Cornell University Top Questions

What is the stereotype of students at your school?

Alex

While some people may think that Cornell is a "suicide school," a "nerd school," or a "rich white New Yorker school," no stereotype can even come close to describing Cornell. There are too many diverse people to have one sweeping generalization about all the students.

Bryce

When I leave campus, there seems to be some ideas that Cornell is all rich kids. Economically speaking, Cornell is one of the most diverse colleges there are. Of course there are students that are wealthy, but there are a lot that aren't. I have a job on campus with federal work study, and it's become a positive thing whereas I initially thought needing a job would sset me apart or interfere with my social life.

Bryce

When leave campus, there seems to be some ideas that Cornell is all rich kids. Economically speaking, Cornell is one of the most diverse colleges there are. Of course there are students that are wealthy, but there are a lot that aren't. I have a job on campus with federal work study, and it's become a positive thing whereas I initially thought needing a job would sset me apart or interfere with my social life.

Kris

xcvxc

Alex

Negatives: Tons of suicides, everyone's involved in greek life, it's the easiest Ivy, the academic rigor is unbearable, it's out in the middle of nowhere Positives: lovely campus, great food

Dylan

They are the rejects from other ivies... they work hard and party even harder... they kill themselves going gorge jumping

Alex

We're all smart people, no doubt. It doesn't mean we don't know how to socialize or have a good time. People definitely think that since we're such a smart school that we don't know what to do on Friday or Saturday nights.

Emma

1) Always doing work, so they never have time to go out 2) Depressed

Kat

Don't know any outside stereotypes about Cornell students, though I did hear somewhere that it's the easiest Ivy to get into and the hardest to graduate from.

Amanda

Most people think all people at Cornell are either rich and snobby or very nerdy.

Bobby

Cornell students are stereotyped to be rich, nerdy, and mostly from Westchester or Long Island.

Jamie

Personal stereotypes at Cornell are most prominent in the Greek system. Usually certain stereotypes are associated with certain Greek organizations, ranging from very geeky to very brutal behavior. Cornell girls are stereotypically unattractive, or if attractive unaproachable. There are also stereotypes about the kind of people at the various schools inside the university, again ranging widely, from partier to over achiever. As a school Cornell is notorious for not being helpful on a financial level, or in general to some.

Kim

-We are the Harvard rejects -There's nothing to do at Cornell -We are all nerds who don't have a social life

KJ

These aren't ordered in any particular way... 1. Cornell is the easiest Ivy League school to get into 2. Cornell is a state school 3. Cornell has the highest suicide rate of any university 4. Ithaca is GORGES and so is Cornell! 5. Winters in Ithaca are unbearable

Emily

People assume that everyone is super-competitive and cut-throat, or that people are too consumed with academics to do extra-curriculars or enjoy free-time.

Doug

Some stereotypes about Cornell include that it's winter all year round there, that it's easy to get in and hard to graduate, the Hotel school is a joke school, that thousands of students commit suicide every year because its so difficult, that the kids are all really weird and the girls aren't that attractive.

Erin

Cornell is apparently the easiest Ivy to get into but the hardest to graduate from. Basically, they let in the widest range of students academic wise, but once you're here, they make you work your ass off (which they do!). I guess Cornell students would be seen as very, very, very, diverse: you have the typical nerd who really doesn't know how to dress and is socially awkward; you have the rich kids who's parents can afford to send them here without either the parent or kid taking out a loan; you've got middle-class kids who have borrowed a shit load of money just to go here instead of going to a school where they could have gotten a huge scholarship; you have lots of Asians that mix into all categories; basically anyone you can think of, Cornell has. So there really isn't a stereotypical Cornell student.

Molly

lots of frat boys and sorority girls, lots of nerdy engineers, lots of reclusive architecture students, and then frequent suicides into the surrounding gorges

Jesse

study all the time

Steve

students are unhealthily competitive. students wish to be at other "greater" top school. students are geniuses.

Owen

High suicide rate, a lot of nerds, a lot of work

Jen

Cornell is full of nerdy losers who didn't get into a better Ivy and who study 24/7.

Shawn

Cornell's unofficial motto is "work hard, play hard" and this is precisely what happens. Cornell has a large Greek system, and tons of parties beyond even that. But when Cornell students have work to do, they do so in droves, and with unparalleled intensity. Don't expect easy grades; grade inflation is a false stereotype. Don't expect suicidal students, either; most students keep a good balance between work and fun, family and friends.

Michele

That they are privileged Ivy League students taking advantage of their parents money, that they go to school in the middle of nowhere, and that many are really dorky. Positive ones include that they are really smart and into a lot of research

Kai

Intelligent, elitist, conformist, socially awkward

Emily

Cornell students are all nerds and there are a lot of asians at the school.

Jen

Cornell students are often seen among other schools as rich kids that are buying their education with their parents money and don't have to work hard for much. Among the ivies, they are seen as one of the lesser ivies. The Greek system carries the stereotype of an exclusive group of students that are buying their friends.

Melissa

They are competetive and unfriendly and all from Long Island.

Erin

Cornell students spend all of their time in the library.

michelle

One stereotype is that Cornell students are stressed out, because the work is so hard.

Josh

Extremely competitivie

Katie

Its a lot of work.

Matt

Cornell students work hard and play harder. They are very competitive academically.

Kate

People say Cornell is the easiest Ivy to get into and the hardest to get out of. I hear a lot of people complaining about their workloads. Within the student body, "hotelies" are the party animals, Engineers are the dorks who live in their dorm rooms and Architects are to be pitied because they spend ALL their time working.

Andy

smart, rich, like to party, ugly

Sarah

Highest suicide rate. Cornell students are not attractive. Cornell engineers are all SUPER nerds. Hotelies only have fun and take napkin folding classes. All Cornell students were rejects from another Ivy League school. Ithaca is in the middle of nowhere! Ithaca is beautiful. Cornell is very tough. It is very hard to receive good grades at Cornell. Of the Ivies, Cornell is the hardest to stay in. Cornell hockey is amazing. Architecture students are never seen.

Julie

high suicide rate, depressing weather

Kelly

Smart, nerdy

Jessie

Poeple always "assume" that cornell studnets are smart and from well-off families.

Jordan

They work too hard and never go out.

Brian

Ridiculously difficult. Professors interested in research.

Harper

Cornell is the hardest one to graduate from

Phoneix

Students study too hard and are extremely depressed about the difficulties of their classes.

Bethany

Some stereotypes about Cornell and Cornell students are that we are very rich, preppy, they get what they want, and smart.

Cornell

People either think that Cornell is very hard or that it's very easy. Also, everybody thinks that Cornellians are always really stressed out, and, depending on how hard they think Cornell is, it's merited or not.

Sarah

Cornell is seen as very Long Island, and a lot of nerds

Laura

We are all really brainy and don't have fun. Or that we are suicidal and are going to throw ourselves off of the gorge

Charlie

That all we do is work work work, everyone is miserable because the winters are so awful, no one is happy or ever has a good time.

KC

The classes are extremely tough. Cornell students are always studying. The students at Cornell are the ones that couldn't get into Harvard or MIT.

Rory

They spend all day locked in their rooms studying.