What is Cornell Like?

[BlistexWorks]

I have been accepted to several schools but finally got the opportunity to visit Cornell last week. In all honesty I fell in love with the school and felt very comfortable there. However, there are a few reservations I have about the school. First, I know that their program is totally different from any other. I have heard from more than one person that you will be "on your own" at Cornell and to be ready for mostly independent study. Also, I have not seen statistics but others have said that the students do not do so well on the NAVLE exams as a result of their altered teaching style.

I was very impressed with the facilities and the advisors/faculty seemed very nice and caring. I did not get a chance to talk to any students besides the tour guide, however. Would anyone recommend the Cornell experience above other schools? I am deciding between Cornell, UF, Mizzou, CSU, and Purdue.

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[mrcows3]

I have always thought Cornell to be at the number 1 or 2 spot in the country so I can't see how there students wouldn't do well on the NAVLE. If you are referring to the pbl part of the curriculum, Western is 100% pbl and the 2009 class had a passing rate of 86%, and I was told a 93% pass rate of the CA boards, so if you liked Cornell, you should go there

 

[chagheill]

I can only tell you about my undergrad experience there:

Pros
- beautiful campus
- very progressive attitude
- good public transport system
- need-based financial aid
- some absolutely brilliant students and professors alike (I've been to three lectures given by Nobel Laureates, and four of my professors have written their own textbooks)
- clubs and groups for virtually any activity or interest you can think of
- dining both on and off-campus is exceptional (John Thomas Steakhouse is to die for)

Cons
- the work load is staggering
- students are extremely competitive (I've personally experienced instances of a prof putting a required reading on reserve in the library only to have a student rip out the assigned pages to ^$%& everyone else)
- it's in the middle of nowhere
- the student parking lots on campus are few and far between, and militantly enforced
- living in Collegetown or anywhere near to campus is hideously expensive (a friend pays $1900 / month for a studio apt in Collegetown)
- all of the sports teams are terrible, except for hockey, in which case its impossible to get tickets to a game anyways
- in general, there is some degree of elitism among students
- if you don't like keg parties or coffee shops there isn't much of a nightlife
- those stupid "Ithaca is gorges" bumper stickers are everywhere

 

[banditalfi]

I love it here. I certainly do NOT feel that I am on my own AT ALL. In fact, professors have sought out students that are not doing well, rather than the other way around.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the amount of PBL that goes on at Cornell and what it's role in the curriculum is.

I really do love it here - most students in the class do. Please PM me for more information.

 

[RazorDoc2010]

Cons
- in general, there is some degree of elitism among students

I've met quite a few Cornell vet students and this has been my impression. I have met 1 or 2 that were pretty nice, but that's about it. Maybe it was just a bad sample population though...

 

[banditalfi]

bleh... i always find myself defending my school on this forum... i'm not sure how cornell got such a bad rap, but a lot of the stuff i see posted on this forum is blantant bs. the vet school is surprisingly NONcompetetive - i honestly think i could ask anyone in my class for help and there would be no probelm. students as a whole do not have a pompous attitude and we do not look down our noses at other students or schools. i do have the urge to go and rant, but it seems like people on this forum want cornell to be mean and insensitive and there's not much i can do to change minds.

 

[ratbandit]

Just have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the "Sack Videos" aka Naptime from Cornell's anatomy department

Those were awesome!