Ithaca, NY: Overwhelming is the one word that comes to mind when I think of Cornell University. I came to this conclusion after a visit to their campus.

Before the actual campus tour, I attended a roundtable discussion. Prospective students were told many important things about Cornell. There are seven colleges. You only apply to one. There are different requirements for each. Everything you need to know can be found in Cornell's "Bible," the Big Red Book, which is where Part One of the application is found.

Cornell is a "need blind" school, so if you are accepted and need money for tuition, they will help. In other words, your financial situation is not considered for admission.

During the tour we walked through the enormous campus. There are many gorges and suspension bridges. As I walked I noticed the emergency blue-light telephones. In addition to this blue-light security system, there is also a student-run escort service and a bus system.

I was disappointed because we didn't see the dormitories. We did visit the cafeteria and the food selection and quality seemed above average. There are also many nice restaurants and caf"s in the college town. The town is the perfect college town. There are movies, clubs, stores, drugstores, and grocery stores. It seemed as though you would not get bored and could find whatever you need.

Although I like almost everything about Cornell, its size caused me to come to the conclusion that it would be overwhelming for me. Wherever you decide to go to college, visit the campus. Knowing about your dream school is one thing, but walking on the campus where you intend to spend four years of your life is priceless. f




Reviewed in 1998