<p>I agree that HYP, Penn/Columbia, and Brown/Dartmouth/Cornell are different. Penn and Columbia break away from the lower 3 because of their business/law schools, in my opinion.</p>
<p>My experience has always been that the things that actually provide value to undergrads are rarely research or graduate school related. As a graduate of a Columbia professional school myself, I never had one encounter with an undergrad in an academic setting. </p>
<p>What gets you into a great grad school is a great undergrad story. The richest schools have the ability to spend the most on their students. That means more grants and more interesting applications. Recruiting is similar, the schools with the strongest alumni networks (most loyal) and long-term legacies with top recruiters at the undergrad level win here as well, not MBA ranks. This is why when it comes to grad placement schools with the greatest undergrad resources win at every available grad placement statistic. This is why the schools with the strongest legacies with recruiters (Penn, Dartmouth, Columbia, HYP, Williams) do the best at getting great jobs.</p>
<p>The quality of the institution as a whole and the quality of the undergraduate education and experience are two very different things that are easily and often confused.</p>
<p>In terms of institutional standing, Columbia and Penn, IMO, are a step ahead of the others Ivies because of their strength in grad programs.</p>
<p>If we're talking about about undergrad education, I think the conversation changes completely. Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale are the three schools I tend to think of off the bat. Harvard's brand name is the best by far, but by all indications it's a so-so undergrad experience. The things those schools I mentioned have in common is the very high percentage of the student body that undergrads make up. It's lowest at Columbia and Harvard in the ivies.</p>
<p>Since you mentioned MBA, I'm assuming you're a B-school grad? PM me.</p>