<p>You know, I’d like to know whether the “Ivy” label holds as much value overseas as it does in the US. And whether research reputation is considered more influential and important in admissions rather than “acceptance rates”. </p>
<p>The latter seems plausible because in an international student’s standpoint, there are many hardworking and smart students that stay in their own countries, so students don’t necessarily go to the US to be around other smart students, because they can do that in their own countries. </p>
<p>But top research universities filled with Nobelists are not everywhere; in fact most of them are in the United States. That’s probably the lure of US universities, due to which Dartmouth loses its attractiveness to international students.</p>
<p>Is this generally the case, or is Dartmouth and Brown still considered among the top choices for an international citizen, especially if he/she desires to compete in the US “in-crowd” in the future?</p>
<p>The vast majority of intnl students will have to go home-visas are hard to get after graduation. So researching a school’s reputation in your country is critical.</p>
<p>In reality though, most undergrads never come close to Nobel Prize winners.</p>
Here’s another consideration besides prestige: financial aid. Very few research universities give financial aid to international students. Dartmouth and Brown are among the least selective universities in the US which offer full need-based financial aid.</p>
<p>If a talented hardworking international student wants to study in the US and does not make it into Harvard or MIT, his options might look as follows:
Brown
a liberal arts college that no one outside of academia has ever heard of
a 3rd tier university that awards significant merit scholarships</p>
<p>Brown starts looking mightily attractive under those conditions…</p>
<p>It really depends on what you want to do. Brown is considered a top choice for international students but Dartmouth less so. However the ivy league label can take you places. You would have access to more companies, and more graduate schools.</p>
<p>Brown is pretty stingy with aid actually. It’s poor. Look at schools like Amherst (<sarcasm> a liberal arts college that no one outside of academia has ever heard of </sarcasm> ). I think a lot of students are attracted to the US not only because of the research opportunities, but the entire system of education itself. It is almost unique in its liberal arts angle, in its holistic, learning of learning’s sake education. To be surrounded by intellectually curious and passionate classmates, to have the best four years of your life.</p>
<p>If you want to stay in the US after graduation its hard to top Brown and Dartmouth in terms of “where they get you.” If it means Harvard Business School, top consulting firms like McKinsey, top graduate schools like Stanford engineering, etc they are hard to top (in terms of top business Dart has the slight advantage). I know many Internationals from other countries who have gone to Dartmouth to find tremendous success, I know scores of students achieving at a level that only a school with the prestige and connections would otherwise give them. So if you want to stay in the US and achieve a strong level of financial success or go on to a top grad school, then I think they might be among the top few options in the US.</p>
<p>On the other hand I agree that schools with graduate programs have a larger profile overseas, particularly in Asia and India. So if that is what you want to live after school, a school that might not be as strong in the US for undergrad, like say a Cal-Berk, might be a better option.</p>