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Guide
• 8 min read
Discover the Ivy League: eight prestigious U.S. universities known for academic excellence. Learn about their unique programmes, history, and campus life. Get application tips and see how you can realise your Ivy League ambitions.
The Ivy League consists of eight prestigious private colleges and universities in the United States. Over the past century, the Ivy League institution has built a world-renowned reputation for academic excellence, powerful alumni, a rich history and a selective admissions process.
The eight institutions in the Ivy League are Harvard University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Columbia University, Brown University, Dartmouth College and Cornell University.
The history of the Ivy League stems from a planting ceremony known as Ivy Day. This was a 19th-century tradition on college and university campuses, where ‘planting the ivy’ symbolised enduring growth. The notion and popularisation of a ‘league’ came after sportswriter Stanley Woodward of the New York Herald Tribune, in 1933, wrote about athletic competitions between the “Ivy colleges.”
Initiated by administrators from the eight schools, in 1946, the ‘Ivy Group’ was created and focused on growing interest in college athletics as a form of national entertainment. The ‘Ivy League’ was not formally created until the 1950s, when the NCAA athletic conference for Division 1 was formed in 1954.
For centuries, Ivy League students were almost exclusively wealthy men. Post World War II, that began to change with students from ethnic minorities and women being allowed to enrol.
Whilst there is historically a strong focus on sports in these institutions, they have also spent centuries building themselves as research pioneers.
Harvard University is a research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 and named after its first benefactor, John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.
Harvard’s notable programmes include:
Yale University founded in 1701, is located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Yale University Library, with more than 15 million volumes, is one of the largest in the US. Yale also has extensive art galleries, the first in an American college.
Yale’s notable programmes include:
Princeton University founded in 1746, is located in Princeton, New Jersey. The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is one of the foremost research centres on nuclear fusion, while the renowned Institute for Advanced Study, associated with the university, is where Albert Einstein spent the last two decades of his life.
Princeton’s notable programmes include:
Columbia University founded in 1754, is located in New York. It differs from other colleges in its heavier emphasis on such subjects as commerce, government, and navigation, and an advanced study that has a cosmopolitan outlook.
Columbia’s notable programmes include:
The University of Pennsylvania founded in 1740, is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It started as a charity school and became an academy in 1751, largely through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin.
Pennsylvania’s notable programmes include:
Dartmouth College, founded in the 1650s, is located in Massachusetts. The college offers more than 200 degrees, with facilities that include a 28-story library and outlying stations for marine and agricultural research.
Dartmouth’s notable programmes include:
Brown University, founded in 1764, is located in Providence, Rhode Island. In an unconventional approach to fulfilling degree requirements, undergraduate students are expected to design their own interdisciplinary programme of study.
Brown’s notable programmes include:
Cornell University, founded in 1865, is located in New York. Cornell was the first American university to be divided into colleges offering different degrees, and it was among the first Eastern universities to admit women (1870).
Cornell’s notable programmes include:
Whilst each institution has its specific admissions process, there are many overlapping requirements. These elements are intended to build a holistic application for each candidate:
Tips for prospective Ivy League students:
Academic excellence and programs
The Ivy League institution has been instrumental in world-changing research, earning itself a profound academic reputation.
The US News & World Report National Universities ranking has named an Ivy League school as the best national university every year since 2001. League financial endowments range from Brown’s $6.9 billion to Harvard’s $53.2 billion, the largest financial endowment of any academic institution in the world. All eight schools are members of the Association of American Universities, the most prestigious alliance of American research universities.
This has allowed Ivy League schools to carry out deep research and offer unique programmes such as:
Research opportunities and resources at these institutions include:
Depending on the programme, these can be funded partially or fully funded by the relevant institution.
There is a consensus amongst Ivy League students that outside of the classroom, there are endless opportunities for a well-rounded student life thanks to:
There are endless organisations and extracurricular activities available at Ivy League schools including:
Ivy League schools also have affinity groups – these are social spaces, typically organised by students, to engage with and support students from various walks of life and underrepresented identities.
Here are some detailed resources:
The Ivy League is widely represented in popular culture, especially in media and literature. It’s typically presented as very aspirational and elite.
Here are some examples:
Here are some interesting articles that discuss this further:
The Ivy League’s alumni includes many world leaders, including a number of US and global presidents such as:
Other alumni include:
The Ivy League alumni network(s) includes over 118,000 members. The purpose of the network is to enhance the effectiveness of networking and provide tangible benefits to the alumni community.
Alumni initiatives include:
In June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that considering race in the college admissions process was ‘unconstitutional’ essentially ending affirmative action.
Affirmative action was a practice in which ‘applicants from groups that have historically been the subject of discrimination are given additional weight to increase opportunities for these groups and bolster diversity’.
Since the 1970s, the Ivy League institutions began their commitment to changing underrepresentation. This included affirmative action plans, financial aid, diversity programmes, etc.
This new ruling creates a challenge for them to continue this commitment but in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling. Many schools have begun the process of exploring alternative means of making their admissions processes more equitable without affirmative action.
At Dukes, we provide support for applications to various universities across the world, including the Ivy League. Our programs offer personalised guidance, and strategic advice to strengthen your Ivy League application.
We can support you to identify and showcase your unique strengths, align your application with the Ivy League’s values, and effectively communicate your accomplishments and potential contributions to the admissions committee.
For more information on how Dukes can assist with your Ivy League application, please visit our private US admissions consulting page. Alternatively, you can contact us here, and we can help you submit a winning application.
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