<p>First of all congratulations on being admitted to some wonderful places.</p>
<p>I think that the emphasis should be right school for you regardless of it's moniker (remember, after all has been said and done, the ivy league is first and foremost, an athletic conference). </p>
<p>Fit is about what you want/need from your college experience. Suffice it to say , you will get a great education at any of these schools, it is your desire to get one. Where do you see yourself most being, which school really communes with your soul? I think that you have to sit down, be honest with yourself and ask your self the hard questions.</p>
<p>How important is it to you to have others feel wowed when you tell them the school that you attend? If the wow factor is important to you (and we ain't mad at you if it is, just be honest with yourself about it), then you are more prone to attend HYP</p>
<p>How important is it to your parents to say that Tri attends.....?
Once again, you may be more prone to attend HYP</p>
<p>That being said each school is uniquely different, each having its own set of strenghts and weaknesses. </p>
<p>You you want a core curriculum (Columbia) vs an open curriculum (Brown)?</p>
<p>Do you want a larger more urban campus (Harvard, Columbia)? Can you deal with a rural campus (Dartmouth)</p>
<p>Do you want a residential housing system (Yale, Rice)</p>
<p>Do you want a school that school that is more focused on undergraduate education (Princeton, Dartmouth)?</p>
<p>How much or little is interaction with your professors?</p>
<p>Do you want most of your classes taught by Professors (Princeton, Dartmouth) or TA/Teaching fellows)? Keep in mind that most of the "world renowned" professors teach very few if any undergrads. </p>
<p>There was a recent discussion on the Parents thread about *Ivy education really a fraud*that discusses Tenure-track faculty members teach only 40 percent of classes in the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts and Sciences, according to a report by a graduate-student union at Penn that has been fighting for university recognition.
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=160504%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=160504</a></p>
<p>Is it important to you to attend a school that has a strong sense of community (Dartmouth, Brown) or a school where students are doing their own thing (columbia, H,Y)</p>
<p>Strong greek presence (Dartmouth, Cornell) or eating clubs (Princeton)</p>
<p>Quarter system (Dartmouth) vs. semesters?</p>
<p>What is your happiness factor? </p>
<p>Harvard undergraduates are more likely than students at other elite private institutions to be unhappy with their life on campus, according to an analysis of a recent survey of student satisfaction. On a five-point scale, Harvard students' overall satisfaction is 3.95, compared to an average of 4.16 from the 30 other schools surveyed by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, which includes all eight Ivies, along with top research institutions and small liberal arts schools. </p>
<p>According to the survey, Harvard averaged a 2.62 for its campus social life, compared to 2.89 across other schools, and netted a 2.53 for its sense of community, compared to 2.8 at other COFHE institutions</p>
<p>Faculty availability at Harvard averaged a 2.92 compared to an average of 3.39 at peer institutions, quality of instruction received a 3.16 rating compared to 3.31 at other schools, and quality of advising within majors netted a 2.54 compared to a 2.86 at other COFHE schools</p>
<p><a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=506758%5B/url%5D">http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=506758</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=28956%5B/url%5D">http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=28956</a></p>
<p><a href="http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=16794&repository=0001_article%5B/url%5D">http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=16794&repository=0001_article</a></p>
<p>In the end, nothing beats visiting; spend the night talk to other students, sit in on classes, talk to professors. good luck with your decision</p>