<p>As a junior in high school I'm currently looking into different colleges and the more I look, the more I start to question whether or not it's a good idea to go to an Ivy League during your undergraduate years? I'm not sure what I want to major in so what is your opinion? Also, how do you decide your major? Any tips? Thank you.</p>
<p>It really depends. First of all, you have to be accepted before you can attend. And they do have different focuses, opportunities, and atmosphere. Some people thrive being around other high achieving students. Others may do better in a more low-key atmosphere. There are people who turn down the Ivy League for smaller LACs, cheaper schools, or funded research/honors opportunities at the their flagship universities. It’s really something to investigate and decide what you’re priorities are.</p>
<p>You should ask yourself what those eight colleges represent. Are you operating on fact or myth? They (and another 20 colleges) represent great collections of highly motivated and achieving students, accompanied by great university resources. Some are competitive, some are not but more laid back.</p>
<p>Most just want learners and welcome undecided majors as much as the laser-beam focused premed or theater major. Many of them are perfect “buffet counters” to sample a variety of subjects in order to settle in on one you’ll enjoy.</p>
<p>“Ivy League” is really just a short-hand for ‘highly selective’ schools these days. There are lots of very selective schools that are not in the Ivy League, like MIT and Stanford. There are also many top Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs) that are as selective as many Ivy League Schools but aren’t as well known because they don’t have graduate schools.</p>
<p>Do yourself a big favor by not getting sucked into the ‘Ivy League’ vortex: If you cast your net a bit wider, there are many excellent, selective schools out that that provide a comparable education and even comparable prestige but aren’t ‘Ivy.’</p>