Cornell University Top Questions

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Cornell is known for its academic prestige and rigor. It is one of the best schools in the world. The research opportunities are incredible, as is the opportunity to take a variety of classes. I know many professors in each of my majors, and they all know me by name. Students are VERY competitive. The grading is tougher than at almost any other institution in the country. Cornell will prepare you well for the job market.

It definitely depends on your major. Engineering, science and math classes are notoriously challenging. However, other majors tend to be easier. It is not an easy place, and you are guaranteed to always have a lot of work, but it is rewarding because you are exposed to so much rich knowledge and wonderful professors.

Academics at Cornell are very tough. The people here are brilliant, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed at times. I'm a physics major at Cornell, with an astronomy concentration, and the science/math programs here are intensely intellectual, challenging, and rewarding. I know people involved in many and diverse academic programs (inside and outside of the sciences) here at Cornell, and they all work very hard. Cornell puts academics and intellectual advancement above many things; you're here to learn, and you rarely forget that. Many lectures are large, and in those, you don't have a close personal relationship with the professor unless you purposely seek one out. The good thing is that for large lectures, there's generally a smaller discussion section that meets at least once a week, and you're able to build a close relationship with your (generally graduate student) TA. There are also small classes at Cornell, and in those you get to know your professors and teachers better. It's tough to avoid large lectures at Cornell, but many people like them (I do). Cornell professors definitely leave the ball in your court as far as grades go. You need to pay attention, study hard, and really do your part to succeed in classes here. Grading can be tough. The good news is that Cornell has a lot of tutoring and time management support services that can be used to help you with your studies. Academic requirements are not very limiting, and for the most part I've been able to study what I've wanted to study (the only thing I had to take that I didn't want to take has been a foreign language). I work in the Space Sciences Building on campus, in the Astronomy Dept., and know a lot about both that Dept. and the Physics Dept. These are tough, research-oriented, and groundbreaking departments, filled with absolutely brilliant professors who love what they do and are eager to teach what they have learned. You just need to speak up; all I had to do to get my current research position was talk to a few professors in person. The professors are generally very nice here, but it's on you to reach out to them. Being a physics major at Cornell is incredibly hard, but it's doable! I took the Honors Sequence and don't regret it. I've learned so much, and that makes all the effort worth it. Oh, one last thing: the tests here are called Prelims. We dread them. But they happen, and you'll be surprised; even if a course feels impossible, if you work hard, you might do better than you ever thought you could.

It definitely takes a lot of effort to perform well here at Cornell. However, I think it is unjust to call Cornell "the hardest Ivy to graduate from" because I know for a fact that schools like Princeton has more severe grade deflation than Cornell. Yes, if you are taking 17+ units per semester, you will be spending 5+ hours per day outside of class to maintain a high GPA (3.7+), but hearing from my friends from other schools, students from other campuses work just as hard as Cornell students if not harder to do well in school. I am double majoring in Economics and Government, and I spend good 30 hours a week reading and working on problem sets. There are days when I would have to work more, but those days only come when a big assignment such as an essay is due within three days or so. Introductory classes are fairly big, but once again, other schools also have introductory classes that have 100+ enrolled students as well. My freshman year, it was rather difficult to get to know my professors, but as I began to take more advanced courses, I got the chance to sit down and talk with them more often. Unless you dread talking to professors, there is no way you can't get to know the professors when you put in some effort. Some students are very competitive while some are more relaxed and laid back. But I know that most students are willing to help each other. In fact, when I work on problem sets or study for big exams, I usually work in a group. Class participation is common and encouraged. In fact, for many classes (and in all of the classes from Government department I have taken so far), participation is required and constitutes a fairly big part of your grade. Yet, if you are a shy student, as long as you inform your TA and professor, you won't be penalized for not speaking as much as students like me who love debates and discussions. I'm a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, so I take pride in taking many classes for enjoyment and learning. Yes, there are academic requirements (which vary from school to school), but I do enjoy variety of classes offered at Cornell and receiving a liberal college education. But, if you are looking to get an education that is geared toward getting a job, don't worry. Other undergraduate schools such as Hotel Administration and Human Ecology well prepare their students for prospective careers.

I'm a science major, so most of the classes I took as a freshman had more than 100 students enrolled. As a pre-med, the environment is definitely competitive. Most professors are willing to help though, and they appreciate if you visit them during office hours. Think of office hours as a win-win situation--you understand the material a whole lot better and the professor does not waste time just sitting at his desk in his office. To de-stress, pre-meds can take a wide array of electives such as Magical Mushrooms & Mischevious Molds and Introduction to Wines.

I'm a science major, so most of the classes I took as a freshman had more than 100 students enrolled. As a pre-med, the environment is definitely competitive. Most professors are willing to help though, and they appreciate if you visit them during office hours. Think of office hours as a win-win situation--you understand the material a whole lot better and the professor does not waste time just sitting at his desk in his office. To de-stress, pre-meds can take a wide array of electives such as Magical Mushrooms & Mischevious Molds and Introduction to Wines.

This all depends on what you want to study. Most intro classes are very big lecture classes, but more specialized classes can be much smaller. Competition is heavy amongst bio majors. Engineering majors have to spend a lot of time studying.

This all depends on what you want to study. Most intro classes are very big lecture classes, but more specialized classes can be much smaller. Competition is heavy amongst bio majors. Engineering majors have to spend a lot of time studying.

It is very competitive here! Since most classes are generally 300 students or more, the only way to get the professor to know your name is to attend their office hours and speak a lot in class. Students study like crazy, there are some who LITERALLY spend all day in the library or pull all-nighters to get assignments done.The students here definitely take their academics seriously, especially since they lead to job/internship opportunities.