Cornell administrator called an "especially painful week"

<p>Congrats! accepted into Cornell's class of 2014
Does 6 deaths in 6 months make Cornell 'suicide school'?</p>

<p>Does</a> 6 deaths in 6 months make Cornell 'suicide school'? - USATODAY.com</p>

<p>It does reveal the fact that it happens and has happened too often this year. In general, I think that stress levels are up around the country given the current economic conditions, the face pace of our culture, and greater competition in all arenas of life. It’s important for high school seniors to think deeply about their college choices and the best fit for them - close to home/away from home, big school/small school, area of study. . .</p>

<p>Cornell has provided my child with a beautiful campus, abundant social and academic opportunities, motivated bright peers, wise well-educated mentors and instructors, and good friends. It’s a big campus to navigate, but if you’re ready for that and it seems like a good fit, then that’s the place for you. If you think you need a smaller school - then you should consider that too - - I’m convinced that “fit” is the most important ingredient in the college process search and choice. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

<p>I feel like cornell is the kind of college if you walked into a final and forgot to bring a pencil and asked a classmate to borrow one of their five, they would snap four of their pencils in half, throw them out the window, and say “sorry, I only brought one”. </p>

<p>please provide me with stories/proof that this hypothetical situation would no occur. I feel like six suicides in six month says it all though…</p>

<p>i hate to say this cuz cornell has been one of my top choices for years but…ur right about the pencils thing…</p>

<p>i’m really doubting that i would go to cornell even if i’m accepted…</p>

<p>that is one of the stupidest anecdotes I have ever heard - especially from a NON-STUDENT! There is such a thing as sour grapes - covered in Pysch 101 by Prof. Maas, but also ususally in grammer school while reading Aesop’s tale of the Fox and the Grapes…</p>

<p>tealtopaz: Your post just reeks of stupidity. I can smell it from halfway round the world.</p>

<p>Re #3 & 4: It is nothing like that at all. It’s fine there. Top tier academic schools can be quite challenging academic environments, but people are for the most part all working hard, in it together, not stealing other people’s notes or the like.</p>

<p>As for “saying it all”: the following are excerpts from the linked article:</p>

<p>"The half-dozen suicides in the current academic year mark the first instances of student suicides at Cornell since 2005. "</p>

<p>“There is a myth surrounding the number of suicides here,” said David I. Stewart, then-director of community relations. “There is not a larger-than-average number of suicides on the Cornell campus.” </p>

<p>"news media often don’t report on suicides because they happen privately and there are often concerns about copycat suicides. </p>

<p>But, “when a death occurs at Cornell in one of our gorges, it’s a very public experience,” he said. "It’s observed by people, many people hear about it, whether or not it is in fact a suicide, and the reality is that when it becomes visible it can create the sense of a higher frequency than it actually is. "</p>

<p>“…reputation as a ‘suicide school,’ which is not consistent with the reality of the statistics”</p>

<p>I went there, and I let my own daughter go there, it’s fine. The suicide rate is right around the national average. There is certainly a tragic cluster of suicides that have taken place there this year, but this rate of suicides there is an anamoly taking place this year, and not the typical state of affairs there over a longer period of time, or even in recent history when there were no suicides there at all.</p>

<p>If you attend Cornell you can expect academic challenges. People should not expect to jump off a bridge about it, absent underlying issues.</p>

<p>thanks for that assurance. </p>

<p>i’ve been crossing my fingers for cornell since…forever.
the suicides just made me temporarily question the atmosphere at cornell, thats all…</p>

<p>really? HAHA. actually NO. But i have a feeling that YOU would be the type of student to do that.</p>

<p>I’m currently a student at Ithaca College, and know a lot about Cornell from traveling there for events, lectures, a class, and friends as well. The sudden spree of suicides is not at all representative of what the school is. Prior to this year, Cornell went about 4-5 years without a single suicide. </p>

<p>The reason that most of these suicides are taking place is not because of the school itself, rather the type of family that the student comes from. I know a few of the suicides were a result of student’s being pushed way too hard by one of their parents to succeed, and when they didn’t do as well as they had hoped, they ended their lives.</p>

<p>The atmosphere at Cornell is incredibly lively. Even during the winter storms, you see tons of students out and about. Sure, the academic load is stressful…but considering you are all striving to attend, that isn’t going to be surprising to you. The school has a ton of precautions set up though. All of the staff and faculty, down the the janitors, have been trained on how to detect depression, and their psych services are amazing. </p>

<p>So please don’t let this deter you from attending. The school is amazing and the area is out of this world.</p>