<p>I have been accepted at both Cornell University and Amherst College as a transfer student. Amherst is giving me financial aid while Cornell is not because I am an international student. But my parents are willing to pay the whole Cornell cost. I want to know if in comparism to Amherst, the quality of education, and prestige of a Cornell education is worth the financial sacrifice.</p>
<p>Well...wats ur major?</p>
<p>One thing I can tell u is that Cornell DEFINITELY has more prestige...ESPECIALLY if u r going back to ur country after u graduate. There are sooo many great parts of Cornell that I can't even begin to list them all cuz it would take sooo long. Once u say ur major I think people will be able to be more specific. Congrats on getting accepted to such great schools!</p>
<p>My major is business so I applied to AEM, Amherst does not have business so I applied to their Economics program</p>
<p>"One thing I can tell u is that Cornell DEFINITELY has more prestige...ESPECIALLY if u r going back to ur country after u graduate."</p>
<p>Amherst has more prestige. Cornell is better known, being a large research university and not a LAC. Neither of these are terrific reasons to choose a college, though.</p>
<p>OP, Amherst has arguably better academics. Better grad placement, more prestigious (as measured by difficulty in admissions, etc.) Most people who are worth their weight in dung would tell you that the academic experience at Amherst is unbeatable - smaller classes, better advising, arguably stronger student body, etc. You'd be foolish to choose Cornell based on misguided beliefs in the quality of education and prestige. Amherst is absolutely a more elite college.</p>
<p>If your parents are very wealthy and you prefer Cornell, you can get a great education there and it is a well-known school with good reputation.</p>
<p>But Amherst is also excellent and prestigious and offers probably more personal attention-so if they are giving you good financial aid, it's not worth a parental economic sacrifice to choose Cornell.</p>
<p>I think I'm being mislead by the fact that people down South do not know Amherst while they seem to applaud Cornell alot. what do you think?</p>
<p>Ive been thinking alot to the point of depression. My parents know Cornell well because it has a global reputation while they completely dismiss Amherst and I am wondering if I should be the one to tell them how good it is. However, it might make them think twice about Cornell. Because I want to go there, but I think I am making an emotional decision and not a logical one. Help me!!!!!</p>
<p>You may be able to get a good perspective by looking at the Alumni magazines from both colleges--easily available by calling their Alumni associations or possibly online. Look what kinds of positions graduates from 1990 to 2000 have today--I'm sure you will find Amherst as impressive (but remember its smaller size in comparison). People who know about colleges know Amherst's outstanding reputation.</p>
<p>But which one do you really want? Not clear to me from your last post? </p>
<p>Also this decision should not lead you to depression--when you have a choice between Amherst and Cornell--both great places--there is no "wrong" choice....</p>
<p>My emotions and feeling are driving me to Cornell. But my brain and my mind say Amherst is logical. I love Cornell but would have loved Amherst as much if it was as popular and if people seemed to show admiration for my acomplishment when I tell them I got into Amherst. By the way their Spring 2007 transfer application pool only accepted about 9% of applicants (that's Amherst).</p>
<p>Well that was unclear for which one u like most...but both schools r so good that u should go to the one that you feel most comfortable with and would have the best experience. If you go international Cornell is definitely more well known if ur planning to go back to whichever country makes u an international. Both colleges r great, so no decision would be a bad one...</p>
<p>Being clear, Cornell is were I really want to go to. Do you think it is a smart decision considering the situation?</p>
<p>"My emotions and feeling are driving me to Cornell. But my brain and my mind say Amherst is logical. I love Cornell but would have loved Amherst as much if it was as popular and if people seemed to show admiration for my acomplishment when I tell them I got into Amherst. By the way their Spring 2007 transfer application pool only accepted about 9% of applicants (that's Amherst)"</p>
<p>It seems like you really want to go to Cornell because you seem to think it is a better school, or more prestigious. If these are your reasons, yes, it would be a dumb decision, seeing as how it's a blatantly false notion. However, if you feel drawn to Cornell for other reasons, follow your desires.</p>
<p>Before any of us could give you any info, we'd have to know how wealthy your family is, what the cost difference would be, and what sacrifices they plan to make to pay for it. </p>
<p>Think long and hard about your reasons for wanting Cornell over Amherst. If you think they are legitimate, and your family is prepared and able to pay, then go to Cornell, but please base it on something more factual than "Cornell is more prestigious", which seems absurd to people who know American colleges.</p>
<p>My parents are not rich they are just getting by. But they think that investing in my future with an Ivy League education might lead to a big break. How strong is Amherst's reputation.</p>
<p>Name value counts a lot outside of US. Last year, I was going to apply ED to Amherst my parents wouldn't let me, because they'd never heard of the school. Even after I explained to them that Amherst is just as good if not better, they insisted "if you want to get a job in Korea, then you're going to have to go to an Ivy League school."</p>
<p>Amherst's reputation is incredibly strong. If you plan to go to a good graduate school, Amherst has better graduate school placement than Cornell. If you are not rich, it is incredibly foolish to pick Cornell based on misguided notions of prestige. Yes, their name is better known, but Amherst is more selective and more prestigious. Is Ohio State University more prestigious than Cornell because more people in the USA know of it?</p>
<p>Here's your answer:</p>
<p>Amherst is arguably the best small liberal arts college in the US (I know Swarthmore, Williams, and some other schools have plenty of reason to dispute that characterization and in my opinion are frankly interchangeable in terms of quality, though Swarthmore would be my #1). But it doesn't have the international prestige.</p>
<p>If you are going straight back to your country and all you care about is the "Ivy League" label, go to Cornell and enjoy your status as an Ivy League grad when you return.</p>
<p>If you are heading toward graduate school in the US eventually, and are focused about it, go to Amherst and get one of the best educations that money can buy***. And then you'll end up in graduate school one of the best prepared students in your class, assuming you didn't spend your time getting baked before class or slutting around with UMass/Amherst students. If you're inclined to do either of the latter, Cornell might have richer opportunities right on campus (which would save time and effort) and might actually turn out to be less competitive.</p>
<p>But overlooked in this discussion is whether you think you would flourish in a small or large school environment. That's another thing you should figure out with the obvious implications for your choice.</p>
<p>***A friend, a Stanford grad, who went to Hopkins and attended Berkeley for grad school, told me his best prepared classmates on the grad level hadn't come from places like Princeton or Harvard, but places like Amherst. Note: best prepared as opposed to smartest was his descriptor.</p>
<p>I know American college considerablly better than the average joe and I aslo know that people who know colleges will recognized places such as Williams, Swarthmore, Amherst, Wellseley, Pomona, Tufts, and the University of Chicago as good places, but these are schools that are barely known outside their regions. I am a very ambitious young man and I hope to someday become rich and famous and every imigrants role model and I am wondering if Cornell's Ivy League status makes it a better candidate than Amherst in getting the job done.</p>
<p>I know American colleges considerablly better than the average joe and I aslo know that people who know colleges will recognized places such as Williams, Swarthmore, Amherst, Wellseley, Pomona, Tufts, and the University of Chicago as good places, but these are schools that are barely known outside their regions. I am a very ambitious young man and I hope to someday become rich and famous; and every imigrants role model and I am wondering if Cornell's Ivy League status makes it a better candidate than Amherst in getting the job done.</p>
<p>Well, eronmonesele2, it sounds like you've made up your mind: Ivy League brand name, no matter what the cost in terms of substance (not that Cornell lacks that).</p>
<p>I would go ahead, send the acceptance letter to Cornell, politely refuse Amherst, put your head under a towel with an open can of glue, and breathe deeply in delight of the fact that you've got some brain cells to spare -- you're gonna be a role model! Congratulations!</p>
<p>Im really still search and thats why Im speaking with you all. My consience tells me I will be making my parents waste money unjustly while I seem to be falling for Cornells hype. </p>
<p>How is Amherst's reputation up north? I dont want to make a decision I will end up regretting.</p>