Cornell University Top Questions

Be open to as many things as possible and remember to always be yourself.

Be open to new people and a new home.

Dear Laura, You may not realize it now, but your Senior year of high school will be one of the most stressful times in your life. Please bare with it because all of your hard work will pay off. College is going to be better than you dreamed of. Yes, it will be difficult at times to the point you'll break down and cry and yes, being far from home is going to be a challenge. However, everything will be ok in the end. Here is my advice: 1) Go to class- ALWAYS. Unless you are sick, there is no need to skip, and teachers like to that students want to be in their classroom. 2) Sit near the front- teachers will see your happy face and recognize you. 3) Be outgoing- meet your dormmates, classmates and everyone in between. Smile to people as you walk to and from classes as well. 4) Study- you may not have to do it in high school, but believe me, putting in the hours will pay off. 5) Believe in yourself- try your hardest and don't be intimitated by others. You're just as capable as anyone. Love, Laura

Knowing what I know now, I would say the advice I would give myself is don't base your college dreams/desires on hopes of the past. Just because when I was younger I wanted to go away, far away for college doesn't really mean that I will want the same thing when time comes to actually go away for school. Now that I know how hard it has been for me to adjust to being so far from family, I would tell myself to consider all my options and not just base my decision on things I wanted one, two, or more years ago. I would make sure to also tell myself that if I do base my decisions on previous dreams to make sure that I go to summer school to get acclimated so that the transition is less stressful and more easy to handle.

I was very well prepared when I came to Cornell University because my sister went here as well, so she knew what I needed to do to prepare. Beyond the general advice she gave me like pack warm clothes and learn the bus routes to get to class, she told me something I still remember and adhere to today. The most important advice my sister gave me, and what I would tell myself if I was a high school senior again, was this: study hard and get good grades, but also never forget that college is the experience of a lifetime and always leave time to have fun. Cornell can be a very competitive school at times so the best remedy to relieve stress is to have the perfect balance of work and play so you can get good grades and still have an excellent time in college.

There is no need to look for the perfect school--you won't find it. Instead, find several imperfect ones that you nonetheless think you could feel good at. I really mean do "feel good" at; the superficial things are actually crucial; how do you feel walking around campus, how inviting do the pictures of the library seem, how well do you relate to the blogs, or bios of current students, can you envision yourself studying under that tree? Rankings are fun, especially when your school sits atop them, but unless you are looking at a specific field only offered at three schools nation-wide, it's a pretty safe bet that most schools won't vary much in the quality of education you are getting. Seriously; there will virtually no difference in quality between undergraduate scholarship at all the schools that said "yes" to you. Since we can't count on the economy to get us jobs right no, you better count on a fulfilled and flourishing mind; so forget average SAT scores, and acceptance percentages, and choose a place where you'll breathe easy, work hard, and incessantly hone your mind.

It would be difficult for a student to navigate through college lacking a strong will to take intensive initiative in pursuing academic work, and in building a strong sense of mission in one's personal philosophy toward complex social life and networking. There is not much handholding done in college, in large and diverse student populations. Students are sometimes expected to sink or swim, and unless they reach for the rafts, they can fall into the rapids. One must want to learn to swim, and needs to learn to ask for help whenever needed! As a high school student, I wish I had known how important it is to utilize social outlets like athletics or community service for building networks of support toward healthy student formation. In college there is such a strong emphasis placed on theory in academic development that it is easy to feel somewhat isolated as an individual, less connected to the human elements so necessary to a well-rounded education. Of course, all these outlets abound and flourish in college! But as in life after college, we all must learn to choose the right balance between book-learning and learning through shared experience with other people.

Choose a college based on your gut instinct about where is best. Once you're there take classes from many different professors in many subjects. Get involved in campus life early.

Stay strong and have no regrets. This is a stage in life everyone goes through: a stage of emotional and mental turmoil as well as the happiest and most interesting days of your life. Hang in there and look on the bright side.

Do not overstress your self in high school. Work on techniques that will help you succeed in college. Like reading textbooks, developing good study habits. You should not stress yourself out in high school because college will do that to you. If you do not get into your top choice of schools or do not know what you want to do with the rest of your life, do not worry! You have plenty of time to figure it out. If you do not get into your top choice of schools, consider a two year college. Study hard there and you will be able to get into any school that you want afterwards. You will develope skills that will help you succeed in your next school.