This school rules!

Introduction
I came all the way from South America to spend four wonderful years at Ithaca. I love the fact that the classes are small and professors actually learn your name and welcome you to come and discuss the subjects with them after class. If you want to meet a lot of people to stay close to for four years, this is the school for you. The professors are kind, engaging and friendly.

Freshman year is a blast! Meeting new people every minute, you're going to feel like the the most popular kid in school! The one piece of advice I will give is: don't request a single room your Freshman year if you want to maximize your social opportunities. The more roommates you have, the better your selection for a group of friends you'll want to stay close to years after school.

Campus Life and Social Life
The social life here is stimulating. There is always something to do and multiple parties to attend. However, get ready to do some walking, including through snow and wind to travel from party to party.

Luckily, that's what alcohol does for you: takes the edge off that wintry walk. Make friends with upperclassmen and you'll never have a shortage of people to buy alcohol for you...

I would also advise you to join as many clubs as you possibly can, both to meet people and to improve your college resume should you wish to apply to any graduate or professional programs postcollege. Advertisement
Academics
I made the best friends of my life during my four years at IC and I can safely say I loved every single day I spent in Ithaca.

HOWEVER: I do advise you to spend as many semesters abroad as you can. You will never get a chance this ideal to live in another country free of any real responsibilities. I participated in "Semester at Sea," which you can read about on www.semesteratsea.com. I'd also recommend looking into IC's "Walkabout" programs in Australia and London. Trust me: you will love every second of it.

Okay, time for a moment of negativity: do NOT (I repeat DO NOT) take classes with either Cory Brown or Roger Hecht. They are officially the most boring professors I've ever encountered. If you have any interest in business or law, I recommend Business Law with Gwen Sequist: it will stimulate every brain cell you have in your head. If you have to take a history class, do so with either Zenon Waslyw or Vivian Conger.

The arts here are amazing too. 3-D Design and Intro to Painting are standouts. I learned so much and had so much fun. Do not be discouraged by what you see to be your shortcomings as an artist...that held me up at first, before I realized it doesn't matter in the end. They're here to get the most out of you that you're capable of. In hindsight, I regret not taking more classes in the art department.

If you want to learn a new language but don't have a preference, allow me to recommend Italian with Professor Sabatino. He's fun and as part of your studies, you will be able to go to Italy for a summer and essentially get credit for drinking (18 = legal drinking age there = rock on) and sightseeing. All in all, you really cannot go wrong with any course of study, as long as you make sure to read up on the professors here in advance at www.rateyourprofessor.com.

Student Body
Most students are from the Tri-State area. They are your average liberal free-thinkers in search of a good discussion, with or without alcohol. Classes can get very intense with discussion...provided that they're not morning classes (for those, think dazed, coffee-addicted kids in sweatpants wishing they were still in bed).

Another great aspect of IC is that if you get sick of it, you can head over to College Town (near Cornell) and feel you've entered a completely different environment.

In Closing...
Nope: I loved IC and I recommend it to kids from the US or elsewhere!