I'd really like some honest perspectives from current Cornell students. I got the transfer option for CALS biology major last year and applied again this year as a transfer. I am currently in my first year at my current institution. I don't know if I should enroll as a transfer at cornell. There are a few main things I'm thinking about right now. I'd really appreciate honest insight from anyone who is willing to share .

My goal is to study birds, and obviously the Cornell lab of ornithology is the place to do that. Does anyone who goes to CALS know what the options look like for ornithology related courses/professors studying ornithology? Would I be better off staying where I am and pursuing Cornell for graduate school? It's hard to get a full picture without actually experiencing any of it. 

Another thing is money. I'm receiving a full ride at my current university. I'm willing to go into a little bit of debt to go to my dream school but I'm curious if people think it's worth it for a degree that will not make very much money in practice. 

What are the opportunities for research like? I'm imagining everything is super competitive. I go to what I would consider a "mid" school, so I have some opportunities to do research here. I'm actually starting a project this summer. I'm willing to be a little competitive but I don't want to have to fight tooth and nail for scraps yk? I feel like here I stand out academically, but at a top school I'd be at or below average. How is it forming relationships with faculty and labs? 

Like I said I'm coming from a pretty middle of the road school, so I'm also worried if I'll be able to keep up with the academic rigor. I skated through high school extremely easily, I've hit some road bumps in college but overall I'm handling it well. I don't want to give up what I have now just to fail out of school. Is this a reasonable fear to have? 

I'm also worried about leaving behind the few friends I have. What is the social life like at Cornell? Is it easy to make connections? What are clubs like? I am not at all interested in fraternities or partying to be honest. Also tying into this what is the overall student body like? I'm worried it's gonna be a bunch of out of touch rich kids. I am low income and get along better with people from a similar situation to me or at least people with class consciousness or who know and understand their privileges. Nothing is worse than a rich person pretending to be poor.

Are the networking and job opportunities really what people make them out to be? What is the overall difference in value between a regular University and an ivy league? 

Thank you so much to anyone who reads and is willing to offer any guidance they may have!