<p>Secretguy (and circuitrider), I’m sorry to have come off as condescending. I came from a working poor family and received full financial aid to an ivy where I never felt “surrounded with rich daddy-money kids.” I will be forever grateful for those extraordinary and wonderful four years . Twenty years later my little sister had the same opportunity and experience, with nearly full financial aid. I currently live in the most left leaning region of California (married to an Ivy guy) and have so far sent six kids off to college on both coasts (plus had the pleasure of seeing off scores of my students.) As you’ll discover via your own research or via College Confidential, the ivy league schools are distinct from one another and require a visit in person to fully appreciate and discern these distinctions. But what they all have in common is the exceptional diversity and intensity of their student population–and they’re all pretty socially progressive. As a mom who has seen half my kids thrive at their colleges and half flounder, I have learned that the ones who made their choices based on their perceptions of the campus social scenes tended to flounder. Like Pizzagirl said, decide what you’re looking for in a college, identify those schools and THEN start searching among them for the ones that have the weather, geography and even the dating scene you’re looking for. You’ll be happy with the social scene if your peers there are looking for the same things academically, intellectually, and experientially that you are. Obviously your idea of “cool non-jerk-like good-looking people” may be considerably different from someone else’s! And you may even become fast friends with some “rich daddy-money kids.” That’s what makes college interesting! </p>
<p>The path to an ivy league school requires an intense level of focus and drive, and once you arrive there, IF you arrive there, you’ll have to maintain that focus and drive to succeed. It may not be for you. If you are seeking an education comprised of specific programs, facilities, faculty, majors, arts or athletic opportunities unique to one or more of the Ivies or other highly selective schools, you will likely be happy with the social scene at those schools as well. (And recognize that plenty of non-ivies will meet your same criteria.) If you BEGIN your college search with the social scene, you may find yourself ending up in the wrong place.</p>