The Ivy League is also called The Ancient Eight. It is comprised of eight private universities that are the most diverse intercollegiate athletic conference in the United States. They are choice institutions with a reputation of high academic excellence and social elitism.
The eight schools that make up the league are in the top 18 of the U.S News and World Report Universities Ranking for 2021. There are four of the Ivy schools in the top 5. It is also mind-blowing to know that in the United States, one of the Ivy League universities has been named the nation’s best institution since 2001 till date.
The best universities ranking has become a monopoly for these institutions, maybe they should not be ranked with others anymore.
Ivy League Institutes | Location | Year Founded | Nickname |
Brown University | Providence, Rhode Islands | 1764 | Bears |
Columbia University | NYC, New York | 1754 | Lions |
Cornell University | Ithace, New York | 1865 | Big Red |
Darthmouth | Hannover, New Hampshire | 1769 | Big Greens |
Harvard University | Boston, Massachussets | 1636 | Crimson |
University of Pennsylvannia | Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia | 1749 | Quakers |
Princeton University | Princeton, New Jersey | 1746 | Tigers |
Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut | 1701 | Bulldogs |
Why is it called The Ivy League?
The name Ivy League can be attributed to the class day ceremony of “planting the ivy” in the 1800s. There is another narrative that beliefs that the name Ivy came from the Roman Numeral IV. It is obvious that the name must have a connection with the Ivy plant as it can be seen in the League logo.
Notable Ivy League Alumni
One of the testaments to the prestigious status of the Ivy League universities is the impact their graduates have had. These high-standard universities have produced 16 of the 46 US presidents. Five of the eight universities in the Ivy League have produced at least one US president. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump were both alumni of Ivy League schools. John Legend is an active alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania to date and the Oscar award winner Lupita Nyong’o graduated from Yale. The Ivy League institutions have produced between them over 118 billionaires as reported by Forbes. This list includes Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, John Valerie, Donald Trump, and Victoria Mars among many others.
Why Should you care about Ivy League Institutions?
The Ivy League schools have been known for their dominance in American Sport with several Olympic medals won by graduates of these institutions. Beyond sport, these schools have great academic standards with wealthy purses to finance researches and advancements in all areas. There have been many Nobel Prize winners as alumni and staff. These institutions are breeding grounds for high fliers and great achievers.
Graduating from any of these schools will benefit you in several ways. It will give you a big platform to network with influential, talented, intelligent, and highly diverse minds. This is a rich alumni network all across the eight schools. I’m talking about being in the same alumni network with Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. This network is what transcends into a career, you get strong internships even while studying because many companies are headed by an Ivy League alumnus in your network. Employers will pay bigger starting salaries for any graduate from these prestigious schools and you should be one.
How can you get admitted into an Ivy League School?
This is where the ball falls back into your court. The future is very bright as an Ivy League alumnus, but how do you become one?
You need to start by becoming a student and stay to the best of your study to become an alumnus. You may choose to drop out only if you want to be the next Zuckerberg or Bill Gates ,who dropped out of Harvard! In case you are looking to get into any of their business schools, you need to stand out. The average GMAT score for Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Dartmouth in 2020 were 727, 720, 732, and 720 respectively. This means you need to set a big goal for your GMAT score, something around a 750. Remember that it is not just about the target setting, you must get sturdy and work the walk.
Secondly, It is important to write a very strong personal statement with all your applications tailored to the specific school. A strong academic background with high grades and a wonderful resume play important roles. Another thing that can get you in on the Ivy lane is to apply very early. There is a cream on the cake if you have strong recommendations, especially from an alumnus.
You must decide well beforehand and prepare well if you desire to be in an Ivy League school. It is achievable, you only need to become intentional and strategic. The time to start is now!