Anonymous wrote:A friend went there, and found the town sort of eerie and lonesome - upstate New York has a creepy vibe. Liked the campus and students; just did not love the overall location.

That's the oddest description I've ever heard. It's like describing DC as laid back with a hippy vibe because once I passed a group of barefoot homeless guys by Union Station.

Ithaca is actually a cute town with a lot of natural beauty. The college has bus service into town. The area is hilly so a student going there will get strong legs. The campus has a view of Cayuga Lake.

My DD goes there. Loves it. Communication school has great resources, so if you are into TV/Film, you will get a lot of hands on experience. Town is cute with plenty of restaurants, and there is a ton of hiking/outdoor opportunities. My DD has made a ton of friends and could not be happier with her classes as well. It is not nearly as woke as many of the other SLACS this board loves. Also, the financial situation is not what it was a few years ago during COVID. If you look at the stress ratings published by places like Forbes, their rating is much better than many schools this board also loves. Overall, we've been really happy with the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bad weather, financial problems, woke student body, inferiority complex with Cornell a few miles away.

A better school in the same size and selectivity range would be Elon.

What's "better" about Elon?

The weather, the location, the name recognition, the girlz, the general trajectory of the school, to name a few.

Anonymous wrote:Bad weather, financial problems, woke student body, inferiority complex with Cornell a few miles away.

A better school in the same size and selectivity range would be Elon.

What's "better" about Elon?

It's gorges.

DC has a friend there who is really enjoying it. Made a nice group of friends quickly.
UDenver seems to fit this category also.

Ithaca is great. Such a beautiful place to spend 4 years. It does get cold but the other seasons are fantastic. The campus is a true campus, students can walk end to end. If you're looking for huge football games this is not the place for you but if your student is looking to get involved and take advantage of a lot of opportunities while really getting to know faculty and students this is a great place. The theater program is amazing. The communications school is top notch. The PT program is fantastic. Masters in 5 years. They offer a wide variety of other majors for students as well. It is quite expensive though.

Anonymous wrote:Bad weather, financial problems, woke student body, inferiority complex with Cornell a few miles away.

A better school in the same size and selectivity range would be Elon.

What’s the obsession with Elon? Weird

A friend went there, and found the town sort of eerie and lonesome - upstate New York has a creepy vibe. Liked the campus and students; just did not love the overall location.

Bad weather, financial problems, woke student body, inferiority complex with Cornell a few miles away. A better school in the same size and selectivity range would be Elon.

The only fact in this statement is financial problems. The southern school vibe and weather isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some kids actually like the cold weather and snow. Ithaca and Cornell are very different experiences and kids know that when they make their choice so there's no inferiority complex. Cornell has a high stress, grinder rep - the nets under the bridges in the area aren't for Ithaca kids. The student we know there is having a great time - nice group of friends, lots of fun trips/events that take advantage of the beautiful area - a music/theater kid who appreciates the ability to perform while pursuing other academic interests. It's pricey and the school doesn't seem to offer much merit/aid so I would look into the financial health.

Here's the "non-petulant a-hole" answer.

Great school with happy students. Excellent safety for strong students.

Top notch in Physical Therapy, strong in communications and has an excellent conservatory. Great for artistically inclined students.

Gives good merit aid and is cheaper to begin with (USN #16 top value schools).

Shares town with Cornell making it a good college town. Weather not great but that's true of most NE colleges.

As you note, it is in that hard to find "mid size" if that is what you seek.

Ithaca and not isolated. Never thought I'd see that pairing in a sentence.

Anonymous wrote:Bad weather, financial problems, woke student body, inferiority complex with Cornell a few miles away.

A better school in the same size and selectivity range would be Elon.

DCUM seems to hate Ithaca. I think it's a nice choice. The above objections aren't WRONG, though.

The music school is outstanding, and they're also good for physical therapy, education, media, etc. It's a pretty location.

Bad weather, financial problems, woke student body, inferiority complex with Cornell a few miles away.

A better school in the same size and selectivity range would be Elon.

DD is looking for some "likely" schools (or whatever we're now calling "safeties") and has been reading about Ithaca...it seems like a nice size (5000-ish), not isolated, and based on what she's read there are some nice things going for it (e.g., good pre-professional programs, pretty campus, great teaching.) I'm surprised we don't hear much about it....what are we missing (other than the lousy winters)? Anyone with direct experience (good or bad)?