From the communal balcony of my Terrace dorm, I would sit and stare at the city skyline of Ithaca: the view of Cayuga Lake, Cornell’s campus, luxury high-rise buildings and everything else that felt so distant from my life at Ithaca College. As an admitted Transfer Option student, I entered my collegiate career with more questions than answers — where to go, what to do and how to best prepare to apply to one of my dream schools. IC felt like a good choice, since I lived relatively close by and could partake in a more semi-conjoined four-year experience.
In the back of my mind, though, the possibility that I wouldn’t be accepted loomed large. The Transfer Option process was confusing from the start: first described as guaranteed upon fulfilling all of the requirements, later clarified as not. There were other speculations, such as the chances of receiving a Transfer Option decision being slimmer than receiving an acceptance decision, as well as that because Cornell’s contract colleges receive state funding, a certain number of New York State students must be accepted — who make up the bulk of Transfer Option awardees.
Taking a step back, Cornell’s acceptance rate for all transfers matriculating in the Fall of 2024 was just a little over 9%. Comparatively, this is higher than Cornell’s standard acceptance rate, but I had the fear that if I couldn’t get accepted the first time, the second attempt would be challenging too. It didn’t matter if I already knew Ithaca, had rode on the TCAT or had gotten a headstart on my Ithacalves: a statistic is a statistic, and for transfers, there’s a need to prove oneself twice. Cornell was so close yet so far away.
As a Junior in my Collegetown apartment, I now have the obverse view. I see Ithaca College’s “Towers,” athletic center and dorm that I spent my freshman year of college wondering if I’d ever make it to East Hill. After the fact, I had realized that there isn’t much connection between the two schools aside from being in the same town, having shared cooperative offices such as ROTC and an exchange program where IC students can take up to one Cornell course a semester. And I’ve always been surprised as to how little my Cornell friends knew about an institution so close to where they live.
IC’s community leans heavily toward the arts, anchored by the Roy H. Park School of Communications and a strong music program. They have some notable alumni in media such as Bob Iger, a previous chief executive officer for the Walt Disney Company, and David Muir, an ABC News anchor you may have seen facilitate the 2024 Presidential Debate. A contrast between the two schools is that within Cornell, virtually every major is strong. As a Biology major at Ithaca College fulfilling CALS prerequisites, I certainly noticed a deficiency compared to the departments that were given more attention. Of course, there’s a very big difference here, with Cornell’s endowment approaching $11 billion.
And, if you’re curious, I certainly noticed a perception gap from my time at both schools. At IC, I would overhear a lot of people speculating about Cornell, especially during orientation week. There was a noticeable level of cognizance surrounding CU. One friend’s communications professor had compared his own department to Cornell’s in a lecture. Oftentimes, the redirection of attention was unavoidable — most TCAT routes going to Lansing (Target and Ithaca Mall area) go right through the middle of Cornell’s campus, such as Route 30. But how often does the average Cornellian take a visit to South Hill?
On the contrary, Ithaca College barely registers for Cornell students, at least from my experience. Cornell’s global reputation can make students inward-focused. Although there is mutual awareness, it isn’t equal. There is insularity within the university — with requirements such as an unlimited meal plan and a two-year on-campus residential requirement, as well as the luxury of a plentifully stocked bookstore, there isn’t much need (or reason) to willingly explore the city of Ithaca beyond Cornell’s campus and Collegetown derivative. Perhaps this is why I and so many other people only saw a vignette of CU.
The same thought of localism could be painted for Ithaca College, as it has a three-year on-campus living expectation. But Cornell’s prestige is impossible to ignore and it shapes how IC students see themselves in Ithaca. Cornell has a reputation for being competitive in nature; IC can feel overshadowed at times. The question arises of how this disconnect could be resolved, or, to take it one step further, if people from either school even want this. Or will the only associations be limited to shared location, dating apps, farmer’s markets and Trader Joe’s?
Richard Ballard is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be reached at rpb233@cornell.edu.
