Cornell University
Reviews

Nothing Much Outside the Campus

Great for hippy people, but the small,isolated atmosphere probably isn't a great fit for city people such as myself. Beautiful, with lots of lakes, gorges (which I had never even heard of before coming to Cornell) and hills make it pretty aesthetically pleasing. Collegetown is a joke, nothing to do there unless you're into the bar scene and even then those are closing down left and right. Great pita place there though. All in all, beautiful but boring.

Great School, but Tough

You get what you're in for at Cornell. It's a tough atmosphere, depending on what your major is. But it's an Ivy League, and you have to know what you're getting into. Other than that, I love it here. Everyone is really chill and it's such a beautiful campus.

Wifi Everywhere, but It Might Cost You

There is a very good wifi signal all across campus, but Cornell puts a limit to the amount of free data you can use. There is a limit of about 50,000GB per month that you can use. I have yet to exceed this limit, but if you're the kind of person who is always on Netflix or playing online games (e.g. World of Warcraft)then you might have some issues.

Ithaca Is Gorges

Crime is almost a non-issue here, but there are safety issues with the beautiful gorges on campus. Although the gorges are fenced off and students are told not to go down into the gorges, many still do. We have had a handful of students pass away in the pass because they did not heed these rules. However, if you follow the university's rules you should be completely safe.

Fantastic Bus System

The Public Transportation Association named the TCAT bus system a 2011 Outstanding Public Transportation System in North America. It is one of only three bus systems in the country to do so. This isn't a fluke either; as someone who has used the bus on a daily basis, I can vouch for just how convenient they are. They are rarely late and there are many different routes for wherever you want to go. Freshmen get a free bus pass too!

Freshman Parking Discouraged

There are a decent number of parking lots around campus but freshman are really discouraged from bringing cars with them. There are high parking prices for freshmen and some of the lots aren't near certain dorms. If you're a freshman, I would suggest you don't bring a car. They give you a free bus pass for your first year so I would make extensive use of that (I know I have!).

Great Career Services

I switched majors halfway through, and studied human development. With the help of a very flexible curriculum, and fantastic career services, I was able to land my dream job working in HR at an international investment bank. Go Cornell!!! :)

It's Diverse, With a Catch

Cornell has a lot of diverse students, both ethnically and religiously. but they tend to stick together so having a diverse group of friends can be difficult.

Overrated

The title says it best. Since most undergrads aren't 21, the people who do go out are pretty much restricted to the massive frat scene. As a fall semester, freshmen this is (was) nice and all, but if one isn't in Greek Life during and after their freshman fall semester (until one hits 21), they won't be seeing too many parties unless they know the right friends in or out of frats. And with the new university regulations, freshmen aren't even allowed at frat parties for most of their first semesters, further sucking away possibilities.

As for the bars/clubs, most of them are in Collegetown, with a few downtown (filled with Ithaca College students). They are all 21+, which pretty much excludes most undergrads; and in the last two years, three bars have went out of business. There is still some diversity, but the already mediocre bar/clubbing scene is diminishing even more.

Grade Distribution

Everyone here is very smart, but there's a wider distribution of grades than you'd expect at a school where the percentage of acceptance is slimmer. I like that not because its "easier" but because I have the ability to help my friends out or show up at office hours and be able to help people that I've never met who are having trouble, and I've made a lot of friends that way. I wouldn't have had that opportunity at a school where everyone knew everything, I feel like I have something to offer the rest of the people who go to my school and it's a great feeling.

Unless Your Dirt Poor Don't Even Try

Friendly enough, but not much in terms of financial aid if you're parents are middle class +

Never Worked Hard in High School? -That's About to Change

The academics are great. Really. I completed my first semester and I'm halfway through my second, and I think I've learned enough to compete with upperclassmen from other schools for internships (I'm a bio major). Many of the first year professors in math and science have a hard time matching the difficulty level of the course to what freshman are capable of doing -they expect a lot given that they're used to working at a graduate/doctorate level. Some even joke about how much they dumb things down. And just because you took APs in high school doesn't mean these classes will be fine for you (well maybe they will, but they're not for most people). Even general classes tend to be like their AP version, except on crack. There is a lot of pressure to do well in relation to other people because many exams are curved so that the mean (say it's a 76) becomes a B-. Sometimes good, often bad (say the mean's an 88, and you got an 80. That could be a C, depending on standard deviation). But hey, it's not all bad. The profs, however difficult to understand at times, are often very willing to help you understand if you come to them with questions. They all have office hours and so do all the TA's, and although you will probably never be the only person at office hours (so you don't exactly get individualized attention), OH will still help given that you have some general background and know exactly what you don't understand -sounds paradoxical right? Think about it. Ultimately, what it comes down to is that this school is really hard. Sure, you will probably have a C average or higher. But getting higher takes work and easy classes to cushion the GPA -don't underestimate those. But for your main classes, expect academic hell: thinking you understand the material and walking out of an exam not having a clue what just happened; feeling confident about an exam only to get a B-/C because well the curve either screwed you or you actually didn't know much; and really only having free time on fridays and saturdays and none during the week because you'll be doing problem sets and readings and studying. Once you get the hang of all this, getting B's and A's in your classes will be very rewarding, but it takes a drastic shift from the high school mentality to achieve this.

Typical New York Weather

Cold and Dreary winters, hot and sticky summers and an awesome median in between for both fall and spring. Absolutely gorgeous the first few weeks of school.

Very Safe

I have never felt unsafe on any part of Cornell's campus.

Many Options and Pretty Good Food

Cornell has 10 all-you-care-to-eat dining halls, and many other eateries scattered around campus. I personally like the food better at school than I do at home, because there's almost always something I'd love to eat... so beware of the Freshman 15 (never thought it could ever happen to someone who was as skinny as i was... it certainly did though!) There are also many different meal plans to choose from, the only problem is that when you live on West Campus, you are required to have an unlimited meal plan (which I don't care for since I don't need to eat that much and I also work at a job 4 times a week that feeds me).

Being a Hotelie

A student in the Hotel School at Cornell has a lot of opportunities, but lots of hard work comes along with it. On top of a heavy workload for classes you are encouraged to work at the Statler Hotel to gain experience to go along with what you are learning in class. As a hotelie, you are also apart of a huge worldwide network of alums where you can easily find an internship/job for the summer. This past summer I was able to work at a 5-star hotel in the Canary Islands! I love being a Hotelie!

It's Ok

If you are a girl wanting to get into parties for free drinks, then you will have it your way. There are parties every weekend (and every day if you want), and you can get a fair share of alcohol at parties. Many people have alcohol in their rooms, and most people pre-game in the rooms (wherever really...it just can't be too blatantly public) and get away with it. Peer pressure, not much. I know some people who choose not to drink and find their own ways of having fun on weekends in some other ways than getting drunk and going to parties.

Lots of Seminars and Opportunites

I'm a biology major in CALS. The workload isn't too bad but the introductory courses can be very stressful. Overall though, there are a lot of resources to help like tutoring, info sessions, seminars and even 1 credit course supplement classes that you can enroll in. Plus its a field that produces a lot of job/internship opportunities pre/post grad.

Force Triples...

All freshmen live on North Campus, which is nice because you get to know your classmates better. However, North Campus is crazy far from most of classes, which are on Central. You need to leave at least 20 minutes ahead of time to be in class on time, which could be annoying as the weather gets cold (and early in the morning, in general). Rooms are okay, in terms of cleanness, but that's as long as you don't live in a force triple. Force triples are SO tiny that you will barely have enough space for anything. However, the community you become a part of and interactions you have with people (other freshmen mostly) are excellent.

It's There, but You Don't Have to Be Involved

Drugs and alcohol certainly have a presence on campus. Much of the night life at Cornell involves alcohol, but there are many other things to do--go to an Indian flute concert, attend a folk dance class, the possibilities are endless!

Greek Rules

Nearly all the parties take place at frats - although now they are starting to move to collegetown houses because new restrictions have destroyed frat parties. Greek has turned in on itself - mixing and partying only with its members and not really providing opportunities to meet new people. There are a few bars that are always options but some are cruddy. Walking is always a requirement for anything unless you have a bus pass

Psychology 1101

This is a great class if you're interested in Psychology. Our professor is absolutely awesome and is quite famous! He know's what he's talking about and it's nice that he engages with the class. The TA's are also there for help whenever you need it!

Best Decision Ever

I am having a very positive experience my first semester at Cornell. The weather has been unusually warm an the campus is beautiful with the changing leaves. I have made some really close friends, and have had some really fun times going out on the weekends. There is a big learning curve for freshmen, I didn't realize how much I needed to study in order to get good grades. I would give it an A+, but the university has been strict about parties after the hazing tragedy in which a student died last year. I know many people that have gotten written up, and some parties scan ID's and don't let freshmen in. It can also be difficult to find a party first semester, as there are many closed mixers for the Greeks, and you don't rush until second semester here. A lot of times you have to know someone in the house to get into a frat. Another negative aspect of my experience here was suffering through a very difficult intro bio course. Professors expect a lot out of their students, which is a good thing, but with the freshmen learning curve it can be difficult to reach their standards. I feel like I have complained a lot, but don't get me wrong--I would never change my decision to come here. I have met so many interesting and extremely intelligent people from all over the world. Everyone complains about the weather, but it's a nice change from the constant sun of Los Angeles. I love all of the little cafes and libraries on campus. The dorms are pretty nice too. Even though the new dorms are the nicest, the older ones are tolerable, and some have bigger rooms than the new dorms. The food is a little overrated, but there are a lot of options and you will find something that you like to eat.

Weather So Far

I am a freshmen towards the end of my fall semester, its Novemeber and the weather is still great, low 50s high 40s. I was told this is unusual for this time of year thought

Grey

One of the greyest and gloomiest areas on earth. It either rains/snows all the time, or the skies are just grey. It does match the general feel of how students feel after a tough test. It is a very pretty grey though.