Is "Public Ivy" really a thing?

[Anonymous]

Why so threatened? It is a term that refers to a collection of public schools generally perceived to be excellent. Ivies are private schools and are likewise viewed as excellent. But calling some of the public schools "Public Ivies," does not mean they are better than any of the Ivy League, nor is that the intent. Plus I don't think you know what "LOL" means or you have a bad sense of humor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why so threatened? It is a term that refers to a collection of public schools generally perceived to be excellent. Ivies are private schools and are likewise viewed as excellent. But calling some of the public schools "Public Ivies," does not mean they are better than any of the Ivy League, nor is that the intent. Plus I don't think you know what "LOL" means or you have a bad sense of humor.

True. UVA is definitely in the same league as the University of Vermont.

[Anonymous]

The original author's intent was simply to show you didn't have to spend a lot to get an Ivy-like education. Original list was:

College of William & Mary
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
University of California (all campuses)
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Texas at Austin
University of Vermont
University of Virginia

I imagine if he was writing it today, the list would be different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why so threatened? It is a term that refers to a collection of public schools generally perceived to be excellent. Ivies are private schools and are likewise viewed as excellent. But calling some of the public schools "Public Ivies," does not mean they are better than any of the Ivy League, nor is that the intent. Plus I don't think you know what "LOL" means or you have a bad sense of humor.

Yes, as an ivy grad I am deeply threatened by the idea that somebody might perceive a degree from some random public college as superior to mine. And yes....lol because this entire topic is farcical as is the idea that anybody places any weight on the term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why so threatened? It is a term that refers to a collection of public schools generally perceived to be excellent. Ivies are private schools and are likewise viewed as excellent. But calling some of the public schools "Public Ivies," does not mean they are better than any of the Ivy League, nor is that the intent. Plus I don't think you know what "LOL" means or you have a bad sense of humor.

Yes, as an ivy grad I am deeply threatened by the idea that somebody might perceive a degree from some random public college as superior to mine. And yes....lol because this entire topic is farcical as is the idea that anybody places any weight on the term.

You are right, I do not. Then again, I don't place any weight on the term "Ivy" either.

[Anonymous]

As a UVA grad, I'd be embarrassed to tell someone I went to a "public ivy". Big time puffery there. But use of the term by college observers is just fine.

[Anonymous]

The Ivy League is a sports league. Chapel Hill is not part of that league. The fact that it offends you for someone to say a school is in the Ivy League when it is not is a bit strange. Who gives a xxxx!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a shorthand way of describing schools exhibiting particularly attractive academic traits. "Ivy" is a useful term for that characteristic.

How do others here feel about Stanford? MIT? Caltech? Duke? Chicago? Middlebury? Johns Hopkins? I mean, they're also not Ivies. So they're not worthy of comparison, or of being grouped with Ivies as excellent schools?

The term originated in the 1980s, with three schools consistently at the top: UVA, Michigan, Cal. It's a clever bit of branding that stuck.

What would be better? Public "HYPSM's"?

Those elites you mentioned sans Middlebury — which few have heard of, let alone care about — are generally coined “Ivy Plus” meaning the Ivies plus 7-8 non Ivy top private research universities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a shorthand way of describing schools exhibiting particularly attractive academic traits. "Ivy" is a useful term for that characteristic.

How do others here feel about Stanford? MIT? Caltech? Duke? Chicago? Middlebury? Johns Hopkins? I mean, they're also not Ivies. So they're not worthy of comparison, or of being grouped with Ivies as excellent schools?

The term originated in the 1980s, with three schools consistently at the top: UVA, Michigan, Cal. It's a clever bit of branding that stuck.

What would be better? Public "HYPSM's"?

Those elites you mentioned sans Middlebury — which few have heard of, let alone care about — are generally coined “Ivy Plus” meaning the Ivies plus 7-8 non Ivy top private research universities.

See: that uses "Ivy" + modifier as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The original author's intent was simply to show you didn't have to spend a lot to get an Ivy-like education. Original list was:

College of William & Mary
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
University of California (all campuses)
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Texas at Austin
University of Vermont
University of Virginia

I imagine if he was writing it today, the list would be different.

Well, Vermont and Miami University of Ohio (whatever that is) would be off the list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a shorthand way of describing schools exhibiting particularly attractive academic traits. "Ivy" is a useful term for that characteristic.

How do others here feel about Stanford? MIT? Caltech? Duke? Chicago? Middlebury? Johns Hopkins? I mean, they're also not Ivies. So they're not worthy of comparison, or of being grouped with Ivies as excellent schools?

The term originated in the 1980s, with three schools consistently at the top: UVA, Michigan, Cal. It's a clever bit of branding that stuck.

What would be better? Public "HYPSM's"?

Those elites you mentioned sans Middlebury — which few have heard of, let alone care about — are generally coined “Ivy Plus” meaning the Ivies plus 7-8 non Ivy top private research universities.

Nonsense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a shorthand way of describing schools exhibiting particularly attractive academic traits. "Ivy" is a useful term for that characteristic.

How do others here feel about Stanford? MIT? Caltech? Duke? Chicago? Middlebury? Johns Hopkins? I mean, they're also not Ivies. So they're not worthy of comparison, or of being grouped with Ivies as excellent schools?

The term originated in the 1980s, with three schools consistently at the top: UVA, Michigan, Cal. It's a clever bit of branding that stuck.

What would be better? Public "HYPSM's"?

Those elites you mentioned sans Middlebury — which few have heard of, let alone care about — are generally coined “Ivy Plus” meaning the Ivies plus 7-8 non Ivy top private research universities.

See: that uses "Ivy" + modifier as well.

The original author didn't rank them.

[Anonymous]

The very good state schools on this list need no introduction. Most people think William and Mary is a private college because the school apparently does a terrible job of selling itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The original author's intent was simply to show you didn't have to spend a lot to get an Ivy-like education. Original list was:

College of William & Mary
Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)
University of California (all campuses)
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Texas at Austin
University of Vermont
University of Virginia

I imagine if he was writing it today, the list would be different.

Well, Vermont and Miami University of Ohio (whatever that is) would be off the list.

Clearly you haven't investigated them. Excellent undergraduate teaching! Merit aid is outstanding!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a shorthand way of describing schools exhibiting particularly attractive academic traits. "Ivy" is a useful term for that characteristic.

How do others here feel about Stanford? MIT? Caltech? Duke? Chicago? Middlebury? Johns Hopkins? I mean, they're also not Ivies. So they're not worthy of comparison, or of being grouped with Ivies as excellent schools?

The term originated in the 1980s, with three schools consistently at the top: UVA, Michigan, Cal. It's a clever bit of branding that stuck.

What would be better? Public "HYPSM's"?

Those elites you mentioned sans Middlebury — which few have heard of, let alone care about — are generally coined “Ivy Plus” meaning the Ivies plus 7-8 non Ivy top private research universities.

If I encountered a professional that hadn’t heard of Midd I’d think they were an ill-informed bumpkin.