Stanford vs Cornell, which is better?

[IBclass06]

<p>

@summersnow

I already know that Stanford is generally more prestigious and has a better ranking than Cornell, but what i really want to know is, what the lifestyle is like at the two universities. What the social life is like? how are the professors? How is the workload? What campus is like? What is it like to attend one of these universities?

You are wise to throw out prestige. It won’t make the slightest difference which one you choose for mechanical engineering (or most subjects, for that matter). </p>

<p>Weather: Stanford has the balmy weather of California, rarely getting cold weather and never snow. Cornell has northeastern weather, which means snow and cold temperatures are to be expected.</p>

<p>Location: Ithaca is a very cool little college town. Palo Alto…is not.
<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/greathomesanddestinations/14havens.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/greathomesanddestinations/14havens.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Campus: Stanford has mission style architecture with carefully manicured lawns. Some people find it beautiful; others think it looks like a Taco Bell on a golf course. Cornell is an architectural hodgepodge of Gothic, Victorian, and modernist buildings. Some find it beautiful and Hogwartsy; others find it too eclectic. </p>

<p>Food: Cornell purportedly has the best food in the country.</p>

<p>Social scene: As kb10 pointed out, much of Cornell’s social scene is Greek-related, but it is large enough that most students can find a niche. Much of the action takes place off campus, in Collegetown. Greek life is smaller at Stanford, making up roughly 13% of the student body.</p>

<p>Athletics: Stanford has the edge in athletics. In broad terms, however, Stanford focuses on football and Cornell on hockey. </p>

<p>Workload: Workloads would be comparable.</p>

<p>

@kb10

because Cornell’s a larger school, the workload is more cutthroat, more of that “weeding out” process.

Myth.</p>

<p>Cornell’s 4 year graduation rate is 87%, which is quite a bit higher than Stanford’s 79%. According to Cornell’s OIR, its engineering students have had this graduation rate since at least 1980. </p>

<p>97% of Cornell freshmen return; 98% of Stanford freshmen return.</p>