Cornell’s Program in Real Estate Welcomes the Class of 2013
Twenty-four students. Nine states. Eight countries. Seven women. This year, the Program in Real Estate’s incoming class boasts one of the most diverse compositions in the Program’s history. A rich array of cultural and professional experiences makes this class one of the most dynamic cohorts to begin learning and living real estate on the Hill.
Welcomed to campus in a flurry of activity, the class enjoyed more than a week of orientation events and sessions aimed at getting the students rapidly acquainted to the demands of the rigorous and rewarding curriculum offered by the Program in Real Estate (PRE).
The orientation events kicked off with a weekend workshop that immersed the class in Microsoft Excel and its many applications to the industry. The weekend course, taught by Cornell’s Mark Talbert and Real Estate Financial Modeling’s Bucky Banks, offered the class a taste of the powerful capabilities that Excel can unleash on understanding even the most challenging of real estate valuation and investment scenarios that the class will face throughout their coursework and careers.
On August 17th, Program Director David Funk, alongside a panel of PRE faculty and advisory board members, officially welcomed the class and further acquainted them with the program and the array of opportunities and experiences that will be available to them during their time at Cornell.
The next day, the class embarked on a full day tour of the wide range of real estate products and projects happening in the community. The class met with developers and investors who generously shared their time, anecdotes, and passion for real estate. Sites visited included Frost Travis’s (PRE ’01) Ithaca Gun Factory and Gateway Commons developments, Ithaca College’s new Athletic & Events Center, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services’ sustainable development, Eric Goetzmann’s Shoppes at Ithaca Mall and the Cornell Business & Technology Park. The day was a marathon, packed with insight and excellent real-world takeaways.
As orientation week wound down, the class found themselves headed up – as in high above the ground – at the Hoffman Challenge Team Building Center. The cohort worked together to solve age-old problems including “how to communicate without communicating” and conquered their fear of heights, scaling trees and zip-lining through the forest. Lessons learned outdoors were reinforced with real world applications, building a solid foundation of communication and teamwork, which the class will draw upon while at Cornell and throughout their careers.
Orientation drew to a close with the Class of 2012 sharing their diverse summer experiences with the incoming class. The second year students expanded upon their real estate coursework, with summer intern positions ranging from private equity to acquisitions, banking, development, asset management and property management with firms located across the country as well as in China and India.
After a whirlwind introduction to Cornell, the members of the Class of 2013 are excited to begin a successful two years on the Hill and look forward to connecting with the many alumni who have built the Program in Real Estate’s excellent reputation.