Why are they called Ivy League schools?
Before moving on to their application process and other details, we must understand what the Ivy League Schools are and why they are called so:
- The Ivy League are a group of eight private universities and colleges, geographically located in the northeastern United States.
- Most of the schools in the Ivy League can be traced back to colonial America.
- These schools were originally grouped together for their athletic conferences in 1954 with league competitions formally beginning in the later years, i.e., 1956-57.
- The term “Ivy” comes from the popular 19th-century ceremony of “planting the ivy” leading to the celebration of “Ivy Day” symbolling growth, while the term “league” comes from a reference made by the sportswriter Stanley Woodward of the New York Herald Tribune, who in 1933 coined it while writing about a football match between the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Columbia, per a report by Britannica.
- The term refers to the ivy-covered buildings on the campuses of these schools.
- Over time, they started garnering attention given their strong athletic integrity and eventually gained the reputation as the epitomes of academic excellence as they attracted huge funding, well-learned faculties and research grants.
- Today, they are widely recognised for academics even more than sports given their highly competitive selection process and generous financial aid initiatives.
List of Ivy League schools and their locations
The following is a list of all the Ivy League schools along with their locations in the country:
- Princeton University: Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746, it is the fourth oldest institution of higher education in the country. It offers well-known programmes in subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Public Policy, Engineering, Neuroscience, Computational Biology, etc. and has an alumni network including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Michelle Obama, and Jeff Bezos among others.
- Harvard University: The oldest institution of higher learning in the country, Harvard University, was founded in 1636 and is located in Boston, Massachusetts. Big names such as Bill Gates, Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy, etc. have studied at the university. The university is known as the pioneer for its Law School with several programmes in Business, Medicine and Liberal Arts, Data Science and Genomics being popular.
- Yale University: Founded in 1701, Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut. Offering high-quality programmes in subjects such as Political Science and Law, Music, Environmental Science, Global Health, Economics, and Art and Drama; the university has been home to names like Hilary Clinton, Meryl Streep and George H. W. Bush.
- University of Pennsylvania: The reputed University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1740 and is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With an alumni network that includes Noam Chomsky, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, the university is known for specialised courses in Business, Healthcare, Robotics, Economics, and Technology.
- Cornell University: Cornell University is located in Ithaca New York and was founded in 1865. The university offers programmes with specialisation in Hotel Administration, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture and Life Sciences. Notable names such as Toni Morrison, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Bill Nye have studied here.
- Brown University: Brown University, founded in 1764, is located in Providence, Rhode Island. It has been associated with names such as Emma Watson and John F. Kennedy; offering reputed programmes in Creative Writing, Public Health, Cognitive Science, and Computational Neuroscience.
- Columbia University: The university is located in New York City, New York, having been founded in the year 1754. The university offers courses in Journalism, Architecture, business, Film Studies, Artificial Intelligence, and International Affairs. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Warren Buffett, and Alexander Hamilton are a few names associated with the university.
- Dartmouth College: The institution was founded in 1769 and is situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It is known for courses in Liberal Arts, Engineering, Arctic Studies, and Environmental Studies and is associated with names including Robert Frost and Jake Tapper.
How do you apply to an Ivy League school?
Securing a seat for a programme at an Ivy League School can be tough given the highly competitive selection process. These schools have various requisites in order for one to become eligible for a programme at their campus. The following can be referred to as the general eligibility criteria:
- Strong Academics: It is a no-brainer that these schools require the aspirants to possess a very strong academic background with 3.8 and above GPA scores.
- Tests: A few of these schools require the candidates to attempt tests such as SAT or ACT. A high score in such exams can certainly build a good rapport for students.
- Extracurriculars / Volunteering Experiences: As previously mentioned, Ivy League Schools are known for their athletic and social eminence as well. Therefore, the universities certainly take candidates’ involvement into extracurricular activities in consideration.
- Essays: The application process for these schools also includes writing stellar essays, sometimes multiple essays emphasising one’s strengths and uniqueness.
- Letter of Recommendation: A strong recommendation can play a crucial role in securing a seat at the Ivy League.
What are the acceptance rates at Ivy League schools?
The Ivy League Schools are infamous for their low acceptance rates. Typically, each university receives a copious number of applications every year, out of which, only a handful of students are accepted depending on the university’s capacity and vacancies. Per a report by Times Higher Education,
- Harvard University’s acceptance rate for the students who began their course in 2024, i.e., the class of 2028 was only 3.59 per cent.
- While Yale had an acceptance rate of 3.7 per cent.
- Similarly, Brown University accepted 5.4 per cent of total student applications.
- Columbia University accepted 3.85 per cent of students.
- Cornell University: 7.5 per cent
- Dartmouth College: 5.3 per cent
- Princeton University: 4.6 per cent
- University of Pennsylvania: 6 per cent
How much does it cost to study at an Ivy League college?
The cost of studying at the most prestigious institutions in the world is dauntingly high for obvious reasons. Especially given the fact that these are private universities, the tuition fee is quite high for all students irrespective of the fact whether they are domestic or international students. Besides, the living and other day-to-day expenses in the country, particularly in cities like New York can add further to the cost.
The average tuition fee at an Ivy League School can cost 56,550 American Dollars and up. This means that the total cost can go 86,000 Dollars and above.
What financial aid can I receive from Ivy League schools?
Despite the high tuition fees, Ivy League Schools remain the top choice for students across the world. This is due to the fact that these universities only judge aspirants based on their merits and can offer huge scholarships, bursaries and financial aid to students who are meritorious but cannot afford to join here. For all domestic students, these universities function on a “need-blind” basis. This means that any student hailing from the US can apply, and the university will take care of them financially. Whereas these universities aid international students in other forms of financial aid such as grants, work-study arrangements, or student loans. Though the rich students are overrepresented at Ivy Leagues, the universities aim to diversify their campuses by making themselves available to all students irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds.
What reputation do Ivy League schools have?
Ivy League Schools hailed for their sense of tradition in addition to their cultural and historic prestige, hold very strong reputations not just in the United States of America, but across the globe. The distinguished faculties, small class sizes, and mentorship programmes certainly add to their stature and name. It is an indisputable fact that education here can open doors to endless opportunities whether it is in the public or private sector, with international employers including government agencies, top multinational organisations and research centres regarding these schools’ degrees elite. However, one must understand that the Ivy League’s influence extends far beyond the academic circles. These schools play a very significant role in improving the economy of the nation, investing millions and billions in infrastructure, libraries, laboratories, research and start-ups enhancing employability, apart from preparing future leaders. Further, the alumni network ranging from politicians to supreme court judges, writers to artists and directors invariably influences the country and the world alike.
Do Ivy League universities include graduate schools?
All the Ivy League Universities include graduate schools where students can pursue any level of advanced education from master’s to post-doctoral as well as research degrees:
- Harvard University: The university has Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Business School, etc.
- Dartmouth College: This institution has the Geisel School of Medicine, Tuck School of Business, Graduate Studies Program, etc. for its students.
- Princeton University: The university is known for the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton Graduate School, etc.
- Columbia University: Columbia Business School, Columbia Law School, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, etc. are reputed at Columbia University.
- Yale University: Yale University has Yale School of Management, Yale Law School, Yale School of Medicine, Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, etc.
- Cornell University: Cornell University has the Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell Law School, Weill Cornell Medicine, Graduate School, etc.
- Brown University: Brown School of Public Health, Brown University Graduate School, etc. are highly acknowledged at Brown University.
- University of Pennsylvania: The University of Pennsylvania is known for its Wharton School of Business, Penn Law, Perelman School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, etc.
What is the difference between the Ivy League and other universities?
The major difference between the Ivy League and other universities lies in the huge reputation held by the Ivy League Schools. These universities rank highly in several rankings such as QS University Rankings or Times Higher Education University Rankings. They are regarded as elite universities globally and are sure-shot ways of carving a successful career in any field. Any graduate from these universities is bound to be hovered by a number of reputed employers.
However, this is not to say that there are no other reputable institutions in the world besides the Ivy League. Highly acclaimed universities such as Stanford, Oxford, UCD, TCD, University of Melbourne, MIT, etc. offer equally rigorous programmes and opportunities. Studying in the Ivy League appears to be a matter of prestige though.
However, this is not to say that there are no other reputable institutions in the world besides the Ivy League. Highly acclaimed universities such as Stanford, Oxford, UCD, TCD, University of Melbourne, MIT, etc. offer equally rigorous programmes and opportunities. Studying in the Ivy League appears to be a matter of prestige though.
Conclusion
In conclusion, studying at an Ivy League School is certainly commendable given the competitive application processes. Their reputation and social prestige make them better than other highly reputed universities, however, the dream to study at these schools is not an impossible one. The students must research and conclude the best suited options and must stay in contact with the university in order to receive the best options.
FAQs on Ivy League Schools:
Yes, any Indian student meeting the eligibility criteria laid by their targeted university and course can get into the Ivy League. The schools invite international students every year, offering financial aid and specialised programmes.
Yes, any student hailing from CBSE can get into Ivy League schools given that they fulfil the required eligibility criteria.
