Visiting Cornell

<p>After my interview for Cornell, I have begun thinking about visiting Cornell. I want to see CMU and Cornell over Spring Break, but it seems a little expensive. I was wondering if any of you know a cheaper way of getting to Ithaca. Would going by bus/train from Pittsburgh be better?</p>

<p>is hitching out of the question?</p>

<p>Although it would be an interesting experience, for some reason I don't think my mom will be happy with that. :O</p>

<p>eh, my roommate is from pittsburgh. . . .he usually just has his parents drive him out. I don't think the train runs to Ithaca. On holiday breaks there are direct flights from Ithaca to Pittsburgh, but that wouldn't be much of a help since our spring break is in march.</p>

<p>I don't know of any busses that run regularly to other cities, besides ShortLine to NYC. Greyhound might work, but it would probably be a very round-about route.</p>

<p>unless you want to spend something ridiculous like 20 hours on a bus, either drive or fly.</p>

<p>Well, Pittsburgh is about a 7 1/2 hour drive away from me, and then from Pitt to Ithaca would be like 6. On the other hand, to get to Pitt and back by plane would cost around $120, but from Pitt to Ithaca is like $600 (hotwire) but to Syracuse like $225. I guess driving would probably be cheaper and easier. I just looked at greyhound's site, and their 7-day-in-advance ticket from pitt to ithaca is only $83. So I don't know what to do yet. Thanks for the help.</p>

<p>
[quote]
but from Pitt to Ithaca is like $600 (hotwire) but to Syracuse like $225.

[/quote]
Syracuse to Ithace by bus is about an hour so that might be a good option to save some big bucks .... I do not know how easy/expensive it is to get from the Syracuse airport to the bus station.</p>

<p>I'd definitely recommend visiting Cornell ... for me my visit absolutely set Cornell as my #1 choice (this was common for a lot of my classmates) ... and of the few people I knew unhappy at Cornell most of them had not visited. Ithaca is a terrific isolated college town with Northeast weather ... Cornell in Ithaca has a very strong culture that you will probably have a strong reaction to when you visit (and I'd suggest trusting your instincts on that reaction ... either positive or negative)</p>

<p>3togo, how would you compare winters in Ithaca with Boston's? I keep hearing that Ithaca is much more severe.</p>

<p>
[quote]
3togo, how would you compare winters in Ithaca with Boston's? I keep hearing that Ithaca is much more severe.

[/quote]
If I compare Ithace to the greater Boston area I would say the winters are fairly similar ... Ithaca is at the south end of a "finger lake" and that makes a HUGE difference ... the cities on the north end of the lakes ... Syracuse and Rochester, for example, get much more snow. As someone who grew up in southern/mid NH the winters in Ithaca were about the same (and for me a draw).</p>