” but “a competitive environment isn’t created.” Cornellians are “very committed to academics but always know how to put books aside and relax.” Most do research and volunteer work, and many “are involved in some form of Greek life.”

Campus Life

As they say, “Ithaca is gorges,” so hiking and outdoor activities are big pastimes. The “absolutely gorgeous campus” in the Finger Lakes region allows students to “truly, purely enjoy their time here” by “experiencing the natural beauties of Upstate New York, along with the eccentricity of surrounding town.” The school’s infrastructure is “intense”—“we have our own dairy so that we can make our own milk, for goodness sake”—and “there’s just so much going on at every moment [that] the hard part is choosing what it is you want to do.” Many admit that various aspects of Cornell life can cause stress—the upperclass housing lottery, course enrollment system, workload, and difficulty studying abroad all get singled out—but students are able to discern when to kick back and enjoy themselves. Fun can range anywhere from “an awesome party in Collegetown to a movie night in the dorm while ordering insomnia cookies,” but “it’s definitely acceptable to turn down weekend plans because you have too much work to do.”