We all know what cutthroat means and can cite a few synonyms, but here is a more complete list from thesaurus.com:
ferocious
vicious
savage
barbarous
bloodthirsty
cruel
dog-eat-dog
hard as nails
merciless
pitiless
relentless
unprincipled
And not only this, but, “[T]his is a young woman who’s pretty used to intense, competitive environments. She counts UCLA undergrad as one of them.” Pretty much the whole school, not just the premeds…
UCLA students, generally, exhibit one of the highest happiness indexes in the country; it’s hard to picture its students by the list above. But then “maybe it was her tribe,” – yeah, I guess so.
Wrt classes, the admin has made a concerted effort to ensure that students get their classes, so they can graduate timely. Chancellor Block in graduation ceremonies references getting students out because those who linger – undoubtedly E majors, etc. – take others’ spots.