<p>@ivyalumni - Although I am not entirely qualified to speak for the entire group, I will say:
the idea of a college atmosphere being friendly and relaxed is to be considered as an antithesis of the cut-throat atmosphere of other colleges. We understand that the academics are hard; but the atmosphere is really more about the people. Those mentioned are colleges being noted for their friendly and helpful student body, people who are willing to help you out with the extra-hard assignments. :)</p>
<p>Okay, as long as you all know what you are getting into. If you don't like alot of competition and pressure, I would warn you about the myth of the laid back tough college. By all means, go to the prestigious universities and colleges that are mainly being discussed on this thread, but get ready for learning that behind the myth there is quite a different reality.</p>
<p>I still wonder about what it would have been like to go to a more relaxed and friendly college. And I'm not talking about the local community college.</p>
<p>i hear MIT is</p>
<p>Yeah...
Right.....</p>
<p>Williams College</p>
<p>how about most cut-throat/intense atmosphere? what colleges would you say?</p>
<p>
[quote]
A school can be laid-back or a pressure-cooker, it's really what you make of it (unless you go to Harvard or Princeton, which are extremely competetive at the expense of high rates of fun, from what i've unanimously heard).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>can't specifically speak for harvard, but i find your claim about princeton to both provincial and steeped in speculation. now, that's not to say that there isn't a population of students who go there and spend 4 years exclusively in the Firestone library. BUT (and since this thread seems to be rich in princeton review material), if this were the case for everyone, wouldn't it seem highly inconsistent with their "rankings and lists"?</p>
<p>to name a few:
happiest students (#16)
-many of the schools showing up frequently on this thread are omitted from this list
quality of life (#9)
-i assume "high rates of fun" is at least partially synonymous with this one</p>
<p>additionally, even those who do frequent/inhabit the library:
best college library (#2)
-not a shabby place to call home.</p>
<p>
[quote]
These are all very tough schools, with loads of work. While the schools and their students can be fun, don't forget all those students had to compete fiercely to get in and they expect to continue competing to continue their success.
[/quote]
At MIT (and I've heard it's the same at Caltech), there is virtually no between-student competition.</p>
<p>My theory is that the cutthroat schools are the ones which are too easy -- because everyone can get a 95% or a 100%, students are reduced to clawing at everyone else, trying to stop them from getting good grades.</p>
<p>When the majority of people recognize that the work is too difficult for them to reasonably expect a perfect score, they band together and work in collaboration, since that's far more effective than working alone. This is the route that MIT and Caltech students have chosen, and I assume students at other notoriously difficult schools.</p>
<p>So difficult, yes. Competitive, definitely not. Friendly, most certainly.</p>
<p>very well-written, mollie!</p>
<p>this truth extends to princeton also, particularly with the new grade deflation policy. some see this as a competitive fuel, but these "some" are almost never university students. grades are seldom talked about, and as so, students' drive is purely intrinsic and prompted by a love of learning (as opposed to rank or academic status). if someone does showboat an A, this attitude is usually quickly spurned. "if you arent a team player, you'll get eaten alive", as one princeton student put it.</p>
<p>so while there is this abounding idea that an elite university automatically ='s cut-throat, it is pretty offbase. particularly with the school in NJ i am very familiar with.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Cornell has the famous white cliffs that a lot of students jump off of. It's not a chill school.</p>
<p>It's great to read all this positive info about the atmosphere at Duke.</p>
<p>(Sorry for the useless post, I'm just mega excited!)</p>
<p>The College of Wooster in Ohio is a great school if you want a laid-back atmosphere with great academics. The students there are really driven and super intelligent but they are NOT intense whatsoever. Really pretty, too, and the faculty do just about anything to help you out from what I have heard from my friend.</p>
<p>Someone needs to create a list that explains the truth about Cornell. For some reason there are numerous irritating myths circulating around.</p>
<p>To get the list started...
Death of Myth #1: Cornell's suicide rate is below the national average for colleges.</p>
<p>owned...</p>
<p>Don't forget UVA. Although some students may be arrogant, it has laid-back atmosphere and is sports-oriented.</p>
<p>what about Hampshire and Ithaca?</p>
<p>Hampshire is laid back as hell, and Ithaca seems pretty cool too</p>
<p>Grinnell -- academics are demanding, but the friendliest student body anywhere. When we visited, we watched the interactions between students as much as we did the way we felt we were treated. Most students said "hi" to almost everyone they passed. I get the sense that Carleton is similarly challenging/fun-loving/friendly.</p>
<p>Princeton!!!! I have never met college students so able to have a good time and enjoy life while having a ton of work looming over them for their classes due the next day. It is truly amazing. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I do agree with a lot of your posts. </p>
<p>Stanford, Brown, Carleton, UCSC, etc...</p>
<p>Dartmouth and Cornell, not so much I'm afraid. Dartmouth kids know how to party at least, but their quarter system makes everyone very very anxious and competition for ENTRY into courses is frightening I hear.</p>
<p>Totally disagree. Dartmouth is WAY more laid back than Princeton. We often call it "Princeton without the Pretention." People go out all the time, and the hilarious kid running around campus in whip cream is in class writing about Dante an hour later. </p>
<p>Getting into courses is EASY at Dartmouth (only in govt you might have to wait if you aren't on top of it)!! Probably the best and easiest of any school in the top 15. In terms of social life, the kids are fun loving, laid back, and totally non-competitive. The D-plan while making exams occur more often, isn't a pressure cooker at all and with unique benefits like sophomore summer (best college summer in the world) and mulitple study abroads the positives tremendously outweigh the negatives. Stanford is on the quarter system too! </p>
<p>Dartmouth is not even close to Cornell in the intensity, its very similar to Stanford and more fun than Princeton.</p>
<p>So much misinformation on CC!</p>
<p>are you kidding harvard is SO cutthroat</p>
<p>I would just echo the first (and several subsequent) responses and say that Carleton is very relaxed and friendly but also academically challenging.</p>