having my throat ripped out

<p>Will i have that ripped out becuase i heard that this school is extremely competitive?</p>

<p>I'm not sure what they meant by 'competitive.' The admissions pool is very competitive- mostly everyone that applies are very strong students and very involved. So it that way, it is competitive.</p>

<p>But it is NOT competitive in the way that once you get in, everyone is worried about each other's grades. It's sort of considered impolite to ask about grades there, although I've heard in certain majors or certain groups of friends it's a little more common. In general, however, they're not really talked about and GPAs aren't even calculated. So Swarthmore actually has a very non-competitive atmosphere. </p>

<p>And, nah, I don't think your throat will be ripped out, but feel free to make fun of whoever told you it was competitive. :D</p>

<p>^Agreed. Swarthmore adheres to its Quaker principles and, as such, I would expect that the atmosphere is more cooperative than competitive. That's not to say that the student body isn't brilliant, but I would think that a premium is put on learning, and not on winning.</p>

<p>oh ok
i know getting in is competitive but i just needed to know about the when you get in. Because i heard like there is always pressure on to keep up or something along those lines
jesus</p>

<p>It really doesn't feel competitive once you're here. Swat's known for an incredibly non-competitive atmosphere...grades aren't really discussed, GPA/class rank isn't calculated by the school at all, and if you need help there are a billion ways to get it and there's no stigma attached. Most Swatties do have an inner drive to do better and be better, but that's more of a personal, non-Swarthmore-created thing.</p>

<p>Your throat will be fine. :)</p>