Major: chemical engineering

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey

Why did you choose Cornell Engineering?
I chose Cornell Engineering for the nearly limitless options it offered me. From starting to do research from my very first year to leading project teams and becoming a teaching assistant, CoE allows each of us to learn as much as we can in the time we are here.

What is your favorite thing about Cornell Engineering?
I love the fact that although we are undergraduates, the doors are open for us to try out new experiences and fields.

What do you do outside of the classroom? Reaching out is the key here!
There are so many opportunities I would have missed if I just didn’t take a shot at them. Through professors, your teaching assistants, peer advisors, and all those people that CoE put you in contact with signed up for their position to help you; use that.

How was your experience adjusting to Cornell?
I have to be honest as an international student I didn’t have much of a chance to come to campus to see if Cornell was good for me. So, I had to deal with that question in my first semester here. As time passed and I adjusted to the time difference and had a routine I realized I was adjusting. Also, if I could give one piece of advice to upcoming freshman, it would be: don’t put pressure on yourself to find the perfect friend group on your first week here. Friendships take time to build and new friends also tend to pop up out of nowhere.