How cold are Cornell and Dartmouth in the winter

[Anonymous]

I went to Cornell. The weather there is no joke. I'm from the snowbelt and Cornell, while less snowy, felt much colder plus it was gray a LOT. I still walked everywhere in that big campus and never took the bus -- not sure why but probably because I came from a place with no public transportation and I never bothered to learn how to use it. The city kids seemed to use it a lot.

You really have to love Cornell and be able to get past the weather. It's a great school for the right kid, but do not underestimate the impact the weather can have in an already stressful environment.

[Anonymous]

Is your DD going into her senior year of HS in the fall? I cannot say this strongly enough: Visit these schools IN WINTER.

I was interested in Northwestern but being from the South wasn't sure about the weather. My very wise mother said we needed to see the campus in the dead of winter so I could see it at the coldest. We went in late January. Black, old snow crusted all over the gutters, and wind chill off Lake Michigan. I still loved the school and I went there! But I knew exactly what it would feel and look like (yes, grim and gray and punishingly cold at times--there were way-sub-zero periods all four years). I also realized, when visiting, that the university did a great job clearing sidewalks, paths, steps etc. so navigating around campus in snow wasn't the issue my inexperienced warm-weather brain thought it might be.

Take your DD to see these schools, or just one if she narrows this down, in cold weather. It's the only way for her to make a really informed choice, if the weather is truly an issue for her. I know her applicatins will be due, what, Nov.-Dec.-Jan? But still. I'd visit maybe early Jan. or Feb. if she's still serious about them. Just for a reality check.

OP, it would also be advisable to check the dorm heating situation. Are rooms adequately heated? Over- or under-heated? That's all about personal preferences, of course, and one student could find a dorm frigid while another thinks it's fine. But I'd want to ensure that a kid with a cold-sensitive medical condition could feel adequately warm while in her own dorm room (or apartment, later). You can't tell now, of course. But if she chose a cold-weather school you should invest in high-quality, portable heaters with auto cutoff switches (and tipover switches, so they shut off if they tip over -- it reduces fire risk). So she has that option if things get really cold in her living space.

[Anonymous]

just adding re: my post above -- heaters likely are going to be forbidden by dorm rules but that's an issue possibly for an accommodations office at whatever college she attends, FYI.

[Anonymous]

You people are such softies 😀. It’s New England not Antarctica. Heavy winter coat, scarf, hat and gloves and your good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember in the past few years college kids have died in the snow storms right outside their dorms. I think kids actually got lost in the storm. You can Google to see these cases.

Tragic but VERY rare! What a stupid comment.

It's not stupid when you have a kid living away for the first time. My kid said she literally couldn't see more than a few feet in the snow storm. I suspect this is how several kids frozen to death very close to theirs dorms at several universities. They probably went out thinking like PP - that this is stupid - and got disoriented in the storm.

https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/us/iowa-student-death.amp.html?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16536774861709&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2019%2F01%2F31%2Fus%2Fiowa-student-death.html

Lol, you do realize people live their whole lives in Upstate NY, upper Midwest, Canada and you’re worried about your kid going to college at Cornell?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These comments are ridiculous. They are very cold. Plan on 50s in October, then 30s in November, 20s in Dec. and Jan., 30s in Feb and honestly, even a lot of March. There are a handful of days with temps around 0.

No one goes to Cornell or Dartmouth for the weather!

I went to Dartmouth for the weather (and because it’s a great school, obvi). I love New England weather and skiing. I only applied to colleges in cold weather places.

Yes, back in the day New England was THE place to go for your higher ed experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember in the past few years college kids have died in the snow storms right outside their dorms. I think kids actually got lost in the storm. You can Google to see these cases.

Didn’t happen

[Anonymous]

I grew up in wisconsin and i could not believe how cold cornell was in january.

[Anonymous]

Butt ass cold. Frigid. Miserable. Totally worth it.

I was shocked by how miserably cold it was and i grew up in Massachusetts. You would need to actually learn how to dress for the weather. It’s not a “buy a nice coat” kind of cold. It’s like a learn to wear long underwear and layers to get to class kind of thing.

[Anonymous]

I went to Dartmouth and then Michigan for graduate school. My sister went to Cornell.

I would take winters at Dartmouth over the other two locations, hands down. Dartmouth is colder, but the sky is blue for most of the winter, which keeps the Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD)-related incidents down. Also, i went to Mexico for language study one winter under the D-plan.

Michigan was a bit warmer, but there was more snow and there was only grey sky for most of the winter. Michigan has an early winter break and ends its winter semester early to reduce SAD.

Cornell had the worst of both worlds. It was cold without sun and with lots of snow, so SAD is a real problem here.

You shouldn't chose a school just because of the weather (if you did, then everyone's kids would be applying to UCSD and USD). But it's something to think about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just visited both schools and my DD loved them both and wants to apply to them as two of her three reaches. However, she does not handle cold very well (has mild Raynauds syndrome). Just how much colder and longer are the winters compared to DMV?

Almost 5-6 months of cold and dark winter.

[Anonymous]

I grew up here and went to Cornell. My aunt and uncle live in Rochester. They took me winter gear shopping. A good coat that covers the butt, warm mittens not gloves, a scarf, and a hat. Also good thermal underwear and socks. I loved my time there. As another poster said, it was just the weather.

I think the biggest surprise to me was how fast the roads were cleared and how life went on when it snowed. When my kids were little and we had a big snow forecast coming, I would put them in the car and head to my aunt and uncles. They might have snow but at least we wouldn’t be stuck inside.

But yes it’s a long winter. It snowed on Mother’s Day one year that I was theee.

[Anonymous]

Unless you are a social person interested in winter sports, it can be depressing.

[Anonymous]

What’s worse is short winter break in cold areas vs long summer break in hot areas, you can avoid hot summer, not harsh winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are such softies 😀. It’s New England not Antarctica. Heavy winter coat, scarf, hat and gloves and your good.

I think you and other posters saying "Eh, it's just weather, put on a coat" missed the entire point of OP's initial post. Read the first post in a thread before you chime in, maybe?

OP's daughter has Raynaud's, a condition that is triggered by cold weather. It's not that the OP or her kid are "softies" who are merely wimpy about a few flakes of snow. But you missed that.

The DD has to weigh colleges' programs, and the fact she really likes these particular colleges, against the realities of living in places where her condition might be affected by the temperatures. The OP came here to look for some real-life advice from those who have something constructive to say. Choosing a college is tough enough; having a condition that could potentially limit things like where one goes go to college, where one can take a job, etc. makes it even tougher. The DD likely can manage the Reynaud's OK, even in a pretty cold place, with certain precautions. But it's smart of OP to seek out others' experiences with the weather at these schools.