<p>Cornell is a school that I am looking at greatly, and I think I have a good shot with grades, ECs, and a few connections (I don't know if the connections I have are superficial or if they could really help though). However, when you go to Cornell, do you get the type of experience with professors in which they really care about you, like at what can be considered great LACs, or are they there to let TAs do the work and do their own thing? If the latter were the case, then I'd feel more like I'm spending thousands a year for a name (I don't want to sound like I'm antagonizing, but if Cornell is one of the biggest considerations for me, then I also want to be the most critical to make the most informed choice) than for an education? At Cornell do you really feel like you're getting the most out of your experiences or are you here just for your resume? I want to make sure that I get the most out of my undergraduate education while still being able to go to a top notch prestigious grad school (probably law school). Is Cornell the type of school that takes its own and other Ivies for the most part for law school, or does it except a lot from LACs and Research Universities that are smaller with a more liberal arts feel?</p>
<p>If I go to Cornell would I get everything possible out of this education from such a prestigious school by having professors who care, or if I was so concerned about this would I be better going to a comparable, yet probably less prestigious school such as Colgate? Is this a good tradeoff, or perhaps would the larger atmosphere meet all of my needs? Also (a little off topic), but how is Cornell's research endowment?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any answers to these questions, and please try to be objective.</p>
<p>Cornell spends a butload on research--about 551 million last year I believe. I'm sure that Cornell Law treats Cornell undergrad alumni nicely. It is one of the über-prestigious T14, and even aside from that, Cornell enjoys a very impressive overall law school acceptance rate. </p>
<p>(Disclaimer: I am not yet a student but I was admitted to the class of 2010) My impression thus far of Cornell is that the professors do care, but not if you don't care as well. You need to be a self-starter at Cornell, or you can just be the type that can handle the work without much of a dialogue with profs and TA's to get the ball rolling. Bottom line: If you want the help and the contact, it's there for you, but you have to make the first step. </p>
<p>When weighing options between a school like Colgate and Cornell, one of the first factors that comes to mind is the level of opportunity. At a school the size of Cornell, the courses you want are here, the time slots you want are available, and there are bound to be a good number of students who share the same interest and goal. I have a close friend picking courses at Wesleyan right now, and she's experiencing a world of frustration trying to find courses that interest her at manageable time slots. I don't care how much attention I'd be getting at a small school--before I can appreciate anything at college, I need to be able to pursue my interests with NO barriers. This brings us to Cornell's very root, and its core, as a matter of fact: "Any person... any study."</p>
<p>This was one of my biggest concerns before enrolling at Cornell. I transfered from another university (supposedly top-50) where neither the professors nor students cared. Cornell is a much better school with many more opportunities, even better professors, and a huuuuge research budget ... why should I expect anything different?</p>
<p>It was a nice surprise to see how i was wrong. All of my professors have been down to earth and friendly. They do research, yes, but they are very focused on producing the best students possible. I havn't had a professor whose research dominated all of their lives (i'm sure they exist - i just havn't found them yet). Heck, in the past two semesters i've had lunch on 7 or 8 separate occations with some of my professors and twice with the dean of my college (and oh yeah, went to lunch twice with Bill Nye ;)). The professors often have TA's, but they do not teach. What i've noticed is that many of the TA's also help out with research so the professors have more time to do other things and to prepare for classes. I am a research assistant for a professor, and it's interesting to see how research and teaching often go hand in hand. </p>
<p>Though Cornell is a large school, please dont make the mistake to think that a LAC is the only way to get the personal attention you crave at a school. I think you'd be very surprised with what Cornell has to offer.</p>
<p>Oh, hell yes. First semester, my Computer Science 100 professor offered a second section, for the simple reason that it was more convenient for a few of us. Instead of giving written exams, he met with us individually, on our schedules, to get to know us and discuss CS in a down-to-earth manner. He said it was more important to communicate a concept and discuss it informally than to regurgitate on an exam. At the end of the semester he offered me a research project which would have involved working with a Pulitzer Prize winner on applying CS to music theory. I didn't have the time to do it, but that was my first semester of freshmen year, with an opportunity like that!</p>
<p>My Math 192 professor had optional weekly meetings in Duffield Hall after class, because he wanted to get to know us. His wife baked cookies for us.</p>
<p>Apparently, from these descriptions, things have changed a good deal over the years. Almost amazingly so.</p>
<p>Good for Cornell.</p>
<p>A number of my Cornell friends wound up at Cornell law school, so it would seem to me that Cornell was somewhat highly represented there, at least. I can't say how LAC grads did in admissions to the law school, but no reason to think they wouldn't have a fair shot based on their merits. The class/ matriculation lists are probably available someplace.</p>
<p>The smaller colleges at Cornell (e.g. Hotel, ILR perhaps) may have a more intimate environment than the other colleges have, would be my guess. The general nature of professor- undergrad relationships may tend to vary accordingly. Maybe.</p>
<p>yg - typically you can just ask professors if they have a need for a research assitant, though in my case I had to apply for the position. This is simply because I am being paid for my work by Cornell as opposed to from the research funds of the professor.</p>
<p>My biology professor held weekly dinner discussions in the private area of the dining hall.</p>
<p>My math professor hosted an all day review session for the final, where he provided soda and pizza. We also ran into eachother on the ski slope, where he started a conversation (he recognized me and remembered my name even though he had two lectures of about 150 students). </p>
<p>My writting seminar professor came did one on one conferences in which she typed us reports of things we can improve on, and pinpointed things to work on that would be specifically helpful in writing for our field of study.</p>
<p>My spanish professor had the class read a recipe to practice the "impersonal se" and surprised us by unveiling a platter of the food after the exercise, (we even got to have a cinco de mayo party thing during our final review session)...she also did more academic things like getting students involved in language extracuriculars, and making an effort to talk to students who needed help.</p>
<p>All my professors have been really good...they've all seemed sincerely interested in helping. But even the professors with larger classes will make an effort to know you, if you give them the opportunity.</p>
<p>In 2004, of the Cornell first-time undergraduate applicants to medical school, 77% were successful in gaining admission to a U.S. allopathic (M.D.) school. (Nationally, 49% of applicants were accepted in 2004.) 86% of 2004 Cornell applicants with a 3.4 or above gained admission to a U.S. allopathic school.</p>
<p>It may be misleading to compare undergraduate institutions using medical school admissions data because institutions have different practices for recommending students for medical school. Some undergraduate institutions recommend only selected students. At Cornell, a student may apply to a health professional school and Cornell will write a letter of evaluation if the student has taken the required courses and follows the procedure for obtaining such a letter.</p>