What kind of students does Cornell look for?

Colleges & Universities Cornell University
1

<p>Hey guys, I’m an international applicant and I haven’t had the privilege to visit Cornell’s campus.</p>

<p>I sincerely believe that education is a holistic process and don’t want to squander my life away at a college that, though good, might not be a fit for me. I’m a transfer and don’t want to make this mistake twice.</p>

<p>Anyway, I’m applying for the Communication major and I’m a correspondent for a political/business magazine, editor of my college magazine, writer for another and other ECs like being a liaison officer for student organizations.</p>

<p>Just wanted to know what kind of students does Cornell accept for its Communication major or say, its Political Science major? How’s the Communication department anyway? I don’t hear too much about it.</p>

<p>You guys can fire away at everything you think matters at Cornell, I’m sure I’ll be able tog et an overall impression at what Cornell looks for.</p>

2

<p>I took a few classes within the Communication department - the professors set high standards and expected the very best out of students (but that would be true of every professor at Cornell). What I did gather from my friends who were in the Communication major is that, since the department is relatively small, one has the opportunity to know the faculty/administration very well.</p>

<p>I didn’t take any Political Science classes, so I can’t speak to that.</p>

<p>Within any major, you’ll find students with very diverse interests. They are passionate about more than just their studies, which makes for excellent conversations with classmates. And no matter how small a major/department is, you don’t feel like you’re seeing all your classmates all the time.</p>

<p>Also, no matter which major you transfer into, you can take some classes in the other as well as get involved in one of the 250+ registered student organizations on campus: [Welcome</a> to SAO - Cornell University](<a href=“http://sao.cornell.edu/SO/search.php]Welcome”>http://sao.cornell.edu/SO/search.php)</p>

<p>There is no one type of student that Cornell looks for, but the common thread is that everybody has a drive to succeed in whatever they are passionate about. They are open-minded and eager to learn. What I wanted when I left Cornell was very different from what I thought I wanted when I arrived on campus… in fact, I really had no idea what I wanted when I first got to Cornell. But that didn’t matter much- what mattered was that I was willing to explore and get involved to find out.</p>

<p>Hope that helped some! Feel free to ask more specific questions.
Dana</p>

3

<p>Hey Dana, thanks so much for your insights. It really matters. I was afraid that the classes would be full without any individualized attention.</p>

<p>Do they encourage creativity and allow you to express different opinions without stifling you and imposing their beliefs on you? I had that in my previous institution. It was a stellar institution but they just wanted to force their beliefs down your throat and refused to credit your opinions. Tell me, does that happen in Cornell? I mean, I think it’s fine if they do, after all different institutions have different forms of education.</p>

<p>What about volunteer opportunities and internship experiences? They’re lacking in my current institution and I was wondering how Cornell fares in that regards? </p>

<p>Are people in Cornell clique-ish or do they generally open up to a good conversation?</p>

4

<p>“Do they encourage creativity and allow you to express different opinions without stifling you and imposing their beliefs on you?”</p>

<p>This is definitely not true for the majority of professors I’ve encountered, who are focused on drawing participation from their students and exploring different schools of thought. There, of course, will be some who are much more set in their ways/ideas. Cornell, as an overall institution, supports diversity of thought. This is largely evidenced by our motto from Ezra Cornell’s words, “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.” (Voted the best school motto in 2007! [‘Any</a> person … any study’ named top motto](<a href=“Home | Cornell Chronicle”>Home | Cornell Chronicle))</p>

<p>“What about volunteer opportunities and internship experiences?”</p>

<p>Right off the bat, I can tell you that Cornell has chapters of Alpha Phi Omega and Phi Sigma Pi - two service fraternities (co-ed). Beyond that, there are soooooo many opportunities to volunteer, be it through a social fraternity or sorority (if you choose to join one), various student organizations, religious groups, local chapters of national organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and the list goes on. A fantastic resource is Cornell’s Public Service Center, which hosts an annual day of service called “Into the Gorges”: [Cornell</a> University Public Service Center](<a href=“Opportunities for Students – Einhorn Center for Community Engagement”>Opportunities for Students – Einhorn Center for Community Engagement) You can find internship opportunities through there, too, or through Cornell’s career centers (university-wide or college-specific): [Cornell</a> Career Services](<a href=“Career Services | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University”>Career Services | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University) You definitely will not be short on ways to get involved, meet new people, and gain valuable life experiences.</p>

<p>“Are people in Cornell clique-ish or do they generally open up to a good conversation?”</p>

<p>It’s easiest to meet people at the beginning of the year when first-years and transfers have just arrived on campus and there are Orientation and Welcome Weekend events going on that promote mingling. As the semester/year progresses, everybody will kind of settle into their group of friends, but I don’t think that anybody is purposely clique-ish. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. However, scenes from “Mean Girls” are not common. I found Cornellians (students, faculty and administration alike) to be very friendly and willing to help whenever they had the capacity to do so. And I continued to make new friends all the time.</p>

<p>I clearly loved my time at Cornell. There were many laughs and bizarrely fun times. A couple of the more amusing memories I have are:

  • watching a guy in the computer lab run up the wall and bump his head on the ceiling in exchange for a piece of gum
  • late-night (perhaps not sober) conversations about very deep/intellectual topics… I mean, really now?
  • laying out into muddy fields after Ultimate Frisbee practice and then going into the dining hall, covered in mud. and we were so proud of ourselves, haha.</p>

<p>The experience is different for everybody and you have so much power to make it what you want it to be.</p>

<p>Dana :)</p>