<p>okay, so I like ILR's curriculum. plus, it has higher acceptance rate. however, I'm not an ardous reader, and AP Euro history this year proved me that I'm not a history person, although I really like the material, I just can't read all that. </p>
<p>CAS is more general, and has lower acceptance rate (yes, I care about this)
I was originially going to apply to CAS, and then ILR sounded really good since I was going to major in business/econ/psyc area. </p>
<p>I like ILR stuffs, but not the reading part. CAS will suit me since it is a pretty general school, although I'm not sure if I will like it curriculum as much.</p>
<p>How is CAS workload? I'm hardworking, but I don't want so much work that I won't even get to enjoy my college life. Cornell's reputation for deflation is already scaring me. (although I don't really agree w/ the rumors)</p>
<p>The reading is not bad at all freshman year. I'm not a reading type of person, and freshman year so far has had just enough where I think I can get slowly acclamated to the amount of reading. Regardless of where you apply, you're gonna end up having to do a lot of reading in your college career. If you like the ILR curriculum, don't let the reading keep you away.</p>
<p>i mean, if you like the ILR program, definitely go for it. you're going to be reading a ton anyways in CAS, especially as you move on through the 4 years. just apply to what you are truly passionate about because no matter the workload, you'll enjoy it and succeed.</p>
<p>caveat: yes the acceptance rates are a factor, so this only makes ILR more appealing...but if you want CAS don't let the acceptance rate hold you back, because if it's what you truly want, your passion will come through in the application</p>
<p>This is a dated perspective from an alum but while I don't regret Cornell, I do regret ILR. I just don't think that the field is compelling enough to study for four years unless you absolutely know that that is what you are going to do, and even then I wonder. There are also some really weird course requirements, at least when I was there, and so way too often you are studying something you would rather not be studying (for me, it was Organizational Behavior and later Labor Economics -- the courses have changed but required bad ones are still there). Now, since nothing is easy in life, one could easily say the same about a Calculus, Physics or French requirement if you were, say, a Govt major in CAS -- again, you would still be taking courses you don't like. It just seemed more forced in ILR. I wound up taking every non-ILR course I could take for free outside the school and finally went over my limit with Wines senior year. On the flip side, I got into a top 10 law school, maybe because I had no C in Calculus dragging my grades down. </p>
<p>celticbar - take a look at how the requirements have changed, even in just the past 3 years. Since I've arrived on campus, 2-3 required classes have been dropped, and at least 6 classes have been combined down into 3. Junior and Senior years you are pretty much free to take whatever you want.</p>