I am trying to choose between Cornell and Wash U. I want to study economics (not business for undergrad), but that could change. I really like St. Louis because I have family there, and I don’t know that much about Cornell and Ithaca. I also would prefer smaller class sizes. I am worried about the weather in Ithaca, although I know St. Louis can be bad too (I’m from San Francisco so I’m used to not-so-cold weather in the winter). I want to have a good experience in college but I would also like to go to a school that would most help me get into a good MBA program–I heard that they are equal in that respect but that’s just from one person. I am drawn to Cornell because of its prestige/renown but I know that is a bad reason to choose a college. Financially, they are the same for me. I’m definitely leaning toward Wash U at the moment but that could change. Any thoughts? Also, how do these schools compare in terms of dorms and food?
Brantly: I only visited Wash U, and it was the first place I visited. I liked it but did not love it like I did some other places. Then again, I did not really know what to look for and I did not take much away from it due to my lack of knowing what I should have been doing.
Will you get a chance to visit again? Will you get a chance to visit Cornell? It’s hard to decide without visiting. I graduated from Cornell and I’ve visited WashU with my daughter. They are very different campuses and environments. Have you considered travel details? As much as I love Cornell, I have to say that it’s much easier to travel SFO to STL than to Ithaca. You’d have to fly to EWR then catch a connection to Ithaca. Or get a ride from a friend from NJ.
Connecting flight yes.I understand a number of students also use Syracuse, ride-share to get from there. Looking right now, I see connections not from EWR, but from: DTW, IAD, PHL, ORD…
A connecting flight is more trouble than a direct flight, for sure.
I guess the many students from California who attend Cornell are wiling to do it because one isn’t making this trip all that often.
The weather in Ithaca is bad (in winter, which is long) but it is nothing to “worry” about. Get yourself some good winter gear, then “no worries, mate”. You will learn to deal with it like everyone else does.
On the other hand Ithaca is wonderful in the summer whereas St Louis is hot and humid. I stayed two or three summers in Ithaca, you might too. It is great there.
I liked both quite a bit when I visited them. I have only visited Washington U in the fall. I visited Cornell a couple of times in February and it definitely does have real winters with both cold weather and a lot of snow. I have not had dorm food at either.
Needing to take a connecting flight is going to slow down the commute quite a bit. There is also something to be said about having family in the area.
I don’t think that you can go wrong at either school. They are both great schools.
"Also, how do these schools compare in terms of dorms and food? "
Food I don’t know, though Cornell is often cited for having good food.
FWIW my D1 visited a friend at Wash U years ago and said his dorm was nice.
The Cornell dorms apparently vary in age and “goodness”. My D2s was fine.
But the real difference is, IIRC, Wash U expects you to live in a dorm for four years whereas Cornell expects that you will live off campus for the last two, at least. For the most part the off-campus housing is in areas adjacent to campus, so one is still in a campus-centered environment.
The social scene is different when many students live in their own apartments. Because people hang out, socialize, have parties, at people’s apartments, in a way that one can’t do as successfully in dorms.
My kids & I have each found that living in private housing is better than living in dorms.
More living space, more autonomy (no RA’s). Closer relationships formed living more intimately with smaller groups of people. More exposure to life beyond “the Hill”. A transition to “real life”. My daughter and her friends held dinner parties in their apartments. Big holiday parties too. I learned to cook there.
My son went elsewhere to college, where he could easily have stayed on campus all four years. He chose to live off campus, and preferred it. As did many of his classmates. for the same reasons.
But if you feel otherwise, it would be hard to guarantee that you will be able to spend all four years in the dorms there.
Our soon to graduate Wash U Senior has lived off campus their Junior and Senior years – and has stayed and worked in St. Louis the summers before their Junior and Senior years. They are from the east coast (major urban area) but absolutely love St. Louis. Winters are cold (especially this year) but not a lot of snow. Food on campus is very good – typically ranked among the top 10 and dorms are top 5 – see College Niche, Princeton Review, etc. Even better are the selections off campus.
One of the reasons our student moved off was convenience (spends a lot of time at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Medical School) and having a kitchen (enjoys cooking, eats well). Has had same roommate since first year – and two former suitemates live next door.
Cornell is a fantastic school – you certainly are not going to go wrong. But St. Louis is definitely a different “feel” than Ithaca!