<p>Which one would you go to and why?</p>
<p>for what major?</p>
<p>Washu b/c its in a nice suburb of a metropolitan area with very friendly students and community members. Cornell has recently earned a reputation of accepting like a public school, but barely considered Ivy level, but I suppose WashU is considered just under Ivy level as well. It really depends on what you want to do and what kind of environment you like. But I (as a pre-med) would definitely choose WashU.</p>
<p>Last year, S chose Washu over Cornell CAS and I think it was one of those gut-feeling reactions to being on campus and deciding where he felt relaxed and comfortable. Cornell felt bigger and more impersonal to him during his one-day visit there (and while he also liked NU on the first visit, the impersonal impression grew stronger on the second visit.) This is a highly individual decision and your mileage may vary, etc. S liked the way the Washu campus is laid out, giving it the feeling of a medium-sized LAC ensconced in a research university. He also liked the flexibility Washu offered in double majoring and taking classes in different colleges even if you're not enrolled in that college. From SoCal, also, it was a lot more difficult just to get to Cornell. For Washu, he can fly into the St. Louis airport and take the new Metroline to campus. Just shorter and easier, though I don't think that played a big part in his decision. He was mainly drawn to Washu by two of the integrated major programs offered there: the PNP or Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology program and the Integrated Project in the Humanities.</p>
<p>Like jazzymom's S, my S chose Wash U over Cornell Engineering after visiting Wash U (and we live in Northern NJ).</p>
<p>Chet, I'd be curious to know your source for the remark "Cornell has recently earned a reputation of accepting like a public school, but barely considered Ivy level." Like many schools its acceptance rates are decreasing markedly in recent years.</p>
<p>Just to point out to those unfamiliar with Cornell, it has several undergraduate components (not engineering or CAS) that get public funding and affect Cornell's overall numbers for the USNews and other rankings so highly regarded by many high school applicants and their parents.
Cornell is a large school with a very diverse population from academic and social standpoints and at least to me, this enhances the undergraduate experience. </p>
<p>Disclaimer: I am the parent of a Cornell engineering student and he has been very happy there. Cornell has exceeded his expectations of a college experience. But he wanted a large research university (came from a large public high school) and is thriving there (several meaningful EC's, undergraduate research, lots of social stuff, skiing in the winter, etc). It isn't for everyone. Some kids really need (or want) a cozier undergraduate school and warmer weather. THe northeast schools just don't have warm weather year round.</p>
<p>Good luck with everyone's choices. I'm sure the kids will be happy wherever they end up.</p>
<p>Except for Biomedical eng, WashU has a second rate engineering school (44). Cornell has the best engineering school of the ivies (10).</p>