I’m really torn up between the 2. I don’t know if i should apply ED to Cornell or not. If I get accepted I’ll have the regret of not applying to gatech. But I will have a better chance in the ED applicant pool.
I’m an international and what I’m looking for in a college is:
1.big campus
2.good social scene
3.academics is fpgood for both,though I think gatech beats cornell in terms of engg.
Please advice!
Thanks!!!
Are you planning to visit both? If not Cornell is the safer bet. Hard to duplicate what Cornell offers in terms of natural environment including the beautiful lakes, broad intellectualism, sophistication and one of the best college towns in the United States.
If you plan to stay in the US over the summers, upstate NY is much more pleasant.
If you plan on visiting both, that should help you decide.
To me it is Cornell by a mile. And it wins on every one of your points. It is tops in engineering, do you really think you can judge which undergrad program is better? I do not think you grasp Cornell’s resources well.
Georgia Tech doesn’t beat out Cornell for engineering. Apply ED to Cornell.
Yes…I think I always liked Cornell a bit more…is it okay if I want a good social life in the next 4 yrs of my life along with good academics?i mean…I’ve heard that georgia tech students only concentrate on studies…the guys to girls ratio also isn’t favorable(I’m a guy 
).
But then, I’ve also heard that people having a major in egg from georgia tech get vastly more opportunities than those from cornell( this was stated by a peer who has graduated this year, and I am not really sure about this statement)
That is not true. I’ve only heard of Georgia tech because my friend was from the south and her brother went there. I only found out more about if after being on CC for a few years.
plus, i dont think ill be able to visit either this summer. thats why any and all information is gold for me:)
Where are you from? If you cannot visit either school, Cornell is a no brainer. The town of Ithaca is fantastic and it is set in the Finger Lakes of New York.
You will have no issues with your social life.
I have been to Atlanta at least a dozen times and it is rather nondescript. The suburbs are nice though.
Cornell is a no brainer.
So I guess cornell supersedes GAtech in the matter of campus vibe. But what about academics? Would cornell,being an ivy,provide more resources? Which of the two schools will look better when I apply to grad schools?
GT is a slightly higher rated engineering school. Cornell has a strong engineering focus, but does everything pretty well. GT is midtown Atlanta and has a beautiful, historic but compact urban campus. The area surrounding it is so-so, but there are lots of things to do in the Atlanta area, 20 min from the airport with direct connections to most everywhere, and it is easy and convenient for internships. Cornell has a spectacular rural campus on the hills of a valley, but is pretty isolated. There is more to do in Ithaca if you like the outdoors, and especially the cold. GT has many of the facilities (some dorms, swimming, etc) from the 1996 Olympics, quite amazing for a college.
I’d say social life is better at Cornell. GT has a 60/40 male/female ratio for the incoming class, which gets closer to even each year. GT is also tied in with Emory with shuttle buses running back and forth so it’s not as bad as it seems. From friends and family who have attended both schools and were in the sciences or engineering, I think more were happy at Cornell, but GT was a better value overall.
Most students at GT are from Georgia, and most of those are from the Atlanta area. Cornell students are from everywhere with the NYC metro as the largest area of origin.
GT accepts about 33% of applicants, Cornell about 15%, and GPA/ACT/SAT profiles are similar. Both schools are highly sought after by recruiters. GT students have higher starting and mid-career salaries, but most of the GT grads are in technical fields which pay more but that is mitigated when you take in to account lower SE regional salaries and lower cost of living. GT also has less grade inflation if you are considering grad school.
Cost wise, GT is much cheaper ($15k/yr) even if are paying full OOS tuition. If you are fortunate enough to be a Georgia resident and have the grades to get in, tuition is ultra-cheap with a state scholarship, available to residents with high GPA and ACT. For the best performing Georgia residents, it’s only books, room and board. Cornell has better FA if you are not a Georgia resident.
If you are fortunate enough to be admitted to both, I would probably look at costs as a deciding factor. I don’t see any downside for ED for Cornell and it is your top choice for private ED schools. See what FA, if any, you would receive from both schools before you make your decision.
@TooOld4School thanks a lot!!!
Really needed that. No I would not need FA. And it seems life is much better at cornell while there are just minute differences in academics. Also,because Cornell is a bit isolated,are there significantly less number of opportunities(internships etc.) available there than at GATech?
Also,this might seem stupid, but if I get accepted in the ED pile of Cornell,will I still be able to send apps to public schools or no other school in the united states whatsoever?
You can when you apply but you agree to withdraw them if you are accepted to Cornell.
Please read the agreement. Your high school must also sign the agreement. You cannot apply to more than one for ED, EA yes if allowed.
Look at the page on the Cornell to website for ED rules for applying. But once you are accepted and have a financial package that you can accept, you must place a deposit and withdraw all other applications. You will not be able to put in other applications once you accept an ED offer. If you want to see your offers and think about it longer, then apply RD.
Cornell has an excellent Career Services dept to help with summer internship placements, which can be anywhere, including the West Coast… If you are interested in grad school then you should also look for research opportunities in summers no matter which college you attend. Grad school is about grades and letters of recommendation from professors who know you well and the best references are profs you did research with.
As of now, I’m really leaning towards Cornell. But finally,Which of the two will provide more research opportunities?
Cornell hands down will provide more research opportunities. I’m going to be a freshman at Cornell next year, I’ve visited multiple times now and I cannot express how amazed I am by the funding that they have accessible to their research programs. Not to mention that Cornell is Ivy League with an extensive alumni network that is dedicated to giving back to the school and providing many connections to those valuable opportunities that you and I are looking for; this fact alone sold me on Cornell over schools like Northwestern, Notre Dame, Berkeley…etc and I’m 99% sure that it sells over GATech as well. Plus, if you’re going for grad school, Cornell’s reputation is phenomenal.
And Social life is freaking amazing at Cornell lol, in the matter of the few days at a time that I got to spend there, I’ve experienced a blast. And the people are soo nice. Ratios are definitely in your favor as I’ve witnessed (though I’m a girl).
Cornell is your best bet in my opinion… @
Good luck!
@Snowbells hahaha…things can be extremely different for girls and shy guys…lol…that said,i think your enthusiasm is a big positive…and i have searched a bit knowand cornell will 100% be better for my future.
Do you like cold weather? Ithaca is freezing in the winter. Atlanta is much warmer.
What are you planning on studying? If it’s liberal arts (non-engineering) definitely choose Cornell. If it’s engineering I’d seriously think about Georgia Tech as they are comparable in reputation, esp. for CS, and GaTech is a lot cheaper.
Also if you are looking for a fun place to live, Ithaca is very small and in the middle of nowhere, whereas Atlanta is a major city, has lots of good restaurants, clubs, shopping.
@cmsjmt I will study mechanical/aerospace…and although Cornell is a bit isolated,but most people say that the actual social scene inside is much better than that at GATech…
But areboth the schools are comparable in regards to my intended major?
And yes I will love the cold weather!
Cornell has Greek so that is the social part. Not sure if GATech has Greek or not.