Ask a freshman about Cornell!!

<p>Right about now there are a lot of prospective students and early decision admits wondering about what life is like at Cornell. After spending an entire semester here I feel like I can be a valuable resource to anyone with questions about anything Cornell! My friends and I are very willing to help those who are looking for answers about social life, academic life, sleep schedules, and application processes. I've experienced a lot at Cornell and I know that so many people want to know what makes Cornell so special. I am here to answer almost any questions you have and if I can't I'm sure that some of my friends can answer you for me. I am a freshman in ILR and I am very devoted and pretty active in the school. Although this is finals season I will do my best to answer as fast as possible and help everyone out! You new freshman are looking at an even more competitive year than ours so I am sure that you will want all the help you can get and we are here to help!</p>

<p>How do Ithica locals feel about/look at Cornell students?
What distinguishes Cornell from other Ivies for you?
What were your application essay topics?</p>

<p>Did you apply ED? If so, can you walk us through what it was like finding out (like what you did, saw online, etc.) Thanks!!</p>

<p>@flyboy:</p>

<p>Most Ithaca residents are very friendly towards Cornellians. Considering the large amount of college students from both Cornell and Ithaca College, someone who wouldn’t like to be around college students wouldn’t live in Ithaca.</p>

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<p>There are many more reasons, but I’ll stop it there. Cornell is the place to go if you’re seriously passionate about learning and research. Cornell is for you if you want to go to a really diverse place and meet all different kinds of people. Cornell is for you if you have tons of varied interests and are worried about satisfying them all in college. Cornell is for you if you want to be in an extremely naturally beautiful place. </p>

<p>There are many reasons not to like Cornell, and there are many reasons to love it. So far, I could not see myself anywhere else!</p>

<p>I have applied ED to the ILR school. Is ILR everything that you thought it would be?</p>

<p>I also applied ED to the ILR school and it is an amazing program. I personally applied for the business aspects, curriculum, professionalism, and the interning possibilities. The ILR school is a large presence on campus and it makes you feel like you are apart of something close knit and small while being a part of the entirety of Cornell. Before I came to ILR I contemplated transferring to Arts and Sciences but after having classes at ILR I know that it is the right place for me. It is an incredibly versatile degree and it will give you skills that will transfer over into everyday life. Honestly it’s and experience and you will understand what I am saying once you get here.</p>

<p>@dougieb92
I applied ED, and they made me wait until 5pm on a weekday. I basically got the email that had the link and I clicked on it, then they make you click on it again (if there isn’t enough stress). Then I saw the first letters on top that said “Congratulations!” and I freaked out. As a first generation college student it came much to my surprise. It was the best day ever and the weeks leading up to graduation were nice and relaxed because I didn’t have to scramble to apply to colleges and make a bunch of choices because I already had a college to go to early on in the year. It made everything really easy and really fun.</p>

<p>That sounds amazing!! I’m anxiously awaiting December 16 from the state of Mississippi.</p>

<p>@Hannah14, were are you from In Mississippi? I’ve been in a cazillion forms and have yet to meet a person applying out-of-state to these colleges from Mississippi. My teacher told me that out-of-state colleges do not want a “Mississippi education”
I applied ED to ILR too.
hope we prove him wrong! gl.</p>

<p>I know someone hear who grew up in Louisiana and lived in Georgia. And no, Cornell wants people from everywhere… specifically underrepresented states like Mississippi</p>

<p>Haha! Yes, I’m applying from Mississippi! Obviously there’s not a big Cornell following here because my alumnae interviewer was from Puerto Rico! Phone interview, no doubt!:)</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>I know it’s way ahead of me, but I was just wondering: What is move in day like? Orientation week?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>To be honest, there weren’t many surprises on move-in day; it went more or less exactly how I expected. You get your ID card, you meet your family at your dorm building, your family parks the minivan outside your dorm building, and then you bring stuff from your car up to your room. All this happens while spouting your name, major, and where you’re from to every single person you meet.</p>

<p>Eventually, your parents leave and you’re left to dawdle around your dorm trying to make new friends. At 8:30 PM, your Orientation Leader will bring your orientation group to your room and take you with them to go pick up the other members. Once that’s done, you and the group will find a spot outside and do a bunch of random things and try to make you break out of your shell. If you make any friends in your orientation group (or atleast remember anyone’s name) you’d be in the minority of people.</p>

<p>The next few days, there will be random events you have to attend and a few more orientation group events. However, over the next few days I recommend trying to become as friendly as possible with the people who live around you on your floor. Unless you’re one of those super charismatic friendly people who can make friends with everyone (not me), don’t focus on orientation group events (skip them if it means getting closer with your dorm mates). Cornell does a pretty good job of putting with people who you’d be able to connect with (or at least they did for me).</p>

<p>The first few days of classes shouldn’t be too hard, so you will still have a good amount of free time to make friends and such.</p>

<p>Overall, the first few weeks of college is extremely weird- you’re thrown into a giant mix of all different people who are all trying to make as many friends as possible. It was only four months ago and I have a rather hazy memory of it just because of how strange of an experience it was. However, it was fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience that you should definitely look forward to.</p>

<p>@Peppino thanks so much for the great info!! very detailed!</p>

<p>My friend, a freshman at Stanford, advised me to take a lighter courseload in the first semester (or trimester, for her) in order to make friends/be social, since it’s hard to have much of a social life otherwise. Does this also apply to Cornell?</p>

<p>And how well, in general, do roommates get along? Do you see much of each other, or are your schedules entirely different?</p>

<p>I’ll likely be the only person from my tight-knit school attending Cornell next fall, and since I’m not one of the super-charismatic people you mentioned (I’m pretty introverted, to be honest), I’m already a little worried about making friends.</p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time!</p>

<p>Just talk to people, I was the only one that got accepted from my school.</p>

<p>It’s a lot easier than you’d think because everyone tries to make friends at the start of the year, and there are 3 basic questions you can ask everyone that can really get the conversation going. Ex: Where are you from, what school are you in, what are you majoring in, etc.</p>

<p>@ForeverFish For the roommate thing, you can choose your own roommate. The Cornell online roommate matcher is really a toss up. I used it because I didn’t want to choose my roommate and blame myself if I disliked him; but my roommate has to be one of the worst things that ever happened to me this semester (Only about 30% perfectly matched). Some of my friends get along with their roommates fine, so it’s really a toss up. (I’m pretty sure my roommate is the problem though). Bottomline, If you are social and can get along with anyone, take a double and hopefully you will have a better roommate experience or even better choose your own roommate. If you prefer privacy and don’t want to put up with bs, take a single. P.S. I see my roommate in the room all the time, that’s part of the problem.</p>

<p>There’s really no good reason to have a roommate.</p>

<p>Advantages: I guess for the “experience” although that seems like a pretty bs reason.
You could argue it makes you more social, but the converse of having no one to talk to also forces you to socialize.</p>

<p>Disadvantages: Weird sleep patterns
If they get sick you get sick
etc.</p>