What are the "bottom Ivies"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think "top Ivy" is just a contraction of "top college-- an Ivy"-- it's for people who are afraid that someone might miss the "importance" of going to an Ivy-- quelle horreur.

Haha, no. I'm another Columbia parent. (Not the one with two kids there, and not the person who just posted the stats that Columbia is now higher than Princeton by some measure.) These theories that it's all about parental insecurity, because "regular ivy" somehow isn't enough to stroke our feeble egos, are stupid. Trust me, if I needed an ego boost (which I don't), it's more than enough to say the words "ivy" or "Columbia" and watch the reaction, especially in person. That's why I usually don't even volunteer it until asked.

My guess? "Top ivy" is some sort of contraction used to protect anonymity. If you're explaining "my kid got recruited for soccer" and then you name Yale as the school, then everyone who has heard of your kid being recruited to Yale for soccer (probably everyone in the school) will know it's you posting.

So you really think the point of it is to being able to say your kid is going to Harvard Yale or Princeton (vs any other Ivy) without bring specific as to which one, and yet you think it's not about parental insecurity? Not buying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think "top Ivy" is just a contraction of "top college-- an Ivy"-- it's for people who are afraid that someone might miss the "importance" of going to an Ivy-- quelle horreur.

Haha, no. I'm another Columbia parent. (Not the one with two kids there, and not the person who just posted the stats that Columbia is now higher than Princeton by some measure.) These theories that it's all about parental insecurity, because "regular ivy" somehow isn't enough to stroke our feeble egos, are stupid. Trust me, if I needed an ego boost (which I don't), it's more than enough to say the words "ivy" or "Columbia" and watch the reaction, especially in person. That's why I usually don't even volunteer it until asked.

My guess? "Top ivy" is some sort of contraction used to protect anonymity. If you're explaining "my kid got recruited for soccer" and then you name Yale as the school, then everyone who has heard of your kid being recruited to Yale for soccer (probably everyone in the school) will know it's you posting.

So you really think the point of it is to being able to say your kid is going to Harvard Yale or Princeton (vs any other Ivy) without bring specific as to which one, and yet you think it's not about parental insecurity? Not buying it.

Frankly, my dear, I don't care whether you buy my speculation or not. You're missing the main point, which is that anyone with a kid in an ivy doesn't need to narrow it to "top ivy" to get an ego stroke. The ego strokes come easily, by merely saying the words "ivy" or the school's actual name. I know of what I speak, and if you were in the same position you'd understand too.

It mystifies me why you think HYP is just peachy but "top ivy" is a sign of weakness. WTF is the difference? I don't get your problem here.

And what's with this stupid and pointless attempt to humiliate some anonymous poster who maybe used two words a little loosely? You've been flogging this dead horse for 5 pages now.

[Anonymous]

Thank goodness for DCUM! Otherwise I might have made the following unforgivable error:

* "HYP" is fine, unpretentious, and perfectly clear

* "Top Ivy" is a sign of massive insecurity in general, or that I'm afraid that other anonymous posters will think my kids goes to *gasp* Cornell in particular

Really? WTF? These are the same thing! Six pages on a semantic non-issue? No seriously, get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

As a Columbia mom, I think I'm going to start a campaign to change it to "HYC" based on the latest admissions results. (JK, psycho poster, JK!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

Don't the Harvard people say, "I went to school in Boston"? But yeah, we should blame the Princeton posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

Don't the Harvard people say, "I went to school in Boston"? But yeah, we should blame the Princeton posters.

Cambridge

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I often read here that someone's children got into a "top Ivy". Is there a list somewhere of which Ivies are top? Or is it like the Big 3, which seem to be Sidwell, GDS, and whatever school the poster's kids go to?

When people say "I want my kid to go to a TOP IVY" do they mean "Dear God, not Brown, and if they have to go to Penn please make it Wharton?"

I would say Dartmouth and Cornell are the two bottom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

Don't the Harvard people say, "I went to school in Boston"? But yeah, we should blame the Princeton posters.

Cambridge

I've yet to meet a Harvard graduate who hasn't told me he/she went to Harvard in the first 15 minutes after we've met.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often read here that someone's children got into a "top Ivy". Is there a list somewhere of which Ivies are top? Or is it like the Big 3, which seem to be Sidwell, GDS, and whatever school the poster's kids go to?

When people say "I want my kid to go to a TOP IVY" do they mean "Dear God, not Brown, and if they have to go to Penn please make it Wharton?"

I would say Dartmouth and Cornell are the two bottom

Why does anyone really care about this? What is a "bottom" Ivy anyway and I bet anyone who graduated from a designated as such would have no hesitation tell you where they graduated from. Regardless if its classified as a the "bottom" Ivy or not!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

Don't the Harvard people say, "I went to school in Boston"? But yeah, we should blame the Princeton posters.

Cambridge

I've yet to meet a Harvard graduate who hasn't told me he/she went to Harvard in the first 15 minutes after we've met.

Those are just the ones you *know* are Harvard grads, LOL!

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that Cornell CALS was considered to be the ugly stepchild of the ivy league.

[Anonymous]

Don't loads of people transfer into Cornell? After a year elsewhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that what people really mean when they say "I have a degree from a TOP IVY"? They mean HYP?

Actually they mean Princeton. Harvard people say Harvard and Yale people are not so boorish to bring it up.

Don't the Harvard people say, "I went to school in Boston"? But yeah, we should blame the Princeton posters.

Whenever someone says "I went to school in Boston" I always ask whether it was BC or BU.