i mean this i sort of silly since i don't know how you would quantify school pride...
we aren't a rah-rah sort of school to the extent of most state schools, since we don't have incredibly strong sports teams/a strong sports atmosphere. except for homecoming, that's always fun, and the harvard hockey game.
but i think that most cornellians are otherwise very proud of their school, our beautiful campus, how hard we work (and play), etc.
it's definitely a love-hate relationship, but i think most people enjoy the experience--its a difficult one to put up with if you don't. every week i see a fair share of facebook statuses complaining about the work or the weather, and just as many beautiful pictures of the landscape or "i'm gonna miss ___" (especially as a senior).
....this opinion appears to be in the small minority, based on Cornell's 96% retention rate from Fresh. - Soph year...of those 4%, I'm sure not all left because they didn't like it.
You've come to the wrong place if you're looking for fun.
Fun dies in Cornell.
That was 3 days after move in, you already decided that Cornell wasn't going to be fun for you. I am just curious to know what is it about the school that you are not able to have fun as an 18 year old. You seem to be stressing over your grades quite a bit. My kid is too, but I often remind her to keep it in perspective (she is pre-law, so her GPA is going to be important). I also have a nephew at Cornell. He is a sophomore. He wasn't very happy freshman year because of his grades and trying to adjust coming from the west coast. This year he is loving it because he finally got it figured out on how to study in college.
Last night I called our younger daughter to see how she was feeling because she had a cold. She couldn't talk for long because she was at a hockey game with her friends and they were going to some parties after that. I met some of her friends few weeks ago when I was at Cornell for a recruiting event. They all said college was more fun than they expected. They all thought they would be studying all the time, but most of them are involved with ECs and have time to party.
Our older daughter graduated from Cornell few years ago, she and her friends still miss their years at Cornell. They just went back for Homecoming - rented a house on the lake. They meet up together often, whether it is DC, NY, Boston, or SFO. They all love the fact that their friend's baby sister is there. I have few young Cornellians working for me. On casual Fri, they like to wear their Cornell shirt sometimes.
I agree with alamode. There is sort of a love/hate relationship - the work being the "hate." I always tell my D, you don't get the bragging rights to and Ivy League and to Cornell without the work. It's also true that grades at Cornell may not be what they were in high school, so for many that becomes a hard adjustment in and of itself when they get their first "bad" grade. That said, it is really up to the individual to decide how to balance the work with the play so that they can truly get the most out of the college experience. School spirit takes on many forms at Cornell as athletics aren't the main focus but my D has been to hockey and football games and enjoyed them all. She has also been to school wide events, concerts, parties, etc. It takes a little time but students learn to adjust. Everyone at Cornell is experiencing this adjustment to one degree or another so I would suggest that Grace Tone surround herself with more positive people to help her better adjust to her situation.
It's hard to make an honest assessment of Cornell if you're only in your first semester. There are many reasons to love or hate it, so that's not the end of the story. As an alum, I can say my appreciation for it has grown significantly since graduating. I see what it offers that other top schools simply cannot because they're either much smaller or much more narrowly focused. The workload, in retrospect, makes it feel like you earned something and didn't just stumble through. It's a great campus, a beautiful area with wineries, waterfalls, and interesting stores downtown to explore.
As an aside, the fact that you're wandering the internet at 7:30 on a Sunday morning might suggest you're not utilizing your time to discover why so many people are in tears on graduation day because they have to leave such a wonderful, intense experience.
Join some groups, make some new friends. Your friends' collective negativity is feeding off one another and you're starting to think you all have it figured out. You don't.
haha I agree with applejack, the 7:30am thing kind of proves you haven't tried to go out and have fun. Only four hours before you posted that I was at an unplanned dance party at a friend's apartment. There are so many fun, interesting things to do on campus, but nobody' going to give you a schedule with all the information on it (after o-week), you have to look for thing yourself. But if you do, you'll see there's so much going on.
and I guess in my first post I didn't really mention that I personally love Cornell. It's gotten better and better every year. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything, which is funny considered I really wanted to go to a school in a city and had to talk myself into coming here (for my major).
Being here is a surreal experience, and I'm probably going to live in a city the rest of my life anyway. When else am I going to go on three wine tours in tour weeks, frolicking and drinking with my friends? Or walk home from the library alongside a deer? Or go swimming in beautiful gorges, and walk over a waterfall to class everyday? It's amazing.
I cannot imagine what "stuff" you are missing out on that is available at other Ivies Saugus. They are not all in big cities. They are all part of the same athletic league. Some have the greek system. Others do not. All are recruited heavily.
Cornell is located in a beautiful setting. It is big, diverse and exciting. What's missing?
If you think all of the students at other Ivies are brilliant, you are mistaken. You would probably wonder how some got in. They all accept a diverse group of students with varied abilities.
Location: Southern California -> Cornell '16! Go Big Red!
Posts: 1,949
1) New York City-- Yes, I know there's a campus-to-campus bus, but that is inconvenient and expensive. Columbia is IN New York City, and Princeton is a train ride away. Granted, New York City is too expensive for students.
2) Architecture-- Princeton's architecture looks so much nicer. It's not even close. Even the grass looks greener in pictures, even though that sounds ridiculous. Cornell's natural setting doesn't compensate, in my opinion. I probably have not bothered to look for waterfalls, but the waterfalls on North Campus are overrated. They are tiny.
3) Too many dumb people here. Not dumb relative to the average population, but you have to wonder how they got in.
4) The city of Ithaca is depressing. Too much trailer trash. The Commons are too small. The mall sucks.
5) Too much drinking-- I would prefer a more artsy and intellectual environment.
6) No cable television on campus (there used to be in previous years, but it has been discontinued), so I have to watch through a slingbox.
7) Dorm rooms are too small. Bathrooms aren't clean.
8) There's not a premium feel to the school. I feel like we are a Cadillac and not a Bentley. Yes, employers of Goldman Sachs, etc. come to the school, but they aren't begging Cornell students to work for them like I bet they are at Wharton and Harvard.
9) We aren't in the national news enough. People always talk about Harvard and Yale and not us.
10) Somewhat of a pressure cooker. I'd much rather have the rampant grade inflation of Brown and Harvard.
11) It's too cold now.
That said, it is an amazing place and I am quite happy here. I've done some pretty amazing activities here and am getting an undeniably elite education. One of my professors is the #1 international relations scholar in the world. I just can't get past the "grass-is-greener" on the other side mentality, though.
^^ aren't you a freshman? most of these you'll realize in time aren't very significant at all
1) NYC. You have the rest of your life to live in NYC. You'll probably never have a chance to live on a college campus again. This campus gives you an amazing sense of community that you wouldn't have if you went to school in a city. Better transportation on the other hand (i.e. a train station) would be great. FYI apparently we all have access to Ithaca Carshare, it's just that nobody knows it....
2) Architecture. In general I do like Princeton and Yale's better. Although we have some really cool new buildings--milstein is awesome. I mostly disagree about the natural setting. It's amazing. I didn't really realize it until
A) I took Backpacking in the Fingerlakes--free gym class if you need credit, spend 3 weekends hiking and camping (and I'm the least outdoorsy person ever)
B) I stayed here for a summer--it's like the most beautiful place ever. You have to take advantage of it though. Have you walked through the wooded pathway between Uris and Big Red Barn? Go to the Plantations and tell me you could find that at any other Ivy. Head down to First Dam and go swimming, or just watch people. Go on a wine tour. Rent a canoe for like $5 a person and take it around Cayuga lake (no experience necessary) and over to the Farmer's Market.
3) That' just a silly thing to say. You have no idea what dumb people are. I went abroad and spent 3 months at a fashion school living with them.
4) You don't need a mall. And I'm a fashion major saying that.
5) Make friends with architects.
6) Haha you poor kids without DC++. The internet is pretty useful though---chances are you won't have cable even after you graduate. Nobody living in NYC under like 30 has cable.
7) Depends on your dorm. I lived in Mews...but hey that's college for you. Not many colleges have luxurious living accommodations.
8) Sure if you compare us to HYP...but compare us to hundreds of other schools and I think we're doing pretty well. I don't think Cornell students are at a disadvantage at all in terms of recruiting, plenty of kids work for major companies and as a senior I know lots of people with great job offers already. Also, the lack of stuck-up eliteness is sometimes a good thing, makes for a much stronger community.
9) True, but I don't think this is a huge problem, I couldn't really care less. They're more selective than us, that's a fact
10) Wouldn't we all? Then again people say it builds character and that we'll appreciate it later in life because our jobs won't be nearly as hard as this school. Still waiting for that day...
11) Anywhere in the northeast is about the same. We might just have to walk more, but exercise is good for you!
Excellent points alamode! I don't know about making friends with architects if looking for a social life. There was one architect in my sorority and she never saw the light of day. The engineers made it to the parties at least!
I may be wrong, but I think we will see more mention of Cornell in the news as this NY Tech campus gets going. I look forward to watching how it unfolds.
