<p>The more I bop around NU threads (such as the 2014 stats' thread+, eg) or even try to go to the NU table at a college fair, I get a distinct sense of ...*competitive tension and stress * from the students and even the parents. I even heard people on a thread or two on CC characterize the ethos at NU as 'competitive'. A parent friend of mine last yr said that when she visited NU for a prospie day , there was this mad dash to get handouts, with elbows flyin'.</p>
<p>What say y'all - is student life, especially academics, at NU 'take it easy' (but work hard) and collaborative, or stress-y and uber competitive?</p>
<p>But maybe the kind of person who must get into the ‘top schools’ (on the east coast) is a kind of competitive type, and therefore might be screwed together a little tighter?</p>
<p>My daughter’s experience has been one of cooperation between the students. Some of her classes had student created study groups to help each other, for her intensive reading classes two or three kids split the reading and then passed their notes around, etc. </p>
<p>The thread you refer to is a pain, just a few people’s view, which can be at any college.</p>
<p>My sister is an alumni and called it Darwinian-survival of the fittest. She loved her time there though and said there was some collaboration but overall vibe is competitive. I attended summer quarter and found no collaboration and just competitiveness, however, some of the students were not regular NU students (about 50/50 split that quarter). Northwestern, to me, lacked some heart and soul but a lot of competitive kids don’t mind that.</p>
<p>Extrapolating from your experience as a visiting student over one summer surrounded by other visiting students 25 years ago is a bit of a stretch. This is just not the school, campus, town or city it was in 1985. The only elite university I’d consider LESS competitive than the Northwestern of today is Brown.</p>
<p>Bala
You are right it has been a long time (and my summer as I mentioned was not typical) My sister and friends did complete the four years though yes, it was long ago :). I will be very happy if it has truly changed and become a less competitive, and more collaborative school as my niece has been accepted and may attend. However others have posted in the past years that it still has a very competitive, less than nuturing environment with a slightly cold administration --all traits it had 25 years ago. Probably dependent on area of study if you want to be thorough about this. NU has many fine points not discussed here. This is just a discussion on competitiveness vs. collaboration. My opinion, from the ancient, ancient past in which we lived, is that it is more competitive than collaborative. Premed, sciences and bus/econ to be exact. I am glad you have not experienced that. </p>
<p>If you are comparing against any Ivy league, than yes I would assume it is less competitive. I think it is all perspective and personal taste as to what one considers competitive and “Darwinian”. I went to Ohio State-we generally hate all types of elitism anyhow:)</p>
<p>I’m an engineer so I can’t speak for all school but I’ve found it to be extremely collaborative. No one will hand over their answers for sure but if you put work in and still don’t understand it, they will help you out. It’s competitive but it isn’t cut throat.</p>
<p>While doing HW assignments I usually work by myself till I get stuck. Most do that. People always help each other out then :)</p>
<p>Not to hijack my own thread, but to attempt to better answer the question, I wonder what school or schools is close to the model collaborative school, and what school or schools is close to the model competitive school. Sort of the Platonic form of each. :)</p>
<p>btw, words that are kin to competitive/collaborative are: mean, thoughtless, ‘won’t give you the time of day’/ nice, thoughtful, helpful.</p>
<p>Recall that a school is mostly the student body and only in smaller measure teachers, administrators and facilities, with all due respect to the latter three. The students that are let be in will give the college the competitive or collaborative vibe. Yes, admissions IS the gatekeeper and might look for certain characteristics. But methinks the biggest characteristics admissions looks for are things that USNews likes, and USNews does not have a ‘nice factor’ to help make up its rankings.</p>
<p>As with many things, competitiveness and collaboration can admit to degrees. NU is not as competitive as the east coast elites, but there are other colleges from my little lookseeing that I have heard are ‘nice’ (kenyon, Lawrence , eg, I have heard and read).</p>
<p>Bala has trotted out Brown as the least competitive of the elites.</p>
<p>It has been pointed out that different programs at the same school might have varying degrees of competitiveness.</p>
<p>Since you mentioned the adminstration, it’s only fair if you also take a look at the huge amount of collaboration among faculty in different departments and schools. NU is one of the best in that regard. The highly integrated Engineering First curriculum has been jointly developed by faculty in various engineering departments and superior to most others. We also have one of the best engineering CO-OP and I think the adminstration in the engineering school is better than many out there. Students/faculty in engineering, medical, and business schools work together fro NUvention. When it comes to quality interdisciplinary programs like MMSS and ISP, very few schools match that even to this day even though those programs began in the 70s. It’s no coincidence that the first material science department was founded at NU. The Kellogg school also pioneered the emphasis of teamwork in MBA curriculum back in the 80s. Sure, the dorms could have been better but that doesn’t mean the administration is cold; NU’s adminstration seems to be more concentrated in the academics side while some other schools may be a bit more even. They just have different perspective as to what areas are more important to their mission.</p>
<p>No one, unless they transferred, is going to be able to give you a firsthand comparison of a competitive/noncompetitive school. I have heard Cornell is very competitive.</p>
<p>All indications are that Northwestern is not one of the ultra-competitive cutthroat schools like Cornell or Johns Hopkins as it relates to engineering. While most people at Northwestern are certainly aware of maintaining their edge, it seems to be much more of a collaborative atmosphere.</p>