Get the inside scoop on jobs and careers with Vault career guides. Cornell University Buzz Book is your complete resource to jobs, careers, interviews and recruiting.
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Cornell University Buzz Book Get the inside scoop on jobs and careers with Vault career guides. Cornell University Buzz Book is your complete resource to jobs, careers, interviews and recruiting. |
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Cornell University Buzz Book Welcome to the first edition of Vault's Cornell University Buzz Book. In this new and unique guide, we publish extended excerpts and sample admissions essays from surveys of students and alumni from Cornell to bring you the inside scoop on its undergraduate program. The survey comments cover the following areas:
The guide is intended to serve as a complement to other references to colleges and universities currently available that utilize school-reported data. Unlike those guides, Vault's Buzz Books (which also include the College Buzz Book, Business School Buzz Book and Law School Buzz Book) are composed almost entirely of information provided directly to Vault from students and alumni. (We asked Cornell to comment on the surveys after they were collected.)
We received comments from Cornell, which we have included comments next to appropriate survey sections, offset with a different font and indented to be easily recognizable as school-provided comments. Corrections within the body of the comments are enclosed in brackets. Cornell also provided separate narratives that have included them at the end of each chapter, under the heading "The School Says."
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Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2004-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: April 2005
There are a lot of essays, but they all count. It is good to have a lot of extracurricular activities, especially leadership roles. Grades are important, but they are not everything. Cornell is looking to see if you are a "fit" (e.g., belong in clubs related to your major) rather than looking for the best SAT scores.
Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2002-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: May 2005
There is no magic formula to getting in. Having many extracurriculars definitely helps, and an SAT score of perhaps around 1300 at least. It is supposedly easier to get in Early Decision. Cornell is "the easiest Ivy to get into, but the hardest Ivy to get out of."
Academics: Students Speak
Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2001-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: April 2005
The classes here are wonderful. I do not believe that I could have gotten a better education anywhere else. Most of the popular classes are big enough that they are not too difficult to get. However, sometimes students have to wait until they are juniors or seniors to get those classes. Most introductory classes are large (over 100 students), but the more advanced classes tend to have smaller class sizes. Though exams tend to be difficult, professors always curve if the average grade is low (they do not want to fail all of their students). The grades here are not inflated, though, so there are students who do not perform well.
Keeping up with work is very important. Workload varies a lot by major so it's hard to give a general idea (engineers, architects and pre-meds tend to have a heavier workload). Professors are very accessible and approachable, and there is ALWAYS somewhere to go for help if needed. Teaching assistants are also very helpful and always have office hours for students.
Employment Prospects: Students Speak
Status: Alumnus/a, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2002-5/2006
Survey Submitted: September 2006
Unbelievable on-campus recruiting and career services offerings, alumni network was also extremely helpful. Many students go on to top firms including investment banks like Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs, as well as consulting firms such as Bain and McKinsey. The hotel school is world-renown with a very involved alumni base and connections for graduates. The co-op opportunities in the engineering school help most undergrads find a great post-graduation placement and prepare them with true hands-on experience.
Quality of Life: Students Speak
Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2003-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: April 2005
Several years ago, Cornell put through an initiative to house all first-year students together on one section of campus, which was a vital part of my freshman year. There is an amazing feeling of unity and comfort through the first days and months of the school year, since everyone is in the same boat. The facilities are great, and new buildings are constantly going up. The food is amazing and the campus is beautiful, no matter what time of year. I thought I wanted to go to the South for college, but being at Cornell has made me realize how much I appreciate the seasons (and adore autumn!).
Ithaca is a city with a surprising cultural life and amazing restaurants, though students don't even need to leave campus to find equal opportunities. The off-campus area known as Collegetown is always overflowing with life and students, since a majority of upperclassmen do live there.
Social Life: Students Speak
Status: Current student, full-time
Dates of Enrollment: 8/2002-Submit Date
Survey Submitted: May 2005
Collegetown is the area once you officially leave Cornell's campus where many upperclassmen live. There are also stores, restaurants and bars in this area. Ithaca has a ton of good restaurants with all different types of cuisine, and in Collegetown alone there are Thai, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and vegetarian restaurants. There are many bars, as well. The most popular bar for undergraduate students is Dino's, while graduate students tend to prefer The Chapter House. Popular nights include Trivia Night at Dino's on Sunday nights, Karaoke at Rulloff's on Monday nights, 80s Night at Johnny O's on Tuesday nights, and Group Therapy at Dunbar's on Wednesday nights. Frat parties and house parties are popular, as well. The frat scene is pretty big but there are plenty of other things to do.
