Is an Ivy League school really better?

The short answer is "not really." If you're comparing something like Harvard vs. your local community college, obviously Harvard is going to offer a lot more opportunities. However, between Harvard and your state university, there may not be that much of a difference. In terms of all universities, the major differences I can think of are:

1) More opportunities may be available in terms of networking and overall opportunity. For example, Ivy League and most state universities as well as other well-known/well-funded universities provide plenty of internships, jobs on campus, excellent career centers, recruiters, certificate programs, academic projects, student organizations, rigorous coursework, study abroad programs, research facilities, excellent professors, free counseling, community perks, and other opportunities that help you adjust to college, build your resume, and facilitate your overall growth as a person. Other smaller, poorer, and lesser known schools...don't do this very well. That doesn't mean you are doomed to fail--it just means you have to put in a little more work in finding those opportunities compared to a student whose university just provides them automatically.

2) The atmosphere will be different in terms of the people there. You will be surrounded by the cream of the crop, which can be a good thing (you feel at home and the positive competition motivates you to do better) or a bad thing (you feel inferior/jealous and burnout quickly). It's usually a mixture of both.

3) Financially, Ivy League schools may be more expensive than whatever other option you're looking at. Calculate how much debt you'll be in and ask yourself if it's worth it. Everyone has different standards of what they'll put up with, but you want to know what you'll be getting into. Use this website to calculate how much you should take out in loans: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/student-loans/is-college-worth-it/

Try to do some self-exploration and find out what's most important to you. What do you want to get out of university? The choice does matter to an extent, but it isn't always everything. You want to find a university that is a good fit for you, but no university will ever be the PERFECT fit, which is where you'll have to do some of the work. No one can tell you if an Ivy League school is worth it for you since everyone has different priorities--in the end, it's a decision that only you can make for yourself.

I would have to say no to this question because I am considering the different types of colleges that you can compare the Ivy League schools to. For instead, if you are compare the Ivy League schools to State Colleges, I would have to consider the differences in financial support, the classes/ programs provided to the students, and educational environment. I believe that there are several differences between these schools, but this does not determine whether the Ivy League school is better than State colleges.

Hi Skylar,

This is a great question! There's lots of misinformation out there regarding Ivy League education, so I'd like to offer a few additions to the advice above.

1) Ivy League schools can be MORE AFFORDABLE than other private universities (and sometimes even public ones) for many low- to moderate-income students. In order to be part of the Ivy League, a university must meet all financial need for every admitted undergraduate student. If your parent(s)/guardian(s) have a six-figure income, an Ivy League education will probably be expensive for you. But if that is not the case, there's a good chance you'll qualify for substantial amounts of financial aid.

2) Ivy League schools generally have lots of students from wealthy backgrounds. Students who don't share that background may find themselves feeling isolated or out of place.

3) An Ivy League program will likely be more academically challenging than similar programs at other colleges.

4) In my opinion, there is no substitute for the instant name recognition of the Ivy League. That doesn't mean that you can't be extremely respected and have access to tons of opportunities if you go elsewhere. But some people will be snobby about your education, and a degree from an "elite" school will make you more impressive to them.

5) Competition can be extreme. For some students, this can be very difficult to deal with, and the high-pressure environment of an Ivy League school often does not leave room for proper self-care or mental healthcare.

So the answer to your question, as Lillian said, is that whether an Ivy League school is better is totally dependent on YOU and your goals. As someone who once got rejected to almost the entire Ivy League on the same day, I loved the small local university I ended up graduating from. While I wanted prestige, at 17 years old I would not have thrived in such a high-pressure setting and didn't have the self-awareness to realize that. The best thing you can do to answer this question is take lots of time to self-reflect, and be honest with yourself about your strengths, weaknesses, and goals.

Best,

Haley Czarnek

College Hub Program Specialist

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