Cornell University (CU)

Cornell University more than earns its Ivy League stature with the prestigious education it provides. Students can choose from nearly 80 fields of study and they are encouraged to "break free from their comfort zones" and explore any interest they may have. As one student notes, there are endless opportunities to "pursue other topics, enhance your knowledge of things that you're already interested in and try completely random things that you'd never even heard of before." One of the more unusual fields of study includes a Viticulture and Enology program where students can learn the science and art of winemaking, including vineyard management and wine production. Information Science, an especially current focus in today's society, is where students study the relationships and impacts that technology has on people, and they can go on to shape tech policy and our future relationship with the digital world. At Cornell, professors are "experts in their field, almost always conducting their own research, and are enthusiastic about passing their knowledge on to their students," and "Cornell as an administration keeps the faculty, research, and access to the most recent information so up-to-date that this campus is as connected as any place in the world." The university has multiple satellite campusesNew York (Ithaca, Geneva, NYC), Qatar, Washington, D.C., and Rome, Italy-affording students superb opportunities to study, for example, ancient architecture in Rome, or experience a semester in the nation's capital with exposure to policymakers, think tanks, and more. Additionally, Cornell's "top notch faculty" and administration have "proven time and time again that they care, both on an individual and system-wide level." Cornell University is the very "definition of amazing" thanks to great internships, a strong alumni network, and "boundless opportunities after graduation" Says a junior, "I was intimidated to go here, but now I will say that I cannot imagine going anywhere else."

"From farm kids and pre-med students to engineers and hoteliers," enrollees come to call Cornell University "home" for all sorts of reasons, and accordingly they come from all over. This "plethora of diverse students," almost half of whom identify as multicultural, arrive from all backgrounds and ethnicities and range from all 50 states, representing more than 120 nations. The integration of people with eclectic interests "[inspires] others to become active students," and this can be seen in their penchant to pick up research or volunteer work, sometimes through their service to Greek life, and others by joining one of the hundreds upon hundreds of student organizations. The vast number of opportunities to get involved also means that "a competitive environment isn't created," even among students united by "ambition and ability." Students also point out that despite the academic commitment-"everyone's smart"-Cornellians "know how to put books aside and relax."

Upstate New York's Finger Lakes region is filled with "natural beauties" and students report that the saying about how "Ithaca is gorges" extends to Cornell University's "absolutely gorgeous campus." Students enthuse over the school's fresh-made ice cream and yogurt-"We have our own dairy [the Cornell Dairy] so that we can make our own milk, for goodness' sake!"-and note that "There's just so much going on at every moment [that] the hard part is choosing what it is you want to do." Students say they "truly, purely enjoy their time here," whether it's relating a quiet tale of ordering cookies for an in-dorm movie night or heading to "an awesome party in Collegetown." Celebratory traditions like Slope Day, Cornell's largest annual outdoor student gathering, and Fall Fest, also offer great opportunities for students to connect and let loose, but "it's definitely acceptable to turn down weekend plans because you have too much work to do."