Cornell College: One Extraordinary Opportunity After Another

Jared Hobson — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 15:00:11 +0000

Not to be confused with Cornell University in New York. Cornell College is a small liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Cornell’s motto, “One Extraordinary Opportunity After Another”, is an appropriate way to describe the unique experiences it provides for students. I recently visited Cornell and was thoroughly impressed with what I learned about the school.

Block Plan

Cornell is one of only a few colleges in the U.S. with a block plan. A schedule in which students take one course at a time for a block of 3 1/2 weeks. This enables students to really dive into a subject without having to divide their attention between several courses. Many courses have a travel component, and students also have the option of doing a full-time internship during a block.

Lots of Financial Aid

Cornell is very generous with financial aid. The average aid package is half of the total cost of attendance. And there are academic, service, and diversity scholarships ranging from $7,500 to full tuition. The costs associated with courses that include off-campus study often are offset by departmental funds. Also, grants are available for students also.

Speaking of off-campus study, Cornell recently opened a campus in downtown Chicago. While courses had involved travel to Chicago for many years, faculty now have a permanent location in which to teach. Additionally, the facility includes residential space for students and professors.

Courses

Cornell offers a First Year Program which includes orientation. And a required seminar on study skills, which must be taken in students’ first block. Students also are required to take a writing-intensive course within their first three blocks.

Students do graduate level work in their junior and senior years, and indeed, about two-thirds go on to graduate school. All students are required to do a senior capstone project. But the scope of the project varies depending on your major.

Social Life and Housing

As for the social life at Cornell, there are over 100 student groups, including local fraternities and sororities. (That is, they are not affiliated with national Greek organizations.) Service is an important part of campus life. And the college has a Civic Engagement Office to connect students to service opportunities. Although students frequently venture into Mount Vernon and beyond, most make their home on campus. Housing is guaranteed all four years and 92% of seniors live on campus.

According to Erika Pepmeyer, Senior Assistant Director of Admission and a Cornell graduate, the college is a good fit for students who are motivated, like to learn in interactive ways, and are curious about the world. If that sounds like you, you definitely should explore Cornell College.

The post Cornell College: One Extraordinary Opportunity After Another first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Block Plans at College – Are They a Good Fit For You?

Jared Hobson — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:17:48 +0000

The other night I stood at a local college fair and listened to numerous students and parents walk up to colleges and ask, “what makes your college different?” Sometimes, colleges who may be strong in a variety of academic areas across the board – but not have a specific strength – have a hard time answering this question.

However, colleges such as Colorado College and Cornell College can easily answer this question from prospective students. The answer? Their block plan.

For those of you unfamiliar with block plans, they are a unique academic approach that allow students to take one class at a time for three and a half weeks. This differs substantially from the traditional semester approach where students juggle four or five classes at one time. These block plan courses may allow for experiential learning and deep focus into subjects you are interested in.

For example, professors may be more willing (and able) to take you on a significant field trip since you don’t have to worry about missing another class. Their course is the only one you are taking at the time. You will also be able to immerse yourself in the subject matter and explore it from every angle. Do you dislike feeling the need to switch subjects to prep for another test in a different course before you feel you have completely learned and mastered the material for the one you are taking? Block plans might be for you. Most block plan classes are small and discussion based. With the extended learning time you may also have the chance to develop a strong connection with your professor.

As you are thinking about what college you want to attend, it is important to always consider the academic options offered and the type of curriculum that best suits your learning style. Read more on the subject of exploring colleges with unique curriculums as discussed in my previous blog post When Looking At Colleges Don’t Forget To Look at the Curriculum .

Great College Advice