In the past I have visited several schools where try have highlighted their constructive atmosphere and lack of cut throat competition. I am familiar with many schools that have this sense of extreme competition within the class (Cornell and JHU to name a couple) but I am not nearly as informed on those with a more constructive atmosphere where classmates tend to help each other out rather than just keep pushing to the front and trying to outdo one another. Now I’ve heard Vandy is in this ballpark, but can anybody help me out here?
Brown would probably lead the list of non cut-throat elite schools.
This is just what I’ve heard from one person, so take it with a grain of salt. Don’t shoot me if I’m misinformed, everyone.
From what I’ve been told by an acquaintance that goes to Harvard, the atmosphere there is actually rather laid back. Everyone’s interests are so specialized and unique to them that it cuts out a lot of the competition found at other schools. I think that this is due in part to the diversity in Harvard’s student body. Since Harvard represents so many different ethnic groups and socioeconomic backgrounds (among other things like religion and sexual orientation,) it’s not surprising that so many students have passions that differ from one another. It’s hard to be “better” than someone else when you’re both off studying different subjects, even if that subject is underneath the same umbrella major.
I hope this helped!
Some of the top schools that I’ve heard of as having a less “cut throat” atmosphere are Duke, Georgetown and Brown.
Duke, with certainty.
I would not be surprised if “cut throat” applied more to specific courses and majors where grading curves are used but students need A grades for their goals (e.g. courses which pre-meds take, or prerequisites to majors which are competitive admission but do not admit frosh directly), rather than specific schools.
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@ucbalumnus (re post #5): I’m sure it does, HOWEVER there are prevalent institutional cultures, as well. I suspect that is what the OP would like to ascertain.
@TopTier that’s exactly it, thank you!
Any others?
Bump
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Vanderbilt has the happiest students according to Princeton Review.
Yale actually has a very good reputation in this regard.
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WashU is known for happy students and its collaborative mentality. You may also be interested in LACs - I think many are more supportive rather than cutthroat.
@minohi - I won’t shoot you, but I don’t think your acquaintance’s perspective is accurate…
33% of Harvard’s class majors in Social Sciences (Econ/Pre-Wall Street) and 15% in Biology (Pre-Med)
They have over 800 students in the intro CS class and over 700 students in the intro Econ class.
Unless you are majoring in East Tunisian Camel Studies it tends to be rather competitive - both academically and socially.
Rice.
Brown probably has the least competitive culture for an Ivy, but Tufts probably has the least competitive culture in the Northeast. For NESCAC colleges, Bates also seems to have a less competitive culture.
I would guess that the least competitive culture would be a LAC somewhere in the Midwest.
Not a perfect indicator, but the notion of “work hard, play hard” tends to suggest a competitive culture. I would have concerns about any college on this list:
http://www.businessinsider.com/colleges-where-students-work-and-party-2014-10#
For engineering, Olin.
That “work hard, play hard” is what most students claim to be true for their school. It does not necessarily connote competitive but that students give their all to both. It’s a tired expression tho. A way for studious students to protest the idea that they are grinders or nerds.
^ I don’t see what’s so wrong about a being a nerd (but I’m a nerd by almost every definition of the word, so its probably just me that feels this way.)
I go to a school that’s pretty average on both the party and prestige scale - no more than most schools, but no less, so I don’t know if I’m the right person to discuss the “work hard, play hard” mentality.
As an aside, Case Western appeared on the link that was previously posted and I chuckled. I don’t really perceive it to be that type of school at all. (This coming from someone who considered it as one of my top 4 options after acceptances came in.)
Notre dame, BC, UNC.
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