<p>thank you :) nobody understands</p>
<p>nobody understands because others seek things to do knowing completely that Ithaca is not a huge city</p>
<p>I seek things to do. Did I say that I dont? um, i dont think so. There may be things to do but that is separate from how the atmosphere makes me feel. That certainly shouldnt be hard to understand :)</p>
<p>It sounds more like you are home sick. Give it some more time and you should be OK in Ithaca.</p>
<p>Immediate family members are Cornell alums -and as far as I can see that school is like dying and going to heaven - and for many 1000's, some located in other countries, its their dream school</p>
<p>It would help if you detailed EXACTLY WHY, with specificity why you don't like Cornell</p>
<p>Wow you have enough free time to be hating the social scene?</p>
<p>"There are limited food choices late at night" you state</p>
<p>Tnat is an amazing statement when you think about it</p>
<p>I believe you will have not be successful with a lateral move to a comparable IVY, especially if they sense some of the tone of your remarks in here. Obviously you can track downwards - for example an NYU or something similar, however they are going to wonder how you used such poor judgement in getting into a school which you are now nitpicking to death as the "not the perfect fit for me"</p>
<p>Note that Hollywood stars when describing their latest personal relationships (often in-between divorces, split-ups, and therapists) often use the world "perfect"</p>
<p>I suspect your issues go beyond Cornell and Ithaca</p>
<p>If you want to transfer, I say do it. That way Cornell will have room for someone who will truly use the campus and its amazing resources to their highest potential, rather than whining about them...</p>
<p>It would make sense to put your transfer application in to Penn, and then forget about it. By that I mean, assume that you couldn't transfer, what steps would you take to make being in Ithaca a better environment for you. </p>
<p>And with over 13,000 undergraduates, and only about 30% involved in greek life, there are over 8,000 students doing other things. Find out what else is going on besides greek life. You have received great suggestions above.</p>
<p>bilaroo,</p>
<p>Chicago is certainly a happening city, so I can relate to the idea that there is less "energy" to Ithaca compared to Philly or Chicago...that may just be enough to warrant making a switch...</p>
<p>when I was at Cornell, I hung out with quite few city kids who were really quite good at bringing and finding that "city life" energy to their time in Ithaca...</p>
<p>Keep looking and hopefully you'll find the right set of cirmcumstances...</p>
<p>In the end you gotta do what's right for you..</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Wharf</p>
<p>It's possible to transfer. I applied and was accepted with a 3.7 for first semester grades, but ultimately decided to stay here. Anyway, you really have to explain why you want to transfer. I think moving to a bigger city or being close to family are very good reasons. Also, do not blatantly bad mouth Cornell on your application because they will probably automatically reject you. A 3.3-3.5 in Arts and Sciences is a bit low for some majors but if you are in the sciences, I think it will be okay.</p>
<p>I think I am being terribly misunderstood, and being treated a bit rudely. Of course limited food choices at night is not the sole reason for my dissatisfaction! And also, I do appreciate Ithaca and what it has to offer. I believe that this atmosphere is great for certain people, and not great for others who prefer city schools. Unfortunately, I think that I made a mistake in judgement. I thought that coming to a campus would be beneficial because I will be living in cities for the rest of my life, however, I truly think that being in a city will make me happier.There is a huge distinction between city schools and rural schools. It is not a matter of not taking full advantage, and also, even though I feel that it is sort of dismal here, I have still not fully decided that I want to leave! I am waiting until the end of the year and trying to be mature about it. I am definitely not "nit picking" and I do not have abnormally high standards. Sometimes you just feel a certain way about the atmosphere of a place without really being able to fully explain why you just don't like it. I want to be more than "ok" with being here. I want my college experience to be as good as it can be, and if being in a city will afford me a more fun time then why not? Ithaca is a beautiful place, but environment is a matter of preference, and of course I wouldn't bad mouth it to Upenn admissions. I don't think I am making a decision prematurely and I want badly to be able to like it here and i AM trying..</p>
<p>Bilaroo, not everyone loves their first undergraduate school. Although I can't remember the exact stats, I believe something like 50% of all freshmen end up transferring. You aren't alone in hating where you are.</p>
<p>That said, I'm not sure UPenn is the place for you. Philadelphia is not the vibrant city you may think it is (yeah, Center City is interesting, but you won't be there). It's bigger than Ithaca, to be sure, but it's probably not any easier to get to the "culture". Do you need the Ivy prestige? What about a school like Georgetown, in DC?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Philadelphia is not the vibrant city you may think it is (yeah, Center City is interesting, but you won't be there).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As someone who lives in Philadelphia (along with great world cities like Singapore and Seoul), I would beg to differ. NYC it ain't, but Philadelphia is a great college city.</p>
<p>The University City area around Penn is great and has been on an amazing upward trajectory since the university poured half a billion dollars into the neighborhood in the mid-1990s. As of this writing, 2 new residential buildings with ground-floor retail (DOMUS and the Hub) are under construction, and the 3900 block of Walnut is about to be demolished to make way for another. And Center City is very close to Penn (certainly in comparison to Columbia, which is a huge ways away even from Midtown).</p>
<p>where are they putting the money? The area looked like a total ghetto in the day when I was there (nevermind at night)</p>
<p>yes georgetown is a possibility</p>
<p>In that case either "the day you were there" was 15 years ago or you consider anything less developed than lower Manhattan to be 'ghetto.'</p>
<p>no, it was last spring and it was for a criterium bike race at Penn. I had to pull out of the race due to the fact that i ran over a used hypodermic needle and syringe that was lying on the ground that punctured my tire. My roomate also crashed after slipping on a condom in a different race category (same location). (both stories are true) It wasn't that bad visually, though.</p>
<p><em>starting the slow clap</em> lol</p>
<p>I'm at NYU and I'm tired of being waken up at 3 AM every morning by sirens and having to cross several busy streets to get to class...I want to transfer to Cornell.</p>