If there is availability and it’s in the budget, stay and eat at the Statler Hotel which is staffed by Hotel students. Get ice cream at the Cornell dairy. Eat a burger in Willard Straight dining hall. Get a bagel or soup at Collegetown Bagels.
+1 for staying at the Statler but there are more interesting dining options in Ithaca. Also, while you will definitely see students while dining there, if time is limited, eating in a student dining hall would offer a glimpse of more students interacting.
For anyone who may think the campus is too large, take the map and mark off the route a student is likely to take to and from classes, then walk that route from North Campus. It helps to visualize the amount of walking and how much of the campus one actually covers daily. The Architecture students obviously have a shorter trip to class than the Engineering students.
There is a great view of West Campus from the Willard Straight patio. If that is not accessible, the view behind the library is also good. The top floor of the Johnson Art Museum also offers amazing views.
There were two “Cornell Days” to choose from, both in April, for accepted students. They don’t appear to be calendared yet - but assuming they occur, they will occur in April. S was accepted RD to CO23 and was undecided. Attending the Cornell day played a big part in his decision. There are lots of programs to choose from, including the oppy to meet staff and students from your S/D’s college, panel presentations, complimentary meal at a campus dining hall, activity fair, student services fair, campus tours, etc. They will also host a host of virtual events in April and I highly recommend those. At the Cornell Day we attended, at the activity fair, he connected with two other students from his college where they all recognized each other from the virtual events. We ended up having lunch together that day, moms and sons. During orientation (they were all undecided and all matriculated to Cornell!), they connected again - having shared contact info at Cornell Day. As did we moms. And we left knowing that - for their first meal on campus after our departure - they at least had “someone to eat with” - no small thing for us! - as they made plans to have that dinner together. Kind of a cool story about how those “accepted students” events, both live and virtual, can go a long way in creating the connections that make your student feel “at home” at Cornell. Good luck!
Some things I don’t recall from our campus group tour that impressed me at Cornell Day in April that I recommend seeing include the Mann Library - explore all the floors! Each is different. AD White Library within Uris Library - fondly often called the Harry Potter Library - it predates the wizard tales and I think is original to campus. Great views of the valley and Cayuga Lake from here. We did see that on our general tour. The Johnson Art Museum on campus is a great stop! On our first visit, we took advice and had dinner in “Collegetown” to experience where campus social life seems to often center. We just played restaurant roulette - parked and chose from many walkable options. I remember what it looked like but don’t remember the name! Just a good meal after a full day. There is a restaurant called the Boat House on the tip of Cayuga Lake - just a mile or 2 from campus adjacent to the University’s … boathouse! I’m also very fond of an Italian Restaurant called Ciao! I recommend reservations as the wait there is usually long. I agree with catching the view from Willard Straight Balcony and - even if you don’t stay at the Statler - they have a lobby bar and app menu so a great place to rest as your visit winds down - great view of the Ithaca sunsets from there. The campus is absolutely quintessential, and no more so than when circling or standing amid the “arts quad” where its history just surrounds you! The visitors center may have guided or info re self-guided tour of the some of the gorges and the Botanical Garden is a nice stop. First-years will reside on North Campus - so consider a snack from the “Louie’s Lunch” truck parked across from Risley Hall (the arts program house). It is a Cornell mainstay and a very late-night dining option that the kids are grateful for! A very “Cornell” thing to experience. Also “up there” is the Purcell Student Center and the main gym facility, fields, courts, to get a feel for rec and gathering spots. The Africana Center is a unique facility located up there. It has a library that my son enjoys escaping to sometimes to get work done without hiking down to the libraries on central campus. I hope this is helpful! Such an exciting time…
- as they made plans to have that dinner together. Kind of a cool story about how those “accepted students” events, both live and virtual, can go a long way in creating the connections that make your student feel “at home” at Cornell. Good luck!
Also “up there” is the Purcell Student Center and the main gym facility, fields, courts, to get a feel for rec and gathering spots. The Africana Center is a unique facility located up there. It has a library that my son enjoys escaping to sometimes to get work done without hiking down to the libraries on central campus. I hope this is helpful! Such an exciting time…