Ithaca College

Social Life/Parties: People here are generally nice, but they are also very cliquey. I came to this school expecting to be part of a tightly knit community, but instead I found that cliques here tend to keep to themselves.

On weekends, there usually isn't much to do besides party. The party scene seems exciting when you're a freshman, but it gets old fast. There are always a few open parties at the Circle Apartments or off campus that virtually anyone (ie: freshman guys) can get into. They have the same dynamic that most frat parties on other campuses do: too many people cramped in a small space, lots of shitty beer, and plenty of horny freshman guys hitting on uninterested girls. By the time you're a sophomore, you'll probably grow sick of these parties, and if you have the right friends, you'll get invited to more exclusive parties, which are much more fun. You might also go to a frat party at Cornell a couple times a year.

If you like to smoke weed, it's readily available, but when people say that Ithaca is a "stoner" school, they're exaggerating.

Clubs: One of Ithaca's strong points is the number of clubs it has to offer. If you end up here, you should definitely take advantage of them. They can make your entire experience.

Academics: Ithaca has a great reputation for its Music, Theater, and Communications programs. I've heard mixed reviews about them from other students and lots of complaints about elitism, but I'm probably not the best person to ask about that.

The Politics department is impressive; all of the teachers I've had were knowledgeable and passionate about what they were teaching. However, if you're not a diligent student, its definitely possible to bullshit your way through your Politics classes and not do any of the reading. If you're a conservative, you'll probably hate the department here. The majority of teachers are left wing, and a some of them are pretty radical.

My Gen. Ed. classes were decent for the most part. Some teachers were outstanding, most were average, and some should have been fired a long time ago.

Students: Most of the students here are pretty bright, but there will be a few idiots in most of your classes. Ithaca has somewhat of a reputation for being a "hippie" or a "stoner" school, but that really doesn't hold much ground. Don't get me wrong, its not hard to find those people, but for the most part, the student population here isn't very different from that at any other school I've visited.

Politically, most people here are either liberal or apathetic. There is a minority of self-hating white students who despise capitalism, but there is also a very vocal minority of Republicans who tend to get their political signs torn down or vandalized by the other group.

Racially, Ithaca is pretty homogeneous. Lots of white people, but as one might expect in a northeastern private school, there is a significant Jewish population. The gay community is very accepted here.

Town: Ithaca is a pleasant little town, but if you don't have a car, you won't go there very much. Sure, its just a 20 minute walk, but when it gets cold and snowy, you won't want to walk down and up that steep hill.

There are some small music venues, lots of great places to eat, and plenty of hippie stuff in the town. There are literally three head shops on one block that's really close to the school. The town is probably why IC has the reputation it has, but the students don't really reflect what the town is like.

Weather: Its fucking cold here. If you hate cold weather, don't come here. I cannot stress this enough.

Dorms: Dorms are decent, but nothing to write home about. In my opinion, the worst dorms are the terraces because they're isolated on the edge of campus, which especially sucks in the winter. The rooms might slightly bigger there than the other dorms are, but that doesn't justify the distance. Lots of freshmen live in the towers, which are pretty conveniently located. The upper quads have the best location on campus in my opinion; the lower quad buildings aren't much worse. There's also Emerson, which is somewhat far from the academic buildings, but has private bathrooms in double and triple dorms. There are no singles there.

You won't be able to live in the on campus apartments until you're a sophomore, so I won't bother commenting on those.

Conclusion: There are a few spectacular things about Ithaca, but unless you're in one of its more prestigious departments, it's an average northeastern private school. In other words, the education quality is above average, but the overall experience might be pretty boring. If I had an amazing group of friends that I loved here, I might stay, but since I don't really miss my friends when I'm gone, I don't really have an incentive to stay.

Ithaca is cold and in the middle of nowhere, and I'm starting to feel really claustrophobic. The Politics department is good, but its not worth the price of tuition.If you visit Ithaca and fall in love with its music, theater, or communications department, it might be a good fit for you. Otherwise, I cannot recommend it. Next year I'm transferring to a similarly sized school with a better polysci department and an urban campus. I hope to have a more interesting and dynamic experience there.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2011

Perceived Campus Safety: A+, Social Life: C-

Networking is so important. I know I am not alone when I say that I am lonely and bored. The town itself has very little to do besides The commons (a shopping/restaurant center), the mall (a pretty limited one) and Wegmans (an overrated grocery everyone seems to go crazy over).

Ithaca lives in the shadow of Cornell, a school lucky to have a lively campus which is nearly a town of its own. The weekends consist of freshman (and upperclassmen with cars) walking miles to off-campus parties that get busted by 1 am. Unfortunately, theres not a lot to do if you dont like to party. Also, if you are from a city or are accustomed to being in one, like myself, you will find yourself getting bored very quickly. Its slow paced. Its a town 'in the sticks'. If you are from a rural, residential area, you might think this place is a city. In the end, its all what you make of it.

I am thinking about transferring. The school is a great place, but i havent found my groove here. The people are actually incredibly friendly. I havent met any really stuck up people thriving on daddy's money, its really quite laid back, but really very undiverse. White kids, sorta 'vanilla' if you get my drift. Unfortunately for me, i thrive off a city environment and expected this place to have meet more interesting people, have more of an eye-opening experience.

Mainly, I expected a change, but Ithacas pretty basic. Advice for those who would like to stay here is to get involved and make the most of it. Its expensive.

1st Year Female -- Class 2011

I have very mixed feeling about Ithaca College. i transferred to this school from another university because of the strong communications program (Park School of Communications). In that, I was not disappointed. In practically every other way, I was.

Ithaca College is excellent for professional studies. If you want to study communications, theater, physical therapy, music or business (now, anyway. The business program has gotten MUCH better the past couple of years), Ithaca is the place to be. Everything else is decidedly mediocre.

I double-degreed here (B.S. in Communications, B.A. in History). Liberal arts are lousy. If you want to study history, philosophy, english, economics, physics, etc. don't bother coming here. It isn't worth the money and you will be disappointed.

The Park school is excellent, if slightly inconsistent. Some programs, like Television/Radio and Marketing are fantastic. Others are less well defined, like film and journalism. The Park's school biggest success may well be its administrative philosophy. The administrators and dean are accessible and will work with you to solve any problems that may occur.

Unfortunately, that does not extend to the rest of the college. The School of Humanities and Sciences and the upper levels of college administration are so rigidly bureaucratic it would make the Soviet Union proud. There is the letter of the law and nothing more. Your actual situation doesn't matter in the slightest. The review process for decisions is non-existent and, in my experience, the administration outside of the Park school is indifferent or punitive.

Politically, the school is very far to the Left, more so (on a person-to-person basis) than my previous school (CU-Boulder). If you are a conservative, you are definitely in the minority. While almost everyone is a liberal of one stripe or another, the school at least tries to throw those who aren't a bone and brings a conservative speaker or two to campus every year, which is more than I can say for CU-Boulder.

Financial aid is insufficient. My family is not poor, but we are also not rich. We are decidedly upper-middle class, and if you are similar it puts you in a hard spot here (and many other places). I got some aid, and worked very hard in school to get a bit more, but if your family earns more than $65k but not enough to afford some $25k/year that your financial aid doesn't cover, be prepared to take on quite a bit of debt.On the balance, Ithaca is worth it if you are entering one of the well-known and prestigious programs. If you want to study broadcasting, music, physical therapy, music or (to a lesser extent) theater, Ithaca is a good place. If one of those major's aren't your goal, strike Ithaca from your list. It simply isn't worth it.

3rd Year Male -- Class 2008

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Individual Value: F