<p>for all those that are current students, or those who have applied this year, why did you pick cornell? what do you like about cornell after spending a year or more at the university?</p>
<p>I would like to know this too!</p>
<p>because of this:</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I didn't realize Cornell had so many Asians... >_></p>
<p>I think this one's better.</p>
<p>Live that video is hilarious!! hahaha</p>
<p>both good, but first better</p>
<p>bumppppppp</p>
<p>Because of Cornell's structure, it makes sense to answer this on a specific undergraduate program level, so here goes for CAS:</p>
<p>The College of Arts & Sciences is a superb small liberal arts college at the center of an outstanding research university
[ul]
There is far greater depth and breadth in the academic offerings than in other liberal arts schools of a similar size[/ul]
[ul]Interdisciplinary studies are strongly encouraged and facilitated - i.e. Law & Society, American Studies, International Relations[/ul]
[ul]The renowned professors who teach undergraduates are the same faculty who are creating new knowledge at the forefront of their disciplines[/ul]
[ul]The quality of the liberal arts curriculum at Cornell is impressive, with most of the departments ranking in the top ten nationally[/ul]
[ul]Arts & Sciences students also enjoy access to more than 2,200 courses in the six professional and applied colleges at Cornell. Students often cite the incredible academic diversity and the dynamic mix of theoretical and applied studies as their reason for loving Cornell [/ul]</p>
<p>Source: CAS's "Excellence and Innovation in the Liberal Arts Tradition" Brochure</p>
<p>is the amount of courses offered at CAS more than the amount offered at columbia university? (sorry this is kinda random but im conflicted over which to apply early to).</p>
<p>I have both the course brochure for Cornell and for Columbia. Cornell definitely have more courses (the size of the undergraduate body can prove this.) Cornell's course catalog was like 1.5 inches thick, 8x11, and Times New Rome font 6. lol</p>
<p>Here is CAS's course offerings:</p>
<p>But keep in mind that the whole university is open to anyone - here's that:</p>
<p><a href="http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/Courses/%5B/url%5D">http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Academic/Courses/</a></p>
<p>Here is Columbia's:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/%5B/url%5D">http://www.college.columbia.edu/bulletin/</a></p>
<p>As mentioned earlier, you'll be hard pressed to find anything beyond the breadth and depth of Cornell.</p>
<p>While I would prefer Cornell to Columbia, I wouldn't be basing the decision of which school to apply to on which had more courses.</p>
<p>what are some other reasons that you guys would prefer cornell over columbia? is there anything that outweighs the fact that columbia has more opportunities cuz its in the city? (not bashing cornell, im just curious)</p>
<p>
[quote]
I wouldn't be basing the decision of which school to apply to on which had more courses
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Good point Gellino. In and of itself, a course catalogue is not a reason to go to a particular school - otherwise every large state university would dominate - but quality and quantity do start to resonate particularly for someone who is interested in multi disciplinary studies</p>
<p>
[quote]
is there anything that outweighs the fact that columbia has more opportunities cuz its in the city?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>De gustibus non est disputandum...</p>
<p>I personally found Cornell's ready access to outdoor activities to be a huge plus. Furthermore the city of Ithaca is a very vibrant place that has an outstanding music scene. Frankly there is WAY more to do than you'll ever have time for. Lastly, I think the Greek System at Cornell is really a hidden gem among the Ivies. Its roughly a third of the student body but provides an extremely active social scene.</p>
<p>god, that bboy club and that DDR club are just icing on the cake. I hope i get in.</p>
<p>"is there anything that outweighs the fact that columbia has more opportunities cuz its in the city?"</p>
<p>you'll do big internships during the summer, not during the academic school year. If by "more opportunities" you mean more high-end retail stores, then NYC would win, but the same can't be applied to jobs and internships. </p>
<p>To quote an alum on these boards that I have an incredible amount of respect for:</p>
<p>"Many people own vacation homes in the beautiful region around Ithaca and the Finger Lakes. You will probably have to work in a big city when you graduate, so why not spend your college years in 'vacation land' before you are finally able to afford one of the summer houses in Ithaca on your own."</p>
<p>Thank you, Wharf Rat, I have used that statement a dozen times on CC and it always makes people go "ahhhhh yeah, I see now."</p>
<p>True, it's not exactly the wisest route to base one's decision too heavily on the amount of courses one college offers against the amount another offers. However, consider this anecdote. When I arrived here and it was time to choose classes, I was positively overwhelmed by all the classes I could take, and all the possible schedules I could create. And to top that off, all the schedules worked because there were so many different time slots for so many courses due to the size of the undergraduates here. In contrast to that, a friend of mine who enrolled at a smaller school was indeed excited about a lot of courses but her excitement fizzled when she realized almost none of her courses fit because of the time constraints of a smaller community with fewer courses to offer. She ended up taking a class she wasn't at all interested in to fulfill a mandatory freshman requirement.</p>
<p>As a father of an LAC'er, I think in some cases a comparison of available course offerings in areas of interest can in fact be relevant. Between two large universities, well probably not so much as far as the traditional subjects go.</p>
<p>But still, one ought not disregard the additional opportunities Cornell's various undergraduate colleges may offer. I was an undergrad in Arts & Sciences, yet wound up taking courses in two of the other colleges. This is very common.</p>
<p>At Cornell you will also be living with a group of students with widely diverse academic interests. One would likely encounter few Columbia students interested in: Hotel Administration, Industrial and Labor Relations, Agriculture. There are also likely more purely middle class people there I would expect, attracted in part by the lower tuition of the NYS contract colleges. Whether you like this diversity, don't like it, or don't care, it is still a likely difference.</p>
<p>Cornell undergrad life is mostly focused in and around the campus. It is a large university with a large campus and a thriving Collegetown right outside, so this is not a huge sacrifice for many. The city of Ithaca is also an asset to students; it is a humming, cool little city, cultural center of the immediate region. It is not New York. New York is not Ithaca. I have lived in and loved both places, though obviously for different reasons.</p>
<p>What I've read and heard about Columbia is that the draw of the city dilutes this campus-based experience. There is less of a community feel there. People don't all stay around campus for fun, they drift into the city to do their own things. This can lead to less intimacy and bonding among students.There is a frequent CC poster who actually transferred from Columbia to Dartmouth for this very reason. My nephew is there right now, and has confirmed this aspect to me. </p>
<p>THis is how a CC poster attending Barnard described the area around Columbia:</p>
<p>"Morningside heights is horridly boring, the only things to do are go to bars and eat. The bars are dirty and filled with frat boys. It feels like I'm not even in the city. "</p>
<p>On another thread, some other people agreed, and said that if you didn't really want to have to venture out into the city for [everything/ lots], as opposed to having everything conveniently right there,then maybe a traditional campus-based environment would be better for you.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my nephew likes the whole package there, which includes NYC, and doesn't really know what he is missing as far as campus life goes, so doesn't miss it.</p>
<p>Finally, one cannot ignore this, as it is an integral part of one's experience at Cornell.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.priweb.org/ed/finger_lakes/nystate_geo4.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.priweb.org/ed/finger_lakes/nystate_geo4.html</a>
<a href="http://www.pbase.com/unexplained_bacon/ithaca_area%5B/url%5D">http://www.pbase.com/unexplained_bacon/ithaca_area</a></p>
<p>I can still remember the feel of the fresh air in my lungs on a cool October day. I love the place.</p>
<p>Some other points:</p>
<p>Regarding Columbia, another key feature is the Core Curriculum there. It is a mandatory series of "great Works" type courses that all students at Columbia College must take. Columbia's engineering school students must also take a portion of this Core Curriculum.</p>
<p>I would think this would be a very significant, and polarizing point among potential applicants. As it was for my daughter, who did not apply to Columbia for this very reason. I've read that among Columbia students there is a sort of "love-hate" relationship with the Core: many like the idea of a unified curriculum promoting a classic, "old-world"style liberal arts education;presumably they chose Columbia for this very reason. Perhaps fewer like the actual courses.
The University of Chicage is one of the few other universities that still has a core curriculum of this type.</p>
<p>Cornell's College of Arts & Sciences does not have a required core; it has distribution requirements typical of most Arts & Sciences colleges generally. The other colleges at Cornell each have their own particular requirements, distribution or otherwise.</p>
<p>Although both schools have fraternities & sororities, I believe Cornell's frat scene is proportionally bigger. It is not a majority presence at Cornell either, but its presence is felt.</p>
<p>As indicated before, to love Columbia one seemingly must fully explore and embrace NYC. But NYC is not a college town; it is largely a place for working post-college professionals, and the wealthy. Meaning everything costs. Taking the subway costs. The bars and restaurants cost. It is expensive.</p>
<p>Finally at some point between the time I left college and now, seemingly all the big city schools have become hot. Columbia has ridden this wave, as have NYU and Penn. As a result Columbia College has become virtually impossible to get into now, except by application ED. (Which is different than saying one should want to go there). Cornell's attraction has been more steady. It is also quite difficult to get into, but not to quite the same extent.</p>
<p>So, talking about the videos: The DDR club at this college (I'm a GT) has the geekiest geeks I have ever seen in my life. It is soooo funny to walk by the lobby and look in at them dancing. They are really socially awkward and just plain awkward in the first place, so watching them dance is amazing lol.</p>