<p>i think the segregation might be mostly mental…but there is some essence to it…</p>
<p>it’s worse if you are poor and a URM…</p>
<p>actually i am a bit worried about the self-segragation and the “school supporting the segregation”.
i am a student from china and probably applying to Cornell, and hope that i dont get locked up in a dorm.</p>
<p>isobell: [asian</a> space - Google Search](<a href=“Programmable Search Engine”>Programmable Search Engine)</p>
<p>read up on the cornell sun’s articles on the proposed “asian space” to learn a little bit more about asian student life at cornell…</p>
<p>i’d say cornell is more asian friendly than black or latino. </p>
<p>what i hate is that cornell’s recipe for diversity and inclusiveness is creation of race spaces. i.e. latino, africana, and asian spaces >_></p>
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<p>Definitely. I feel these cultural houses, though a neat idea, in reality end up being counter-productive. In principle these are great for people (of any background) hoping to explore another culture, but usually these programs end up in self-segregation. </p>
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<p>Your experience at Cornell will really be up to you. If you choose to go out, explore other cultures, and make friends with a diverse group of people, you probably will not have any problem. Some groups do clump together, but the majority of people do not. I suspect many minorities self-segregate because they enjoy the security and feeling of commonality they gain in hanging out with each other. (Or that is what I’m told, even though I’ve never understood this attitude despite being one of those minorities.) Unless you somewhat share this mentality, given Cornell’s diversity you will inevitably maintain a diverse group of friends.</p>
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<p>Yes! And I think the way Cornell could get rid of the self-segregation is by making these houses part of the broader freshman lottery system. Non-residents can still be members of the house even if they dont live there. </p>
<p>But the reason Cornell doesnt do this is because certain elitist parents wont have their daughter or son living in those houses. </p>
<p>A backwoods southerner could be imagined saying: “my son/daughter aint no god dang way livin with no god dang ch1nk/spik/ni6”</p>
<p>Some elitist parents are even more ridiculous by not letting cornell place their freshmen kid in any other housing except Mews/Court/Kay/Bauer. (trust me…if you have money you can arrange this)</p>
<p>That part of the website that was quoted seems rather off. Cornell is much happier and livelier than that. They quoted a bio major (probably premed) and an engineer about academics and social life… </p>
<p>Cornell is obviously going to be hard work, but I’d assume most people know that when they decide to come to a top school. The description makes it sound like all people do is study but that is absolutely false. Many people have good social lives and are involved in a variety of activities. I came from a much less stressful and easier freshman year school and I find Cornell to be exponentially more fun and interesting.</p>
<p>From my experience at Cornell, I don’t think it is too cut-throat. Sure there’s those people who will study all time, get the top grades and go to the top grad schools, but there also people who just don’t really care that much. You’ll still find slackers like in high school but what is different is that everyone on average is a little smarter and a little more hard working than the average high school student. I wouldn’t worry.</p>