As a current alumn who spent a more if time between the premed and non-premed realms I can say that in my experience, Hopkins students are not cutthroat. The coursework at Hopkins is certainly challenging, but for the most part that leads to a “we’re all in this together” mentality. Students will often do homework in groups, study for exams together, proofread each other’s essays, etc. The school also fosters this mentality be arranging group tutoring sessions (PILOT) for intro STEM classes, sponsoring writing workshops, etc.
Every school, especially at this caliber, is going to have their highs and lows - irrespective of rumors on CC or elsewhere - including Hopkins. However, if I could do it again, I would still choose Hopkins.