<p>As we all know, Cornell is known for its amazing food and their huge portions. I'm currently making my meal plan selection and am wondering if the Bear Basic plan will be enough...I don't really eat breakfast (a coffee/tea or granola bar will do) and the only real "meal" I eat is dinner. I'm thinking that I can just use the Big Red Bucks to buy random stuff like sodas and sandwiches if needed.</p>
<p>So, from personal experience, what meal plan would you suggest for a rising freshman? Thanks.</p>
<p>Guys: 10 meals a week, or 14 meals if you think you will be eating in the dining halls more (i doubt it… dining halls are usually for dinner)</p>
<p>Girls: I started out with 10 meals a week, and realized it was too much. When I switched to the basic one, I realized that it was a rip-off. So I cancelled my meal plan haha and paid as I went.</p>
<p>I haven’re received my finaid yet but I know the estimate. Which plans are covered by the finaid? I don’t know when I will receive the finaid (before/after May1st) and would like to apply as early as possible.</p>
<p>Btw, I eat 3 times a day (breakfast is pretty light-1/2 sandwiches, tea; lunch and dinner are moderate). What meal plan would you recommend for me, 7,10, or 14 meals a weak? How much can you buy with your big red bucks?</p>
<p>Some of this depends on what school you’re in. If you’re in CALS, you’ll likely have lunch at Trillium, if you’re in Hotel you’ll be at The Terrace or Mac’s, etc. They take BRB only. The only dining hall on central campus that is on the meal plan is Okenshields at Willard Straight (convenient to Arts and Sciences, and NOT the most popular place on campus for food). </p>
<p>Depending on your schedule (which of course you don’t know yet) you may go back to North Campus at lunchtime a couple of days a week. So unless you are a big breakfast eater (many kids do that out of their mini fridge in their room), 10 meals or maybe 14 is probably enough, plus the BRB. I’m interested in the financial analysis saying it’s better to just pay as you go…</p>
<p>Does CU let students adjust (upgrading/downgrading) their plans in the middle of the school year or does everything need to be done before school starts?</p>
<p>You get a couple of weeks at the beginning of each semester to adjust your meal plan. I believe you can always upgrade, but you’ll be charged a fee if you downgrade after the deadline (someone correct me if I’m wrong!)</p>
<p>I’m just curious, but where to most people at Cornell eat? What I really mean is, I’m new to colleges and all, so if they aren’t using their meal plan because they only have 14 do they go to a restaurant or something? or do you just always use your meal plan or eat a small snack?</p>
<p>There are several small cafes and dining places on campus that don’t take meal swipes, so you use BRBs or your own money there. Many people who aren’t on a meal plan also cook their own meals and occasionally eat out.</p>
<p>you will use the most swipes the first two weeks you are there as you figure things out and go to eat in groups socially.</p>
<p>D is an engineer, and hates the only meal plan place on west (Okenshields). She has always had the 10 meal per week plan and it has been plenty. She has to work on using all of her 10 meals each week. She uses her BRBs though. And, often labs run through lunch so you can’t really go eat anyway–snack on an apple and some crackers that you took from the night before. Breakfast is often cereal, yogurt or bagel in the room. She loves RPCC on North for dinner and weekend brunch.</p>
<p>You can always increase your meal plan for free. They charge you to down grade it. so start with 10. After at least 2 weeks if it really is not enough, upgrade.</p>
<p>Also, parents–a gift card to college town bagels is greatly appreciated by many students. They can walk across the bridge and get a great cheap meal, nice coffees and desserts. My D used one of those to supplement her BRBs in the first semester</p>
<p>Thanks, all good advice! My S is still growing, and eating like only a growing teenaged boy can, so I’m thinking that a full meal at lunch is going to be called for if his schedule permits, and he will easily go over the difference in price between the plans if he buys his meals with cash or BRBs. So, we’ll probably start with the 14 and see what he thinks. Within the first 2 weeks (when he can downgrade if needed for free I think) he should be able to figure out where/when he is going to be able to get meals. But I think it’s worth it for him to try to get lunches and dinners at the dining halls.</p>
<p>Students love North Star in Appel (on North Campus). The place is huge, the food is great, and selection is mind-boggling, from kosher to vegan to gluten free, with pizza, salads, and various ethnic cuisines. If your son can get himself out of bed, he could do a giant breakfast there and it’s the place to go for dinner among the freshmen.</p>
<p>The only all you care to eat place near the Engineering school is Okenshields, which is busy, but doesn’t seem to be a favorite (I know that sounds contradictory–but it’s probably populated by people who have too many meal swipes and not enough BRB). </p>
<p>BRB places near/in Engineering are the cafe in Duffield (cool new Nanotechnology building), the Terrace at the Hotel School, and The Ivy Room at the Straight.</p>
<p>The suggestion for a gift card to Collegetown Bagels is a great one–it’s close to Engineering as well, but not actually on campus.</p>
<p>The kosher dining hall in 104West seems to be as close to engineering as Okenshields. (We don’t keep strictly kosher, but there’s no reason he couldn’t have a kosher lunch, and thus use a swipe instead of BRBs, if the food is decent.) Of course Freshman engineers don’t seem to have too many classes in the engineering buildings anyhow. He might have chemistry right before or after lunch, in which case going up to Risley might work, or even back to Appel. Sounds like he will have to figure out what works with his schedule, and what he likes, once he gets there.</p>