How does Cornell attract some of the world's best, most renowned faculty to Ithaca?

Colleges & Universities Cornell University
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<p>This is something I’ve been genuinely curious about. Please do not get me wrong, I am in no way insinuating that Ithaca is not a great place to live; actually I feel the opposite and can’t wait to spend 4 years there-what a great town! However, nobody can disagree with the fact that it isn’t exactly centrally located (5 hours from NYC!) and to say the weather is harsh in the winter would be an understatement. Is it that Cornell’s isolated location makes Ithaca an academic utopia of sorts, where they can focus on their studies away from the hustle and bustle of NYC or Boston?</p>

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<p>Two responses. </p>

<p>As you mentioned Ithaca is a GREAT college town … and many people prefer life in laid back college town rather than in a big city … there certainly is a family life-style choice involved in picking Ithace but clearly the choice of many Cornell professors (along with 1000 other college in the US) … and for lots of profs, especially in the electronic age, working in Ithaca does not affect their research compared to being in a big city.</p>

<p>The weather in Ithaca is about the same as New York city or Boston or most of the northeast … it is not nearly as severe as the weather is north of the finger lakes (Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester for example) … if a student hates the cold Ithaca probably is not for the student but it is not extreme by any means</p>

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<p>although I’m sure the university had excellent professors before the campus 2 campus bus, I have to imagine that it helps. it’s a bus with wifi and other amenities that goes straight to Cornell’s medical school in NYC twice a day. I’m sure, like you mentioned, that there are lots of professors who appreciate being away from the hustle and bustle of city life.</p>

<p>edit: the C2C bus, fyi: <a href=“http://www.transportation.cornell.edu/coach/[/url]”>http://www.transportation.cornell.edu/coach/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Yep. Plus you should see the house that a professor’s salary in Ithaca can buy.</p>

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<p>First of all, there are only twenty “top 20” universities. If you want to be part of the action where major cutting edge work is being done in your field you have to go where the action is. </p>

<p>Second of all, academic jobs are scarce, people are taking them wherever they are offered, and many of those locations are much worse than Cornell’s. Even leaving professional aspects aside.</p>

<p>The quality of life in Ithaca is quite good, and your money goes further there than in a lot of places. It’s also beautiful there, and it offers a healthy lifestyle with good schools. Some may prefer to be in a major city, but on a cost-adjusted basis their salary will not buy nearly the same quality of life as Ithaca provides.</p>

<p>On the other hand, a city provides more plentiful “trailing spouse” opportunities which is probably a big issue in a number of cases.</p>

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<p>[Cost</a> of living: Compare prices in two cities - CNNMoney.com](<a href=“http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html]Cost”>http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html)
A calculation like the above is an integral part of any relocation decision.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/greathomesanddestinations/14havens.html?_r=2&8dpc&oref=slogin[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/greathomesanddestinations/14havens.html?_r=2&8dpc&oref=slogin&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://www.noplacelikeithaca.com/whyithica.html[/url]”>http://www.noplacelikeithaca.com/whyithica.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>you have not gone to school here or spent any significant time here. Come here and spend a month here (even december), and then ask yourself why anyone would go anywhere else.</p>