<p>Cornell states that they guarantee "housing" for all freshman and "sophomores". In reality, their "guarantee" is not valid for sophomores. Cornell has a lottery system and my daughter and her friends did not receive good log-in "times" to request housing. In fact, when they tried to access the housing website, the only remaining rooms were in three specialty residential houses: Ujaama (an African American house), Akwekon (a house for students of native American heritage) and the Latino Living Center. As my daughter and her friends are not members of these three heritages and not interested in living in these themed houses, they are now being forced to live off campus. Apparently, she and her friends are not the only ones faced with this problem and this week there will be a sizeable number of students suddenly scrambling to find off campus housing. I wish this was something that she had known about before choosing to come to Cornell.</p>
<p>Really? When I did the housing lottery freshman year, I ended up with a HORRIBLE time (50 spots from the bottom out of 4000 kids) and there were still rooms available when I picked.</p>
<p>lottery is kind of lame, i did relatively well though, i got Cascadilla. However, some of friends got shafted and are thinking about moving off campus.</p>
<p>yeah, I spent the last few weeks listening to my friends whine and complain about bad slots and yet they still have some incredible housing arrangements on campus. I was shocked and where they've ended up. </p>
<p>in any case, "I wish this was something that she had known about before choosing to come to Cornell." ---> statistics about housing and on campus accomodations are readily available to anybody on Cornell's website. </p>
<p>And please, choose thread titles accordingly. A few people needing to live off campus in the middle of a major campus life housing overhaul is far from a "housing crisis."</p>
<p>actually their guarantee is still valid. They promise to give your daughter a bed to sleep in, whether she feels comfortable sleeping in it is not something they guarantee. If you are a sophomore, you will get a room, not necessarily a place where you want or necessarily feel comfortable, but Cornell does guarantee that they will give you a bed.</p>
<p>I'm not familiar with housing at Cornell, but you seem to contradict yourself. </p>
<p>You stated that Cornell promises housing but it doesn't fulfill that promise. However, your example doesn't seem valid at all. You stated that these students were given housing options but they didn't like the options and decided to live off campus. I don't understand how them not liking a housing situation equates to being forced off campus.</p>
<p>'I wish this was something that she had known about before choosing to come to Cornell.'</p>
<p>The prospect of having to live off campus during her sophomore year would have dissuaded her from attending one of the best universities in the world? wierd...</p>
<p>I think that your Daughter is exaggerating what has happened because of either (1) her pick did not allow her to get into one of the newer (Becker, Cook, Bethe) dorms, or (2) all her friends want to live off campus, and she feels this is a way of you allowing her to do that, especially since it can be more expensive.</p>
<p>Even people with the worst picks as sophomores can get into west campus or collegetown housing, it sounds very strange that only program houses are open to her.</p>
<p>I hope all your children get forced to live in Ujaama</p>
<p>heyyy...what?????^</p>
<p>Cornell housing screwed me too. I'm a rising sophomore and I got the worst time slot(the last day, 3 hours before the lottery ends). When I entered the lottery, there were only 4 double rooms available in Ujaama(I would NOT want to live in a double again after my horrible experience with my roommate this year), a program house which I am not even interested in living at. I'm leaving Cornell if this doesn't work out. CORNELL SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!</p>
<p>gosh.....these experiences kind of freak the hell out of me man...
so is it really that bad...
plus i believ Latino Living Center is pretty good, since i remember i spent a night in that dorm, and i actually had my own room.</p>
<p>Luvsnow: Just out of curiosity, is your bitterness towards Cornell stemming purely from the housing situation or is it a combination of things that leads you to the conclusion of, “Cornell Sucks”? lol you’re entitled to your opinion, but it’s nice to know your reasoning behind it!</p>
<p>I know exactly how you feel! My daughter was in the same situation. She and her friends were locked out of west campus and collegetown even on their Friday lottery slots. She and some of the friends frantically just accepted one of the themed houses. Moments like these really make you hate Cornell at times.</p>
<p>Ameechee: What was your purpose in saying that?
Some people are just real rude example YOU!</p>
<p>My daughter is still in HS, so maybe my lack of experience is showing here...but maybe it would be interesting to live in one of the theme houses, and learn a little more about people from different cultures. It's my daughter's dream to go to Cornell...she would happily live anywhere!</p>
<p>Living off campus isn't the worst thing in the world.</p>
<p>Theme houses *<strong><em>ing suck. They're the biggest pieces of *</em></strong> on campus, and no one wants to room in them. This is evidenced by the fact that enrollment numbers at those places is declining real fast. </p>
<p>Theme = bad, please remember that, it will save you a lot of problems. Go with the normal stuff.</p>
<p>And the best freshman dorms are Dickson & Donlon (you get to meet a lot of new people, a lot of them are my roomies for next year)</p>
<p>most sophomores (one third of them) join the Greek system and end up living in their respective houses. If they don't live in a Greek house they get off-campus housing in Collegetown with their friends from freshman year. And finally (probably a last choice) people live on west campus. West Campus is going to be ridiculously nice year so its understandable. But most people don't live on campus sophomore year.</p>
<p>Its really not that serious. I also got one of the WORST times possible and by the time I got on, only program houses were available so I ended up having to live in a double in the Holland International Living Center instead of a single on west...however, I talked to a girl who was in the same situation last year....She ended up being forced into a program house for international students, like me, which she is not, also, like me....and she ended up LOVING it! She's actually living there again next year. And she is NOT an international student....</p>
<p>My point is that just because the program house is not necessarily designed for you DOES NOT mean its the worst thing in the world. It will be what you make of it and you can have an AWESOME experience there. I'm actually now excited to be living in HILC next year just from all the awesome things I've heard about it. Cornell obviously does guarantee housing since your daughters were offered it....they shouldn't be so quick to turn down their options and instead, they should make the best of it!!! :)</p>