<p>Why is Columbia not in HYPS acronym? Is it not considered of the same caliber?</p>
<p>Because for several years they have been perceived as the pinnacle of academic excellence, selectivity, and prestige. It doesn’t mean they’re the best, though of course some people believe that they are.</p>
<p>Why not Columbia, MIT, Caltech, UPenn, or Duke? Why not Williams, Amherst, or Swarthmore?</p>
<p>You’ll probably never hear an adequate answer.</p>
<p>Actually, MIT is also in the acronym. It’s supposed to HYPSM.</p>
<p>
There’s no “supposed to” here. It’s whatever people use. Sometimes you’ll see HYP, sometimes HYPS, sometimes HYPSM, sometimes more.</p>