<p>I heard that Cornell makes you pay for things like the campus bus, gym and other services that would normally be free in other schools?</p>
<p>Why is this? Tuition is high enough, aid isn't the best, so why make student's pay for stuff that seems basic?</p>
<p>Not a rant thread, just wondering if anyone could give me some info.</p>
<p>Also, how much is the bus/gym by month, or year if it is indeed not free?</p>
<p>I think a gym membership is around 150 a year. Nothing is free. At other schools you’ll be forced to pay for these things as part of your tuition whether you like it or not. Cornell gives you the option of opting out.</p>
<p>Nothing is free. At other schools, those things are built into the cost of tuition. Personally, I’d rather have the choice to not pay for a gym membership or on campus printing and stuff like that if I’m not going to be using it.</p>
<p>The bus system is actually free freshman year, and it’s not just a campus bus, it takes you all over Ithaca. After freshman year it’s free on weekends and after a certain hour, I think 5:00, on weekdays.
You do have to pay for the gym.</p>
<p>"…aid isn’t the best…"
Actually, when I was looking for colleges to apply to, Cornell had one of the best financial aid policies I saw. It’s one of only 30 or so schools that will guarantee to meet 100% of demonstrated need without loans, at least if you’re below a certain income bracket.<br>
Although if you’re international, they’ll probably give you next to nothing.</p>
<p>well, i guess, but I mean comparing it to Stanford, a student with the same level of income will have to pay like 10000 more on average at cornell…</p>
<p>but, no im not international and I still am applying to cornell. im not worrying too much about cost, only wondering</p>
<p>Cool let me know when you get into stanford then</p>
<p>^ Let me know when he gets into Cornell, for that matter.</p>
<p>Lol!!!</p>
<p>Hah IthacaKid, thanks…! </p>
<p>I was actually expecting your comment.</p>
<p>Cornell does charge for things above tuition that many other colleges do not. And Cornell is as expensive as most of these colleges. </p>
<p>But, to understand, Cornell does not offer a menu that you only pay for what you select vs other private schools that you pay a flat fee. Cornell charges $50k plus for tuition, room and board. And most of the other elite schools, in the NE, do as well.</p>
<p>But Cornell’s undergraduate population is larger than most or all of the elite northeastern schools. So Cornell tries to provide the same services (qyms,etc) and charge about the same tuition etc, but has many more students to accommodate. </p>
<p>So Cornell could build a lot more fitness/ gyms centers (on limited amount of land and at a high building cost) etc, or apply laws of supply and demand and charge for the services for those who want them. If the quantity of demanded accedes the supply offered, Cornell can add more (fitness centers or whatever) or charge more.</p>
<p>So by charging for these services, where some other schools do not, keeps Cornell competitive and viable. And when the student population applying to colleges gets smaller and smaller, as predicted, Cornell does not have over capacity.</p>
<p>That mean’s they can pay their bills and continue to exist!!</p>
<p>Thank you, that is the kind of well rounded answer I was looking for!</p>
<p>^^thanks, but I do need to correct some things (now that I read it after a good nights sleep)</p>
<p>In the 2nd paragraph I meant to say Cornell DOES offer (to a limited extent) a menu that you only pay for a service you want vs. a flat fee that other schools charge all students regardless of usage.</p>
<p>In paragraph 4, I miss typed or misspelled the word “accedes.” I meant “exceeds.” </p>
<p>And finally, in paragraph 5-last sentence-it should say “Cornell will not have over capacity in fitness centers, etc.”</p>
<p>This doesn’t seem to be a big deal at all, but for example, what sort of services (that are free at other comparable schools) are not free at Cornell ?</p>