Cornell Club of London Summer Scholarship Programme 2004

Urmee Khan Statement

When I arrived I didn't really know what to expect from Cornell University. I was told that it was cold in the winter, there were waterfalls on campus and in Ithaca, people ate a lot of granola. As for the main reason I was here - I arrived with two questions: is the US education system the best in the world? And secondly, is it truly meritocratic?

I dumped my bags and explored the university campus. To say that it was the most picturesque university I had ever seen is an understatement. The big monolithic 50s structures of Leeds University could hardly stand comparison with the classical pillars of Goldwin Smith Hall and the endless green fields that surround it. I looked around. Yes, I definitely felt like a character in a Fitzgerald novel - I sat on the steps waiting for guys in beige suits and girls in boaters and summer dresses flouncing copies of Plutarch.

Right from day one, the exceptional academic expectations became clear. As soon as I turned up for my first lecture, I was presented with an extensive (and expensive) reading list. I knew from fellow geeks in my hall that I was participating in an academic culture which really venerates hard work and learning, and which expects its students to be committed and self-sufficient.

This was not learning by rote but learning which demanded my own responses to the issues, not simply the regurgitation of facts. In my "US Politics since 1960" history class, I had to compose response papers which developed out of my set reading. In some ways I felt I was being treated more like a postgraduate than an undergraduate. This degree of latitude was daunting but also liberating.

My US politics class was very intellectually challenging and exceptionally interesting. Dr Joseph Palermo took the classes and he was very keen to relieve us of any preconceived thoughts we might have had about the role of the US in the world from 1960. His teaching was uniquely thought provoking and very engaging. Dr Palermo's area of expertise was the Vietnam War and he had published extensive work on Robert Kennedy and civil rights. I was in a class of students who were very keen to offer a differing point of view to the lecturer - it was a very disputatious atmosphere, and displayed none of the apathy of my classes back home. This should not have surprised me too much as Cornell has been responsible for many politically 'creative' thinkers like Francis Fukuyama who announced the 'end of history' and the left-hating Ann Coulter.

Studying US history from Kennedy to Nixon and Ford underlined for me exactly how important the post-Cold War era is in current US political thinking. This is especially so if we look at the way in which the current administration has used Realpolitik to deal with the Middle East and - critics would say - in Iraq today. Moreover, it was a politically interesting time to be in the US - especially with the Democratic Convention going on in Boston and the pending Guantanamo Bay hearings. I found it fascinating that Kerry's war record in Vietnam was forming such a large part of the debate over the next presidential election, especially considering that the Vietnam War was such a traumatic time in US history.

My "Intro Psychology" course was equally fascinating, especially the social cognitive psychology, which includes elements like contact hypothesis, "group think" and Milgram's obedience study. I really benefited from the efficiency of the Psychology department with their computerised blackboards and the review sessions hosted by the TA (i.e. Teaching Assistant) for the course, Bernard Tarr. The TA system allows a postgraduate student to support the work of the professor by helping with the teaching and marking. UK higher education would certainly benefit from embedding postgraduate students in a similar fashion.

Being at Cornell, I was constantly reminded of its prestigious status. I am told that the research facilities, mainly the Veterinary school and the Hotel school, are the best in North America. I was also reassured that Cornell has a reputation for working its students the hardest in the Ivy League with high expectations of quality. I can believe it after having a 15 week term compressed into 6 weeks. With midterms after week 3 I have rarely worked so hard. But I soon got into the swing of daily quizzes, essays and response papers. It was as rewarding as it was demanding, which is saying a great deal.

Is the American system meritocratic? Certainly, on the one hand, I would never have been able to fund this programme myself, and especially not in my mid to late teens. I was impressed by the drive and ambition of the students I generally met, they were focused on ambitions of Med and Law school. Perhaps this can be partly explained by the excessive costs commanded by US institutions. There seems to be a continual pressure to go to Graduate school with the aim of being really successful, which, in my experience, is contrary to the relaxed atmosphere in UK Universities.

Clearly, Cornell has a lot more resources than a British university. The Cornell brand, associated as it is with Ivy League status, commands immense loyalty among the alumni who donate money. Could this happen to the same extent in a British university? It is hard to imagine, for a variety of intersecting cultural, social, economic and political reasons. And yet arguably this is the only way to really generate necessary funds.

The US certainly illustrates the benefits of the free market in education. Currently in the UK we are embroiled in an argument about 'top up fees' leading to the accusation that the UK system is already beginning to resemble the US system. Certainly, the UK higher education system needs to be more competitive in terms of funding and excellence. In this respect, the US has lessons to teach. But those who fear an American system, focus on its lack of national grants and loans scheme, its much higher fees in many state and private universities, and its lack of any regulation of fees in the more prestigious private universities. My own experience at Cornell showed that although the criticisms are valid, there were many outreach programmes for the brightest students regardless of their income and programmes for minority students which highlight Cornell's commitment to a meritocracy. I was, for example, impressed by the fact that Cornell hosted many summer sport camps for younger students from schools across the States.

Being at Cornell I was encouraged and inspired to work towards the grades that I achieved - an A+ in Politics and a B in Psychology.

I also had fun amongst the work. I made some good friends: postgrads, fellow Europeans and undergrads from Alaska to Kentucky. I felt too old for the Sorority scene but there was plenty more to occupy my social life. On my first night I even ended up at a party hosted by an Australian who was wearing diving equipment. Which was nice.

It was a great experience. I am very grateful to the Cornell Club of London for granting me this opportunity. The experience has made me seriously consider applying for graduate school in the US to study politics and comparative government.