Another Cornell death this fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I loved Cornell, but adjusting to the workload and classes freshman year was an adjustment. I wonder if the kids were freshmen?

Yes. Class of 29.
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/college-of-arts-and-sciences-mourns-death-of-freshman

Thaddeus Lucentini ’29 died on Monday while home for Fall Break, according to a Tuesday morning email from Dean of Students Marla Love and Peter Loewen, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Lucentini was from Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts and graduated from St. Paul’s School in June. He was planning to study history and was a member of the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Lucentini competed in alpine skiing, cross country and rowing for his high school, according to the email. He is survived by his parents.

This is so sad. So sorry to read this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend's daughter is a senior at Cornell and has a 3.8 GPA. During her first two years they printed the median grade beside the student's grade for each class when grades were posted (they no longer do this). The median grade for most of her classes was an A-minus. Granted, she is in the Human Ecology school, but she's taken gen eds like stats and econ and has never seemed too stressed. Not trying to start shit or minimize the issue, just wondering why her experience seems so different from everything I've heard. FWIW she scored a 1420 on the SAT and was admitted early decision into a VERY niche major, so she's a smart girl but not some genius. Is it just that much worse in the engineering school?

Engineering and premed is a much more brutal courseload. For the first time, you have kids used to all A/A- struggling. Add in the competitive environment on many campuses and Alcohol and you have a recipe for disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like RFK Jr has found his thread and has his new MAHA issue. The weather causes suicide! Sheesh, you people are so misinformed. Anyway, I’m very sorry for this student, their loved ones, and the entire Cornell community.

Cold gloomy weather is absolutely a risk factor for depression/suicide. Ever heard of seasonal affective disorder?

It can impact those who are already prone to mental health issues, but some folks here are just jumping to conclusions and making assumptions without any factual basis by suggesting this student took his life due to weather (when it hasn’t even been gloomy in Ithaca recently). It’s not helpful to attempt to diagnose in these situations when you have no information, knowledge, or medical training.

+1

Plus they’ve only had amazing weather so far this year. It’s irrelevant to this situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. My kid is a sophomore. It’s not faux outrage. My kid just left home this afternoon to go back.

I’m Worried given my kid is stressed about a class.

Median grade in a stem bio prelim was a 69. Just fyi. The median for some of the stem classes is just crazy. Has As in 2 Econ classes so it’s not that.

Yes engineering/STEM classes are brutal, always have been. I can recall (at a T10 school) having a calculus course (calc 4 so not freshman) where the average was 18% (yes you read that right). Top score on a midterm (30 students) was 36, someone else had a 32 and then it dropped to 25 and on the way down. I had a 31 and got an A in the course. But it was frustrating to attend class, study and do the work and sit in a midterm and literally have no clue what you were doing and wheterh you were goign to pass or fail. And I was "at the top of the class", so I have to imagine the stressors for those with 12/15% in the course felt like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is it with Cornell? It's the only school these tragedies happen. Weather?

Weather doesn't help, but largely it's a combination of highly competitive, isolation, huge alcohol use (for many) and challenging majors for kids who have never not gotten As.

but plenty of schools in the south and california also have suicides, it's just a mental health crisisand happens alot for kids who are such high level and have never not succeeded, and do so for first time when away from home and strong support system

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the overcast skies affect students' moods. Causes or increases depression.

This is one reason why I prefer attending school in the South. Depression is a non-issue & students are happy & active outdoors. Very social.

I have substantial experience in upstate New York. Depression, depression,depression.

Not sure what parts of NY you've been but I lived in or spent time with friends throughout, including Rochester/Livingston Cty, Buffalo/Niagara, and the Capital Region. Not quite the picture of doom and gloom in my experience. I've only been to Ithaca for one weekend at Cornell so can't speak specifically about that. I guess the Southern tier or up in the Adirondacks might be different.

I love the Buffalo area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year one of the kids was a professor's kid who grew up in Ithaca.

It's the demographic, it's a mental health crisis that's not unique to this campus. All the selective schools have kids who are struggling. And staff as well.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/head-mental-health-services-university-pennsylvania-dies-suicide-n1052156

It's really tedious for people to always bring this up about Cornell. Seriously, just stop with the fake concern. Just take it off your list.

I agree that it's the demographic. This generation is arriving at college with lots and lots of mental health issues, often previously untreated.

And the pressures of 4 years of HS, preparing to do anything and everything so you gain admission to the "best college" is not helping. These kids have often never had a "failure" in anything, so when you arrive on campus and get a B or C (or worse) in a course they are not prepared to deal with it, and often times the message from home is "be perfect" so they don't feel supported. Add in alcohol and hazing (in some cases) and the struggle to fit in and be perfect is too much.
The pressure we are putting HS kids and then college kids under is not good

[Anonymous]

Agree that cold cloudy weather for months can be depressing. That’s why I think schools like Mich, NU, and ND that have more social outlets are important in these types of locations. Or even the smaller New England SLACs….chances are student will be on a sports team, less competitive and pre-professional while being rigorous but not brutally so like Cornell, UChicago, or Princeton.

With that said, let’s not look for blame or say one type of school is better than the other. I’ve learned ‘fit’ matters so much more than prestige and even the cost in some cases, meaning paying more for happier experience and less prestige.

[Anonymous]

So sad ..for the child and the family. When i hear news like this, my immediate reaction is to hug my kids, check in frequently, and assure them that we are always here for them - to listen and help. College is a big adjustment academically, socially and emotionally. Yet our kids are bombarded with social media messaging that makes college seem like a perfect utopia. I recently attended a funeral for an amazing young person. Super smart, social, loving family, well-liked by all. Shocking and heart-breaking. We don't know 'why'. But I've now learned that sometimes the kids that seem to be most capable and strong, are struggling inside... check in and don't assume all is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2nd arts & sciences student. Kids are speculating in their group chats.
It’s a week after pre-lims /midterms.

Why is the grading so harsh at Cornell? It makes no sense.

This is why many choose Brown/Dartmouth etc… w/ pretentious scores/grades/ECs but they inside their hearts know they can’t make it in the MIt/Caltech/ Uchicago/Hopkins/Cornell world…
As long as the System believes in their talent it works till it does nt…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. My kid is a sophomore. It’s not faux outrage. My kid just left home this afternoon to go back.

I’m Worried given my kid is stressed about a class.

Median grade in a stem bio prelim was a 69. Just fyi. The median for some of the stem classes is just crazy. Has As in 2 Econ classes so it’s not that.

Yes engineering/STEM classes are brutal, always have been. I can recall (at a T10 school) having a calculus course (calc 4 so not freshman) where the average was 18% (yes you read that right). Top score on a midterm (30 students) was 36, someone else had a 32 and then it dropped to 25 and on the way down. I had a 31 and got an A in the course. But it was frustrating to attend class, study and do the work and sit in a midterm and literally have no clue what you were doing and wheterh you were goign to pass or fail. And I was "at the top of the class", so I have to imagine the stressors for those with 12/15% in the course felt like.

This is not limited to Cornell. Many top schools have median scores or 30-70% out of 100 based on some professors enjoying giving a very challeng ing test, but then they curve that median grade to a B or B+ at Cornell, or a B+ or even and A- at other schools. Many freshman do not understand how college grading works. Below the median often still earns a B- or even a B. As another posted, the median in humanities courses at Cornell is A-. It is not accurate to blame Cornell grading for a mental health tragedy. There was a recent year where NCState had 5 suicides in a few months. This happens everywhere, most unfortunately. It is a mental health crisis with this age group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2nd arts & sciences student. Kids are speculating in their group chats.
It’s a week after pre-lims /midterms.

Why is the grading so harsh at Cornell? It makes no sense.

This is why many choose Brown/Dartmouth etc… w/ pretentious scores/grades/ECs but they inside their hearts know they can’t make it in the MIt/Caltech/ Uchicago/Hopkins/Cornell world…
As long as the System believes in their talent it works till it does nt…

False. One of the most depressed unhappy freshman in our circle was a friend's kid at Brown. Kid was miserable the entire first year and tried to transfer to a different ivy. They are doing a lot better and love the school now. It was never the school, it was the kid adjusting to attending what was for them not their top choice and starting in a Stem major they hated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's literally known for this. So sad.

Easy(ier) to get in
Harder to

[Anonymous]

Entry to an elite college does not erase the baggage you arrive with. In fact, it usually intensifies by being in a competitive environment with other equally high performing students not competing with each other for clubs, internships, grad school, sports.

Hug your kids. Don't put undo pressure on them or push them to enter high pressure enviros unless you know they can handle it. Don't assume they will if you've seen cracks in high school - depression, anxiety, addictive behavior, unhealthy coping, eating disorders, shame, anger issues, masking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Entry to an elite college does not erase the baggage you arrive with. In fact, it usually intensifies by being in a competitive environment with other equally high performing students not competing with each other for clubs, internships, grad school, sports.

Hug your kids. Don't put undo pressure on them or push them to enter high pressure enviros unless you know they can handle it. Don't assume they will if you've seen cracks in high school - depression, anxiety, addictive behavior, unhealthy coping, eating disorders, shame, anger issues, masking.

+1