What is Cornell's culture like?

monydad
Wed, 09 Apr 2014 18:57:57 +0000

Really one’s college isn’t the primary social engine there, it’s more the dorms. Initially, which is when this is most important. Social relationships there routinely pierce college boundaries.

As bross37 pointed out , there are a lot of people with different interests and personalities there. They will all be in the dorms, and there may well be a shake-out period before you find your preferred social network.

Let’s say you have a lot in common with only 20% of the undergrads, that’s almost 3,000 people!
Once you ferret them out, whether via the dorms, or through shared activities, or whatever, there should be plenty of people to hang out with. Whether or not they constitute a majority. The same may be said about life after college too, BTW.

However there is no absolute guarantee that you will ferret them out, though most people do. And it is virtually a certainty that there will be people in your freshman dorm who you have nothing in common with (and hopefully others that you do like). After freshman year you can choose to live with friends and then this becomes moot.