Why do you think Northwestern is not in the “ivy plus“ bracket?

[Anonymous]

I realize it is a made up category, but at the same time, it’s just a shorthand for a quality signifier! So why does Northwestern not make that “Ivy Plus” cut, in spite of its current ranking at #6?

[Anonymous]

What schools are “ivy-plus”

UMD calls themselves a “public ivy”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realize it is a made up category, but at the same time, it’s just a shorthand for a quality signifier! So why does Northwestern not make that “Ivy Plus” cut, in spite of its current ranking at #6?

Because whatever ranking you are quoting is useless?

Northwestern is an incredible school. But it is a very, very small notch below. Nothing to be ashamed of. There are probably some kids there who turned down Ivies, particularly if they wanted a specific program (or play a sport). But they are the exception, not the rule.

[Anonymous]

USNews is stupid.

[Anonymous]

Northwestern and U Chicago are better than half of the ivies. The location in the Midwest is both a plus and a minus.

[Anonymous]

Ivies are just a sports league. Northwestern is already a Big Ten which is arguably better sports league.

Northwestern is a fine school regardless of athletics.

[Anonymous]

“Ivy plus” was made up by a UofC researcher. Look it up.

[Anonymous]

But this argument is disingenuous. The “Ivy League” is seen as the definitive stamp of academic excellence/pedigree. Clearly “Ivy Plus” is just an attempt to add other institutions to that list. It’s not an unreasonable attempt. Economists such as Raj Chetty coined the term in the course of research on education. The question remains why Northwestern was not seen to have the same pedigree.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty sure Northwestern is an Ivy+ among the internet dorkery who care about such things.

[Anonymous]

Northwestern is ranked higher than 5 of the 8 Ivy League schools.

In 1980, the Ivy League wanted Northwestern to join the Ivy League, but Northwestern's athletics director put a stop to it due to concern about constant travel to the East for athletic events.

With respect to athletic leagues, the Big Ten Conference is far superior to the Ivy League.

Also, when the University of Chicago was teetering financially, U Chicago looked to Northwestern as their hope to remain solvent.

Northwestern's endowment exceeds that of several Ivy League schools.

Seems like Cornell is a better fit for the Big Ten Conference (as Cornell's agriculture school could find compatriots in the Big Ten) and that Northwestern is a better fit for the Ivy League.

Current "Ivy plus" schools are, typically, Stanford, Duke, & U Chicago--all outstanding academic institutions as is Northwestern University.

At least Northwestern has a magnificent setting on its own ocean (Lake Michigan).

[Anonymous]

Merger discussions occurred in 1933 between U Chicago & Northwestern to "create the greatest educational enterprise in the world"--The Universities of Chicago:

https://northwestern.edu/nu150/news/stories/04_05_01_merger.html

[Anonymous]

Stop thinking that Ivy League means anything. It is just an athletic conference.

Stanford, MIT, U Chicago, Northwestern, Hopkins, and so on easily rival the ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But this argument is disingenuous. The “Ivy League” is seen as the definitive stamp of academic excellence/pedigree. Clearly “Ivy Plus” is just an attempt to add other institutions to that list. It’s not an unreasonable attempt. Economists such as Raj Chetty coined the term in the course of research on education. The question remains why Northwestern was not seen to have the same pedigree.

Meh, there’s a shift with the rise of STEM education. Nowadays, a lot of people wouldn’t classify Dartmouth or Brown at the same level as Harvard or Princeton.

[Anonymous]

stanford
duke
northwestern
chicago
hopkins
MIT
caltech

are the equivalent non-ivies. I wonder who the 8th is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But this argument is disingenuous. The “Ivy League” is seen as the definitive stamp of academic excellence/pedigree. Clearly “Ivy Plus” is just an attempt to add other institutions to that list. It’s not an unreasonable attempt. Economists such as Raj Chetty coined the term in the course of research on education. The question remains why Northwestern was not seen to have the same pedigree.

Meh, there’s a shift with the rise of STEM education. Nowadays, a lot of people wouldn’t classify Dartmouth or Brown at the same level as Harvard or Princeton.

Did anyone ever? No.