Cornell: The Big Picture
Cornell is very big but very manageable because of the different colleges, which give students a chance to find their niche as well as their own area of the campus that they know extremely well.
College town is great, so are the commons. Cornell is beautiful and natural, but doesn't feel isolated because there are plenty of places to go out to dinner.
I didn't realize how big Greek life was here before I came. Joining a sorority turned out to be an amazing choice that I might not have made at a school where Greek life wasn't so popular- on the other hand, for people who thought 1/3 of the students being involved in Greek life wasn't a lot and do not want to join a sorority or frat, may be frustrated because the school does not give the first impression of being as Greek as it is.
Best thing about Cornell is there is every type of person- preps, jocks, people who work insanely hard, alternative-type people, etc. Everyone can find someone like them.
Cornell Academic Life
Professors are generally wonderful- my first semester here I ended up having been to one of my professor's house a total of three times. I am in an English class now of about 25 students- professor is great, likes students to all him by his first name, always available for help.
The only class I have not enjoyed/despised so far (I am in my second semester of freshman year) is my anthropology class- the professor is unapproachable, only cares about getting through the material, although she is a good lecturer, doesn't seem to care about the students. The T.A. is completely unhelpful and his sections are pointless wastes of time.
There are definitely competitive students here, but if you don't want to come into contact with them, you don't have to. Or at least that is true for me, as an english and psychology major in arts and sciences (might be different in the engineering school, for example, I really have no idea).
The college of arts and sciences does seem geared towards learning for its own sake.
Cornell's Student Body
Cornell is very diverse but very segregated- whites hang out with white, blacks with blacks, asians with asians, etc....of course there are exceptions, but this type of segregation is very noticeable around campus. I think certain things exacerbate the problem- such as Ujamaa, the African American living center- this really serves to segregate people and give students an opportunity to avoid learning to live/interact/be friends with people who are different from them.
A lot of people are fro New York of course, but I have met people from all over - Ohio, California, Colorado, Turkey...
Cornell Student Activities + Social Life
Some dorms are more social than others on North Campus (where the freshmen live). Apparently the all womens' dorm (Balch) is very quiet and people do not leave their dorms open.
few people seem to date, mostly only if they are exclusively seeing each other already.
If I'm awake on 2am on a Tuesday, I am studying. People party Thursday-Saturday for the most part. Greek life is very prevalent- frat parties are a popular weekend activity. Saturday nights without drinking you can see a movie, go out to dinner, etc
Cornell Naked Truth
Just like there is every type of student imaginable, there is every type of club open for anyone to become a member, such as "Up Till Dawn" which works to give support to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
