Whats the academic life at Cornell like?

Colleges & Universities Cornell University
1

I have heard a lot about the intensive academic life at Cornell university, such as regular quizzes and exams. And Ivy League generally has harder classes. I am looking into the agriculture college at Cornell but I do to want to limit to that either. Is possible for you to study at the ag school and also taking interesting courses in other colleges as well, like hotel management to english poetry or math? I have heard the the ag receives the state funds (which i assume all the ag school does?) Does that mean the ag school is public? Is is still Ivy League? I am really interested to know more about life at Cornell.

Apart from the academic life, what does the dorm look like? I know sophomore or above live in west campus if they live on west campus. How big are the rooms and is there shared kitchen?

Thank you very much!

2

There is much discussion in the individual college forum for Cornell, you can browse previous posts on these subject.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/cornell-university/

3

“I have heard a lot about the intensive academic life at Cornell university, such as regular quizzes and exams”
Depends partly on what you study there. But most people work hard.

“And Ivy League generally has harder classes”
I don’t have any basis to suppose that they are any harder than at other schools that have comparable student body quality.

“Is possible for you to study at the ag school and also taking interesting courses in other colleges as well, like hotel management to english poetry or math?”
Yes. There are a certain number of credits required to be taken in-college, but the rest can be taken at any of the university’s colleges.
http://cals.cornell.edu/sites/cals.cornell.edu/files/shared/documents/academics/CALS-Graduation-Requirements.pdf

“I have heard the the ag receives the state funds (which i assume all the ag school does?)”
All the ones I know of, probably, but not sure. This one does though, for sure.

“Does that mean the ag school is public?”
See “roles of the state and the private university” here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_college

“Is is still Ivy League?”
It is the university as a whole that is a member of the Ivy league, not individual colleges. so, yes.
This mostly means that certain bad football (et. al.) teams can play each other, without being as embarrassed as they would be if they had to play in a league consisting of schools that had good sports teams.

“I am really interested to know more about life at Cornell”
Suggest reading here, even ask the students there questions.
http://www.cornell.edu/student-life/blogs.cfm

“Apart from the academic life, what does the dorm look like?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqHS1-Imvts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_North_Campus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornell_West_Campus
https://living.sas.cornell.edu/live/wheretolive/westcampus/
https://living.sas.cornell.edu/live/wheretolive/residencehalls/index.cfm

“I know sophomore or above live in west campus if they live on west campus. How big are the rooms and is there shared kitchen?”
Hopefully the links I provided just above will provide those details about the various housing units.

“Thank you very much!”
You’re welcome.

4

Ivy League classes are harder? No. If their difficulty is different, it would probably be the opposite due to rampant grade inflation.

5

Re#3, I wouldn’t count on that if I were you. Even if the assigned work is identical, the academic capability of the students being taught determines the curve. Explicitly, where courses are explicitly curved, and implicitly when a Prof determines grades even of a non-curved course.

However assigned work is often not identical in a class of high-achievers vs, one of low achievers. The Profs generally teach to the capabilties of their “audience”.

6

Thank you everyone for the links and information!