<p>I know Cornell is an Ivy, but Ivy status and all, is Cornell overrated? There are many non-Ivies better than Cornell.</p>
<p>Nobody says the best schools have to be Ivies.</p>
<p>No. It's about where it ought to be -- somewhere in the teens undergrad and in the middle of the top 10 in Ph.D. programs.</p>
<p>Being in the Ivy League Athletic Conference really doesn't have any bearing on it.</p>
<p>Ron Paul says "BUMP"</p>
<p>Cornell is underrated while Brown is overrated</p>
<p>Cornell is def. overrated. I would rather go to a school ranked 40 spots below it than Cornell itself - but that's just me, because I can't stand it's enviornment [all my choices are super-urban ones]</p>
<p>I think it's actually underrated on CC. It has too many top notch programs to be overrated.</p>
<p>I'd say it's underrated. People poke fun at it way more than necessary. And it really does have a quite a few top notch programs.</p>
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And it really does have a quite a few top notch programs.
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<p>Like what? Hotel administration? Give me a break - Cornell is clinging on to its Ivy status with a feeble and lifeless grip. </p>
<p>Cornell is a poor man's Northwestern, except in a disgusting location (and no, I don't go to NU).</p>
<p>Best architecture school in the country. One of the top engineering programs in the country.</p>
<p>In the last National Research Council (NRC) rankings of graduate programs, Cornell was ranked in the top 10 in many fields, and in the top 20 in many others. Check it out:</p>
<p>Cornell is underrated due to its enormous class size taking a toll on selectivity, and the renaissance of American cities that has made urban schools more desirable vis-a-vis rural schools (at least compared to the 1970s nadir of the American city)</p>
<p>When it comes to the various rankings by academics, it’s clear that Cornell is one of their favorites. It is possible that Cornell is overrated on these rankings, but good luck divining the nature of these rankings and what they actually mean to an aspiring undergraduate. I don’t know and, unless you are planning a career in academia, I don’t think it matters. </p>
<p>But when it comes to the perception of Cornell in the real world, I would say that Cornell is not overrated. It attracts good students, prepares them well and places them effectively across a broad swath of industries, including some of the most competitive. The other Ivies enjoy shuffling Cornell to the bottom of the heap and there is some statistical support to this, but at the end of the day, Cornell’s ability to get its students to the interview table is still very good and not much different from the other non-HYP Ivies (Wharton is exception). At that point, the school’s rep does not matter and it will be up to the individual. And once they actually get into the workplace, the differences in work quality and productivity don’t follow school reps anyway. </p>
<p>One comment about the nature of the school’s athletic life. Some Cornell partisans will argue that its hockey scene places it in the same realm as those who go to peer colleges that are more visible on the national athletic scene, eg, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Georgetown, USC and Wake Forest. I think such a view belies a lack of understanding of the quality of the play at the highest Division I colleges and, more importantly, the nature of the scene that surrounds their major sports events, eg, football, basketball and baseball (at a few colleges). I would most definitely NOT place Cornell in the same league with any of these colleges in terms of the athletic life (Rice is the only that is close) and the positive social benefits that such a scene can confer on a college’s campus.</p>
<p>I've never thought of Rice or Northwestern as national sports powers. What is Rice good in, besides college baseball?</p>
<p>Rice is far from a national sports power across its athletic programs. The baseball team is the one major exception and competes at the highest level nationally (currently # 11 in the rankings) in a sport contested by nearly 300 Division I colleges. </p>
<p>Rice's remaining sports scene is similar to the Ivies. For its football program, there is greater support/attendance than one might expect from a college of less than 3000 students as Rice drew an average of over 14,000 fans to its home games. By contrast, Cornell with its 13,000+ undergrads, drew an average of just over 8500.</p>
<p>Heh heh...Hawkette you mention the same stuff about your favorite privates having a wonderful combination of athletics and smart undergrads (ala SAT scores) in nearly every thread talking about the lower Ivies.</p>
<p>Insert another quarter to play again.</p>
<p>As for football attendance, what's the capacity of Cornell's football stadium? What's the capacity of Rice's football stadium. What's the population of Ithaca, NY vs. Houston, TX?</p>
<p>I see Rice just picked up Cal's table scraps...Ben Braun.</p>
<p>Family member turned down Cornell for Cal because everyone said Cornell is the stupidest ivy. I grow up to believe Cornell is overrated and this will not change in the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>hawkette, I agree with you that cornell isn't the best school with the best blend of atheletic and academic life. But, to be fair, why do you mention NU or Rice? Most people only care about college football and bball, and other sports don't matter. NU or Rice aren't even close to being decent when bball or football come to be considered. Imo, only handful of schools that truly excel in this area are: UVA, USC, UCLA, UMich, UNC, Stanford. Schools like Duke or Wake Forest are good, but not as good these schools bc for duke, their football team is non-existant, and their bball team isn't even that good. Similar is true of Wake. But, to be fair, schools like Cornell or Penn have very vibrant social scenes as well, both of them having very dominant greek scenes and crazy parties.</p>
<p>"Family member turned down Cornell for Cal because everyone said Cornell is the stupidest ivy. I grow up to believe Cornell is overrated and this will not change in the foreseeable future."</p>
<p>What a bad reason to turn down Cornell. That person didn't deserve to go to Cornell in the first place, so I am glad.</p>
<p>ucbchemegrad,
As you might guess, I've got tons of quarters, so look for many more plays...:) </p>
<p>There is a big difference in the overall undergraduate experience offered at the non-HYP Ivies and other top privates. I am just encouraging students to think about all of their hours on a college's campus and not just the name brand of the school. </p>
<p>Oddly, while I think that Cornell’s brand when tied to the Ivy League makes for an overrated institution in the minds of many, I don’t think it is an overrated college in academic terms when it is properly considered with peer institutions such as the non-HYP Ivies and Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame et al. These are all pretty great places delivering an excellent undergraduate academic education with terrific students and strong graduates.</p>
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"Family member turned down Cornell for Cal because everyone said Cornell is the stupidest ivy. I grow up to believe Cornell is overrated and this will not change in the foreseeable future."</p>
<p>What a bad reason to turn down Cornell. That person didn't deserve to go to Cornell in the first place, so I am glad.
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<p>Oddly enough, he graduated and managed several Cornell alumni in his age range. Cal engineering trumps Cornell easily, dude. And yes, he still thinks they are stupid and glad he didn't go to Cornell.</p>