The ‘161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do’—Updated for 2026!
By Cornellians staff
Illustration by Ashley Osburn
As most Cornellians know, there are 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower. More than three decades ago—in the March 1995 issue, to be exact—Cornell Alumni Magazine riffed on that iconic factoid to conceive a list of activities that its editors deemed essential to the Big Red student experience.
“Truth Number One: There is no such thing as a typical Cornellian,” the story began. “Truth Number Two: There is no such thing as a typical Cornell experience. Truth Number Three: There are at least 161 things all students should do while they’re at Cornell.”