Academics

The amount of stress you will be under is largely subjective, and relies greatly on your courses. I know people who are at the library even on a Friday night, and I know people who are out partying all weekend. Most assignments are on a weekly basis, so as long as you manage your time, there's plenty of room to get everything done.

Though it is considered one of the easier Ivys to get into, it is definitely the hardest to attain high grades. Not only is the content difficult and voluminous, the grades are curved down, making it harder to attain a high GPA.

Cornell is challenging and the workload can get overwhelming at times, but there are tons of people that you can reach out to if you ever feel like you need help. Specifically, your academic advisor is a very helpful resource. I've gone to my advisor at times when I feel that I could use advice on scheduling, handling classes and work, and even working out what I want to do with my academic career in the next few years I attend Cornell. Also, although some classes may be hard, forming study groups helps tremendously!

It would be a disservice to the Cappex community if I said that Cornell will be easy. I was in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in high school and while it prepared me a little bit for the lower level courses I took during my freshman and sophomore year, the classes were still very challenging especially if you are taking a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) class. Most STEM classes are curved, so your performance in the class is based on how you did in relation to everyone else in the class. You can always unwind in one of Cornell's 150+ PE classes if you have time, I personally recommend the archery or martial arts classes taught by Kevin Seaman. The academic journey at Cornell may be difficult, but it is certainly worth it in the end because it will prepare you for your future endeavors whether it be graduate school or employment. Luckily, your finals period are stretched out over 2 weeks with no classes during that time.

Everything I have heard suggests it will be tough and time management will be a necessary skill. But in the end it will be worth it.