Once called "the first American university" by educational historian Frederick Rudolph, Cornell University represents a distinctive mix of eminent scholarship and democratic ideals. Adding practical subjects to the classics and admitting qualified students regardless of nationality, race, social circumstance, gender, or religion was quite a departure when Cornell was founded in 1865.

Today's Cornell reflects this heritage of egalitarian excellence. It is home to the nation's first colleges devoted to hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. Both a private university and the land-grant institution of New York State, Cornell University is the most educationally diverse member of the Ivy League.

On the Ithaca campus alone nearly 20,000 students representing every state and 120 countries choose from among 4,000 courses in 11 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools. Many undergraduates participate in a wide range of interdisciplinary programs, play meaningful roles in original research, and study in Cornell programs in Washington, New York City, and the world over.

Cornell is a learning community that seeks to serve society by educating the leaders of tomorrow and extending the frontiers of knowledge.

You might think the Cornell campus is so big that it should have its own zip code. It is and it does. But one of the first things you'll notice when you arrive is that the many options, amenities, and recreational and learning opportunities offered here make the campus feel smaller.

Whether you're seeking study skills, participation in a favorite sport or activity, a delicious meal, outings to explore the region's spectacular natural beauty, help with family or personal issues, opportunities for social interaction, a safe and comfortable place to live, or information about your education and career options, you'll be in good hands during your years at Cornell. And you'll have fun, too.

Life at Cornell is relatively quiet, but never boring. Who has time to be bored?