<p>"It’s frustrating when I talk to people and they try to denigrate it because it’s not something it never tried to be. What an incredible model of providing superior education to everyone from farmers to physicists. As I’ve said before on here, Cornell should be applauded for such an accomplishment, not slandered for not being selective enough or being too applied in its focus.</p>
<p>applejack, as a Cornell alum who graduated years ago, I applaud you. I scan the Cornell forum from time to time, and often see this issue bandied-about amongst the students. You have very succinctly described the essence of Cornell in a very down-to-earth way."</p>
<p>I agree with these two posts. I agree with them more and more as each day passes since I’ve graduated. </p>
<p>Cornell has ALWAYS taken crap from other people. Always. First they decided to admit people regardless of their religion. The WASPS didn’t like that. And they admitted regardless of color. Still, the rich white people didn’t like that. Furthermore, women were studying at Cornell a mere 2 years after its founding - something baulked at by the likes of HYP, etc. </p>
<p>Still, this is what made (and still makes) Cornell a special place among the Ivy league. I particularly like a quote from this month’s alumni magazine:</p>
<p>“From Ohio, a man wrote on behalf of a ‘bright colored lad.’ Could he attend the University? ‘Send him,’ write Ezra Cornell. There was no racial bar at Cornell, and the application and registration forms never asked about race. The only qualification was always academic preparation.”</p>