I was the tall Indian guy in the blue jacket and glasses. The one that asked too many questions
I'm on the bus back to New York right now, and I thought the experience was a bit underwhelming. I do think most of the students are really friendly and laid back (and surprisingly preppy!), but I do have some concerns about the intellectual intensity of the experience at Johnson.
I sat in on a class with one of the two professors I've had everyone recommend as being the best in the school. He was cool, but no different from virtually every college professor I had back in undergrad. And despite his best efforts, he couldn't get the class to participate at all. I'd heard several people say before that lack of class participation was something they had noticed on their school visit, and I must I was a little bothered by the same. The "best" faculty members can't get their classes to do much besides listen and take notes, what happens in the other classes? Maybe I just lucked out on my earlier class visits to other schools, but those 1st year core classes were a lot more engaging.
I also learned that a lot of the students are spread around different neighborhoods (albeit all within a short distance of Sage Hall) so that for me takes away a bit of the advantage of being in a college town community. And for all its transit-friendly credentials, I don't think it's going to be easy surviving in Ithaca without a car (also important to me).
Did you hang around after the information session? Apparently the student ambassador was claiming 1 in 9 applicants to Cornell was admitted to the Class of 2010.
I asked him if he was sure because I don't believe that for one second, but I didn't want to get into an argument there at the info session.
So great students, great academics on paper, but I need to think more about "fit." I'm probably still going to apply, but I think I might need to visit again to make it my #1 choice.