I just want to apply to all of them and see if I get into any of them but I know a lot of people say that is not a good idea. But to put it bluntly, I only care about the education I would get in each one, I don’t really care about the location, whether it’s a “snobby” school, if the food is good or not, and all that fancy shmancy stuff cause I’m going to college to learn and get a degree. And I know that each college has strengths in each department but I really don’t have time to research each an every college right now and I’ve read that Ivy Leagues are usually strong in every department so I don’t really care if the college doesn’t have the strongest department in which I’m majoring in.
They’re wrong. There’s no reason not to apply to all of them as long as the application fee isn’t a problem.
The thing is, for many schools you’ll have to write a “Why X?” essay that shows that you have researched their school. If you don’t have the time to research, you don’t have the time to apply to those schools either.
^agreed with above. College is a big decision, and applying to them isn’t a giant name hunt. You can, by all means, apply to them all, but don’t expect much. Also, getting into an Ivy doesn’t mean you’re set for life. My chinese teacher graduated from UPenn, my geometry teacher graduated from Cornell, and well, they’re high school teachers now.
Also, you’re going to spend 4 years there, and well over $250k+ just getting an education. Trust me, just because the school is good, doesn’t mean the environment is fit for you.
If u are truly just interested in getting a good education & a degree, then why are u so narrowly fixated on applying to schools that are in the same athletic league? Lots of non ivy league schools are well regarded and offer an excellent education. Are u really just a “prestige ho” in denial?
Sounds like you are saying you don’t care which school you attend as long as it is an Ivy.
Not hearing anything about fit. i would hold off buying the swag,
It’s not a good idea to apply to all of them because the person that would be happy at Brown would not be happy at Dartmouth, etc. They are all distinct schools with different vibes and a different kind of student body. The fact that they’re lumped together under the ambiguous title “Ivy League” doesn’t change that.
In terms of core curriculum Brown and Columbia are polar opposites, for example.
@GMTplus7 I’m applying a lot of non ivies also. I’m not only applying to ivies cause they’re called ivies, mostly because they’re all in like the top 20 national rankings. And I don’t really care about the “name” of the school in terms of bragging to others, I care in terms of how employers will look at it. Harvey Mudd is one of my top choices and nobody even knows what that is.
And also, I’m interested in Ivy leagues specifically because I know they have great financial aid (would get a full ride most likely if I get into any of them). I honestly don’t know how to narrow down the ivy list because my only requirement for selection of colleges is just the academic aspect. And all the ivy leagues are pretty much top notch in all departments.
Even at the Ivies, the academic structure can be very, very different. The example above is probably the best: Brown has no distribution requirements; Columbia has an extensive list of requirements. Would you be equally as happy with a school that gives you almost total academic freedom as you would with a school that unites students with a strong core?
I know you say that location and all that doesn’t matter, but honestly, how else are you narrowing down your list if not by accounting for those other factors, or by strength of majors? Are you just applying to all schools that claim to meet 100% of demonstrated need and generally have reputable departments? The location, atmosphere, and cultures at the schools are all very different, and I really think that’s something you have to consider and research. If for no other reason than a lot of them DO have a supplement asking why you’re applying, and “financial aid/good academics” won’t make you stand out, as honest as that might be.
OP, looking at your stats in your posting history, the Ivies and Ivy equivalents are pretty much out of reach.
You’re only “set for life” if you’ve cashed out working for the man? 
More than a few elite college grads are led to different levels of education, they don’t all march like robots to the IB firms.
@TomSrOfBoston are we looking at the same OP here? The OP has a 4.0 UW and a 2000 SAT score (not stellar, but good nationally). He is not remarkable, but he is not “terrible”. He probably could get into a very GPA heavy school (like the UCs), but his major may complicate things.
@snarlatron That was not what I implied in my comment.
A 2000 SAT will pretty much exclude the OP from top 15 schools. To get into an ivy you need to be remarkable.
Unless u have some yet unmentioned hook (recruited athlete, URM, development case, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, father is POTUS), a 2000 SAT isn’t remotely close to making the cut for ivies or for Mudd.
This is nonsense. It’s true for some people, of course, but there are plenty of people who would be happy at Brown or Columbia or Dartmouth. I would have.
I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to apply to all the Ivies. I don’t even see anything wrong with wanting to apply to them primarily because of their prestige - because let’s face it, prestige can count for something during and after college. Some students are also happy in a variety of locations and/or don’t really know what they want out of college; I could’ve imagined myself equally happy in rural-ish Ithaca or Hanover and urban New York or Philadelphia if the campus community was right. There are pros and cons to both. You’re also right that Ivies tend to be solid in all of their departments, so picking based on your major is premature IMO.
The only concerning thing is that you should care at least to some extent about the surroundings of your school. Yes, you are going to college to learn - but there’s so much more to learning than sitting in class, and you will spend the vast majority of your time NOT in class. You will learn from your peers - a lot - so wondering if you will be happy with them is only natural. You will have to eat in the cafeteria every day for 4 years, so deciding that the food is edible is important. However, the Ivies also tend to be strong in all of those areas, too.
Applying to all of the Ivy schools seems to me like a lazy answer. Even if you can’t visit schools you need to do the research about each one. Read college guide books (ex. Fiske, Princeton Review, Insiders Guide etc.) and spend time looking at each school’s website. The schools are vastly different in terms of location, majors offered, curriculum, size, vibe, etc. In addition there are tons of great non-Ivy colleges out there and some may prove to be better fits for you than some of the Ivy schools. Plus you need to be realistic about where you might get in (see post 14 above) and be sure you have academic/financial match and safety schools on your list.
I see plenty wrong w it if the applicant has a middling profile and no extenuating circumstances
@archilon “don’t know how to narrow down the ivy list because my only requirement for selection of colleges is just the academic aspect. And all the ivy leagues are pretty much top notch in all departments.”
Do you honestly believe every Ivy is equally strong in every major?