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.

The academics are really diverse here. The largest class (Psych 101) has over 1000 students, and then there are classes with only 5 people. In smaller classes (which have less than 50 students) professors often make the effort to get to know students names. In these classes, as well as larger ones with several hundred students, there is student participation. Sometimes professors will actually call on students, and sometimes they use things called i-clickers, which allows the professors to poll the class and students can click in the letter choice of their answer. Students have intellectual conversations outside the classroom all the time, especially in one of the coffee shops around campus. In terms of being competitive, some students are and some are not. It depends on their personality. Some people are here to learn and others are just here to get good grades and move on- it really depends on the individual student. The most unique class i took was called "Making a Difference By Design" and it was all about how we can see the world in different ways and what ways we can use different aspects of design to positively impact the world around us. We had a lot of crafty projects for the class and the grading system was really unique as well (one of my grades was a CD recording of the professor's thoughts about my project) I study human development, and it's actually a really broad department. There are several concentrations within the department (mine is social and personality development) and each of the professor I've interacted with has always been willing to answer my questions and explain things I don't understand. Overall I find the department to be really friendly and helpful. Personally, I don't spend too much time with professors outside class, other than the Professor from whom I'm a Teaching Assistant (TA). I'm the kind of person who likes to get my work done independently and only seek help from Professor if I need it. However, other students spend more time with Professors, and they always hold office hours to meet with and help students. In addition, the Professor I TA for is great to work with- I spend a lot of time with her and she's taught me a lot. I don't think the academic requirements are too stringent. The graduation requirements tend to leave enough room for students to take several electives of interest. The education is both geared toward the sake of learning and toward getting a job. It really depends on the student's major and also on what the student is looking for- Cornell provides both.

Academics and classes at Cornell are really what you make them. There can be classes where the only time you see the professor is when you are sitting in lecture, but then again I have professors who have invited the class of less than 15 over to his house to eat lunch and talk. Going to office hours is one of the best recommendations I can give, because you get to talk one on one with the professors and the TA's. Students are eager to learn, but there is no cutthroat competition that I have found. The requirements vary by the college you are in, but in my college (Engineering), I have had no problem completing the requirements. I am looking to major in Operations and Engineering, which combines aspects of system analysis into optimization and engineering. The professors I have worked with are all more than happy to help students with questions, facilitate undergraduate research, and instruct students looking for internships and jobs.

The academics are very hard. I mean don't get me wrong it is possible to do well in most classes, but it's nothing to sneeze at. We are an Ivy League School for a reason. WIth that being said there are plenty of resources to make sure that we all have the opportunity to do well. There are office hours, study groups, Learning Strategies Center, and TA's. Sometimes you can even find students just getting together to review or study for a certain class in the dorm's common areas. Whatever you need help in there are places available. Just remember school comes before play and you will be alright in the end.

Academics here are no joke! If you plan to go to Cornell you have to bring your A game. Pretty much all students here take their academics seriously and if they don't, then they will not be here for long. The courses are too rigorous for a slacker to survive. Going to class and being prepared is vital to your success here. Students are ALWAYS studying, its pretty much our lives. :-) Trust and believe that you will be challenged. Competition is serious here too, but I would advise not to let it onsume you. Even though academics are tough here, it is extremely rewarding. I am a Near Eastern Studies Major, but my favorite class I have taken is "Mongrel America: The Myth of Racial Purity" Trust me when I say that any class at Cornell will sharped your crtical thinking skills. I think Cornell is unique because first year class sizes can be any where from 6 people to 400. In the smaller classes the professor will know your name, but in the larger classes, the only way the professor will know your name is if you make your name known. The Cornell professors can be some of the coolest people you will ever meet in your life and they can be some of the best advisors and resources as well, so I suggest you abandon your shyness and get to know as many as you can! The education here is what you make of it. If you want your education to gear you towards a job then you can do that. However, if you want to just be a scholar you can do that as well. In regards to academics and where it will lead you, the choice is yours.

In general, very rigorous. That said, it's possible to coast by in areas that you may not enjoy as much. They do a good job with offering classes to non-majors who need to fulfill distribution requirements. My Chinese major was very difficult; my film major took a lot of time but did not hold people to specific standards and was more effort-based reward.

Being part of the Ivy League, Cornell is know for the high quality of it's academics. That being said, students definitely work hard to succeed. Most find it very rewarding and truly enjoy what they learn. Professor Maas who teaches Introduction to Psychology has one of the most liked classes on campus, despite the fact that it is the largest class in the country with over 1,100 students enrolled in a semester. On the other side of things, every student is required to take discussion style freshman writing seminars capped at around 15 students. Classes can range anywhere in between and go way beyond the traditional classroom. You can learn the intricacies of culinary arts in the School of Hotel Administration or even get out in the Ithaca community to learn about education. Professors love interacting with their students. After a week of lecture in some of my favorite classes, going to office hours with the professor can open worlds of knowledge and debate with experts in their field as well as research pioneers. Also really enjoy my major. The staff in my department of Human Development are incredibly knowledgeable and represent a field that is unique to only a few universities in the United States. Human Development, as an example, also allows students to take many electives and go into almost any field after graduation. The education across Cornell, I would say, is geared more to getting a job. Many students are preprofessional; meaning they want to go on to be doctors, businessmen and women and lawyers so many students look to steer their education in that direction. Students are competitive in the sense that they are always looking to do their best, but it is in no way cut-throat. Many students study together and work together on projects, homework assignments and make study guides together. In conclusion, academics are very important at Cornell, but it leads to a well-rounded student who knows how to conduct themselves in a presentation, knows how to debate a topic and who can create extraordinarily creative and innovative products.

Academics are very strong and research is a visible part of academics as well. Students are interested in doing well and learning while professors are caring, kn owledgeable, and are closely tied to their fields of study. It always seems funny to me that even on Friday and Saturday nights, no matter what people are doing, intellectual conversations occur. The nature in class is pretty competitive (especially in the biology and chemistry pre-med classes), but I believe the competitive nature can help motivate individuals in a positive way.

Once you get past the general studies courses that tend to be popular like Psych 101 or Econ 101, the major studies courses will generally be more intimate in size and interaction. Depending on the class, professors will either take volunteers or do cold-calling in order to engage the students. Generally, there is no need for the professors to resort to the student roster to have questions answered since students will willingly participate in the conversations. You can expect to experience heated discussions by students passionate about the subject and gain better insight from other perspectives. Personally, I was more of a introvert but did not feel pressure to raise my hand everytime. You can cater the classroom experience to your preferences and still reap the benefits of the class.

Once you get past the general studies courses that tend to be popular like Psych 101 or Econ 101, the major studies courses will generally be more intimate in size and interaction. Depending on the class, professors will either take volunteers or do cold-calling in order to engage the students. Generally, there is no need for the professors to resort to the student roster to have questions answered since students will willingly participate in the conversations. You can expect to experience heated discussions by students passionate about the subject and gain better insight from other perspectives. Personally, I was more of a introvert but did not feel pressure to raise my hand everytime. You can cater the classroom experience to your preferences and still reap the benefits of the class.

You must study if you want to go to Cornell. Academics are strong here. Avoid first year teachers. The good teachers are AMAZING, however there are a few bad ones. I have very close relationships with my professors. After one year at cornell I had over 10 professors I was close enough with to ask to write me letters of recommendation, and seven who I would go out to lunch with socially. It is all about reaching out. The schools academic requirements can feel like a lot, especially in ILR, but they make you take classes you need to be successful later.