I really like the size of Ithaca, as far as the number of students go. It's big enough for you to walk across campus and see a few people you know, but also to see a lot you've never met before. And there are a lot of great characters who you can mention in conversation, people you've seen around campus and have never actually talked to, but everyone will know who you're talking about. Ithaca is also a real college town, so there are a lot of things to do off campus. The Commons are a great place to spend some time, and there is also a place called Collegetown near Cornell University that has a lot of restaurants and cool places to hang out. There are a few annual festivals, my favorite being the Apple Harvest Festival, aka Applefest. It's the time of year in the fall when all the apple growers and bakers and the like set up shop in The Commons and sell their goods. It's fantastic. You should also check out the Farmers' Market if you can, there are a lot of vendors who sell produce, crafts and the like. The gorges are also wonderful, especially when it's warm enough to swim. One not-so-good thing about the Ithaca College campus is it's not very handicapped-accessible. There are a lot of stairs and not many ramps or elevators, especially not in the dorms. You also want to prepare for Ithaca winters, which can be pretty bad. Don't expect to walk across campus and not get salt stains on your jeans.

My English professors are always extremely approachable. I would consider most of them to be my friends, and I have never really had any bad experiences with them. I occasionally go to their offices to chat a bit, and often go to discuss papers with them. Other subjects I'm not so sure about--I have had some run-ins with a couple of politics professors, but I try to avoid them when I can. Most of my professors for non-major classes have been very good and kind, and I've learned a lot during my time here. If you do end up at Ithaca, definitely take some classes you never really thought about taking before. That's a huge advantage to going here--there are a lot of different options. Who knows, you might change your entire direction because you loved a certain class or professor so much.

The Ithaca student body is mostly very welcoming to all types of people. There is a large LGBT community who are often active on campus, with many activities available to help others understand and accept them, which is not too hard in Ithaca. There aren't too many cliques or groups like that, most students can interact with people they usually don't hang out with and still have a good time. I would say most of the student population comes from an upper-middle class background, with the occasional student going to school on a scholarship. The campus is extremely active in politics, mostly on the liberal side. There are many groups devoted to humanitarian aid and helping those less fortunate, and during election time there are a lot of people trying to get the students active in the voting process. The only problem with the political climate on campus is that those of a more conservative background might feel alienated. There is a group for Republicans on campus, but it is small and I don't think they're well liked. Religious life is a bit hard if you're not Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish. There are chaplains for those religions, but not for others. The town itself has a Buddhist monestery, so if you are Buddhist it is a very welcoming environment. There are a lot of atheists too, however. Because the campus is so liberal, there aren't many religious students around. I once had a really bad experience where I was put in an awkward position: I was supposed to be in a skit for a friend for her class, but what I was supposed to do was very blasphemous. Basically I was supposed to be Mary Magdalene with Christ, and we were supposed to make it clear that they were to have sex. I was extremely uncomfortable and had a bit of a religious meltdown, but I got through it okay and actually probably richer for it.

Lots of people know Ithaca to be a really big place for pot, and it's known to be an extremely liberal campus. It's pretty much the place to be if you're a hippie.

There is a lot of smoking here, but if you don't want to get involved no one will force you. I don't smoke, I never have. I know a lot of people who do but it's not a big deal if you don't get into that scene. As far as being a liberal campus, I would even go so far as to say there are a lot of radical students here. If you're not a liberal, you might want to fly under the radar if you're not prepared to back up and support your conservative beliefs.