<p>Is it just me or is every other member of CC obsessed with ivies. I understand they are good schools, but it seems like everybody only cares about the prestige. It seems like nobody even cares if the schools are a good fit, they will just say they want to get into an ivy/have no preference (they are all very different and probably impossible to like equally).</p>
<p>You must be new here…</p>
<p>I like ivies because of their strong financial aid programs. For example, Baylor is a good school in Texas (where I live) but I will probably end up paying more in Baylor than in an ivy and I hate the Texas climate. Also, I’m a city person. I lived in Mexico city for a long time and I wanna go back to the big city life and most ivies are located by big cities. My dream has always been to live in the New England area (where most ivies are) and that’s why I really want to get into an ivy league. However I do understand what you say when people just want to go to an ivy to brag or get a sense of superiority.</p>
<p>i’m not convinced they’re all that different from each other. anyway, i’m not sure if you liking art has anything to do with your cynicism about people’s attitudes towards them…</p>
<p>but prestige isn’t something to dismiss so fast i think. maybe you can wish there was never prestige in the first place. but because there is, why not take advantage of it? going to an ivy as a smart earnest kid will help you have a greater impact in whatever it is you want to do. there’s nothing wrong with trying to be high-impact. of course, you getting in means someone else didn’t get in and doesn’t get that prestige you get - so hopefully you’ll take advantage of it, as that prestige is one nice thing about going to an ivy.</p>
<p>a lot of smart kids aren’t aspiring artists. they’re aspiring scientists or scientific people or whatever; and ivies are, i think, an undeniably a great place for talented aspiring scientists, where as they might not be to the same extent for talented artists. cause like science takes expensive equipment. art doesn’t.</p>
<p>also, like, it seems like one would be more liable to pay attention to people’s obsessing over ivies, rather than their casual feelings towards them. and if you feel more casually towards them you’re probably less likely to express your feelings about them.</p>
<p>i think it’s likely it’s a vocal minority on CC which you’ve interpreted as a representative majority. sorry this post was kind of disjointed.</p>
<p>Well if it is any indicator… there was a thread with the same title last week.</p>
<p>Ivies or CC theres no middle ground</p>
<p>@dfree124 Yes I am fairly new and I have noticed this since the day I joined, but the more I see those types of posts the more it gets to me
@enfieldacademy My username references my current major (I go to a magnet school for the arts), despite this I want to major in neuroscience in college and then go to medical school. I have the grades that if I really wanted I think I would have a shot at an ivy, despite this I hate large schools and because of this have not liked any ivy/top 20 schools I have visited.</p>
<p>I agree with enfield. If you have an Ivy degree behind you, it automatically gives you a name recognition to start from, and it will give a larger impact in whatever field you pursue. Unlike most of CC though, I’m not gonna cry if I don’t get into an ivy and am (God forbid FORCED lol) to Berkeley or UCSD. I’d actually be decently satisfied if I could get into Berkeley. Oh and Dfree your first comment made me bust up lol.</p>
<p>I’m not interested in Ivy colleges. So that sets me apart from the many CC users. Mainly because they are hard to get into. I’m only interested in the UCs, such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCSD, and UC Irvine (go anteaters! Zot! Zot!).</p>
<p>I’m not obsessed because I know that I won’t even step foot in a door, and can’t afford to peak in a window lol. Personally, I don’t think I will fit in a environment at an Ivy, too many people and too much going on.</p>
<p>In my culture, people are extremely academically competitive. All of my cousins are basically study machines who do nothing but study day and night in order to get into the country’s top university. No ECs, no hanging out with friends, no nothing because can be accepted for is academic merit. Because of the competitive nature, my parents, naturally, want me to be as good as them, even if we don’t live in my home country anymore. </p>
<p>My parents didn’t know ANYTHING about SAT/SAT II/AP/etc, and I didn’t even start taking APs until 10th grade, but I know that ever since I was 4, my dad kept telling me to go to Harvard to make the family proud. For my 8th birthday, I got a Harvard t-shirt and wore it every day (of course I washed it LOL). If I go to any university with less prestige than HYP, then I’ll be considered average, or a disgrace, compared to my cousins and my parents don’t really want to be embarrassed in front of them. They don’t push me to study, but they do remind me that I need to get into Harvard almost every day, because my dad has several friends in our home country that visit him, and since he was apparently the “top dog” throughout high school, he doesn’t want to hurt his pride by having his daughter go somewhere that no one knows about (for example, Rice is an amazing school but most of my relatives don’t know it’s name and therefore conclude that it’s a bad school, even though it’s not). </p>
<p>People are constantly craving to please society, their families, and themselves. The reason for the ivy obsession is often because of the prestige, because several people feel that going to top universities is a necessary avenue for success. To be honest, I don’t think an obsession with ivies is the problem of the individual people who are obsessed, but I think that society, media, and peers are largely at fault for putting many kids in the stressful situation that limits their insight into what they truly want. I often see CCers asking about what club they should start/what ecs they should undertake/what they should say they “like” on college applications, because they want to look good. It’s that they don’t want to deviate from the social norm and risk being judged as an anomaly and an outcast, especially if being deemed so will result in a difficulty in getting into a good college, finding a job, and hence living a comfortable life. </p>
<p>By the way, out of HYPSM, I’m not applying to Yale or Princeton because they don’t offer the majors I want, and I’m not even applying to any other ivies besides Harvard. I’ve learned enough from experience and my own interests so I don’t have to concern myself over the value of name too much, but I can totally understand where people are coming from when they have an ivy obsession. I’m just glad I’m lucky enough to have parents who don’t push me to pursue fruitless jobs and activities, because I have enough freedom to enjoy what I want (aka watching a bajillion hours of anime and drama lolol. I’m so glad cramming exists.) </p>
<p>But also, the ivy obsession (or just prestigious school obsession) comes from the indoctrination of an obstinate and reason-lacking belief as well. This is just common sense, but like the mere exposure effect in which we come to like things more after constant exposure, after constant exposure to a particular belief/idea (especially as a kid when you don’t know much about life in general) that idea seems logical, even if it’s absurdly not so. My parents have no clue what Harvard is. In fact, they don’t even know where it is besides the fact that it’s on the east coast. They have no idea what majors there are, they have no idea what the dorms are like, they don’t know what the campus is like, they don’t know what kind of atmosphere the college offers. They just know that it’s Harvard. That’s what they’ve been told, that’s what their parents have been told, that’s what their cousins have been told, that’s what their brothers and sisters have been told, that’s what their friends have been told… therefore whenever I ask my parents why I should go to Harvard, they always reply with “It’s Harvard.”</p>
<p>I think some high school students have just been way too exposed to the whole ivy thing and are falling in love with the ivies because of what they hear. Sure, prestige is a part of it, but also, as people hear more and more and more about the ivies, they come to like them more and more and subconsciously begin to find any way possible to increase the way they favor those universities (self-serving bias ftw).</p>
<p>AND THAT WAS MY LONG-ISH BLURB. heh</p>
<p>People want to go to them because they are the best schools in the US. In the same way that Oxbridge is the dream for many people here. I don’t understand what’s so strange about that.</p>
<p>Yes! I agree; people on her are way too obsessed with Ivy schools.</p>
<p>@gomdorri: Ouch. Are your parents Indian by any chance? Or some other form of Asian? I feel kind of bad for you; I have Asian parents who aren’t nearly that bad. Though the whole prestige thing and not being a disgrace sounds very familiar.</p>
<p>But year, Ivies are overblown. Yes, they’re freaking amazing schools and if you get in then you’re awesome. But some people literally eat, breathe, and drink Ivy, and I’m sorry to say this, but often times it is the people that have almost no chance of getting in who do this. And then they get rejected and their life is blown apart. Rather sad actually. It’s important to stay open and remember that there are some other schools that are really good out there.</p>
<p>@UKgirl23: It’s because people are often over-obsessed. In places like Korea and China where there are exams you have to take to get in, and your admission to a college is based (almost) solely on that score, then I guess this doesn’t apply but…</p>
<p>the thing is with ivies, often people only want to go to ivies for the name. They obsess over ivies and ramble on about how their dream schools are amazing in every single way, but have no facts or knowledge to back up their statements, or in other words, they are superficially obsessive dilettantes when it comes to college choice. They only like ivies for the name/prestige. The main problem is that with this, some students fail to see other opportunities, and don’t realize that there are other good universities as well. </p>
<p>Instead of wanting to go to a college for its name (the superficiality; the appearance), people should also consider tuition, merit/need-based financial assistance, the learning environment, the people, the opportunities, the majors, the location, etc so that it matches their interests, not others’. </p>
<p>And some people also probably just find it extremely obnoxious to see millions of “WHAT ARE MY CHANCES AT HYPSM PLZZZZ” posts all over the CC day after day, especially since (most of us) aren’t admission officers and can’t even give a decent chance prediction anyways.</p>
<p>I’m proudly obsessed with Ivies.
I just need to be rejected from them before the obsession will cease, lol.</p>
<p>My reason for seeking admission is that some of them offer really nice financial aid packages. Also, I like the prestige. I’d like to be able to show naysayers that, hey, I made it, and not only that, but into a top University. How do you like me now? haha That may seem shallow, but life’s been rough, and the people throughout my life have been unnecessarily condescending.
I want to prove myself.</p>
<p>And besides, I want to be around people who are more intelligent than myself. 
I know I can do this anywhere (I’m not that smart :D), but I would love to have this experience at an Ivy. :3 Harvard is my dream.</p>
<p>No, they aren’t. I am Asian though. My parents do want me to succeed in life and they do tel me to work hard, but they never push me to do it. I’ve gotten more F’s and D’s on tests and homework assignments than I can count, but I’ve never once been scolded for it. Instead, my parents just laugh and buy me food to cheer me up(well they used to. not now though, since we’re in a bad situation now hah). My cousin in America just went to Stanford, and right now he and his dad are in Korea boasting about it to all of their friends. There are several posts on his facebook saying congratulations, come visit us! etcetc. </p>
<p>My dad told me this so I’m not sure how true it is exactly (it’s probably a very broad generalization, but still applies), but if you get into an okay college, then people are like meh. whatever. she’s probably a loser. If you get into, say, HYP, everyone is like OMOMOMOMOMOOMO COME VISIT ME SOMETIME YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!</p>
<p>It’s just that need to feel accomplished and lauded for our achievements. What some people don’t realize is that they aren’t losers if they don’t get into the school of their choice. I think people in general are just way too influenced by social pressures, me included. </p>
<p>It’s sad, really, but true.</p>
<p>Haha no financial aid for me, woo.
In reality, my family is in a dire, near-bankrupt situation and my parents are working from 8 AM to 11 PM every day (during their breaks, they have to pick my siblings and me up and drop us off to our ECS/home/etc). They’re nearly exhausted from overwork, especially now that they’re getting older and business is worse. On paper, our situation looks like we’re upper class because of our assets (which we only have because we need them to accommodate employees), etc. </p>
<p>So yeah. If I get into Harvard, Stanford, or MIT, then I really hope I get a full-ride. Otherwise, I’ll just have to study for the PSAT so that I can be a NMF and get a free ride to somewhere like ASU. Or go to college in-state, since the middle SAT score for my state U is like a 1600 and I’d get a free ride plus housing and an hour ride away from my parents lol.</p>
<p>There’s this Honors university called UMBC, and it was recognized by it’s undergraduate academics for having the same rigor as Yale, and it cost WAY less and it’s 45 minutes away from where I live. I thought this was pretty cool.</p>
<p>haha that’s cool!</p>
<p>I don’t live in NY, but I’m still planning to apply to macaulay honors because I can get a free laptop and go there for undergrad without paying a dime. x) </p>
<p>and plus it’s in ny. KPOP CONCERTS I THINK YES.
/brick’d</p>
<p>I really want to go to Stanford. From what I’ve heard, it’s really awesome there and allows plenty of room for strange self-expression. XDDD</p>
<p>My brother got accepted into Hood College, and they all got a free iPad 2~!!! I was so jealous…</p>