Extraordinary Outcomes

What's special about a degree from Cornell College?

For starters, Cornell College is recognized nationally as one of the leading U.S. liberal arts colleges. More importantly, our grads tell us that Cornell's extraordinary opportunities -- on campus and off -- are more than just a marketing slogan and cause their resumes to stand out from the field. Employers also recognize and value the key skills they've gained through their liberal arts education and One Course At A Time experience at Cornell, such as communication, critical thinking, time management, and team-building.

Moreover, our grads report that the block calendar readies them for the fast pace and intensity of the real world. Many tell us that they immediately stand out from their peers in their ability to focus, complete tasks efficiently and effectively, and balance competing priorities in the same way they've done for four years at Cornell.

We've described some of these benefits in more detail below, but don't just take our word for it -- check out some of the alumni profiles listed to the right and see for yourself what makes a Cornell education so special.

Extraordinary mentors, killer recommendation letters

There's simply no way to get lost in the shuffle at Cornell. Our faculty are more than your teachers; they're mentors focused on your interests and aspirations. They're with you four hours a day in classes capped at 25 students, and they're ready to engage with you frequently as you chart your course through college and beyond. 

But you'll also develop close relationships with others on campus, including our student life staff, work study supervisors, coaches, and program directors. The letters of recommendation that result from these relationships often make the difference between good post-graduate opportunities and great ones.

Majors, double majors and capstone experiences

You'll find plenty of academic choices at Cornell, including a number of interdisciplinary majors and pre-professional programs. What you'll also find is flexibility: fully one-third of 2008 grads earned at least two majors, while another quarter completed a major and minor. And over 90 percent of our grads finish in four years. You will not only find plenty of academic challenges and opportunities throughout your four years, but your degree program will culminate with a capstone experience in your major.

Internships, research and applied learning

We believe strongly that learning is best achieved by doing -- that's one of the main reasons we adopted the One Course At A Time schedule more than 30 years ago. But in recent years we've created even stronger support for applied learning:

• Cornell Fellowships place our students in high-level roles around the world for a block or longer with funding and professional support

• The Berry Center, Dimensions, Center For Law and Society, and Teacher Education Program provide unique and exceptional support to students in the areas of applied economics/public policy, health care, law, and education, respectively

• Our off-campus studies office supports a wide range of Cornell courses in locations from Chicago to Morocco, all without impacting other coursework, thanks to the block plan

• Many faculty engage students in collaborative research or support their independent study projects, with the results often presented at Cornell's student symposium and/or professional conferences

Graduate school preparation

Rare for smaller colleges, Cornell provides full-time staff to advise pre-med, pre-MBA, and pre-law students in conjunction with pre-professional advisory committees, including faculty and alumni.  And our students frequently engage in serious undergraduate research that prepares them well for post-graduate laboratory and library experiences.

Nearly two-thirds of our graduates pursue post-secondary degrees. Below are just a few of the places they've gone on to study in recent years:

• Art Institute of Chicago
• Boston College
• Boston University
• California Institute of Technology
• Claremont College
• Columbia University Teachers College
• Denver Publishing Institute
• Duke University
• George Washington University
• Georgetown University
• Harvard University
• Johns Hopkins University
• London School of Economics and Political Science
• New York University
• Purdue University
• Stony Brook University
• Tulane University
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Chicago
• University of Colorado
• University of Iowa Medical School
• University of Kansas
• University of Maryland
• University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill
• University of Texas
• University of Waikato (New Zealand)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Washington University (St. Louis)
• Yale University