<p>Some of the schools I've heard as being described as intense: JHU, Cornell, and UChicago. What does it mean exactly to be "intense"? Particularly difficult curriculum, overly competitive students (cutthroat or almost cutthroat), lack of interesting things to do on campus which makes it seem like there's only academics to be done? And how correct are these generalizations?</p>
<p>My definition would be working your ass off for a semester to get, if you're lucky, a B. I don't know about JH or cornell, but i've heard that Chicago fits this description well.</p>
<p>I think it's probably better to classify a major rather than a school as "intense" or "competitive." Grading and workload differences between schools tend to be exagerrated.</p>
<p>I've heard Columbia is really intense. A lot of reading. Intense classes.</p>
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I think it's probably better to classify a major rather than a school as "intense" or "competitive." Grading and workload differences between schools tend to be exagerrated.
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<p>Maybe. However, for example, the supposed suicide rate at Cornell is always mentioned. What makes Cornell's workload so different from comparable schools?</p>
<p>This depends on the student, course, department, professor and field. A school cannot be classified as intense nor can a single major. However, the right combination of these factors can really be a bear.</p>
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Maybe. However, for example, the supposed suicide rate at Cornell is always mentioned. What makes Cornell's workload so different from comparable schools?
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<p>It's not. Cornell's suicide rate is slightly below the national average. Cornell's avg. GPA is right around its peers. MIT's avg. GPA is also right around its peers. Uchicago's avg. GPA is right around its peers (if you trust the gradeinflation.org data). If you look at the hard data, instead of what people say and assume, you will find that most schools are not terribly different from each other if you control for major. There is, however, a huge difference b/w premed/engineering and, say, sociology. I don't think anyone is going to deny that.</p>
<p>About suicide: If mentally stable people are unhappy at a college, they'll make a rational choice, like transfer out. Mental illness is mental illness, and though I'm no expert on this matter I'm sure that most students who have committed suicide in college have had a history of mental illness dating back to before the time they entered college. Nobody in their mentally healthy mind would think of suicide as a resolution to a problem at a college, so it's misleading to point to a college or colleges as a "cause" of suicide.</p>
<p>And with regards to intensity, I think reputation and hearsay are the biggest factors. I work hard at Chicago, but I'm sure I'd be working similarly hard at another school.</p>
<p>It depends on one's courseload.
If one takes four writing-intensive and reading-heavy humanities courses, one will suffer at any college.</p>
<p>Science courses with lab components are hell too, I've heard.</p>