Ambitiousteen

Yah so my question is that why is everyone so in love with IVY schools?
What makes an IVY school IVY?
What is the definition of IVY and why are there only 8?

I grew up learning that IVY schools are prestigious schools and everyone who wants to be someone goes there....

No offense, I also learned that IVY schools are just a way to give yourself a brand name on a resume to look good around the world when applying for a job since the IVY school has already represented itself positively and all you gotta do is graduate from there to carry that reputation...

My dad wants me to apply to these IVIES and so does my counselor and teachers.... i have completely no interest even if I've already been scouted by some of these schools by recommendations sent from my teachers to other professors at these IVY schools...

I have no clue why, i just accepted the fact IVIES are the "greatest"... now i think they are not anything special except the fact that they've established themselves better and earlier than other universities...

Opinions, and responses to my questions would be grateful

Sincerely,

Ambitiousteen


P.S. i was not trying to be boa****l about the "scouted" part... its just a true fact and i never requested that to be done... my teachers went along for it anyways.. i've developed contacts with ivy schools but never had the guts to ask why are you claimed to be so "IVY/Great"?...

Erin's Dad

Some of the esteem is due to their age (7 of the oldest 9 colleges in the country are in the Ivys). Some of it is really because they offer among the best educations in the world. Another part is because the alumni do tend to watch out for their own so you have some inroads for jobs.

citygirlsmom

the same (except for the age thing and sports connections) can be said for dozens and dozens of other schools-

and old doesn't always mean best imo

Ambitiousteen

Thank for the opinions, that still never answered my questions lol... i already knew all those pieces of information...

i would really like to know what makes them different lol and really would like someone to answer my 4 previous questions on the earlier post...

I am quite interested/ actually considered Johns Hopkins as my dream school and do not know why people claim JHU isnt as great as getting accepted/applying for IVIES...

Also, im the last person to jump on a bandwagon... lol

Ambitiousteen

And to let you have the low down of what my life is going to be like:

4 years BSc
MD/PhD program with speciality in pediatric thoracic surgery (probably 10 years)
Take residency at Kaiser Premanente with my aunt who is heading the cardiovascular department at that specific hospital.
Train as a doctor for 10 years at any pediatrics hospital in the US or Canada
After 10 years as an official Doctor, go and teach at a university.

so ill be graduating high school in June 2009 at 17 years old (skipped a grade)

finish BSc at 21
Finished Med with speciality at about 28-30 years old
32-34 after finishing residency
42-44 after practicing as a surgeon
45 is when ill be hopefully teaching at a university (preferably teach at a med school or undergrad level)

lol talk about planning your life... LOL

aspasp

^ If it were only that easy my friend

Ambitiousteen

LOL, i know what you mean... its one thing to say it, but another to actually go through with...

Thats why i wrote down these goals LOL... writing something is better than saying something when its somethin important to keep in mind.

ChadtheRTF

"No offense, I also learned that IVY schools are just a way to give yourself a brand name on a resume to look good around the world when applying for a job since the IVY school has already represented itself positively and all you gotta do is graduate from there to carry that reputation..."

You just answered your own question. That's a reason enough in itself to go to an Ivy, but John Hopkins is a pretty good school too, especially for medicine. I think you'd have the same chance of getting into a good med school as just about any other Ivy grad.

CollegeBoundSoon

Riddle: What do you call a doctor who graduated last in his class?

tinuviel

I've just heard that often the Ivies have absolutely mind-boggle-ing-ly huge endowments, which makes them excellent if you want to do research or need a lot of financial aid.

But yeah, they're brand names, and everything seems to be taught by TAs.

bmwdan13

People like easy categories. It's easier to generalize a good school as an "Ivy League School" than to call it "one of the top ten or fifteen colleges in the country".

That being said, a few of the Ivies have the resources and student talent to be right at the top- but so do Stanford, MIT, CalTech, JHU, NU, etc. People know those schools are incredible, too.

bigp9998

The Ivys are nothing more than an athletic conference which happens to be made up of really good schools. I don't think anyone would scoff at your degree from Stanford or the University of Chicago just because they don't regularly play women's water polo against Cornell.

I'm not going to give you the same 'there are hundreds of great schools' because I think thats a bit of a copout, but I will say that there are several dozen top schools, both universities and LACs, that are not in the Ivy League.

tokenadult

Start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League

For follow-up, find a comfortable chair and read:

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/papers/1287.pdf

cgarrett101@aol.

It's a combination of the opportunities available in a well-endowed college, that you will be endlessly challenged, and the people you will meet there.

riverrunner

tinuviel, classes at Ivies aren't taught by TAs, but you're right about the endowments.