Hello admitted students,
First of all, congratulations on your acceptance into Cornell! It truly is a special place and a fantastic opportunity for building friendships, embarking on curiosity-fueled adventures, and providing a foundation for future success, however you may define that.
As a senior reflecting on my time here, I’m excited to share how Cornell has shaped who I am today.
I can’t emphasize enough the impact my coursework has had on my growth as an engineer. Cornell University is a research institution, which means that most faculty engage in their own research projects outside of the classroom. You’ll be learning from professors who are at the cutting edge of the research and development in their fields, like Professor Weinberger who frequently presented his own deep learning research in his machine learning class. When expanding beyond engineering coursework (which is a requirement of all Cornell Engineers) I have been able to cultivate interests in philosophy, history, and business. If you get a chance to take Philosophy 1101 with Professor Shoemaker, do not pass it up, it’s an eye-opening experience. Cornell truly embodies its mantra “any person, any study” and I am thankful that I have been able to take full advantage of that throughout my time here.
Cornell Engineering also has opportunities to apply theory learned in your classes to real-world projects through research with faculty and Project Teams. I have been involved with both, through my research with Dr. Jung in the Biological and Environmental Engineering (BEE) department and my project team, Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW). Throughout my journey at ESW, I started as a freshman on the team as a member and progressed to a project lead and finally a division lead which allowed me to hone my leadership and project management skills. I was actually introduced to Dr. Jung through a former teammate on ESW and later was hired as a research assistant in his lab where I developed machine learning models to detect and track condensation droplets. Overall, ESW and my research have allowed me to explore two of my passions in-depth: sustainability and AI.
Outside of my engineering background, I have also been involved in a social fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa. Through this brotherhood, I made many friends outside my engineering discipline, which was a great way to hear new perspectives from people with different goals. Many of my best Cornell friends I met through my fraternity, and thus it has been a core pillar of my experience over the past few years. Greek Life (what sororities and fraternities are referred to on campus) is definitely not for everyone, but I would encourage you to join some kind of organization purely for your own enjoyment. This gives you a way to find like-minded people you can connect with beyond what you’re learning in your major.
Looking back on these past four years, I can see how the combination of rigorous academic training, hands-on project experience, and meaningful social connections has shaped me into a well-rounded engineer ready for whatever comes next. Cornell isn’t just about the knowledge you gain – it’s about the problem-solver you become, the friendships you forge, and the perspectives you develop along the way. The challenges will push you, the opportunities will inspire you, and the community will support you through it all. As intimidating as it might seem at first, remember that every Cornell engineer before you (including myself) started exactly where you are now: excited, maybe a bit nervous, but ready to make this incredible journey your own.
My parting piece of wisdom that applies to any college or university, but is especially important at Cornell: try everything. That interesting club you talked to at Club Fest? Go join it, see if it’s for you. The person in your RA group that you see in the dining hall? Go sit with them, it may change your life (for me, he ended up being my best friend and current roommate, four years later). Some people you know are going to swim at Second Dam. Jump off the high rock, it’s super fun. Trying out everything is the only way you will figure out where you actually fit, and Cornell has a place for everyone – you just have to find it.
Best of luck in this next chapter of your life,
~Cole, computer science
