• Campus life is amazing, facilities are available to play almost any sport, libraries are have spaces that create an environment for you to focus with a nice view outside, semiconductor research facilities are particularly well equipped.

• Found my accommodation via a local property manager found on Google. Monthly rent is $900.

• Cornell Tech – Located in Roosevelt Island, New York City
• Weill Cornell Medicine – Based in Manhattan, NYC
• Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar
• Libraries: Cornell has an impressive library system with over 20 libraries, including Olin Library (usually open until 12:00 am on weekdays) and Uris Library (a beautiful, historic study space open 24/7).
• Sports Facilities: The Teagle Hall, Bartels Hall, and Lynah Rink host facilities for swimming, basketball, rock climbing, ice hockey, and general fitness. Outdoor sports fields and a scenic running route around Beebe Lake add to the active lifestyle.
• Medical Services: Cornell Health provides comprehensive medical, mental health, and counselling services.
• Dining & Housing: With dining halls like Risley, Keeton, and North Star .
• Slope Day: Cornell’s end-of-year music festival (basically a concert) held on Libe Slope, featuring popular artists and drawing the entire campus community (a free event for undergrads)
• Dragon Day: An architecture student tradition where a massive dragon built by first-years is paraded and “battles” a phoenix built by engineers.
• Clubs & Organisations: There are over 1,000 student-run organisations at Cornell. These include cultural clubs (e.g., Cornell India Association, Asian Pacific Americans for Action), pre-professional societies (e.g., Consulting Club, Women in Computing at Cornell (WICC)), engineering project teams, and debate societies.

• For the first 2 years I opted for on-campus housing as it was compulsory. For a semester, I have to pay about $7000. I didn't face any challenges, as the process was randomized to assign rooms and I got a single room in a decent hostel for both years so I didn't face any challenges in searching for housing. The accommodation is within the college campus and about 15 minutes walking distance from classes. Most indian students also stay on campus.

• Number of Campuses Main Campus: Located in Ithaca, New York, spanning approximately 2,300 acres in the Finger Lakes region.
• Other Campuses: Cornell also has campuses in New York City and Doha, Qatar. Cornell University
• Campus Facilities Libraries: Cornell boasts an extensive library system, including the John M. Olin Library, offering vast resources for research and study. Sports Facilities: State-of-the-art athletic facilities support a wide range of sports and fitness activities.
• Medical Services: Comprehensive health services are available to students, ensuring well-being and support.
• Events and Festivals Slope Day: An annual celebration marking the end of the academic year with live music and festivities. Dragon Day: A tradition where first-year architecture students parade a dragon they've constructed through campus.
• ClubFest: Held each semester, this event showcases over 1,000 student organisations, allowing students to explore various interests. Clubs and Organizations Cornell offers a plethora of student organisations, including: Cornell Student Life Academic and Professional Societies: Such as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers.
• Cultural and Identity-Based Groups: Including the Indian Students Association and the Black Students United. Arts and Performance: Groups like the Cornell Glee Club and various dance troupes.
• Recreational and Sports Clubs: From the Rock Climbing Club to the Sailing Club. Extracurricular Activities Students engage in a wide range of activities beyond academics.
• Performing Arts: Opportunities in theatre, music, and dance. Community Service: Various organisations focus on volunteering and social impact. Entrepreneurship: Resources and clubs support student-led startups and innovation. Outdoor Recreation: Programs like Cornel

• Finding Accommodation—My Experience Search Methods: I primarily used online platforms such as Facebook groups (like “Cornell Housing” or “Cornell University – Indian Students”) Ithaca Craigslist and Zillow Cornell Off-Campus Housing portal WhatsApp groups of incoming students and alumni.
• Challenges Faced: High demand and limited supply near campus, especially during peak intake months Scams and fake listings, especially on open forums Unfurnished apartments and difficulty in arranging furniture as a new international student Finding roommates with matching lifestyle and budgets
• Recommendations: Start looking at least 2–3 months in advance to get good options Verify listings through video calls or ask current students to visit if possible Prefer staying in grad student housing or areas like Collegetown, Maplewood, or near Commons for convenience. If budget allows, consider fully furnished shared apartments to reduce setup hassle

Campus life is decent, but since I planned to graduate in 1 year I did not explore all the options. There are various activities and events happening on campus regularly and if someone wants to engage in such activities you will find plenty of opportunities.

I was living off campus. Although hardly 500 meters from the campus. I had a room mate and we rented a 2 bed room apartment for $1295. Plus $55 for wifi and ~$30 for gas.

Good news for students is that there is Wifi everywhere. Many sports clubs are there with me myself being a part of the badminton team. Research infrastructure is too good particularly the DeFrees hydraulic laboratory where I have conducted experiments.

I stay in an apartment. Housing is but difficult to find as Ithaca is far away from the city. But if one plans in advance it shouldn't be a problem.

Cornell is an Ivy league and hence there are no doubts of sports facilities. There are ton of clubs to join. I am part of Cornell Cricket Club and at the same time was part of Cornell Graduate Consulting Club where I served a local client for revenue models and competitor analysis. Ton of extra curricular activities to choose as well.

Cornell is in Ithaca and Ithaca is in New York due to which land is a little expensive and average rent is around $850-$900. I paid $750 but lived a little away from campus since I could drive. But still I used TCAT (bus service) since parking cost is mammoth. TCAT run all over important places. Collegetown is a decent place to live in or Maplewood if you like a little peaceful environment. My accommodation was in Summerhill Townhouses.

I live off campus. About a mile from my department. On-campus is always expensive as compared to off-campus housing, irrespective of the university. My apartment is furnished and has all the necessary facilities.

Prestige and ranking(overall and department). It is an Ivy school and ranked in the top 10 in the US for my program.

Most Ph.D students live off campus. Ithaca has pretty good housing (modern infrastructure, great water, heat, and electricity supply) since it's mostly a college town. Just make sure you get a place close to campus, there are a lot of hills, and walking more than 1.5 miles (~2.5km) can get difficult in the winter.

I ended up choosing Cornell mainly due to two Professors here (Jie Shan and Peter McMahon). Their research interests aligned really well with mine. Another, although minor, factor that affected my decision was the availability of many hiking trails in Ithaca. I really enjoy trekking and hiking, so that was a major plus.

A great network to be able to be successful in the future, allows me to extensively train for the career I want. Has a good social climate to be able to enjoy myself when I need a break from the tough work.

The dorms are very nice. However, the dorms vary in quality with many nice dorms on West Campus and many nice dorms on North Campus and many nice dorms yet to be built however there are some not so nice dorms.

It's the leading program in this field and I couldn't find it anywhere else. Very detailed and good instruction at Cornell's ILR School in Ithaca, NY about 4 hours from New York City. There are plenty of resources.