<p>I'm contemplating sending my daughter from the west, yet the timing may not permit her to spend a night in the dorm (I know that part isn't guaranteed). Do you get just as much out of Cornell Days without the overnight stay and student host? She would spend the night with her cousin nearby. Can anyone describe the activities offered and if it's worth it to go for just the day (worth travelling across the country)? Someone suggested in a previous thread that I save my money and go to parent weekend instead (that would cost significantly more for 2 plane tickets, rental car, hotel if I could find one, etc, so is not in the cards).
FYI- she was an early admit, but would love to take a closer look and learn more about the campus.</p>
<p>For what it is worth, my older daughter did few overnights, and they didn’t work out very well. She was paired up with people very different from her, or she was left in the dorm to fend for herself because her host had a lot of schoolwork. I think your daughter will get a sense for what Cornell is like by attending few activities and classes. I personally don’t think it is worth it to travel across the country to visit Cornell for a day. For Cornell Days, the administration is going to do a lot of show and tell, probably not Cornell is like day-to-day. If you don’t mind spending the money, it is always pretty visiting Cornell.</p>
<p>I appreciate hearing this, oldfort. I wasn’t even going to consider it, as we are middle income and the flight is costly from Nevada. However, she has a cousin at Ithaca college through May who could also show her around town and put her up at her house, so the idea of seeing Ithaca that way and also learning to travel alone so far away seemed like it could be a useful experience. But Cornell Days doesn’t sound so organized (or I can’t get a sense of it, even after calling and asking about it) and I don’t want her just wandering around alone, not knowing what to do. Also, we can’t wait until Cornell sends out more info in April, as flights will surely be more expensive that late in the game. Perhaps we would better off using the money for a few pairs of boots and a heavy coat :/</p>