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I was talking to someone who goes to an Ivy League school and immediately I was impressed. But now I'm not really impressed anymore. I'm left wondering whats so special about Ivy League schools.
I understand it's exclusive and hard to get into. But there are plenty of things more exclusive and with an even limited admittance.
So I must ask, what's so special about Ivy League Schools? How are the schools and students life changing? Outside of the campus grounds, what does it mean?
Since I didn't go to an Ivy, I can't say specifically. What I can say however is that going to a higher level school tends to mean that more of the other students are above average; the faculty is better; you have more opportunities even as an undergrad to participate in higher level research; and you will be challenged more. The net result is a higher quality learning experience (I won't say education, but whether you take advantage of it or not is up to you).
Since I didn't go to an Ivy, I can't say specifically. What I can say however is that going to a higher level school tends to mean that more of the other students are above average; the faculty is better; you have more opportunities even as an undergrad to participate in higher level research; and you will be challenged more. The net result is a higher quality learning experience (I won't say education, but whether you take advantage of it or not is up to you).
Because more of the students come from wealthier backgrounds, you get more well traveled students, and there's a higher percentage of people who move on to interesting careers. If you're dealing with Ivy League or other top university grad students, many of them have already had impressive careers or worked on interesting projects. So this in and of itself offers a higher quality learning experience.
you have more opportunities even as an undergrad to participate in higher level research
There was a poster who's since left us, a graduate of an Ivy league, who was openly dismissive of any educational experience that did not involve hobnobbing with professors and PhD students while actively conducting research and co-publishing papers.
As a low-tier state school guy, I swear it was like we were from two different planets. But I truly think he believed that's what all college experiences were like, which speaks volumes about how incredibly good the Ivy League educational experience must be.
Because more of the students come from wealthier backgrounds, you get more well traveled students, and there's a higher percentage of people who move on to interesting careers. If you're dealing with Ivy League or other top university grad students, many of them have already had impressive careers or worked on interesting projects. So this in and of itself offers a higher quality learning experience.
I agree with this. ^^
Part of it is the selection process. If you can make it through the filter, it says something about you.
Some top companies recruit only from the top 10 schools. They're lazy. I used to work for one of those companies and do on campus recruiting interviews. I always though that we were overlooking talent from lower ranked state schools, but I didn't control the process.
Many companies perceive an Ivy League education as a demonstration of "grit" and cognitive ability.
I'm not impressed as much. My first job out of college, all my bosses or higher bosses went to MIT, Yale, Princeton. In fact one was married to a Harvard professor. Thanks to them and their thinking, the company went down the tube. I think this is an East Coast thing. In California, we're less impressed with the Ivy League.
I don't. I've worked extensively both with people who have Ivy League schooling and those with state university schooling. In my experience people from less "exalted" educational backgrounds are more realistic (more practice than theory) and better at getting the job done than Ivy Leaguers are. Ivy League education may have meant more in the past when college education in general was less common, but it's largely become a status symbol in recent history.
Because more of the students come from wealthier backgrounds, you get more well traveled students, and there's a higher percentage of people who move on to interesting careers. If you're dealing with Ivy League or other top university grad students, many of them have already had impressive careers or worked on interesting projects. So this in and of itself offers a higher quality learning experience.
This, in addition to what has already been mentioned about selectivity, etc. But, as you mention, this respect isn't limited to Ivy League schools. Those who are impressed by Ivy League schools are generally just as (if not more) impressed by Stanford, MIT, etc. And for the same reasons. While I attended an Ivy League school and am proud of my school, I am not a snob about it. In fact, after seeing how some treat me after they find out I attended an Ivy League university (hint: its been much better than how they treated me before they found out), I've made it a point to leave that information out for as long as possible and choose to surround myself with others who are going to be kind, etc., regardless of where I went to school. And I treat others the same way.
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