<p>I'm considering ILR and would prefer a dorm nearby, but if that means giving up a social scene/no single housing/dining issues/etc...I may reconsider.</p>
<p>ANYONE OUT THERE PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST YOUR THOUGHTS</p>
<p>The older dorms (low rises, high rises etc.) suck. They don't even supply hand soap or paper towels (or an air dryer for that matter) in the bathrooms which is absolutely disgusting. The food is wayyyy over-hyped at Cornell. It's good for about a week and then it just gets tired. If Cornell's food is ranked so high than college food in general must be the equivalent of dog sh it. There are no solid restaurants in Collegetown (except a Subway...lol) and all the restaurants are grossly over-priced. Freshman are housed on north campus and walk to classes on central campus. ILR is not as bad of a walk as engineering. There's a fairly good bus system but as with most things at Cornell, you'll have to pay for a bus pass after freshman year. With the main bridge to central campus closed for what will inevitably be more and more construction delays, north campus seems farther than ever from central campus (we have to walk via this footbridge that is a bit of a detour). Don't be disheartened though. Cornell's situation is no different from any other university. I guess I just expect more from a school that charges so dam much!</p>
<p>whoa..Bus pass? how big is the campus? i heard it was the largest of the ivy league..but didn't think one would need a bus to get around. is there a list out there stating what is on each section of the campus (north,south,east,west?) columbia has a pretty small campus where the dominant freshman residence hall is located about a minute from where most classes are held. btw..im a sophomore transfer.</p>
<p>EDIT: by small, i meant connected...and not all over the place.</p>
<p>Look up a campus map at cornell.edu. Classes for freshman are pretty much in one area of central campus which is nice but the real issue is getting from the dorms to central campus. Also, if you want to eat lunch in-between classes, you'll likely have to spend your "dining dollars" at one of the cafes because there is only one place on central campus that takes the meal plan swipe and the line for that place is usually out the door (and the food isn't good either). Also, you'll see that you have to cross a massive gorge to get from north to central. At some point the busses become necessary, mainly because walking in the bitter cold is terrible.</p>
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you'll have to pay for a bus pass after freshman year.
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</p>
<p>Wrong. They will pay for your passes as sophomores as well if you're class of '09 or '10. </p>
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Bus pass? how big is the campus? i heard it was the largest of the ivy league..but didn't think one would need a bus to get around
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Most people walk until it gets really cold. The snow plows are pretty good, so walking in the winter isn't out of the question if you can tolerat the cold. I used the bus last year mainly to get to places off campus, like the mall.</p>
<p>There are no dorms near the ILR building. The closest dorm on north campus is an all-girls residence (my dorm) so you're outta luck there. Most ILRies don't have classes on friday, so that's one less day of walking. You get used to all the walking around. I walk farther to get to parties than I do for classes. Dickson's 2nd closest - it's less social but many has singles and looks nice from the inside. Donlon is right next to RPU (dining hall) and is the most social dorm. You'll probably make the most friends if you live here, but they're mostly doubles. I wanted to live here! Mews, Court, and Bauer are the newer ones - clean and comfortable. Close to Appel (other dining hall) but mostly doubles. Remember, you are selected at random for housing.</p>
<p>I think the bus system sucks - its not on time and you're better walking than waiting for it. I'm never gonna pay for a bus pass (~$200). I'd rather pay as I go during junior and senior year. However, I've only been here for a while so I don't know how much I'll depend on it in the winter.</p>
<p>As for what centuria said, none of the dorms have paper towels. I'm pretty sure they have soap and dryers though. The food IS good, but of course people are going to get tired of dining hall food. Compared to any other college, Cornell has the most diverse selection and caters to everyone. Every univ is going to be overpriced, but Cornell makes sure the freshmen can find all the supplies they'll need right on campus.</p>
<p>The nearby mall is called the Pyramid mall. Don't think about working there though, get a job on-campus.</p>
<p>Most of the newer freshman dorms are pretty nice. I personally like the Townhouses. Being in a High Rise myself, I can say that the High Rises are pretty underrated. They have the largest rooms, the fastest elevators ... lol, and I personally like the suite style of living. They're quiter than the social dorms (like Dickson and Donlon), but more social than newer ones like Mews and Court. All freshmen dorms are a decent walking distance from Central campus (The closest being Balch, Risley, Mews, Court and Dickson...and the farther ones being Jameson, Townhouses and Low Rises). However, there's a pretty good bus service in place. </p>
<p>Most freshmen are on the 14 meals / week plan. It seems to be working pretty well for me. Cornell dining is pretty good. There's a fair degree of variety to choose from, and in general, the food's pretty good (My personal favourite has to be the Chinese section at Okenshields :)). Apart from the dining halls, there are quite a few places serving a-la-carte items (Ivy Room in WSH is pretty good). There are quite a few restaurants in Collegetown also. All said, its about time they changed the Breakfast menu at Appel...its getting kinda boring now...lol.</p>
<p>All freshman live on North campus. I'm in Balch and I like it, the rooms are actually the largest I believe (but this is an all-girls dorm, so guess it's not really an option).</p>
<p>As for food, there is a lot of variety, and I haven't gotten sick of dining hall food yet. As long as you're not picky, you can basically get something different all the time.</p>
<p>Walking isn't that bad, and the bus system is actually good. There's one right outside of Balch, which is always on time, if not slightly early, and it gets me about halfway to the engineering quad (drops off at Uris).</p>
<p>From what I've heard the new West Campus dorms are really nice, and both Cook and Becker have dining halls downstairs. Not sure about the rest of West Campus though</p>
<p>West Campus is awesome if you live in becker, cook, or the new house. The Gothics is of course old, no dinning hall, and no laundry. Three older buildings on west campus will be gone by fall semester of 07.</p>
<p>so..overall which would you say is the best dorm..considering aesthetic appeal, dining/other services/social scene/single housing (co-ed..as i'm a guy) THAT ARE NOT RESERVED FOR FRESHMEN?</p>
<p>i live in Bauer part of Court-Kay-Bauer, and have to say its definitely the best dorm in terms of aesthetic appeal, cleanliness, and just overall look. The building is pretty much located centrally in between RPCC, Appel, Helen Newman, and several dorms so walking to dining hall or workout room isn't too far. CKB is also very close to campus, so walking distance is shorter than say townhouse.</p>
<p>"The food is wayyyy over-hyped at Cornell. It's good for about a week and then it just gets tired."</p>
<p>Wrong. Cornell has one of the largest selections of food for any college in the country and it ranks among the top based on student reviews. Some dining halls are better than others, though RPCC and Appel were ranked among the very best in the US. Even though I live off campus, I've signed up for a meal plan and drive up just to eat at the dining halls. </p>
<p>"If Cornell's food is ranked so high than college food in general must be the equivalent of dog sh it."</p>
<p>It is. I know. I've attended other colleges. The food is usually grey in color, churns in your stomach, gives you the runs, and makes everybody smell the same for some reason. Cornell is one of the few schools in new york whose food is NOT supplied from the same company that also supplies the NYS Correctional Facilities. </p>
<p>"There are no solid restaurants in Collegetown (except a Subway...lol) and all the restaurants are grossly over-priced."</p>
<p>You're kidding me right??? Ithaca's restaurants rank among the best in America when it comes to both quantity (per capita) and quality. Where do you eat??? </p>
<p>"Cornell's situation is no different from any other university."</p>
<p>Again, I've been to other universities (actually attended another one for a year), and Cornell is far superior. </p>
<p>Also, the old dorms on west campus were crappy. They are all being torn down as part of this $300,000,000 initiative. The new dorms are nothing less than totally sweet. They are the best value around as well, as they include most of the ammenities of the high-end collegetown apartments (like 312 college ave) at a much cheaper price (at 312, rent is around twice the price and it's a farther walk).</p>
<p>When will students be able to live in the new houses on West Campus? Do you think juniors and seniors will get guaranteed housing in the future?</p>