Are you interested in someday attending Cornell? Our intern, Alex, toured this amazing, Ivy League university and shared his thoughts about what makes Cornell a top school in the US.
WHY IS THIS SCHOOL AWESOME?
Located in the cozy college-town of Ithaca, New York, Cornell University radiates a serene, suburban atmosphere; however, sprawled across its enormous campus are some of the nation’s top research facilities, as well as many prestigious college programs and historic buildings (including libraries and even museums). Additionally, Cornell has expanded its campus to New York City to house CornellTech, an amazing new opportunity in which students can work with world-class technology and take part in ground-breaking projects. Even though Cornell is notorious for its long winters, students can’t help but bundle-up and explore the vast campus’ beautiful forests and gorges. Additionally, Cornell possesses some very impressive sports teams, including basketball and football. The biggest sports at Cornell though, are Wrestling, Lacrosse, and Hockey, all of which are top programs in the country. Cornell students aren’t afraid to show off their Big Red pride, and the social scene on campus is very active and spirited. There is an abundance of volunteering opportunities in upstate New York, as well as more clubs and student-organizations than you can count, which is why Cornell is really the full-package. And let’s not forget that all of this is found at an Ivy League Institution!
5 WORDS TO DESCRIBE CAMPUS?
EXPANSIVE, VERDANT (check out the Cornell Plantations), HILLY, ECLECTIC (it’s hard to miss the irregular layout and variety of architectural styles on campus), and of course, GORGEous (every Cornellian’s favorite pun!)
THE "TYPICAL STUDENT" IS...
Hard-working, responsible, excited to learn, maybe a bit competitive, but also friendly, fun-loving and spirited. In reality, there is no “typical student” at Cornell, which prides itself on diversity of both the student body and the various interests of those students.
INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE?
Cornell offers over a dozen study-abroad programs to its undergraduates, and has campuses in both Doha (Qatar) and Rome (Italy). Additionally, the freshmen class (the class of 2020) represents 104 nations from outside of the United States, with international students comprising over 10% of the student body. Cornell encourages its undergraduates to seek research opportunities and jobs, or even just to study around the world to expand their horizons.
TIPS FOR THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
Don’t tell the admissions officers what they already know! If you are applying to the engineering school, your personal essay AND your supplement shouldn’t both be about how much you love math or science. Tell a funny story, or write about something interesting outside of academics, like a sport or hobby that makes you unique from the thousands of other students applying to that specific schools.
FUN FACTS?
Cornell’s Thurston Hall contains the nation’s premier large-scale earthquake simulator!