I had concurrently a research assistantship and a teaching assistantship as an undergrad at Cornell all 4 years both in Engineering Physics. I did one summer internship at NASA and one summer internship at the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico. You have to seek out the opportunities but they are there. Ithaca is a small city, just the right size for me, and it is in the middle of the beautiful Finger Lakes wine country. I never had enough time to take advantage of all there was to do there. I guess that is what Homecoming and class reunions are for.
Why MIT or Cornell?
@TurnerT “A student from a Boston school could just as easily intern in Alaska over the summer.” I understand (or, at least, I hope) that this is a hyperbole, but the idea behind it is still objectively false. How is traveling hundreds or thousands of miles in any way as easy as traveling a few blocks? And we’re not even mentioning costs.
Yeah, competition is always an issue. But where are you going to intern while at Cornell? Ithaca? No, you’re probably going to go where the jobs are: large cities. NYC, DC, Philly, and Boston (the closest). Is it impossible to get an internship while at Cornell? No, but I never claimed that. You can probably intern in Beijing while going to the University of Wyoming. However, is it going to be nearly as easy to access/get or as cheap as MIT Jimmy’s internship 5 blocks from his apartment, the same apartment he stays in during the school year? I don’t think so.
Cornell probably gets a lot of applications because it’s the least selective Ivy - kids apply there as their only Ivy, not thinking that they could get into any others. Harvard, coincidentally, gets almost the same amount of applications, yet has 1/3rd of the acceptance rate of Cornell. An easy transition to relatively plentiful local employment couldn’t be a contributing factor though, right?
Again, we’re not talking in absolutes - it’s obviously possible to get internships at Cornell, and its probably easier than at many/most other colleges due to its prestige. However, when compared to a school of at least equal caliber that’s closer to MANY more jobs in STEM, the idea that the school that’s geographically closer to the jobs doesn’t hold some sort of advantage for the students is kind of ludicrous.
“Cornell probably gets a lot of applications because it’s the least selective Ivy” (22)
“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
-- Yogi Berra
@bobnotbob. I’m trying to figure out if you are a student or parent. US or International?
@TurnerT And I’m trying to figure out what part of Upstate NY you’re from.
@BobNotBob I’m actually a Manhattan native. Where are all the specific examples of Cornell students wandering aimlessly looking for summer internships?
“Harvard . . . gets almost the same amount of applications [as Cornell]” (22)
I’m not sure how Harvard became a part of this thread, but these are the application figures from the most recent USNWR:
Cornell: 43,037
Harvard: 34,295
Harvard received 37,307 applications last year.
Cornell received 41,907.
I think the case can be made that Harvard receives a lot of what the heck apps because it’s “Harvard”.
If I may throw in my two cents, as someone who holds degrees from both Cornell and MIT and who serves on the faculty of a west coast research university.
People are different. Some thrive in different environments. So it is impossible to give a one-size-fits-all answer. I will say this: the diversity of Cornell made it a far more engaging environment for me than MIT. Ithaca is a small city that has the amenities of a much larger city (great food scene, etc), with some of the most beautiful nature to be found anywhere. I loved the juxtaposition of clearly urban (the heart of Collegetown, the Commons) and clearly natural (the gorges, and just bicycling eat of campus).
MIT is certainly an exciting place, but lacks the diversity of Cornell and the more outdoor-focused lifestyle. Boston’s a great city, though, with a lot to offer.
Boston winters may be “warmer” than Ithaca winters, but in practical terms that difference want really felt. Ithaca summers, though, are just plain amazing, whereas Boston’s are hot and humid and far less fun.
Do you find sanity and healing in nature? If so, Cornell is in a better location. Do you need the stimulation of new clubs and nightlife venues? Then Boston may be a better fit.
Best of luck to you! You’re not choosing between good and bad; you’re choosing among the very best.
I was also wondering why schools like Caltech and Mudd and UChicago aren’t in the OP’s mix.
@TurnerT When did I ever say that would happen? Let me repeat this: we are not talking about absolutes - in fact (as I also said previously) it’s probably easier to get internships while going to Cornell over most colleges simply due to prestige. However, we are comparing two colleges, both of similar prestige, academic quality, etc. One of the few factors that is different between the two is location, and the qualities of location are only partially objective - in this case, ease of accessibility to internships and jobs during and after school. MIT, being in a major metropolitan area, is going to win in this category. This does not mean that Cornell students are at an extreme disadvantage. However, we are comparing two very good schools, and this is one of the only objective factors that varies. So while it’s easier to get jobs/internships from MIT, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible or even difficult to get them from Cornell. Just that it’s easier through MIT.
@merc81 I saw the figures that @Falcon1 had when I searched. However, that wasn’t really central to my argument - my main point is outlined above.
@FifthDegree I do realize that what you’re writing about is largely up to personal preference, but I seem to have had a largely different experience then you through living almost a decade each in Upstate NY and just outside of Boston. The main differences are in weather - I’ve actually found Boston summers to be much, much more tolerable in regards to heat and humidity (and much less depressing cloud cover), with noticeably better winters as well. It might seem a bit skewed if you stayed primarily in Boston (rarely went far out during the winter), but the snow in my experience is unrelentless in NY, endlessly piling on for months and months. The only breaks seem to come when it drops to -20°F and it’s too cold to snow. In Massachusetts, however, I’ve had much better times in the winter. The snow isn’t as hampering, nor is the cold. Sure, you get the occasional Nor’easter dropping 18 inches at once, but it usually clears up in a couple of days, and the snow might be mostly gone in a week.
Again, I understand this is mostly subjective. I’m simply providing another viewpoint. I do agree that the OP is not really in any bad position - either school would be a great choice.
@BobnotBob, Where in Upstate NY were you? The climate varies remarkably (and I had a friend, also from San Diego, who lived in Ithaca for a decade before leaving for the Rockies because there wasn’t enough snow in Ithaca. Just drive north maybe 30-40 miles and you hit the “snow belt,” where lake effect snow is common.
If you’re going off this past year, my understanding is that Boston got totally dumped on.