<p>I do think that Chicago provides a more intimate academic experience. It’s rather disingenuous to suggest that the other undergrad colleges at Cornell shouldn’t be part of the analysis for someone considering Cornell CAS. Everyone is allowed to take CAS courses, and most do. As for science labs, of course hotelies are unlikely to pursue that kind of research, but ALS and Hum Ec students do.</p>
<p>There’s nothing evil about any of this. A bigger school brings pros and cons. The great strength of Cornell is the number of choices and opportunities to take courses from all the schools. But the OP is especially interested in “close, personal relationships” and doesn’t want to get “lost in the crowd.” That sounds more like Chicago than Cornell to me.</p>