'The College teaches you how to think, not what to think'

Vidya Balaji: Economics

5/15/2025

Vidya Balaji

Economics
Doylestown, Pa.

Why did you choose Cornell?

I had many reasons for choosing Cornell, but the most important was Cornell's founding mission of "any person, any study." I had some idea of what I wanted to study coming into college, but at 18 years old, I was hesitant to close doors to fields of study I had not had the chance to explore. In high school, my peers characterized themselves as interested in just STEM or just the humanities, but I always found it difficult to place myself in only one of these buckets. Cornell's opportunities for an interdisciplinary education exemplifies how it's possible to be passionate about more than just one field.

What are the most valuable skills you gained from your Arts & Sciences education?

One of the most valuable skills I've gained is to be a critical thinker. The College of Arts & Sciences teaches you how to think, not what to think. My education challenged me to question my assumptions, evaluate evidence and think about complex issues from multiple perspectives. Whether that's reading the front page of a newspaper, a research paper or a work of literature, this skill has been incredibly valuable in my daily life.

What have you accomplished as a Cornell student that you are most proud of?

I have worked as a research assistant for two different teams led by economics professors. Through these opportunities, I have conducted literature reviews, created model visualizations, distributed surveys, written code and cleaned data. I learned a whole new set of skills that I would never have found in the classroom alone. My research assistantships not only taught me technical skills, but also soft skills like how to collaborate with a large team and communicate with multiple parties. They also revealed academic and professional interests I didn't know I had; the Economic Education Lab (EEL) showed me how passionate I am about education.

Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?

I can't thank my parents enough for my Cornell education. Whether it was a prelim, a deadline or a job interview, my parents were always there to help me see the bigger picture and help me not stress too much. They are encouraging and support me in everything I do, and I would not have been able to have such a great experience at Cornell without them.

Every year, our faculty nominate graduating Arts & Sciences students to be featured as part of our Extraordinary Journeys series.Read more about the Class of 2025.