I know many of you may already have your travel plans set, but I just thought I would provide a few words of wisdom regarding flying into Ithaca:
don't do it. Especially if you're on the East Coast. ESPECIALLY if you have to fly through Philadelphia, which will never, under any circumstances, go according to plan. The flights into Ithaca are on small planes, which I'm sure are perfectly safe, but that means that even the slightest inclement weather and they have to delay or cancel the flight. After trying to fly home on a regular basis over the course of five years, I don't think I've had it go smoothly once.
I would highly recommend flying into Syracuse instead and booking a van service to get to campus (it's about an hour) or taking a bus from New York (the Cornell bus is a little expensive, but really nice. There's also greyhound, etc.) Hell, even if you have to rent a car, that would probably be better than flying. Also, I know it may be springtime in March and April where some of you life. Trust that it will not be springtime in Ithaca.
But, it is gorges.