Ivy League Student Happiness

I have a friend who’s brother attends Brown University, and he apparently took a medical leave of absence because he got depressed due to the environment. I’m afraid something similar may happen to me if I attend one of the Ivies. Do students at places like Harvard and Yale have a higher probability to become depressed?

I know a similar person, majoring in Singing at Stanford, who did the same. But that’s not to say depression among students is exclusive to Ivies or elite private schools. It happens all over, and there is much data out there. Combination of high expectations, living alone without family, financial pressure, internal and external pressures, relationship issues, etc all can contribute to college student depression at any school.

The probability isn’t higher. If you already struggle with depression, the risk of becoming dressed again while in college might increase at any college if you don’t take steps to take care of your mental health to mitigate that risk.

No. But there is a LOT of pressure to succeed at the very top schools. There are plenty of stories of students not being able to handle the environment. Wait until you are accepted to one of those schools before you worry about it.

I’ve heard of super stressed out unhappy students at several Ivies – Princeton, Harvard, Columbia. As others have said, stress and depression are not exclusive at exclusive unis, but Ivies are often considered a sort of golden ticket to happiness.

They are not.

Unfortunately yes. There is a correlation between high IQ and levels of anxiety.

That is a generalization that floats around a lot on this forum. I do not agree, no. There are happy people at Harvard and at any state U., and unhappy people at Harvard and at any state U.

I know plenty of Harvard students who seem “happy.”

Debrees, please cite the correlation you describe.

And of course there are people with high IQ’s at state universities as well.

I echo everything @compmom said and add it depends on the student’s desire to study and ability to function with little free time. If studying on Saturday is something a student doesn’t want to do, he or she will find Harvard stressful.

Despite cries of grade inflation, Harvard classes require a lot of work for that A-. Some students thrive on that and others don’t. There are also plenty social options but I doubt you’ll find many getting drunk four nights per week.

Is this a question for whether you should consider it or out of curiosity?

My comment wasn’t meant to disparage Harvard. Sorry if it came that way. It was more of a general comment to the OP. There is plenty of research that shows a correlation between high IQ and worry and anxiety (not sure if CC allows hyperlinks). The comment would apply to any selective university with a bunch of super smart people. That’s all I was saying.

Going back to the original question. This is just my opinion based partly on having attended a couple of universities, and partly on reading threads on CC and listening to a few students over the years:

I think that many people want to go to highly ranked universities because they are highly ranked or because they think it is going to make them successful in life. IMHO these are bad reasons. If highly ranked universities are actually academically stronger than other schools, it is because they expect students to take in information faster and to work harder. Some students love it, some hate it, many are in the middle somewhere. After a few years of very hard work you will need to know why you are doing it in order to be happy doing it. A student should only go to a highly ranked school if they really do want to work harder and want to take on the stress.

“If studying on Saturday is something a student doesn’t want to do, he or she will find Harvard stressful.”

Yes, and this is not limited to Harvard.

Good answer DadofTwoGirls. Some students love writing papers. Seriously.

IMO, Each person creates his/her own happiness, which is influenced by a variety of internal and external factors. It is not directly caused by any university.

While I agree that each person creates their own happiness and that there are happy people and unhappy people at any university, in my experience the MORE selective a college, the MORE stressed out students tend to be. And, often times being stressed out leads to loneliness, isolation and unhappiness – and that’s true whether the college is HYPSM or another top brand name school. The subject matter is a topic in many on-campus publications, including The Harvard Crimson. Here’s one recent article: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/10/30/class-miranda-loneliness/

FWIW: I also firmly believe the same level of stress which occurs at HYPSM et al does NOT occur at the same level of intensity at a state university. If you can’t stand the heat, don’t go into the kitchen!

Gibby your post does not reflect the experience of the young people I know at Harvard. Not at all. I am sure there are subsets with different experiences but the real point is, there are many such subsets so generalizing is really not helpful.

To be fair, it’s not “his” post - he quotes an article in the Crimson and the balance is opinion. While it may not reflect your experience, I do now many people at Harvard who would concur with him. I also know many who would disagree. While there have been times where the user has used his daughter as a data point of one, I don’t see it here. Regardless, IMO, there will never be 100% consensus amongst 7000 undergraduates agreeing to whether of not they are more happy or stressed than their cohorts at other universities, whether public or private.

Are Harvard students more stressed out and unhappier than ones who attend public universities?

Yes, and here’s why:
I’m going to a state school. I’m okay with getting a B. I study after school but go to bed by 10-11 every night. I usually make time to relax and hang out with friends on the weekends.

My friends who are going to Ivies check their grades compulsively, and would be extremely disappointed with even a 93. They have admitted that they usually get little sleep, if any, because they’re up all night studying. Their entire weekends are spent studying and doing extracurriculars.

So if the state school is filled with people like me, and the Ivies are filled with type-A overachievers, who do you think will be less stressed out?

I went to a state school. I was not OK with a B. I would make repeated trips to the classroom where grades were posted on a printout with SS#'s (my how things have changed), and I functioned a 4-6 hours of sleep per night because I had a job and social life outside of school. Type A’s are everywhere. Was I the normal student a thing my state school? No. But the students in my social circle were similar. But I would have never considered myself overstressed and unhappy. A type A may seem stressed to others but fine on the inside.

Note that students at Ivies may stress over a 93 because that’s an A- and not worth 4 points toward GPA. I’m sure that varies by college.

Well I mean…state schools really vary? I mean UMich Ann Arbor is a state school, and it’s very good! I just only applied to in-state schools so I’m going there by default.

But like…why would you have been so upset with a B in the first place? Were you planning on going to grad school?