“I’m Surprised It Happened at a Good School”
The recent allegations involving seven Cornell fraternity members have prompted conversations about violence against women and sexual assault at universities. One theme I’ve noticed, both on social media and in conversations, is the response: “I’m surprised it happened at a good school.” This sentiment appears in remarks like “I’m so shocked it would happen at an Ivy” and “what a shame in a place like that.” Alongside discussions about Jane Doe’s allegations and the university’s handling of her case, I think it’s worth questioning the assumption behind these comments: that violence is somehow less likely to occur in prestigious institutions.
Selective Institutions on a Pedestal
With university and the application process becoming such a large part of young people’s lives, I think selective schools get put on a pedestal. When an institution admits only a small percentage of applicants, it can be easy to make assumptions about the people who get in. I’m guilty of this myself. When I was applying to university, I thought getting into a top school would transform me into a better version of myself. But, as obvious as it sounds, an acceptance letter doesn’t do that.
When we put highly selective schools on a pedestal, we can do the same to the people admitted to them. A low acceptance rate or a high position in university rankings cannot guarantee that an institution is free from violence. Similarly, academic achievement doesn’t necessarily tell us how someone treats other people.
Being shocked by allegations of sexual violence is understandable. What I question is why a university’s prestige should make it any more surprising.
Blaming Current Students
At the height of the discussion on social media, I also saw hostile comments directed towards current Cornell students, many of them women. On some women’s game-day posts, I saw comments telling them they should be disgusted with themselves and that they were “bad women.” Under a prospective student’s post sharing the academic results that helped her get into her dream school, Cornell, I saw comments calling her “dumb and distasteful” for wanting to attend.
These comments made me think about how unevenly we assign responsibility. Someone’s promising future shouldn’t shield them from scrutiny when they are accused of causing harm. Equally, a woman’s excitement about her education shouldn’t be treated as evidence that she dismisses sexual violence.
Attending a university doesn’t mean endorsing everything that happens there. A nineteen-year-old posting about a football game or celebrating an acceptance isn’t necessarily making a statement about the allegations or the university’s response. We don’t know someone’s views, or their personal experiences, from an unrelated social media post.
Students can contribute to conversations about their university’s culture, but that is different from expecting individual women to answer for institutional decisions. Criticising those decisions does not require attacking women simply for attending. In fact, I’d argue that blaming women instead of holding men accountable is what creates the social environment for sexual violence to take place.
Will This Stop People from Applying?
This is another question I’ve heard online and in person. Some applicants may reconsider Cornell, while others may still want to attend. I don’t think either decision, on its own, tells us how seriously someone takes sexual violence.
There’s also research suggesting that public scrutiny over sexual assault doesn’t necessarily discourage applications. A 2019 study, published in Economics of Education Review, found that applications and enrolment increased following federal Title IX investigations into universities’ handling of sexual assault. This doesn’t predict what will happen at Cornell or explain any individual applicant’s decision, but it complicates the assumption that such scrutiny will necessarily make people stop applying.
Wanting the opportunities a university offers and questioning its handling of sexual assault are positions someone can hold at the same time.
Overall
There are many ways to express concern about sexual violence, but I think we need to question why a prestigious name makes it more surprising. We can hold universities accountable without blaming women simply for attending them, and recognise academic achievement without treating it as proof of someone’s character. When we say, “I’m surprised it happened at a good school,” it’s worth asking where we would have found it less surprising, and why. Wherever someone studies, their experience deserves the same seriousness and concern.