Cutthroat, laidback school list

SWHarborfan
Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:33:29 +0000

Maybe CAL–even though I graduated from there and didn’t experience cut-throatness; never felt that someone was angling to take something away from me or giving me misinformation so much as the inherent grading in the Physical Sciences (and certain lit courses, too) could be unforgiving.

I think of Hopkins as more academic than collegiate, so, maybe, it wins for the most cuththroat. You can also put Cornell, in that category, even if it’s not on your list.

Re: Tufts. A very bright and accomplished student body of students, passionate (or, even, zealous) about their plans (be it efforting to get into medical school or becoming a diplomat), does not make for “cuththroatness”; a lack of collaborative learning does. The feedback my daughter (and we) has gotten back, multiply, from current and historical Tufts students is that there is a pronounced esprit de corps and willingness to help each other. And, in fact, we have heard this from transfer students (from Georgetown, NYU, Brandeis, and Boston College) that the level of warmth and support at Tufts was notable, upon coming in from their respective schools.

USC? Cuththroat?? In my day, it was not. We know a significant number of kids, currently, who attend 'SC, most of whom are not academic powerhouses and a few who are (who couldn’t resist the generous merit scholarships they rec’d). I would think with such a diverse pool of talent, some of the cuthroatness might be diluted?

I suppose if you find community at a school, that might mitigate the effects of whatever cutthroat sensibility exists.

I know 7 or 8 students at Carnegie-Mellon, over recent years, who report being really happy with their choice and even have affection for Pittsburgh and who haven’t made mention of its being cutthroat.