| Thanks, I'll try it. I do actually have a pretty good research hook (which would immediately identify me if I were more specific).
"from working-class Upstate New York and felt he would be much more comfortable at Cornell"
that's part of it. I'm from NYC, but still working class, and Cornell felt comfortable in a way others didn't. Cornell's "any person, any study" thing did actually seem to be reflected in the students I met there, and it's an idea I like. The math department was very friendly, and after talking to several profs about math excitedly for a while I got the notion that prof interaction would, in fact, be possible as long as I seek it out. I like Ithaca and outdoors stuff, and I figure I have plenty of time to live in a city after college. The presence of the state-funded schools seems to give more academic/career goal diversity to Cornell than those other places, and it felt more down-to-earth. I want to teach after college, a career goal not so common among the many ibanker wannabes at some other Ivies (not that they don't exist at Cornell, but it's a big enough place that it's an avoidable niche, and being partly a state school it has education programs).
Meh, it's not like I'll be crying over being "forced" to go to Hahvahd for financial reasons =), but I will see what I can do. |