<p>A couple of general thoughts to add:</p>
<p>Cornell, for some reason, seems to draw this sort of perspective a lot more than many other schools in the same boat. I'm certain that similar insecurities could be found/said about WashU, Northwestern, Chicago, Emory, Vanderbilt, Hopkins, Georgetown, Tufts, etc., not to mention any of the top publics. This is certainly due to Cornell's inclusion in a certain sports conference, a conference that has many admirable ideals. The reality, however, is that Cornell can feel much more like a Big 10 school than like Princeton or Brown, and I think we should think about ourselves in such a fashion... a Big 10 school that just so happens to have true scholar athletes. If you acknowledge Cornell for what it is, rather than what it is not, you cannot be let down.</p>
<p>Secondly, in terms of what other people will think of you when you mention that you are a Cornellian, it shouldn't be a concern at all. No graduate of a top school thinks any less of Cornell than any other top school in the country, and in the real world, people measure you by your own merits and not by whatever school you attended, be it Rutgers or Princeton. I have yet to meet any of these "wastes of space" individuals that you refer to, and if you do encounter pockets of them, I would be more curious as to why you are associating with such individuals, and why their opinions would matter to you.</p>
<p>The bigger problem that I have as a Cornellian is that people automatically assuming you are brilliant. And I have it on record that I am not. I have worked with a healthy mix of both Ivy alums and state schoolers and/or regional privates, and some can't get over the fact that I attended the school I did. And, perhaps most surprisingly, I have had kids from very respectable private schools go on and on about what a fantastic school Cornell is and how they wish they could have attended Cornell. To which I reply that their school appears to have a lot of appealing aspects as well.</p>
<p>Finally, and I think this is the most important: the most detrimental aspect to Cornell is the attitudes and opinions of a small minority of Cornellians themselves. This comes in two forms:</p>
<p>First, call it the 'muertapablo' syndrome if you will (loyal readers will know who I am referring to), but some small percentage of unfortunately rather noticeable Cornell students can't get over the fact that the ended up at Cornell. It's surprising to me, really, because if they didn't want to attend Cornell I don't know why they applied. They will go on and on about how X, Y, or Z is better at another school, but when I give it some thought, I actually don't see what is so great about them, either. (They're certainly not contributing much to campus life.)</p>
<p>Secondly, are those small minority of Cornell students who love to drape themselves in 'Ivy' -- they can't get the fact into their mind that it is athletic league with some discussion between similarly minded schools, and not what amounts to be some golden ticket into a life of riches. Now, don't get me wrong, I adore the athletic traditions of the Ivy league as much of the next alum, but there is nothing unique about the League outside of the sports conference, and if you aren't a varsity athlete or don't take a keen interest in Ivy football, basketball, wrestling, or lacrosse, your constant Ivy references will become rather pointless and silly to most learned observers, which just so happen to be a lot of your peers at Cornell and other colleges.</p>
<p>As I mentioned at the beginning of my thoughts, Cornell and her students can more than stand on our own merits. So let Cornell be Cornell, and most importantly, continue to work your hardest to be yourself with the opportunities that Cornell can afford you. If you do that, everything else, as they say, will take care of itself.</p>