Is it crazy to choose a non-ivy over an ivy

[Anonymous]

Don’t get too excited about lower ranked ivies: brown, Dartmouth, Penn and Columbia. Cornell CS is an exception. Too much ballyhoo about nothing…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid picked UVA over an Ivy.

Ivies have weird vibes these days. My older child is at one. They are often an exceedingly random mix of kids---super academic grinders, underprepared FGLI kids from middle America, ultra wealthy who stick to themselves. It's a odd mix.

wow! sounds like Ivies have a place for everyone!

Yes, they welcome the full spectrum of Democrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t get too excited about lower ranked ivies: brown, Dartmouth, Penn and Columbia. Cornell CS is an exception. Too much ballyhoo about nothing…

Seems most don’t agree based on application numbers and acceptance rates. I’m sure you have intimate knowledge to form such an opinion of five schools though. I only consider myself credible on certain topics for my own kid’s schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the ivy and the major. Cornell is not equal to Harvard.

You’re delusional. But since you started there are a dozen SLACs which are better than any of the Ivies for undergraduate education. We all know who they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not 1950. There are lots of schools that are as good and often better than the Ivy schools. Job and grad school outcomes are the same. But more important is fit. Both of my kids chose T20 non-Ivy colleges because they were better schools for them and their interests.

These days tons of students choose MIT, Stanford, Vanderbilt, CalTech, Duke, Rice, Williams, Chicago, Pomona, Northwestern, and Notre Dame over Ivy schools. And if they are STEM you can add Georgia Tech, Berkeley, Harvey Mudd, and Michigan to the list. These are all very rational alternatives to the Ivy schools.

That is a lot of copium. There are multiple studies that show ivy+ about 5 other schools do much better for the most elite outcomes than schools not in that group. Half on your list are ivy level and the others are simply not. They are not targets of top companies nor do they place as well into T5 law and med.
Some students chase the very top outcomes and there is nothing wrong with that.
In 2025 and even 2024, a distinct shift toward school name happened, first with CS and now with the rest. Hiring slowed at lower ranked schools first. It will continue. Down economies always lead to a hiring preference from the best schools.

Actually there aren’t any such studies unless you look into a specific segment like FGLI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Choose based on fit. It will be better for everyone except the parents when talking to their friends.

This. I can't believe you even typed out that question for public consumption. You sound like a complete twit. Let your kid go where they feel they will fit best and stuff your enormous ego up your a@@.

That is what they said Karen…..learn to read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is facing such a choice. The non-ivy is their first choice and a better fit. But it’s just difficult to ignore the prestige of an ivy.

Your DC should prioritize her best fit and her choice, not anyone else's. And people turn down highly ranked or well hyped schools every day because another school fits them more. It's normal to do that and not just go by some generic ranking or pecking order.

Congrats to your DC on getting into her 1st choice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is facing such a choice. The non-ivy is their first choice and a better fit. But it’s just difficult to ignore the prestige of an ivy.

Your DC should prioritize her best fit and her choice, not anyone else's. And people turn down highly ranked or well hyped schools every day because another school fits them more. It's normal to do that and not just go by some generic ranking or pecking order.

Congrats to your DC on getting into her 1st choice!

+100

Great comment. This thread is otherwise full of idle bickering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is facing such a choice. The non-ivy is their first choice and a better fit. But it’s just difficult to ignore the prestige of an ivy.

NP. For engineering, absolutely. Ivies are weak compared with other top engineering schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid picked UVA over an Ivy.

Ivies have weird vibes these days. My older child is at one. They are often an exceedingly random mix of kids---super academic grinders, underprepared FGLI kids from middle America, ultra wealthy who stick to themselves. It's a odd mix.

Smart choice. Fit is important. Prestige is illusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid picked UVA over an Ivy.

Ivies have weird vibes these days. My older child is at one. They are often an exceedingly random mix of kids---super academic grinders, underprepared FGLI kids from middle America, ultra wealthy who stick to themselves. It's a odd mix.

Smart choice. Fit is important. Prestige is illusion.

Prestige of UVA is definitely an illusion. Strong flagship, but not prestigious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not 1950. There are lots of schools that are as good and often better than the Ivy schools. Job and grad school outcomes are the same. But more important is fit. Both of my kids chose T20 non-Ivy colleges because they were better schools for them and their interests.

These days tons of students choose MIT, Stanford, Vanderbilt, CalTech, Duke, Rice, Williams, Chicago, Pomona, Northwestern, and Notre Dame over Ivy schools. And if they are STEM you can add Georgia Tech, Berkeley, Harvey Mudd, and Michigan to the list. These are all very rational alternatives to the Ivy schools.

Agree. It is fairly important to be with the right peers especially with the right kind of mindset - to survive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid picked UVA over an Ivy.

Ivies have weird vibes these days. My older child is at one. They are often an exceedingly random mix of kids---super academic grinders, underprepared FGLI kids from middle America, ultra wealthy who stick to themselves. It's a odd mix.

Smart choice. Fit is important. Prestige is illusion.

Prestige of UVA is definitely an illusion. Strong flagship, but not prestigious.

Gen Z is the group facing upcoming recession. Prestige is garbage to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid picked UVA over an Ivy.

Ivies have weird vibes these days. My older child is at one. They are often an exceedingly random mix of kids---super academic grinders, underprepared FGLI kids from middle America, ultra wealthy who stick to themselves. It's a odd mix.

Smart choice. Fit is important. Prestige is illusion.

Prestige of UVA is definitely an illusion. Strong flagship, but not prestigious.

I'm not the poster you are responding to and have no affiliation with UVA but Yes it is. Any school with under a 14% acceptance rate is prestigious in my book and attracts the best of the best. Stop the nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid picked UVA over an Ivy.

Ivies have weird vibes these days. My older child is at one. They are often an exceedingly random mix of kids---super academic grinders, underprepared FGLI kids from middle America, ultra wealthy who stick to themselves. It's a odd mix.

Smart choice. Fit is important. Prestige is illusion.

Prestige of UVA is definitely an illusion. Strong flagship, but not prestigious.

I'm not the poster you are responding to and have no affiliation with UVA but Yes it is. Any school with under a 14% acceptance rate is prestigious in my book and attracts the best of the best. Stop the nonsense.

Is 14% the magical prestige cutoff?