Academics
Cornell College, a small liberal arts school in Iowa, employs a unique one-course-at-a-time program, allowing students to focus on just one course (or “block”) each month, providing an “intense, thorough, and complete immersion.” Though students agree that this “doesn’t give you any time to think about anything but the class you’re in right then,” it allows for personalized curricula design, and areas like the humanities “work perfectly with the block plan.” Students also “always know when to find people,” which makes it easy to get together. Some classes may not be the most challenging, but “upper-level courses are very engaging and fulfilling.” It’s very varied, according to one student: “You could have hours and hours of homework one block and practically none the next.” The block plan makes it very easy to gain off-campus field experience or do international study, and it’s “easier to try off-campus opportunities.” Administration is generally “excellent at taking a personal interest in each student,” though some note, “There is not much transparency at the administrative level,” which can be “out of touch” at times. On the classroom side, professors “know how to motivate and encourage their students,” and though “you may get a bad apple maybe once a year,” they’re “not only knowledgeable but dedicated.” As one student puts it, “The personal attention you can receive from any given professor, if you seek them out, is especially rewarding.” All in all, students love the block structure and the sense of community it creates, as “no matter what it is you may want to do, you can find someone to do it with you.” One student claims he “cannot imagine learning any other way.”
Student Body
There’s “a great diversity of interests” in people who attend Cornell, and the “super busy” students have a hard time defining a more common characteristic than the fact that almost all are driven and involved. Some division into typical groups does occur—“the cafeteria design and Greek life are very conducive to this problem”—but “even group to group there is always mingling because you never know who will be in your next class.” Since the classes are so small and “you see the same people four hours a day for three and a half weeks,” people are generally accepting, and “you have to be really, really strange here to stick out.” As one freshman says, “The only intolerance I’ve seen is toward the consistently indolent.”
Campus Life
Since Cornell is very campus-focused, the school makes sure there’s a large variety of campus organizations and “many events going on almost every weekend.” Though there’s definitely a “small-town quiet,” Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are both only a twentyminute drive away, and “ice climbing, rock-climbing, paddling, and hiking” are popular outdoor pastimes. It’s also “fairly easy to start up a new club or group.” In addition, the school provides fall, winter, and spring breaks as well as “block breaks,” which last four and a half days and give students the opportunity to travel, go skiing or camping, and so on. The cold weather can cause problems here, in both a locked-in feel and the possibility for accidents, and students are encouraged to “bring snow boots!” Many here tend to have a love-hate relationship with sports; while athletics are a huge boon, “the athletes and the non-athletes are seldom friends.” Much like the curriculum, lunchtimes are pretty unique, and students all eat in a common cafeteria, naturally falling into a somewhat “high school” habit of eating at the same tables every day. Most people stay on campus for entertainment and socializing, “creating a cohesive community.” Parties do take place on weekends, and “drinking is popular on campus but never forced,” but in general, “people are more interested in just having a good conversation with their peers.”
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