| You're reading too far into my post and dwelling on the negatives -- and nowhere did I declare GS students "smarter" than anyone else at the university. There are smart kids all over this place. Look, this is a thread about the pros and cons of this, frankly, fantastic university. And, for what it's worth, it's a pretty good thread.
There's absolutely no inferiority complex (though from what I've seen, students in all divisions can suffer from both inferiority and superiority complexes), and there are a good number of students "who can't make it" at Columbia. Judging by your username, I'm guessing you've spent time at Columbia. I'd be shocked if you haven't seen this firsthand. The GS issue was raised in response to the critique of Barnard posed earlier and to also throw a curveball into this pro and con thread.
Your grade inflation "argument" falls on deaf ears. While it may be difficult to earn a below a B- in most classes, especially those in the humanities, it is by no means "easy" to get As in most classes. Like most schools at this level, students are almost expected to earn at least a B, thought that doesn't mean that work can be avoided. There wasn't a single seat available in Butler tonight, around 11 p.m., so you have to take it at face value: there are kids here that study their asses off. Me? I just got back from the library and I'll be back on campus in six hours.
Finally, I'm not sure where you get off arguing that GS students are more likely to suck up to professors more than students in any other division, or more likely to seek extra help, when you subsequently posit that GS students are likely to work harder and take school more seriously.
As for my stat whoring and silver spoon "language," allow me to explain. Within CC and within most "traditional" undergraduate programs with such extremely selective admissions standards, it becomes very likely to find students who do everything in their power to position themselves for this education, whether it be on their own or under the influence of parents or peers. They inhibit a culture of pressure, and a large number continue to come from families of wealth, not to mention legacy. That's not to say that, on the whole, these schools have been aggressively making changes, because they have, but they still have a very long way to go.
Remember -- this is a pros and cons thread on Columbia. I could go on and on the same about the fantastic aspects of this university that you probably won't come across anywhere else. |