Ithaca College

This is one of the best schools to go to if you're interested in communications or music. Otherwise it's just alright, though the professors I had were quite exceptional. Cornell is right next door and offers good resources, and students can take classes over there (which I didn't find out until my last year) to explore other areas. Politically, IC is on the liberal side. There's a strange mix of hippies and country club type kids, lots of people from NYC or Long Island or Jersey, and little ethnic diversity (though they say they're trying to improve, and like to make lots of noise about multicultrualism). Having Cornell so close helped the social life (tons more people, frat parties, more bars, bigger name bands perform there, etc), otherwise IC alone would have gotten old very very quickly. Oh, here's a great plus: the people, both male and female, are definitely high on the attractiveness scale. One last thing: be prepared for lots of snow. I enjoyed my experiences here.

4th Year Female -- Class 2002

Perceived Campus Safety: A, University Resource Use/ spending: C+

Whether you have chosen a major or you are undecided, Ithaca has something to offer from the beginning. The five schools within the college carry a wide variety of majors and practical experience, while the "Exploratory" program for non-majors assists students in developing their interests and liberal arts background.

Although Ithaca is better known for its Communications, Music, and Health Science programs, with the school's commitment to equalize spending and conideration given to each department, I believe that Ithaca College is a school that is rapidly gaining recognition and prestige overall.

Ithaca not only emphasizes the importance of classroom education, but also practical, hands on experience. The school keeps in close contact with its alumni so that current students have accessible networks to find internships and employment.

What sold me on Ithaca was the newly offered Writing Major which not only includes creative poetry and fiction writing, but also more practical concentrations in persuaive arguement, magazine writing, and essays.

However, the privelages that the college offers are often over-shadowed by the unpleasant winters we have up here. The permanently gray skies and bitter coldness can make getting through the semesters a challenge. The city itself has some nice bars, restaurants, and independent theatres, but it also carries a general strangeness.But if you are willing to trade surroundings for a valuable education, Ithaca is a place to consider.

1st Year Female -- Class 2006

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Collaboration/Competitive: C+

To be happy at Ithaca, you really need to find your niche. When I first came here, I felt alone and bored, but once I found particular clubs that I enjoyed, I began making friends, and since then, I haven't really been bored. It's also important to find a place to live that meets your desires. If you don't like to walk a lot and you don't like a ton of parties every night, live in the quads. If you don't mind 7-minute walks to every building on campus and you love (almost) nightly parties, live in the terraces. The off-campus apartments and Emerson dorms are rather nice as well if you can pony up the dough.

In terms of education, as an exploratory student, I've gotten a pretty decent look at most of the departments. The arts are very well-funded and not easy to get into from what I understand. If you're good enough and are willing to work hard, you will get out what you put in. Computer science is another great department. All of the professors that I have had for computer science know what they're talking about and are very friendly and helpful. In terms of english and languages and mathematics, it's all pretty much what you'd expect. Nothing too fancy. However, all of the professors are very helpful. They give you their e-mails, phone numbers, sometimes their AIM screen names, and their office hours if you ever need help. On the whole, Ithaca's academics are impressive and pretty high quality.

Now for the not-so-impressive facet of Ithaca... The cost. At first, the rather high expense seems intimidating, but I can assure you that it's much worse than that. Ithaca has a really bad habit of nickel-and-dime-ing you to death. You have to pay for cable and internet access, parking permits cost you an arm and a leg, they hand out parking tickets like candy, and the expense just keeps going and going. Then they have the nerve to ask for donations from their alumni. They seriously need to think things through a little better.In conclusion, Ithaca is a fine institution with something for just about anybody... as long as you are willing to foot the bill.

1st Year Male -- Class 2009

Faculty Accessibility: A-, Innovation: B