<p>Hey guys, I got into a few Ivies but am considering only Cornell and Penn. A big factor that leads me away from wanting to go to Cornell is the, according to a few current Cornell students I know, overwhelming amount of work assigned. So, my question is how much work is actually given and if possible, how does it compare to Penn's workload? I will be studying engineering at either school. Thanks.</p>
<p>You do realize you're going into engineering, right? The workload in engineering is tough everywhere. If you're doing all that work, you might as well do it at a good program.</p>
<p>If you have the proper time management skills and work ethic, the engineering workload at either school is completely manageable. If varsity athletes can major in engineering at Cornell while practicing 20-30 hours a week, so can you.</p>
<p>Cornell's engineering programs may be a little bit more rigorous than Penn, but that's why Cornell has the superior engineering school. The exact opposite could be said about AEM and Wharton.</p>
<p>Don't choose between Penn and Cornell based on workload considerations.</p>
<p>Cornell is the better choice. Workload is not light but definitely manageable if you manage your time right. If you do, you will have time to do many other things (clubs, parties, etc).</p>
<p>This is a big misconception. Cornell students like to complain about their workload. And if you look close enough, it's usually students who can't handle the intellectual demands, not just quantity, of the engineering workload. Will you be working a lot? Hell yes. But if you manage your time well and go to office hours and such, it's not too bad. And, despite what Cornellians might say, the amount of engineering work at any school, especially one like Penn, will be approximately equal. Now, be prepared for difficult tests that test you on concepts rather than memorizing equations. Basically every test I took at Cornell involved questions I had never seen before.</p>
<p>Mom's point of view.</p>
<p>I think my daughter worked harder in high school. In high school if she went out once a week it was a lot. At Cornell she is out 3-4 times a week (during Jan to Feb it was more like every night), and she is still doing ok (not engineering, but math & econ). As a parent I am wondering what I am paying for, but that's a different topic. The hard part is you only have 2-3 prelims and the final. If you fall below the mean on one prelim, it is very hard to climb out of it. Unlike HS you don't get credit for homework, class participation, or for simply showing up everyday. My daughter does avoid taking classes with engineering students. Her proudest moment was when she got one of the highest scores in her CS classes with many engineering students. She does not complain about her workloard. She complains about not able to choose which party to go to.</p>
<p>One bad thing about engineer is that you don't get to choose too many classes once you are in. Majority will be science. If it's hard then you got no choice but to go through with it anyway. Another thing i think is to be smart about stuff. If you think the lecture is useless and a waste of time, then don't go. Do something more productive.</p>
<p>"I think my daughter worked harder in high school. In high school if she went out once a week it was a lot. At Cornell she is out 3-4 times a week (during Jan to Feb it was more like every night), and she is still doing ok (not engineering, but math & econ). As a parent I am wondering what I am paying for, but that's a different topic."</p>
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<p>I know people who've gone to some of the top law schools in the country (Georgetown, NYU) and they basically do jack squat until prelims / finals come as well. That dynamic has nothing to do with Cornell - it's just the way the educational system is designed.</p>
<p>Personally, I think it's absurd that we've created a system in which our middle class sits around in school for 4 adult years doing nothing else but procrastinating until a few deadlines arrive.</p>
<p>"As a parent I am wondering what I am paying for, but that's a different topic."</p>
<p>I said that in jest. My daughter is getting a very good education at Cornell. She is getting a lot out of her classes, and is amazed by how available her professors are. She meets with them often during office hours.</p>
<p>I think college is a lot more than just academic. It is important to be able to balance social life with school work. It is one of the reasons why we did not discourage her from joining a sorority. Her grades did suffer a bit in Feb because of number of mixers, and she has made very good progress in getting them back to where they should be. That is why I said it's important to do well on every prelim because there are so few. I think in my daughter's majors you couldn't afford to do nothing and do well on your prelims.</p>