Is Yale still the fun alternative to Harvard, or has that all changed?

[Anonymous]

Yale is a tier below Harvard these days

[Anonymous]

Yale is clearly the best Ivy…and the most fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Brown is the one Ivy we attended with so much activity on the lawn and professors and current students coming over to chat.

My kid also did sports camps at 6 of the 8 Ivies the past 2 years. Princeton and Brown were the two he liked the best. Cornell and Columbia felt too big. Yale, like another pp said, didn't have as many students out and about having fun--hurrying around head down, wouldn't look you in the eye. Never made it up to Dartmouth. Harvard was Harvard. Penn he didn't like campus as much.

Having kids milling on the yard, and attracting the most sociable, athletic kids compared to other Ivies, are two different things. I’d say that Brown tends to attract a certain type and those kids are happy to be among their people, which is great. I would not say they attract the most well rounded kids.

[Anonymous]

None of the Ivies are fun anymore except MAYBE Penn and Dartmouth.

Go to Bucknell if you want to have a blast and still end up in the same IB/MC jobs as Ivy grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown is the one Ivy we attended with so much activity on the lawn and professors and current students coming over to chat.

My kid also did sports camps at 6 of the 8 Ivies the past 2 years. Princeton and Brown were the two he liked the best. Cornell and Columbia felt too big. Yale, like another pp said, didn't have as many students out and about having fun--hurrying around head down, wouldn't look you in the eye. Never made it up to Dartmouth. Harvard was Harvard. Penn he didn't like campus as much.

Having kids milling on the yard, and attracting the most sociable, athletic kids compared to other Ivies, are two different things. I’d say that Brown tends to attract a certain type and those kids are happy to be among their people, which is great. I would not say they attract the most well rounded kids.

We visited in the Fall and again this April. Kids were playing all kinds of sports on the green and so many coming in and out of the athletic center. The kids walking the campus were very athletic looking.

This is an observation from someone that toured recently while classes were in session. We have visited a few other Ivies and Brown was one of the few with this much activity--and 'sporty' kids. Granted- we didn't make it to Dartmouth--but pretty much toured all of the others at some point.

[Anonymous]

I think you can't get an answer from 50-year old parents who have zero idea what the campuses are like in 2024. They are attached to long ago stereotypes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yale is clearly the best Ivy…and the most fun.

Yes, this is the consensus among current students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you can't get an answer from 50-year old parents who have zero idea what the campuses are like in 2024. They are attached to long ago stereotypes.

Princeton wasn't a mecca for STEM back then and now has a much more stressed out/competitive vibe, also much more into DEI. Yale used to be the fun one. Penn has remained 'business' king, but got some bad press and didn't look great in the hearings. Dartmouth has trended from 'Animal house' to pushing to attract much more liberal (their 21 options for gender and mailings show this). Brown is no longer the crunchy/weird/hippy, it's one of those requiring scores and attracting more mainstream, athletic types that don't want the insane stress elsewhere. Harvard with its poor new coverage, firing of President and alumni pulling donations has lost a bit of sheen. Columbia and its encampments and hostility towards certain religions. Cornell is fairly typical but it was always more like a large univ/state feel 17k undergrads.

They are different places. It's worth visits when classes are in session and a lot more research.

[Anonymous]

Yale sounds very elitist

[Anonymous]

1. Brown University: Requiring SAT or ACT scores for all applicants.

2. Columbia University: Permanently test-optional.

3. Cornell University: Test-optional for the 2024-2025 application cycle, then will require test scores again starting with the 2025-2026 cycle.

4. Dartmouth College: Requiring SAT or ACT scores for all applicants.

5. Harvard University: Requiring SAT or ACT scores for all applicants.

6. University of Pennsylvania: Test-optional through at least the 2024-2025 application cycle.

7. Princeton University: Test-optional through at least the 2025-2026 application cycle.

8. Yale University: Requiring SAT, ACT, or IB or AP exam scores for all applicants.

Numbers 1, 4 and 5 got it correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown is the one Ivy we attended with so much activity on the lawn and professors and current students coming over to chat.

My kid also did sports camps at 6 of the 8 Ivies the past 2 years. Princeton and Brown were the two he liked the best. Cornell and Columbia felt too big. Yale, like another pp said, didn't have as many students out and about having fun--hurrying around head down, wouldn't look you in the eye. Never made it up to Dartmouth. Harvard was Harvard. Penn he didn't like campus as much.

Having kids milling on the yard, and attracting the most sociable, athletic kids compared to other Ivies, are two different things. I’d say that Brown tends to attract a certain type and those kids are happy to be among their people, which is great. I would not say they attract the most well rounded kids.

We visited in the Fall and again this April. Kids were playing all kinds of sports on the green and so many coming in and out of the athletic center. The kids walking the campus were very athletic looking.

This is an observation from someone that toured recently while classes were in session. We have visited a few other Ivies and Brown was one of the few with this much activity--and 'sporty' kids. Granted- we didn't make it to Dartmouth--but pretty much toured all of the others at some point.

I know a fair amount of kids currently attending Brown, and not one is sporty. I would agree that the kids are more laid back and free spirited than kids at other Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown is the one Ivy we attended with so much activity on the lawn and professors and current students coming over to chat.

My kid also did sports camps at 6 of the 8 Ivies the past 2 years. Princeton and Brown were the two he liked the best. Cornell and Columbia felt too big. Yale, like another pp said, didn't have as many students out and about having fun--hurrying around head down, wouldn't look you in the eye. Never made it up to Dartmouth. Harvard was Harvard. Penn he didn't like campus as much.

Having kids milling on the yard, and attracting the most sociable, athletic kids compared to other Ivies, are two different things. I’d say that Brown tends to attract a certain type and those kids are happy to be among their people, which is great. I would not say they attract the most well rounded kids.

We visited in the Fall and again this April. Kids were playing all kinds of sports on the green and so many coming in and out of the athletic center. The kids walking the campus were very athletic looking.

This is an observation from someone that toured recently while classes were in session. We have visited a few other Ivies and Brown was one of the few with this much activity--and 'sporty' kids. Granted- we didn't make it to Dartmouth--but pretty much toured all of the others at some point.

I know a fair amount of kids currently attending Brown, and not one is sporty. I would agree that the kids are more laid back and free spirited than kids at other Ivies.

Hmmm. The 3 from our HS are all playing a sport there next year. Lol. The two at our public attending were heavily into travel sports and high school sports.

I think your sampling is just that--your sampling. I'm guessing there are plenty of all kinds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown is the one Ivy we attended with so much activity on the lawn and professors and current students coming over to chat.

My kid also did sports camps at 6 of the 8 Ivies the past 2 years. Princeton and Brown were the two he liked the best. Cornell and Columbia felt too big. Yale, like another pp said, didn't have as many students out and about having fun--hurrying around head down, wouldn't look you in the eye. Never made it up to Dartmouth. Harvard was Harvard. Penn he didn't like campus as much.

Having kids milling on the yard, and attracting the most sociable, athletic kids compared to other Ivies, are two different things. I’d say that Brown tends to attract a certain type and those kids are happy to be among their people, which is great. I would not say they attract the most well rounded kids.

We visited in the Fall and again this April. Kids were playing all kinds of sports on the green and so many coming in and out of the athletic center. The kids walking the campus were very athletic looking.

This is an observation from someone that toured recently while classes were in session. We have visited a few other Ivies and Brown was one of the few with this much activity--and 'sporty' kids. Granted- we didn't make it to Dartmouth--but pretty much toured all of the others at some point.

I know a fair amount of kids currently attending Brown, and not one is sporty. I would agree that the kids are more laid back and free spirited than kids at other Ivies.

Hmmm. The 3 from our HS are all playing a sport there next year. Lol. The two at our public attending were heavily into travel sports and high school sports.

I think your sampling is just that--your sampling. I'm guessing there are plenty of all kinds.

One in seven undergraduates participate in varsity sports teams. Brown has the second largest collegiate athletic program in the country, with 38 varsity teams, including 17 men's teams and 21 women's teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yale sounds very elitist

more than any other top school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brown is the one Ivy we attended with so much activity on the lawn and professors and current students coming over to chat.

My kid also did sports camps at 6 of the 8 Ivies the past 2 years. Princeton and Brown were the two he liked the best. Cornell and Columbia felt too big. Yale, like another pp said, didn't have as many students out and about having fun--hurrying around head down, wouldn't look you in the eye. Never made it up to Dartmouth. Harvard was Harvard. Penn he didn't like campus as much.

Having kids milling on the yard, and attracting the most sociable, athletic kids compared to other Ivies, are two different things. I’d say that Brown tends to attract a certain type and those kids are happy to be among their people, which is great. I would not say they attract the most well rounded kids.

We visited in the Fall and again this April. Kids were playing all kinds of sports on the green and so many coming in and out of the athletic center. The kids walking the campus were very athletic looking.

This is an observation from someone that toured recently while classes were in session. We have visited a few other Ivies and Brown was one of the few with this much activity--and 'sporty' kids. Granted- we didn't make it to Dartmouth--but pretty much toured all of the others at some point.

I know a fair amount of kids currently attending Brown, and not one is sporty. I would agree that the kids are more laid back and free spirited than kids at other Ivies.

Hmmm. The 3 from our HS are all playing a sport there next year. Lol. The two at our public attending were heavily into travel sports and high school sports.

I think your sampling is just that--your sampling. I'm guessing there are plenty of all kinds.

I mean, duh, the recruited athletes are going to be sporty everywhere. We are talking about the other 95 percent of the kids there.