<p>I'm trying to narrow down a college list (rising junior). I would like schools that emphasize student collaboration over competition. I would prefer ones that do not rank students, give special awards at graduation, etc. I think the pressure of ranking and general petty competition has no place in college, where the focus should be learning for the sake of learning, not grades or rank. Are there specific schools like this? I heard MIT and Caltech are pretty focused on student collaboration, but I also heard the competition at MIT can get intense.</p>
<p>I graduated from MIT, and I never felt that I was competing with my fellow students -- it got tough sometimes, and I had to work hard, but I always felt that I was working with people and never against people.</p>
<p>You might consider asking this question on the MIT forum here to get a broader response from current MIT students, parents, and alums.</p>
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...but I also heard the competition at MIT can get intense.
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<p>Hmm, really? As an alum, I felt like it was very, very collaborative. People compete against their own standards, not so much against each other. The exception to this was <em>some</em> of the premeds.</p>
<p>Rice. .</p>
<p>Swarthmore, Pomona</p>
<p>Johns....I'm kidding. hahaha</p>
<p>Reed. Students have to ask to see grades, but the culture is not to ask. No competition between students, but, like Swarthmore, Reed is very intense.</p>
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Hmm, really? As an alum, I felt like it was very, very collaborative. People compete against their own standards, not so much against each other. The exception to this was <em>some</em> of the premeds.
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<p>I was told that one girl (chem major) was so upset about the level of competition at MIT that she transferred out. Apparently kids were sabotaging her chem projects to lower her grade.</p>
<p>Dartmouth, UChicago</p>
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I was told that one girl (chem major) was so upset about the level of competition at MIT that she transferred out. Apparently kids were sabotaging her chem projects to lower her grade.
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<p>The hell?</p>
<p>Chem is a premed-heavy major, but that's extreme even for that premed subset.</p>
<p>I can say that nothing like that happened to me, or as far as I know, happened to any of my friends at MIT.</p>
<p>Maybe this girl was disliked for some reason, because I couldn't imagine MIT students doing that, with all of the emphasis the school puts on working together and not giving out special honors at graduation.</p>
<p>Yes. Swarthmore fits all of the specific criteria you mentioned. Very collaborative. No ranking. The only exception is that they do induct 15% of the senior class into Phi Beta Kappa.</p>
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I can say that nothing like that happened to me, or as far as I know, happened to any of my friends at MIT.
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I concur -- I never heard of anything even remotely like that happening.</p>
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I was told that one girl (chem major) was so upset...
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If james had heard this directly from this girl it would be more believable.</p>
<p>Quote:
I was told that one girl (chem major) was so upset... </p>
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<p>Of course, the MOST believable version would be if the girl who transferred posted here herself. Otherwise, it wouldn't be admissible as evidence in any court. :)</p>
<p>Well, Carleton's as academically collaborative/non-competitive as they come. The gloves do come off on the Ultimate Frisbee fields, Broomball rinks, and in assorted venues throughout the year:</p>
<p>Annual KRLX Radio Biggest Nerd Competition
Carleton</a> College: shout: Carleton's Biggest Nerd
krlx</a> radio | production</p>
<p>Late Night (Saturday before finals) Trivia Contest
Carleton</a> College: shout: Late Night Trivia</p>
<p>Competitive Sci-Fi Readings
Carleton</a> College: shout: Truly Execrable Sci-Fi Prose</p>