Cornell is an academically rigorous school, but the student body is not competitive; if anything, they are uplifting. I have met tutors who will do anything they can to help you with your problem set, classmates who go out of their way to help you, teachers who understand that problems arise and are flexible when it comes to personal health, and more. People at Cornell are not here to put others down; they are here to lift others and themselves up, and that's what makes Cornell a great academic institution.