<p>While Penn is the perfect Ivy for me, and some other Ivies are nice, I could never see myself at:</p>
<p>-Dartmouth (I’m a fan of civilization)
-Princeton (Q.E.D.)
-Cornell (fail)</p>
<p>Well, I’d go to any ivy if (for some strange reason) it was the only place I got in. But there’s some ivies I would certainly turn down for “lesser” schools.</p>
<p>These are the non-ivies I applied to, in order of preference:
Northwestern
Georgetown
Duke
Bowdoin
Virginia
Wisconsin
Rutgers</p>
<p>I applied to four Ivies:</p>
<p>Princeton: I love Princeton. It’s kinda elitist and stuck-up, which I actually love. It is my top choice (if I get in here, I’m going)…so this one does not suit this thread’s purpose</p>
<p>Yale: I really like Yale because of its strength in environmental economics. I applied early and was deferred. However, it is not my top choice. I haven’t visited Yale, and if New Haven is anything like what I’ve heard, I would probably go to Northwestern (where I should have applied ED) over Yale.</p>
<p>Cornell: The student body at Cornell was the biggest plus: not as nerdy as you would think, just a bunch of normal people who happen to be smart. Still, Cornell’s academic programs don’t totally fit what I want, and the prestige gap between it and near-ivies is so small, I’d turn it down for Northwestern and Georgetown.</p>
<p>Harvard: I applied to Harvard just for fun (for example, I wrote a ridiculous essay that was styled like a job posting). I don’t like Boston (can’t help it…Yankee fan) and Harvard’s unstructured curriculum. I would turn Harvard down for Northwestern, Georgetown, Duke, Bowdoin, and possibly Virginia.</p>
<p>The ivies I did not apply to:</p>
<p>Penn- was on the fence about this one, but I eventually figured I had enough reaches and I’m not crazy about Philly and I was disappointed by the campus atmosphere. Were I to apply, I would be behind Northwestern, Georgetown, and likely Duke.</p>
<p>Dartmouth- never visited, but I’m not sure I’d fit in at such a party school. I’d turn it down for any school but Wisconsin and Rutgers.</p>
<p>Columbia- I don’t like NYC and the student body is really liberal and outgoing. I’m just not that type. Again, I’d turn it down for almost any school to which I applied.</p>
<p>Brown- my least favorite ivy. Really liberal and artsy, a comparatively weak econ department compared with other ivies. It even seems less prestigious than so-called “near ivies” like Hopkins, WashU, Northwestern, Rice, Vandy. I’d turn it down for any school but Rutgers (my in-state safety.)</p>
<p>Cornell and Dartmouth Im not huge on the location. I would like to go where surrounding areas are more accessible.</p>