<p>It’s not the “worst” Ivy. It’s the “different” Ivy.</p>
<p>Cornell is by far the largest university in the Ivy League and by far the youngest. It is also the only Ivy in which the majority of students are not majoring in the liberal arts. It was designed in a different way than the other Ivies, with a different plan, equally emphasizing practical studies and more traditional academic fields. It also was the only Ivy that was co-ed from the very beginning.</p>
<p>The “worst” Ivy reputation comes from the facts that (1) Cornell admits a higher percentage of applicants than any other school in the Ivy League, and (2) SAT/ACT score averages at Cornell are lower than at the other Ivies.</p>
<p>But these statistics don’t reflect lower quality. What they really reflect is the “different” nature of Cornell. Many of Cornell’s students are in specialized pre-professional programs where other criteria for admission – such as demonstrated experience in the specialized field or a portfolio of previous work – are more important than SAT scores. In the less specialized schools at Cornell (Arts and Sciences and Engineering), the SAT scores are higher than you think and the percentage of students admitted is lower than you think.</p>