<p>What colleges and universities have reputations for highly competitive, even cut-throat, student bodies? In your opinion, or based on your experience, is the reputation warranted?</p>
<p>Competitiveness is really more dependent on the major than the university.</p>
<p>For example, premed at WUStL and Johns Hopkins are cutthroat.</p>
<p>Premed at Hopkins isn't cutthroat, despite the popular and disparaging comments made on this board. I highly doubt WUSTL is bad either.</p>
<ol>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>Wharton</li>
<li>All the other top schools</li>
</ol>
<p>I'm not saying there's no throat-cutting going on at other colleges, obviously there is, but you will find it more as part of a program, esp. things like pre-law, pre-med, engineering, econ/management, where everyone is competing for the same schools/jobs, than as part of a school spirit. </p>
<p>Nowhere but at Harvard and Wharton is dick-measuring and competition so ingrained in the school "spirit." At Wharton, although this of course has its drawbacks, this being a business school, it's actually channelled toward positive things. </p>
<p>But at Harvard, you have kids who their all lives have done nothing but overachieve and yearn for recognition, who were at the top of anyone they knew their entire life, and are suddenly realizing hey, they're not such hot ****, and they'd better kick it into high(er) gear if they still want the adoration of mommy and daddy. Not. Good. One of the many reasons why UMass Cambridge sucks.</p>
<p>Do you lack common sense or something? All of the big name schools in CT are very cutthroat.</p>
<ol>
<li>University of New Haven (Social Skills)</li>
<li>University of Bridgeport (Ebonics)</li>
<li>UCONN - Stamford (Plumming)</li>
<li>WestConn St. (Janatorial Studies)</li>
<li>SoConn St. (Babysitting)</li>
<li>Gibbs College (Reading)</li>
<li>Norwalk Community College (Hygiene)</li>
<li>Wallingford University (Bridgeport Relations)</li>
<li>Yale, possibly; probably not (Molecular Cell Theory)</li>
</ol>
<br>
<ol> <li>Harvard</li> <li>Harvard</li> </ol>
<br>
<p>This is asserted only by people who do not attend Harvard. Every actual Harvard undergraduate that I know (and I know a bunch) says that the atmosphere at Harvard is far more cooperative than it is competitive.</p>
<p>Umm .. Caltech and MIT.</p>
<p>your missing a couple other cuthroats-</p>
<p>Suny ALbany (hiking)
SOCONN State (pro bono jobs)
Eastern Conn- (Sailing)
Housatonic Community (silk screen)
Central Conn (librarianal studies)</p>
<p>the UC's (well, most of them)</p>
<p>
No. You have no idea what you are talking about.</p>
<p>GatorEng23: I wouldn't characterize competition at UCs to be cutthroat. Competitive in some majors, but overall, I don't think cutthroat.</p>
<p>It's obvious that no college is cutthroat.</p>
<p>kyledavid, although I didn't mention it, that's what I meant (should) have said. Engineering/pre-anything at UC's is pretty cutthroat, correct me if I am wrong.</p>
<p>I know a few people at Caltech and they would say it's extremely freakin' hard, but not cutthroat. Difficulty does not equate to competitiveness.</p>
<p>cornell is supposedly pretty bad, i've heard stories of pages ripped out of library books to prevent others from getting access</p>
<p>
[quote]
Difficulty does not equate to competitiveness.
[/quote]
My personal thought is that difficulty precludes competitiveness -- you can only be cutthroat when a subject is easy enough that you can afford to sabotage other people.</p>
<p>When you're in science and engineering at MIT and Caltech (and other places, I'm sure), you can't afford to be cutthroat -- you have to rely on other people to help you do your problem sets and study for tests, and if you're a jerk, other people won't help you.</p>
<p>cornell is supposedly pretty bad, i've heard stories of pages ripped out of library books to prevent others from getting access</p>
<p>WOW, that is messed up!</p>
<p>Not all of the UC's are cutthroat, but UC Berkeley is. Competition there (especially in fields like engineering) is fierce.</p>
<p>^^ I don't think so. (Not from what I've found, at least.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
i've heard stories of pages ripped out of library books to prevent others from getting access
[/quote]
Are you a student there or are they second hand stories? I've heard the same stories about a dozen different colleges including Hopkins (where I go) but I doubt any of them are true.</p>