There's an assumption that Hopkins students are sexual elitists. They feel they deserve the most attractive members of their desired sex, often aiming for people who are considerably out of their league.
This often leads to the assumption that Towson and Loyola students are more desirable, because they are generally more attractive as a population.
Sure, Hopkins has some academic elitism, and it's often well deserved. But I find little evidence that Hopkins students are any pickier than other college co-eds.
You hear these complaints at parties where beer goggles aren't enough. You hear them on the Beach where shirtless Frisbee just isn't helping. You even hear it in Einstein's the morning after.
Why do we think we deserve better? Is it because our mothers have been telling us we're special for so long that we've started to believe them? Maybe, maybe. But here are some better ones.
It might correlate to the 53:47 gender ratio. Are girls treated more respectfully and more like prized jewels than they would be at other universities because there are fewer of them at Hopkins?
I don't find that to be the case. Hopkins guys here have as diverse attitudes towards women as male students at any other college - ranging from really ignorant and degrading to gentlemanly and respectful. Hopkins men don't seem concerned by the ratios.
Sophomore Amanda Kirkhart feels that all too often guys have "egos the size of elephants because of what school they got in to ... They assume that girls here will find that attractive even if they're not."
While this sense of accomplishment is likely deserved, it can seriously taint both romantic relationships and other social encounters.
One senior says that "most Hopkins students, both guys and girls, attach their hard work and success in the classroom with deserved success outside of them."
This does not necessarily correlate to becoming a magnet for large hordes of people pining for your well-read body.
Another serious concern is the "D-level syndrome," which is not related to the D-level challenge at all. This is the condition where students spend too much time working in labs and the library and forget how to interact with people. They enter a social situation armed with their recent curve-setting grade and expect to be lauded and fondled.
Sadly, biochem pillow talk is only amusing for a little while, and it has to be followed with some physical interaction. This "syndrome" is what worries me most on this campus, that people really do lose touch with social realities.
Why were there so many drunk girls on Saturday? Because Hopkins destroyed Maryland.
If you don't know that, you can't celebrate properly, and your one-night stand chances decrease sharply.
A related problem is the Beauty and the Geek syndrome. Sophomore Zainab Nejati describes it as "the whole idea of rich and successful men having supermodels as arm candy regardless of how ugly and socially inept they are."
I have only seen this backfire. Either the relationship is already established from high school, or the guy gets turned down in a big way. If you have a romantic success story for this one, let me know. I'm actually really curious.
One crucial fact is that both genders on this campus have the same right to selectivity. The guys have every right to seek attractive and intelligent gene pools, but the girls are also allowed to turn down lopsided offers.
The girls here are just as smart and just as attractive, and as sophomore Sarah Sanchez said, they "don't need to settle for your ugly ass."
It's important to remember that when it comes to different cultures and lifestyles, Hopkins has a very diverse student base. It may not be an undeserved self-righteousness that caused you to get turned down - it might be a personal preference or religious affiliation.
The best thing to do is try not to be egotistical while remaining confident.
