Cornell University

Cornell University is one of the eight Ivy League universities. The motto of the university has long been “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study”, which quite accurately reflects the specifics of the university – a fundamental approach to teaching students, in which the same time is devoted to postulates and the latest research, studying theory and conducting practice .

Features of the educational system at Cornell University

The internal system of Cornell University is characterized by a fairly strong decentralization – each college has a wide autonomy in its actions, policies and curriculum development. This system was later borrowed by a number of other well-known universities – Stanford University , the University of Sydney , the University of Birningham.

Like all members of the Ivy League , Cornell University is one of the top universities in the US and around the world. During its long history, many discoveries have been made in the laboratories of the university (as recently as in 2014, a Cornell University scientist received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the creation of an ultrasensitive microscope), and sponsorship is carried out not only through private funding, but also through public grants.

Competition for admission to Cornell University is one of the most intense, with only 14% of applicants making it in 2013. But the alumni ranking remains quite impressive – at least 42 Nobel laureates have been involved in Cornell’s activities.

Cornell University Admission Requirements for International Students

• The early application deadline is November 21 for all students. The regular submission deadline is January 2.
• Cornell University imposes requirements for knowledge of English – the minimum score for IELTS 7.0, for TOEFL 100 for admission to the bachelor’s program. For the master’s degree, the university does not indicate the overall minimum score, but draws attention to the minimum score for TOEFL sections – Writing: 20; Listening: 15 Reading: 20 Speaking: 22. The test results must be sent to the university before the main package of documents is sent.
• For admission to Cornell University, you must pass the SAT or GRE core tests in accordance with the program for which you are applying. For admission to MBA programs, you will need to pass the GMAT . The minimum score for the GMAT and SAT tests is not indicated, but the statistics are given – basically those who passed the tests with a score of more than 90% enter the university. With regard to GRE results, the minimum score is 740. The test results must be sent to the university before the main package of documents is sent.
• Oddly enough, the average GPA of admitted students (for example, the Faculty of Engineering) is 2.7 / 4.0, which is a rather low indicator. The university does not indicate an official GPA threshold, but it is clear from the example of the 2013 applicants chart that the average GPA exceeds 3.5 / 4.0, although exceptions are acceptable.

Setting up Cornell University

• Cornell University has three main campuses in Ithaca, New York and Doha (Qatar). Additional campuses are located in Washington DC, Geneva (NY) and Rome (Italy). The New York and Doha campuses are part of Cornell University College of Medicine, while the main campus in Ithaca is dedicated to the rest of the specialties.
• Cornell University has a system of sports facilities and facilities to develop sports teams in baseball, basketball, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, polo, weightlifting, track and field, softball, swimming, tennis, wrestling, epee wrestling, rowing, and yachting. .
• As a member of the Ivy League, the university participates in intercollegiate championships in all sports disciplines taught at the sports center. Events are held throughout the year and attract many spectators, both from among the students and local residents.
• In addition to sports development opportunities, the university provides leisure opportunities for all students – bowling, hiking, cycling, kayaking and more.
• There are more than 1,000 student organizations of all kinds at the university – from subject-specific learning societies to a theater troupe, a wine club, religious associations, a cancer brainstorming group, and more. All organizations are divided into organizations for bachelors and masters / graduate students / professors. The total amount of funding for organizations reaches $ 3 million per year, which is provided by faculties, commercial organizations and graduates of Cornell University.
• Since 1869, the Cornell University Press department has been operating at the university, dealing with issues of printed publications. The university has an annual magazine, Conellian, which has won the Benjamin Franklin Print Award, which no other Ivy League student publication has ever won. The magazine publishes photographs from various events, reports, as well as traditional portraits of graduates of the past year. Another publication, The Cornell Daily Sun, is the oldest independent student-published newspaper in the United States. In addition, student organizations publish several magazines and newspapers of various content – scientific, humorous, documentary.
• The Cornell University Library is the 11th largest library in the entire US. As of 2005, a total of 7.5 million books, 8.5 million microfilms, 440,000 maps, disks, files and DVDs, excluding electronic data, were stored in 20 huge sections of the library.

Cooperation with universities in the field of international student exchange

• The university offers many student exchange programs. The main condition for the exchange is a GPA of at least 3.0 and at least 1 completed course of education. The number of options varies depending on the faculty, the most notable in this regard is the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, whose student has the opportunity to spend a year on an exchange in France, Italy, Argentina, Australia, Norway, Iceland and many other countries. Art students have the opportunity to take a course at Cornell University in Rome, studying the layout and history of the city, objects of history and art.
• Internships while studying are not encouraged at Cornell University, but as far as summer breaks are concerned, the Career Service Center assists students in finding the most suitable internships and additional courses. This includes both summer programs for Ivy League universities and a number of commercial organizations in which the university helps a student get a job.

Assistance in finding employment after graduation

In addition to assistance in organizing internships, the Career Service Center also provides employment for graduates on a permanent basis. Each student and graduate can be consulted in choosing a profession and further opportunities. The university pursues an open policy towards employers, forming its own lists of required specialists, as well as lists of graduates in need of work. By agreement between the employer and the graduate, the university organizes interviews and promotes employment.

Opportunity, conditions and cost of living in a dormitory at Cornell University

• The university offers on-campus accommodation for students ranging from 7,500 to 9,000 USD per year. The cost depends on the type of accommodation – a separate room, a room for two or three residents. For a separate surcharge, accommodation in “green” houses, international premises, music houses is possible.
• As a rule, students are settled in accordance with the course (freshmen always live separately, and senior students share common houses with exchange students). In addition, especially large student organizations have separate buildings that house their members.
• Off-campus accommodation will cost much less – from 3,500 to 7,000 USD . All accommodation facilities are divided for bachelors and masters students, graduate students and professors.
• The food system is in the top 10 across the US. The cost of lunch subscriptions for a year starts from 950 USD . Students can choose from a vegetarian, vegan, dietary menu depending on their preferences.

Scholarships and Grants Opportunities at Cornell University

• Cornell University offers a wide variety of financial aid programs. It is noteworthy that the total number of scholarships and awards does not have a specific limit, therefore, under certain conditions, the student is able to cover all costs for tuition, accommodation and other aspects.
• In order to apply for several grants and scholarships, you do not need to submit several applications for each program separately – one application gives the student access to all possible programs that he falls under.
• Upon admission, the university does not require certificates of financial solvency, so you can first make sure that you pass the competition, then take part in the financial aid program.

Free education at Cornell University

According to the official website, the university does not provide scholarships to those students who do not need financial assistance, i.e. any scholarship is issued solely on a need-to-know basis. It also means that the university promises to take over any financial difficulties of the student. Since upon admission you do not need to provide certificates of family income, you can be completely sure that if you manage to pass the competition, then the road to Cornell University is provided, even if the family cannot afford education in the USA.

Interesting facts about Cornell University

• One of Cornell University’s most notable and recognizable structures is the Weil Medical College in Qatar. Its two main rooms have the shape of an ellipsoid on small “legs”. $750 million was allocated from the state budget for the construction of this structure.
• The Cornell University Library was the first in the entire US to allow borrowing of books and other materials.
• University life is full of traditional holidays for students, such as Slope Day, which marks the last day of classes in the semester (rapper Snoop Dogg performed at this holiday in 2005), and Dragon Day, celebrated since 1901: during the holiday, a parade with a dragon built by students is held -architects, and then solemnly burned.
• Cornell University is rich in various legends, traditions and traditions. There is even a separate term for all this – Cornellian. One of the most famous legends of the university is the legend of the virgin. According to legend, if at midnight the main square of the campus in Ithaca Art Quad crosses the main square of the campus in Ithaca Art Quad, the statues of the founders of the university E. Cornell and A.D. White will step down from their pedestals and shake hands.
• Since 1918, at the request of the head of physical education at Cornell University, a very unusual test has been introduced: all women completing their education were required to pass the Olympic distance swimming test. Subsequently, some well-known universities (Dartmund College, Columbia University, University of Chicago, MIT ) adopted a similar tradition.
• The famous Campbell Soup, in red and white packaging, borrowed its colors from the football team of the Cornell University team. Herberton Williams, a spokesman for Campbell, convinced them to use the colors of Cornell University in the advertising campaign.

Notable Cornell University Alumni

• 2 of 3 Nobel Prize winners in physics in 1979 “for their contributions to the unified theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions between elementary particles, including the prediction of weak neutral currents” – Sheldon Lee Glashow and Steven Weinberg – were in graduate school at the university at the time of their grand discovery.
• Robert William Holley – 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for deciphering the genetic code and its role in protein synthesis” (together with 2 other scientists).
• Barbara McClintock was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine “for her discovery of mobile genetic elements”.
• Robert Engle is the recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Economics “for his development of methods for analyzing economic time series with time changes”.

Summer Schools at Cornell University

Cornell University was one of the first in the United States to conduct summer schools – the very first such programs were developed back in the 60s of the XIX century. Summer schools here are represented by a wide variety of areas and disciplines, and a cozy campus in small Ithaca will allow the student to better concentrate on his studies. Here are programs for students aged 15 and over.

Varieties of Summer Schools at Cornell University

Cornell University offers a choice of courses in the following academic disciplines

• Architecture, art, design and fashion
• Business, hospitality and management
• Debate and literature
• Engineering and Robotics
• History and international relations
• Psychology, research and science
• Social change and stability
• Veterinary

The admission committee recommends that courses be chosen within the same scientific discipline, since an in-depth study of completely opposite disciplines may not be within the power of a student. Varieties of curricula at summer schools at Cornell University are presented below.

All Cornell Summer School programs provide accommodation in separate dormitories on campus under the supervision of professional tutors (1 tutor for 25 students). The rooms are designed for 2-3 students. Students are provided with three meals a day in the canteens of the university. As for extracurricular activities, the university offers a wide choice:

• Sports activities (football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, fitness, etc.)
• Weekend nature trips (Niagara Falls, national parks)
• Outdoor lectures
• Weekend dance and music classes
• Opportunity to participate in discussion clubs
• Participation in the publication of the university newspaper (Summer Times) or summer college yearbook (Summer College Yearbook)
• Evening and nighttime cultural events on campus: nightly breakfasts, talent shows, exhibitions of student work, etc.

The cost of participation in summer schools at Cornell University

The cost shown in the table includes tuition fees, meals and accommodation on campus.