<p>I'm going to major in both math and physics.
pros and cons?
Please tell me. I'm desperate.</p>
<p>hey man, I'm in the same boat (majoring in math most likely) but I've pretty much decided on Cornell. Here are some pros and cons:</p>
<p>U Chicago
pros:
better math and physics programs
in the city of chicago
bigger endowment
better grad schools
better fin aid (at least for me)
cons
smaller school (1200/class) could be pro for u
bad social life (few hot girls, lame)
not ivy (shouldn't matter to most people)
D-III sports</p>
<p>Cornell
pros
bigger student body (3000+/class)
better social life (parties, frats, girls)
hockey team (ivy league sports)
better biology and chemistry
prestige
cons
in the middle of nowhere
weather
grade deflation is even worse than Chicago's
suicide/transfer/fail-out rate</p>
<p>For me it came down to the campus feel, social life, and pre-med at cornell (I will major in math but I plan to go to med-school). It is a hard decision though--U Chicago's math and physics programs are amazing.</p>
<p>Thanks antimorph, it helped a lot.
by the way, does somebody know how hard is the english course (especially, writing) at each school? I've lived in America only a year and half. (I came here in my junior year.) I'm still practicing, but I'm afraid of hardcore writing class at college. Of course I prefer easier one.</p>
<p>Chicago has pretty bad weather too...thou i heard that since cornell is on a hill...it just freezes over in hte winter.</p>
<p>"suicide/transfer/fail-out rate"</p>
<p>do you even know what any of these rates are? Most of it is just myth.</p>
<p>We got a lot more snow in the winter in Chicago when I lived there.</p>
<p>actually, Cornell has a higher retention rate than chicago</p>
<p>yeah, get rid of "suicide" (I don't know about the transfer/fail rate though). But that myth is just retarded.</p>
<p>According to US News:</p>
<p>Average freshman retention rate:
Cornell: 96%
U of Chicago: 95%</p>
<p>
[quote]
by the way, does somebody know how hard is the english course (especially, writing) at each school? I've lived in America only a year and half. (I came here in my junior year.) I'm still practicing, but I'm afraid of hardcore writing class at college. Of course I prefer easier one.
[/quote]
Freshmen at Cornell have to take two writing seminars (typically one per semester), but that shouldn't scare you. They aren't hard. Also, there are like 50 to choose from, covering a very, very broad range of subjects...I have friends in writing seminars about philosophy, plants and King Arthur. I'm in one about Shakespeare (I am, however, an English major), and last semester I took one about movies.</p>
<p>But to reiterate: they aren't hard. If you do what's assigned, you'll most likely get at least an A-.</p>
<p><a href="I%20am,%20however,%20an%20English%20major">quote</a>
[/quote]
uh, of course they are not hard for you :p</p>
<p>how critical are they on writing? You mentioned that if you do what is assigned, you will get a decent grade... but what if you do everything, but just aren't geared to think with that part of the brain? I would assume there are some pretty critical professors?</p>
<p>well I know Professor Strunk (who wrote the little book) taught at Cornell...
edit: he is dead now.</p>
<p>I've carried that book through 3 years of Cornell. Haven't read a single page.</p>
<p>Hey I'm in the same boat, school-wise. In terms of a major, I'm torn between biological sciences . . . and economics. Tough choice between the schools.</p>
<p>lol since you guys are talking about reading and I just came back with eyes tired from reading lemme give u insight into my AP Lit class senior year to get it off my shoulders. We have read 9 books
Babbit-sucks
The Invisible Man-pretty good
Hamlet-good
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead-AMAZING
The Tempest-alright
The Stranger-good
Gulliver's Travels-great
Frankenstein-great<br>
Great Expectations-alright so far
We have to write about 3 essays on every book and analyze each chapter outloud in class (each person comes up with an idea using insight for every chapter and then analyzes the idea with the class). We also have to write notes for every book (my last two being 27 and 22 pages long - summary, comments, questions, etc.) We also read poetry, short stories, and practice the AP tests. It's such a load but I actually love the class... K now that thats off my shoulders...</p>
<p>Enjoy HS while u can. I'm taking English 364 and we read 9 books in ONE SEMESTER. I've been pretty much 1-1 1/2 books behind the syllabus the entire semester. Our first prelim was a set of 3 papers which he gave us one week to write. You fill find the freshman writing seminars very similar to HS english but upper level english classes will require a different brand of analysis altogether. There is more emphasis on style and less on plot/theme. For example, for one of my papers, I wrote 7 pages analyzing the style of just the FIRST PARAGRAPH of one of Pynchon's novels.</p>
<p>you don't have to take english after the first year right? if ur not in CAS</p>
<p>abike - ILRies have to take 2 writing seminars and 1 advanced writing class.</p>
<p>Wow norcal that's crazy. That's the reason I question my interest in English. I LOVE analyzing books and writing about them, but I don't necessarily like reading all of these assigned books, especially ones that are assigned to me that I don't have any interest in (like Babbitt! Ever read it? IT SUX!).</p>
<p>ok thanks gomestar</p>