<p>When applying to Cornell as a GT, what do you need to send them? Do they request your high school transcript? What does the GT application entail? How long is it? Who in your previous in your previous institution needs to sign it?</p>
<p>Figgy–I remember they were building at least 1 new dorm building on West campus–that must be the one you are in? Cook, or something like that? I think it’s an academic program house?</p>
<p>blazinyan300–You can’t apply to Cornell as a GT–it’s a special offer they give to some students who applied the regular way as freshmen. If they have a tiny major, for example, where they must strictly limit the size of the freshman class, they may give some qualified students this offer–a guaranteed transfer after 1 or 2 years. If you’re talking about already having this offer and wanting to know about the final paperwork to finalize the transfer after your 1 or 2 years at another college, someone else here can help you better. However, I have learned that this paperwork needs to be processed in the spring before you move to Ithaca. They like to see (I’m told) your college transcript and maybe one or two other things. I might be mistaken, but I’m not thinking they look at h.s. stuff again. The best thing to do is to call the Admissions office of the college where you have the GT offer (if you do) and make sure you know the requirements and what paperwork is required when to process your transfer. I think you need to send fall grades from your 1st year school with a short-ish application form letting them know that you do, indeed, want the transfer, and maybe mid-term grades from spring? </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Dr_Mom: Cornell is in the middle of the West Campus initiative - building 5 new dorms (“houses”) on West Campus. These houses, similar to the house systems at Yale and Harvard, each have a dining hall, live-in professor, house dean, etc. Each house is a small community with programming, house forums, etc.
Right now, there are 3 houses - Cook, Becker and Bethe. By mid-2008 or 2009, they will have completed the other 2 houses.
It is not a ‘program house’ (in the Cornell program house program - the exception being the Language House, which is part of Cook House, and is considered one of the ‘Program Houses’), and beyond having a ‘house’ meal plan, there is no difference between living in a house and in a dorm (ie. no ‘required activities’, etc). The houses on West are upperclassmen and transfers (no freshman).
The programming, however, is phenomenal - living in Cook last year, we had famous alums/guests stay in our guest suite (a State Supreme Court Justice, Bill Nye, a very talented musician, a renowned education scholar, among others). There’s also weekly teas with the House Professor where guests or professors are invited to an informal discussion. And House Forum, run completely by students, just has a large budget to spend money on things for the house. We bought cookies for the entire house, painted the basement walls with murals, took trips to Philly and Shea Stadium, bought tickets to on-campus events (and gave them free to residents)… the list goes on.
Hopefully this helps - p/m me if you have any other specific questions about Cook or the house system. :)</p>
<p>hey is anyone a HE GT? i got a letter a few days ago from the HE office of admissions telling me what i have to do as a transfer candidate again and the credits i need to take. i already registered for my classes though and i’m in a specific program for my first-year school so idk if i can fulfill all their reqs. i should just call up the cornell person and see what they tell me right?</p>
<p>Thanks, ceruleanyankee! I think I’m remembering hearing about the “program” part of Cook, so that’s where I may have called it a program house from. I know it’s not a program house, per se, in the way that the real program houses are. I’m glad to hear that Cook lived up to its reputation! It sounded every bit as fabulous before it opened as you describe now after its first year. That’s terrific. So, transfer students have the option of living there? I keep hearing that they are sent to Hasbrouck apartments, which seems weird to me, since I thought that was graduate student housing. West campus is so much closer to most of the main classroom buildings, it seems. We had a relative live in the Gothics there one year after living on North campus as a freshman, and it was so much easier, he said, to use the library, etc., because it was closer to more of the main buildings (at least for his major, I guess).</p>
<p>I’m on West! Carl Becker!! Some students are on west (I think at least 5 of the gts on this board are). The rest are in North because they are reconstructing the transfer dorm.</p>
<p>Yes, sarahahah; Cornell has to approve the courses you take at the other school for transfer. It’s best to call the college at Cornell that has offered you the GT to get all that straightened out. You will need to take certain required courses <em>before</em> the summer of the year that you would transfer (at least, that’s what we were told, but again, ask to be sure for your own individual program). If you really want to follow through with Cornell’s offer, I’d recommend getting in touch as soon as possible and trying to coordinate the requirements with them.</p>
<p>Ah, Figgy! Thanks for letting us know. You must be so excited. It’s got to be feeling more real right about now!</p>
<p>It’s sooo exciting, 39 more days!!! woohooo 
Dr. mom, it still feels somewhat unreal haha I still have moments when I’m like “wow I’m really going to Cornell, that’s pretty amazing!!” lol </p>
<p>Otherwise, I’m also on west (Becker)! But the majority of transfers will be in Hasbrouck…around 85% is what I hear…either way, we’re gonna have a blast ;)</p>
<p>39 days?? thats all thats left until school starts again? super.</p>
<p>Wow–Acerbic–you’re counting the days! It’s not like you’re excited, or anything! My H told my S that this will be a short summer for him, and I’d forgotten how that is true in NYS when h.s. seniors graduate in late June and begin college in mid to late August. Next year, he’ll get out in early to mid-May, so the summer will feel longer. That kind of stinks about Hasbrouck, I think. Did you do anything special to try to get on West Campus, or was it just luck?</p>
<p>When I applied for housing, I never even made mention of Hasbrouck… and I also emailed housing concerning my dorm preference and asked if they were placing any transfers on west, and whether it was possible to be on a transfer floor on west! I never expected them to respond to this, but then I got an email saying that they will consider my preference haha so that’s how I got to be on west =) I’m totally psyched!!!</p>
<p>Acerbic, you must be so excited! Hopefully, in a year from now, I’ll be in the same boat too-- happy as a clam! :)</p>
<p>However, I do have a quick question, regarding GT housing (it’s probably been asked before, but I’ve been out of the country for a while): I take it you aren’t using “The Transfer Student Program”? Any particular reasons why or why not? I agree, West Campus seems really attractive, but I’m concerned if a GT will have any difficulties in a predominantly second-year environment? What’s your take/advice/suggestion on this for all of us GTs next year? </p>
<p>Thanks a bunch, Acerbic!</p>
<p>O diehldun, it’s such a great experience and a wonderful opportunity, so there is a lot of reason to be excited congrats btw</p>
<p>I think that the transfer program is absolutely great and I should have been happy there as well! But there wont be much difference, as I’ll still be with other transfers on west (they have transfer floors), so I’ll be near people who are in the same position as me regardless! If you do end up on west, make sure you ask to be on a transfer floor! in my opinion, it’s definitely easier to cope/ adjust to things when you are not alone… I’m really happy about how things worked out =)</p>
<p>Thank you Acerbic. If you don’t mind me asking, is there any advantage to West Campus as opposed to Hasbrouck? Socially, geographically, etc? </p>
<p>But yes, if I do get into West, I’ll definitely ask specifically to be on a transfer floor. Thanks for the advice, and again, congrats!</p>
<p>I think geographically more than anything lol they still have buses and such, but if you look on the map Hasbrouck is rather far off haha</p>
<p>hey, I am a GT for CALS for fall 2008. one of my requirements for the transfer was credit for Calc I. Last year I took the Calc AB and scored a 4 which Cornell takes as credit. However, this year I did not study for the BC exam and received poor grades <3. will this effect if they give me credit or not? right now calc I is not in my fall 2007 schedule.</p>
<p>Give em a call!</p>
<p>-Plus west campus dorms are the newest! Only the newest and nicest things for West (Altho the hasb apartments r def also nice so can’t take that away from them).</p>
<p>Hey Figgy (and other ILR GTs):</p>
<p>I was wondering, to fulfill the GT requirements, how many of the courses Cornell recommended did you end up taking the first year? This is what they told me:</p>
<p>-Freshman English (I’m taking that)
-Micro/Macroeconomics (I’m taking that)
-Science & Technology (N/A)
-Cultural Perspectives (N/A)
-Western Intellectual Traditions (AP credit)</p>
<p>I know Ian says you aren’t required to take all the recommended classes, but I just don’t want to be swamped with a lot of classes! How did you do? And sorry for all these questions… guess I’m already working myself up!</p>