Cornell vs. other universities/ivies

sparticus800
Sun, 17 Apr 2005 19:12:59 +0000

ah yes, i forgot that “ivies” aren’t real universities…some silly people just group them in there haha

The question is not simply whether Cornell is better; it is whether cornell is better for you. What are you looking for in your school in terms of size, philosophy, level of challenge, etc. Basically, what are your key criteria?

I chose cornell for:

1. the wide academic choices

2. Fabulous academic reputation

3. the substantial, self-sufficient, and vibrant college community/town

4. Work hard/play hard philosophy

5. Gorgeous campus/area

6. Proximity to my home in NJ, and skiing.

With all due respect, my, or anyone else’s, “Cornell vs. Brown choice” really has nothing to do with you. You need to choose a college based on yourself.

Atmosphere: Competitive, but NOT cut-throat. As one current student said (or at least something close to it) “It’s much easier and more productive to raise your grade up 30% than to bring down someone elses 30% thus increasing the curve by 0.34%.” Students form collaborative study groups.

The people are reputed as very diverse, not strictly in a racial sense, but as complete individuals. Think of the unique talents and abilities that got some of your friends who graduated last year into top collges. Now image 12000 of those kids on one campus. yea…

Faculty: they don’t baby students. They’re not going to come to you from what I hear. However, it’s entirely feasible to go to them. They hold office hours, and are accessable.

The vibe: while this is, again, an individual and personal aspect, the vibe I got was essensially just excitement. The tour guides were enthusiastic and genuine, and there just seemed to be a buzz of energy in the air in the SUMMER when there weren’t even any students. I visited colgate and hamilton when there were no students there, both on nice days like the one where I visited cornell, and just didn’t feel the “vibe” Somone on here quoted his teacher as saying something close to, “of all my graduating students, it’s the ones going to cornell who are the most enthused and enamored of their future school.”