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.

wow! sounds like Ivies have a place for everyone!

I know someone who turned down Penn for Michigan.

My kid is at an non-ivy but highly ranked school and her friend turned Harvard down for a free ride elsewhere. Go with fit.

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.

Please share the actual schools, and what she wants to major in. It's going to come down the nitty gritty, OP.

it depends?

I would probably think it was crazy to choose SUNY Bing (I'm in NY) over Yale.

A kid can decide "fit" based on what they saw that one girl wearing that one time in that one cafeteria.

But nobody is going to a raise even an eyebrow about choosing Duke over Dartmouth, CalTech over Cornell, or Berkeley over Brown.

Rice, Williams, Vandy, Notre Dame, CMU, Chicago .. all schools kids are picking THIS YEAR from my kid's high school over Ivies. Makes total sense.

Depends on major.

I wouldn’t turn down Wharton for Duke, but for another major, yes

All t20 are impressive and same culture as Ivy, I fear for my laid back kid going to a t20. Some schools more impressive than some Ivies, but to the layman, maybe not. For those in the know, it doesn't matter. Depends on audience, general pop, Ivy, to others, they know there's no difference between Harvard and Stanford or Dartmouth and UChicago or Northwestern. Big city or wealthy suburb know they're all impressive.

Define better fit if she got into an Ivy am sure her first choice is equally great.

Finances? I think it makes sense to enroll in a good flagship over an Ivy. But if the non-ivy is WashU, Emory, etc, it better be a compelling reason.

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

Choose based on fit. It will be better for everyone except the parents when talking to their friends.

Ivies are such tough environments now, socially and professionally (club competition etc.) Go for fit, all the way. Your DC will be happier and won't regret it.

What are the schools? Fit is important.

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.