I was recently accepted to UVA’s college of arts and sciences for biology and to Cornell’s HumEc for human biology, health, and development. I am a NYS resident, so tuition and UVA would be about the same (though UVA would be around 8k more per year). I have visited both before - I liked Cornell’s campus, but I loved UVA’s. However, I did explore UVA much more than Cornell so when I visit them both again I’ll have to see how I feel when I further explore Ithaca. But from what I have heard (and experienced) the social scene at UVA is much more vibrant, and I see UVA being the best of both worlds (a great education but also tons of opportunities to have fun.)
I know Cornell is supposedly more ‘prestigious’ than UVA, but is it really that much more well-renowned? Also I’d like it if anyone had any insight on how the two majors I applied to compare.
I suggest you research the college graduation and major requirements- credits , major, in-college, distribution, etc- at each school. You may have a preference for one set of program of studies/ courses you will have to take, vs. another.
I personally don’t think there’s a material difference in prestige that matters in this decision. However, if there’s a material difference in Money, and in transportation time and effort, that may matter to you and your parents.
I always tell people that if cost is not an issue, got for fit. Do not get hung up on Ivy or not, go for fit. When you go for fit, you will be happy and happy people do well!
What CU said ^
I’m a Cornell parent. It is a rigorous school from my son’s perspective in stem classes. He does very well in non stem classes. So needlessly to say, he’s stressed (he’s an athlete too) but he chose the school knowing that he would be challenged. His major classes are small, the intro classes are larger but that doesn’t detract from quality of education. I went to a large, prestigious public university where I had a mixture of large lectures and small discussion sections and I received a great education. The name of the school does open doors and Cornell’s reputation is very good with employers. My son landed a great internship and I know his affiliation with Cornell helped.
At Cornell you can be flexible with courses and take some outside of your college. “Any person, any study”, it’s a beautiful concept and very true. Changing majors and transferring to another college is possible as well. CHE or ILR sounds like a college I’d attend if I were at Cornell. School spirit is very good and Greek life is too if you’re into that.
I hope you choose well. Either way you have great choices but if I were your mother I’d advise that Cornell is offering you something too fantastic to pass up. Fun can be had at any university, it’s up to the person and how much they put themselves out there and get involved.
@michaelfox I have just heard that it is difficult to switch colleges at Cornell, and if thats true I would be essentially confined to HumEc where there are not too many majors to choose from if I decide biological type studies are not for me. Though with UVa, I am already in the CAS (the school with the most possible majors) and I have heard of more instances of where students transfer to engineering etc. … ALSO you don’t have to declare major until end of second year and business school doesn’t start till third year.
@CALSmom Thank you for your thoughts! Your response does bring up something I am kind of struggling with - for some reason, where I am from Cornell gets kind of a bad rep (their less than preferable weather, the ‘suicide school’ generalization, too hard workload, etc etc seem to stand out and block all the great things about Cornell). So I really am trying to get a better grasp on the perception of Cornell from the view of the outside world and not just from the view of my hometown… If you have any more input that would be great!!
@Haileywilliamss you’re welcome. I know this is a big decision for you as it should be. First I want to dispel the perception of Cornell. It is tough for those students doing a tough major. But there are those majors that aren’t as tough. You have to really reflect on who you are as a person and what you want to get out your college experience. Is it to truly expand your intellect and to use your knowledge to impact society? Then Cornell is your college. It’s very global and service-oriented in their philosophy of educating their students. You will be among the smartest kids from around the country and the world and you will learn a lot from your cohort. That doesn’t mean it’s all work and no play. There are over 1,000 clubs there and they do know how to have a good time! One of the best times my son has had was going to a cheap concert there to see one of his favorite rappers. Then there’s Slope Day a huge end of year music festival for the students. But the key is to meet your squad and you will. You may not have gotten that ‘feeling’ from one visit but I don’t give a lot of weight to a teenager’s feeling as you’re still so young! Take the wisdom of someone who has been there done that and also has a kid who left the sunny part of the country for central NY but loves the school despite the different climate. He heard about the Cornell’s rep as a hard school and the suicides that had happened there. It didn’t deter him from wanting to go there but it scared him a bit thinking that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with other students. Now that he’s been there for two years he’s found his groove and knows how to manage his time. From what I gather, it’s when students take on too much and don’t know how to manage their time is when they get bad anxiety and stress. There are many resources though to help the students and the school does a good job creating a caring and close knit community despite its size.
The college you are admitted to sounds amazing. It seems like there is a lot of flexibility within the college and a ton of interesting classes you can take. And CHE wants its students to study abroad to expand their knowledge by being in the field. There are only about 1,200 or so undergrads in your college so if you’re worried about Cornell feeling too big you shouldn’t as your classes within CHE will be small.
yes but keep in mind business is an application process with a 65% acceptance rate. I agree with above poster. All things being equal, go where you see yourself being happy. Both great institutions!
Congrats on having such awesome choices! “Ivy League” is just an athletic conference, so don’t let the label determine your choice. I agree with the points you made; switching to another college at Cornell is a far more complicated process than simply switching majors in the CAS at UVA. If cost is negligible, it sounds like you are really fond of UVA. If you visit Cornell again and still like UVA better, go for it! Also, weather in Charlottesville >>>>>>>>>>>weather in Ithaca best of luck!
My D is in the exact same situation. Cornell HE instate v UVA. She loves UVA, but Cornell is closer, cheaper and an Ivy. She visited Cornell this past weekend with hopes of committing and she just couldn’t do it. Still torn. We would prefer she go to Cornell, but will support her decision to go to UVA. Aside from the concerns already detailed above, she has concerns about the social aspect and the people. She found UVA a much friendlier place. She attended parties at both schools and said that the UVA party was much friendlier and more enjoyable. People at Cornell were more cliquey, more stressed and more prone to drinking a lot to deal with the stress. This has become a difficult dilemma for her and has caused a lot tension in our family. I hope both of you make the right choice.
@quadaces I’m sorry your daughter didn’t have such a great visit to Cornell. I really do hope she doesn’t judge the school based on one weekend visiting. It’s a large school and one or two party experiences does not completely give an accurate picture of the student body. Those kids she saw at the party and interacted with over her visit will most likely not be her friends at Cornell if she chose it. My son doesn’t drink, smoke or party. He goes to parties but mostly to mingle with his friends. They usually cook or bbq, play video games or just chill out playing board games or listening to music or maybe watch sports. As for it being cliquey my son felt the same way when he did his official recruiting visit. Once he started there he made friends pretty quickly and even got into a faith based group there. Keep in mind, right now there are some classes still in prelims (midterms) so yes there will be stressed out kids. Cornell definitely attracts a certain type of student and that’s usually a competitive and driven type of student. If your daughter and haileywilliams got into the school, I’m sure they can handle the workload just fine. If your D is just a student and doesn’t have to work, she definitely will have success there. My son dedicates 20-25 hours a week to his sport, so it’s like he has a part time job. He is also a stem major so his weekly schedule is tough especially with travel, but he’s doing it and even got an internship (he applied to only one and he got it). Cornell will open lots of doors and in CHE, the PAM major is really popular. I don’t know what your daughter plans to do after college, but Cornell students are highly sought after by big employers. Anyway, I hope that helps you as a parent see the big picture. UVA is a fine school, but compared to an Ivy and the Ivy being cheaper, your daughter should really investigate the intended majors and college at both schools before making a final decision. It’s not a 4 year decision, it’s a 40 year one as the saying goes. But if your daughter and the OP just love UVA and the extra cost is not a problem, then go with UVA. Good luck!
@Haileywilliamss
This is not exactly true about UVA flexibility: you need a permission for computer science, there is no guarantee, business school is only 65% guarantee in UVA, you can minor in Cornell business school with no issues , so you will only have a choice in economics if you fail mcintire . Keep in mind that most Engineering guys will end up in computer science, but in UVA you only have access to the limited BA degree within CAS vs BS with more advanced courses to choose+ you still need to satisfy gen education courses~42 credits which gives you less flexibility overall. Cornell on average is 78 credits for the major And it gives you plenty of space for a good minor across all schools in all Cornell’s colleges. Cornell is a winner there.
Having just made the trip back from Ithaca, I’d pick UVA. Less isolated. I think you are correct in the transferring issues. And if you needed to transfer our to the non-contract school (CAS) it will cost you more (but I was told easier to transfer from contract school out that the other way around).
@CALSmom thanks for that info. Sounds like your son is mature and has figured out how to be happy at Cornell. I agree with what you’re saying but at the end of the day, I can’t force her to go. I just hope she makes the best decision. Part of the issue is that she comes from a very competitive highly stressful school where she has done quite well, but I think she was hoping for something a little different for college. These are great choices for kids to have, but it doesn’t mean they are easy.
@quadaces thanks, and I totally get it, your daughter wants to enjoy her undergrad years without the pressure cooker environment. Is she planning to go premed? If so, I know the requirements in CHE would require ochem class sequence, a year of math and two terms of physics. My son found math and CS courses challenging but didn’t find his classmates cutthroat but helpful. I’m sure your daughter will be fine wherever she ends up
Fit is key. Trying to go Ivy because Cornell is an Ivy is so wrong. My child had come down to a great private school and an ivy (not Cornell). I think the best decision she made (and mature one too!) was “giving up” the Ivy and going where her heart was. She did feel the love on both visits to the school she eventually chose. It just felt right. The Ivy, although prestigious, just didn’t feel right and she too, heard stories that were in the back of her mind. Go for fit. Your child will be happy and do well. This goes for anyone. I don’t necessarily agree with the above that it is not a 4 year decision, but a 40 year one. After undergrad, so many go on to graduate, law, and medical school. I think that is where a degree from a particular university can make a difference. I do not believe that going to Cornell will open any more doors than UVA.
best of luck!