Most of it has already been touched on: the resources, the intensity/intelligence of your peers, the facilities, the research, the professors, the financial aid, the job placement statistics, the grad school placement stats, the post-graduate network, etc… Being at an Ivy (rightfully or not) gives you certain advantages in this world. And yes, the prestige is fun too. But there is also something special about the history and traditions of these universities that just can’t be replicated. Ivies were integral in the shaping of both higher education and this nation from the very start, and they continue to have an outsized impact on the world for only 8 schools. It’s not a reason alone to apply to a school, but I enjoyed feeling like I was part of something bigger than just my own college. I was joining a network of institutions that contributed to the world in a way that no other group of colleges ever has (except maybe Oxbridge). When you couple that with all of the other previously listed benefits, it’s a pretty hard deal to pass up.