<p>My cohort at Cornell CAS seemed to contain a high % of future PhDs, by my personal count and limited exposure. But there is diversity, and there will be people with different goals, which may reflected in greater or lesser proportions in various of the colleges, and majors. Most of my major time was spent in physics (CAS)and in engineering, and I found them plenty intellectual; people were not just getting a grade. But I can’t speak for a whole university, or current circumstances. (Moreover, I have a bad memory). My guess is there will be more diversity there in this aspect, and most others, than at Chicago.</p>
<p>In the end, I do not perceive that this diversity materially adversely affected the personal academic mission of students there who were highly intellectually oriented. They had plenty of company there, as well. As for influence of individual student motivations on the nature or conduct of specific classes, I don’t really remember anything negative that stands out. Maybe sometimes people asked what was going to be covered on an exam??</p>
<p>But there may well be more diversity in motivations, I doubt it would create big issues for people but I can’t guarantee it makes no difference. It would be pretty hard to determine this accurately though, one way or another.</p>