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

[Anonymous]

My son chose Gatech over Yale for engineering. It's a no brainer decision esp since he is majoring in aeronautics engineering.

It's so f**g ridiculous to blindly compare ivy vs non ivy without taking into considerations issues such as major, culture, fit, environment etc.

If my son wanted to study Economics and chose Gatech instead then I'll try to encourage him to change his mind. And if doesn't he will still be successful.

I went to Columbia University.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the "non-ivy" is one of the so called T10 schools, Chicago, JHU, Northwestern, then go with the ivy.

Stop. Those “so-called” T10’s are better than Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell, and direct peers with UPenn. Lower Ivies can no longer ride on the coattails HYP.

[Anonymous]

Of course!!

DC would have chosen Michigan over Cornell in a heartbeat!! (Still will if Michigan miraculously takes them off the waitlist …. )

[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.

This is spot on, add the athlete segment as well.

Many private T20 schools have this odd, social engineering. It makes the schools well rounded on paper, but really uneven in classroom and culture.

Go with fit - this choice is about learning and development, not layman prestige.

Yup. I am a Duke alum who loved my time there and I am hesitant to send my kid there as I think it has really changed for the worse. He is a nice, smart, kind, humble, well-rounded UMC kid. The type who used to make up much of the class at these schools and has been completely squeezed at the expense of the other groups.

Could you expand on how you feel Duke has changed for the worse? Thx

Someone above described it well (though they were likely describing another school). It is really rich kids (including a lot of legacies) in the Greek system who go party in empty fields and at off campus houses, FGLIs who are struggling to keep up and don't fit in (and often make little effort to assimilate and fit in), super intense striver/gunner types who think they are important because they lead the pre-business clubs and things like that. There aren't many "normal" kids who used to make the school great (and please note that many of the "normal" kids I went to school with were black, Asian, etc. - this is not a racial-based opinion). In my era (90s) Duke had a reputation of being pretty fratty and there was definitely that element, but most parties were on campus and very open and there were actually a lot of very normal kids, some of whom were in frats but it wasn't that big of a deal. This element barely exists. Which is sad.

[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.

This is spot on, add the athlete segment as well.

Many private T20 schools have this odd, social engineering. It makes the schools well rounded on paper, but really uneven in classroom and culture.

Go with fit - this choice is about learning and development, not layman prestige.

Yup. I am a Duke alum who loved my time there and I am hesitant to send my kid there as I think it has really changed for the worse. He is a nice, smart, kind, humble, well-rounded UMC kid. The type who used to make up much of the class at these schools and has been completely squeezed at the expense of the other groups.

Could you expand on how you feel Duke has changed for the worse? Thx

DCUM moms think Duke is a mid-sized Michigan on academic steroids, when Duke is really just striver city nowadays. Northwestern is similar but it was never a fun school to be fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the "non-ivy" is one of the so called T10 schools, Chicago, JHU, Northwestern, then go with the ivy.

Stop. Those “so-called” T10’s are better than Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell, and direct peers with UPenn. Lower Ivies can no longer ride on the coattails HYP.

Cornell/Dartmouth mom made two back to back posts trying to bash the superior non-Ivy T10s. We aren’t falling for it.

[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.

Best fit and where they will be happy is the most important thing.

[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.

This is spot on, add the athlete segment as well.

Many private T20 schools have this odd, social engineering. It makes the schools well rounded on paper, but really uneven in classroom and culture.

Go with fit - this choice is about learning and development, not layman prestige.

Yes - they are all obsessed with this concept of "pointy individuals, well-rounded class" which rewards extremely one dimensional kids at the expense of "normal" well-rounded kids. And a lot of these kids were superstars at something and not good at not being the best. I'm not saying they should accept mediocre kids, but these method really creates odd cultures.

Rest assured. They’re all more well rounded than your dumb kids with extra spikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is spot on, add the athlete segment as well.

Many private T20 schools have this odd, social engineering. It makes the schools well rounded on paper, but really uneven in classroom and culture.

Go with fit - this choice is about learning and development, not layman prestige.

Yup. I am a Duke alum who loved my time there and I am hesitant to send my kid there as I think it has really changed for the worse. He is a nice, smart, kind, humble, well-rounded UMC kid. The type who used to make up much of the class at these schools and has been completely squeezed at the expense of the other groups.

Could you expand on how you feel Duke has changed for the worse? Thx

Someone above described it well (though they were likely describing another school). It is really rich kids (including a lot of legacies) in the Greek system who go party in empty fields and at off campus houses, FGLIs who are struggling to keep up and don't fit in (and often make little effort to assimilate and fit in), super intense striver/gunner types who think they are important because they lead the pre-business clubs and things like that. There aren't many "normal" kids who used to make the school great (and please note that many of the "normal" kids I went to school with were black, Asian, etc. - this is not a racial-based opinion). In my era (90s) Duke had a reputation of being pretty fratty and there was definitely that element, but most parties were on campus and very open and there were actually a lot of very normal kids, some of whom were in frats but it wasn't that big of a deal. This element barely exists. Which is sad.

Really helpful, appreciate the color!

[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.

+1. My kid is a freshman at an ivy and I totally agree. There may be lots of diversity but there are definitely silos and less integration than I expected.

[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.

This is spot on, add the athlete segment as well.

Many private T20 schools have this odd, social engineering. It makes the schools well rounded on paper, but really uneven in classroom and culture.

Go with fit - this choice is about learning and development, not layman prestige.

Yes - they are all obsessed with this concept of "pointy individuals, well-rounded class" which rewards extremely one dimensional kids at the expense of "normal" well-rounded kids. And a lot of these kids were superstars at something and not good at not being the best. I'm not saying they should accept mediocre kids, but these method really creates odd cultures.

Rest assured. They’re all more well rounded than your dumb kids with extra spikes.

Only dumb people call other people's kids dumb. Sorry all your kid was good at in life was chess.

[Anonymous]

Northwestern is way superior than Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell; and better than Penn in many aspects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they were choosing who to marry, would you recommend their first choice and better fit, or the prestigious option?

The wealthy one. Lol

My grandmother used to say: it’s just as easy to marry rich as it is to marry poor.

P.s. I married poor. We made it together. 28 years later.

Is this a first marriage or a second? My answer would be different for one vs the other.
Lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northwestern is way superior than Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell; and better than Penn in many aspects.

LOLLLL absolutely not. Northwestern is equal to Cornell. Never was a T10. Will never equal Columbia, Penn, Brown, even Dartmouth. It’s never included in the “Ivy+” label for a reason. When a school’s commencement speaker is SJP, you start to question how academically serious that school is…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the "non-ivy" is one of the so called T10 schools, Chicago, JHU, Northwestern, then go with the ivy.

Stop. Those “so-called” T10’s are better than Columbia, Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell, and direct peers with UPenn. Lower Ivies can no longer ride on the coattails HYP.

Cornell/Dartmouth mom made two back to back posts trying to bash the superior non-Ivy T10s. We aren’t falling for it.

Nope…different mom, just a popular opinion.