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Cornell College

600 First St. SW, Mount Vernon, IA 52314

http://www.cornellcollege.edu/

Photos:

King Chapel, Cornell College
King Chapel, Cornell College
[source]

School Description

Provided by Cornell College

Cornell is an independent, coeducational, residential liberal arts college, established in 1853, nurtured by the United Methodist Church, and dedicated to fostering intellectual, moral, and personal growth.

The college is committed to sustaining a community devoted to liberal learning and democratic values. To this end, it seeks to provide a caring environment for living and learning, characterized by close relationships, physical and emotional well-being, appreciation of diversity, affirmation of equal opportunity and academic freedom, and respect for the dignity and worth of each individual.

At Cornell, you’ll focus intensely on one course for three and a half weeks, then move on to a new subject. Known as One Course At A Time (OCAAT), our academic structure enables you to spend a month creating a theatrical production, conducting high-level scientific research, or immersing yourself in a new language—giving each your full attention and best effort. It’s an innovative approach that attracts a diverse group of students from across the country and around the world, and it’s practically unique: Cornell is one of only two national liberal arts colleges on the block plan.

Opportunities are not restricted by the borders of a traditional classroom. You might spend a month in Spain exploring the origins of Spanish civilization, or work as a full-time intern on a presidential campaign. With just one course at a time, off-campus study is both manageable and meaningful.

As a student, you’ll enjoy our active campus life and welcoming community. More than 100 clubs and activities invite you to hone your leadership skills, showcase your talents, and explore your interests. In our residence halls, you’ll meet new friends who share a love of learning and campus involvement.

Let’s face it: over the years, there’s been a certain amount of confusion over the distinction between Cornell College and, well, the other Cornell. From misdirected applications to misguided visits, sharing a name hasn’t always been easy.

So we’d like to set the record straight: we got here first. Cornell College was founded in 1853, 12 years before the similarly named university got its start. And we’re not one to brag, but we have a higher percentage of alumni listed in Who’s Who in America than they do.

Cornell College is located on a hilltop in the heart of Mount Vernon, Iowa, a charming town in the middle of Iowa's thriving Cultural Corridor. The entire campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and our gothic chapel can be seen for miles around.

Just a few blocks down the hill, Mount Vernon's main street boasts another National Historic District, hip clothing and antiques stores, and lots of really great coffee. The town's own Lincoln Café wins raves from food critics for Midwest Living, The New York Times, and others.

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Cornell College

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
''This article is about the liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. For the unaffiliated Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York, see Cornell University.

Cornell College is a private liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Originally called the Iowa Conference Seminary, the school was founded in 1853 by Reverend Samuel M. Fellows. Four years later, in 1857, the name was changed to Cornell College, in honor of iron tycoon William Wesley Cornell, who was a distant relative of Ezra Cornell (founder of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York). Cornell College was recently ranked by Forbes as one of the top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges in the US.

Overview

Cornell students study one course at a time (commonly referred to as "the block plan" or "OCAAT"). Since 1978, school years have been divided into nine "blocks" of three-and-a-half weeks each (usually followed by a four-day "block break" to round out to four weeks), during which students are enrolled in a single class; what would normally be covered in a full semester's worth of class at a typical university is covered in just seventeen-and-one-half Cornell class days. Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Quest University in Squamish, British Columbia; Tusculum College in Tusculum, Tennessee; and The University of Montana - Western are the only other colleges operating under this academic calendar.

From the beginning, Cornell has accepted women into all degree programs. In 1858, Cornell was the first college west of the Mississippi to grant a baccalaureate degree to a woman. Mary Fellows, a member of the first graduating class from Cornell College, received a bachelor's degree in mathematics. In 1871, Harriette J. Cooke became the first female college professor in the United States to become a full professor with a salary equal to that of her male colleagues.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Midwest
Setting:
Small Town Setting
Type:
Private
Affiliation:
United Methodist
Size:
Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Rams

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
1,117
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
100%
Athletic Programs:
Available
> More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 23,680
Students Receiving Aid:
98%
> More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 40
Selectivity:
Selective
> More Admissions

Degree Programs at Cornell College

Bachelor's Level Programs

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources

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    • Natural Resources and Conservation See more schools with programs in Natural Resources and Conservation
      • Environmental Studies.
        A program that focuses on environment-related issues using scientific, social scientific, or humanistic approaches or a combination. Includes instruction in the basic principles of ecology and environmental science and related subjects such as policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature.
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  • Arts & Humanities

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    • English Language and Literature See more schools with programs in English Language and Literature
      • English Language and Literature
        A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples.
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    • Film and Theater See more schools with programs in Film and Theater
      • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts
        A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
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    • Foreign Languages See more schools with programs in Foreign Languages
      • Classics and Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
        This general program focuses on the literary culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and their development prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.
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      • French Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in French philology, Metropolitan French, Canadian French, African and Caribbean Creoles, French regional dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • German Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the German language and related dialects as used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, neighboring European countries containing German-speaking minorities, and elsewhere. Includes instruction in German philology; Old, Middle, and High German; Plattdeutsch and other regional dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Russian Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Russian language. Includes instruction in Russian philology, Old Russian, Modern Russian and dialects, literature, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
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      • Spanish Language and Literature
        A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in Spanish philology, Modern Castillan, various Latin American dialects, regional Spanish dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.
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    • General Studies See more schools with programs in General Studies
      • General Studies
        An undifferentiated program that includes instruction in the general arts, general science, or unstructured studies.
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      • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
        A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs.
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    • History See more schools with programs in History
      • History
        A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration.
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    • Music See more schools with programs in Music
      • General Music
        A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media.
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    • Philosophy See more schools with programs in Philosophy
      • General Philosophy
        A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines.
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    • Religion/Religious Studies See more schools with programs in Religion/Religious Studies
      • General Religion/Religious Studies
        A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior.
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    • Visual Arts See more schools with programs in Visual Arts
      • Art/Art Studies
        Art and Art Studies is a general, introductory program that focuses on the study and appreciation of the visual arts. Students of these two or four year programs receive instruction in art, photography, and other visual communications media.
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  • Business

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    • International Business/Trade/Commerce
      A program that prepares individuals to manage international businesses and/or business operations. Includes instruction in the principles and processes of export sales, trade controls, foreign operations and related problems, monetary issues, international business policy, and applications to doing business in specific countries and markets.
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  • Education

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    • Teacher Training See more schools with programs in Teacher Training
      • Elementary Education and Teaching
        A program that prepares individuals to teach students in the elementary grades, which may include kindergarten through grade eight, depending on the school system or state regulations. Includes preparation to teach all elementary education subject matter.
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      • Music Teacher Education
        A program that prepares individuals to teach music and music appreciation programs at various educational levels.
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      • Secondary Education
        A program that prepares individuals to teach students in the secondary grades, which may include grades seven through twelve, depending on the school system or state regulations. May include preparation to teach a comprehensive curriculum or specific subject matter.
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  • Fitness, Recreation and Leisure Studies

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  • Interdisciplinary Studies

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    • Medieval and Renaissance Studies
      A program that focuses on the study of the Medieval and Renaissance periods in European and circum-Mediterranean history from the perspective of various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including history and archeology, as well as studies of period art and music.
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  • Life Science

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    • Biology See more schools with programs in Biology
      • Biochemistry
        Study the chemistry of living systems in these four, six, or eight year programs. Students of biochemistry learn the intricacies of the chemistry of living systems and their chemical pathways and information transfer systems. This program includes instruction in bio-organic chemistry, protein chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, bioseparations, regulatory biochemistry, enzymology, hormonal chemistry, calorimetry, and research methods and equipment operation.
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      • Biology/Biological Sciences
        Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations.
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  • Mathematics and Statistics

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    • General Mathematics
      A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations.
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  • Natural Sciences

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    • Chemistry See more schools with programs in Chemistry
      • General Chemistry
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.
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    • Geology See more schools with programs in Geology
      • Geology/Earth Science
        A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems.
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    • Physics See more schools with programs in Physics
      • General Physical Sciences
        A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines.
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  • Social Sciences

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    • Anthropology See more schools with programs in Anthropology
    • Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies See more schools with programs in Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies
      • Latin American Studies
        A program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the Hispanic peoples of the North and South American Continents outside Canada and the United States, including the study of the Pre-Columbian period and the flow of immigrants from other societies.
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      • Other Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies
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      • Women’s Studies
        A program that focuses on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of women, and the development of modern feminism in relation to the roles played by women in different periods and locations in North America and the world. Programs may focus on literature, philosophy, and the arts as much as on social studies and policy.
        See more schools with programs in Women’s Studies
    • Economics See more schools with programs in Economics
      • General Economics
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.
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    • International Relations and Affairs See more schools with programs in International Relations and Affairs
      • General Political Science and Government
        A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies 0f specific political institutions and processes.
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      • International Relations and Affairs
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of international politics and institutions, and the conduct of diplomacy and foreign policy. Includes instruction in international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, national security and strategic studies, international law and organization, the comparative study of specific countries and regions, and the theory and practice of diplomacy.
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    • Psychology See more schools with programs in Psychology
      • General Psychology
        A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods.
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    • Sociology See more schools with programs in Sociology
      • Sociology
        A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.
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  • Technology

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    • Information Systems Operation and Management See more schools with programs in Information Systems Operation and Management
      • General Computer Science
        A general program that focuses on computers, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, and computing theory; computer hardware design; computer development and programming; and applications to a variety of end-use situations.
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Students

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 100%
Part-Time 0%
Men vs. Women
Women 50%
Men 50%
Race/Ethnicity
Caucasian 87%
Other 7%
Hispanic 3%
African-American 2%
Asian 1%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
Out-of-State 65%
In-State 35%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Iowa 35%
Illinois 12%
Colorado 10%
Minnesota 9%
Wisconsin 4%
Percent of Students International: 2%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 93%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf)
Basketball (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf)
Baseball (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf)
Track (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conf)
Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) Expenses  
Published Tuition and Fees:
 $ 23,680    
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 23,500    
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 180    
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
 $ 3,600 30%  
State and Local Grants:
 $ 3,285 17%  
Institutional Grants:
 $ 14,366 97%  
Student Loans:
 $ 3,640 75%  
Any Aid:
   98%  

Selectivity (Undergraduate Only)

Acceptance Rate: 66% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 30%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 560, Math: 550
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 680, Math: 680
ACT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting ACT Scores: 86%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Composite: 23, Verbal: 23, Math: 23
Top 75th Percentile: Composite: 29, Verbal: 29, Math: 28

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 40.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Recommended
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Required
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice

Yahoo
Paul
Paul

Question: is cornell college in IA a good college?

I'm considering bioengineering or chemical engineering. Does cornell college have a good program for those areas?
7 months ago
Mathematician
Mathe...

Best Answer

Cornell College is a small liberal arts college. It's a decent school. But, if you want to do engineering you would probably be better off going to a larger school which offers better facilities for engineering majors. Also, keep in mind that Cornell is on a one course at a time schedule, meaning that you take one course for 3.5 weeks, then move on to another course for the next 3.5 weeks. For math/science/engineering classes in which there is a large amount of technical material to cover, this could be a tough schedule.

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Cornell College
Mount Vernon, IA 52314
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