<p>I think using the term “Ivy League” shortchanges certain universities. The Ivy League is a group of 8 distinct and elite universities. Schools like MIT and Caltech, Stanford and Duke, Chicago and Johns Hopkins, Michigan and Cal are all elite too, no better and no worse than the Ivy League, but they are completely different. A better way of looking at it is to group universities by region. </p>
<p>Elite Eastern universities:
Amherst
Bowdoin
Brown
Columbia
Cornell
Dartmouth
Georgetown
Harvard
Haverford
Johns Hopkins
Middlebury
MIT
Penn
Princeton
Swarthmore
Wesleyan
Williams
Yale</p>
<p>Obviously, there are variations in the quality of the schools above. Amherst is better than Haverford. Cal is better than UTA. Stanford is better than Notre Dame etc… But by and large, the universities above all fall under the heading of “elite”.</p>
<p>I’d also add Whitman College in Washington to the list of “elite” west coast schools. It consistently ranks in the top 30 of U.S. liberal arts schools and is an excellent school.</p>
<p>There’s no way BC an elite school. Student with really avg performance can get in there easily, I don’t know why collegeparent always kept BC in his list. I think you guys better check at least the avg SAT score performance as the threshold before concluding a college to be elite. Not to be harsh on the school, but in the past only the bottom 10% of my highschool will apply to BC</p>
<p>“Just one less family to compete with at those remarkable , well-known, and highly selective institutions.”</p>
<p>Well-known??..that’s another stooopid statement. As for the Ivy-League placing more emphais on sports than intellectual merit…hahahaaaaaha! …yeah, RIGHT! Harvard and Cornell place sooooooo much emphasis on sports, unlike Assherst and Willyums, which only admit cream of the crop Einsteins…They’re so selective in fact, that nobody ever cares to apply ot them, or even knows about them. That’s how super-selective they are, unlike the Ivies, who’d cater more to football players.</p>
<p>You’re right…I can’t argue with ignoramuses.</p>
<p>since the link above didn’t work. i copy and pasted it here.</p>
<p>"The term Ivy League was first coined informally to refer to these schools, who compete in both scholastics and sports, but it also refers to the formal association of these schools in NCAA Division I athletic competition. In some sports, notably baseball and tennis, the Ivy League teams also compete against Army (the United States Military Academy) and Navy (the United States Naval Academy).</p>
<p>The term Ivy League refers strictly to the original eight schools. However, the term Ivy Plus is sometimes used to refer to the eight plus Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University for purposes of alumni associations and university gatherings; however, these two schools are not part of the Ivy League."</p>
<p>ivy leagues were called ivy leagues because of sports, not academic.</p>
<p>do your research before you disagree with someone.</p>
<p>do your research before you disagree with someone>>>></p>
<p>No DUH, it started with sport leagues. But it ended up nowadays connoting MORE THAN JUST A SPORTS LEAGUE. Now it connotes a full term academic elite. Have you seen the thread " Whats the easiest Ivy to get in?" Sheesh. </p>
<p>Anyways, West Coast Ivy League should be comprised of Berkeley, Cal Tech, UCLA, UCSD, Claremont/Harvey Mudd/Pomona, USC, and Stanfurd. Perhaps MIT should be allowed to join this as an honorary scientific contributor.</p>
<p>The real excitement lies with the fact that within the West Ivy League, every position can be challenged. Just like the PAC 10, it is very competitive within. Even Cal Tech can be continually challenged by Harvey Mudd. Unlike the east Ivy League where Brown and Cornell must always defer to Harvard. </p>
<p>This is why the West Ivy League, in its competitive nature like the PAC-10 will in the end outperform the East Ivy League. </p>
<p>UNC takes in only 18% out-of-state students in its entering class. UVA takes in over 30%. Do the math as to which is harder to get in. I think that UCB and UCLA take in even less out-of-state students than UNC.</p>
<p>Lists which mix large research universities and small lacs, and confuse the quality of undergraduate and graduate education and make no reference to the quality of life make no sense.</p>