<p>I was looking on collegeboard.org and noticed that Cornell has like 14,000 undergrad and 7,000 graduate students while Dartmouth and Harvard have only like 6,000 undergrad. Does anyone know why?
Also, what is the difference between Ivy League schools. I know they are all top notch but what separates a Brown from a Dartmouth. Why would someone choose one or the other? They all seem similar to me. It seems like you would apply to all and just go to the one you get into.</p>
<p>^Yes, Cornell is the largest school in the Ivy league.</p>
<p>Regarding similarity—Each of the schools in the league are very different. They are like people…each with their own strengths and personality.</p>
<p>I think the main differences are programs, school size, admission rates, who schools accept, and who schools don’t accept. There are a number of folks that could get into all Ivy schools they apply to, as well as some that are restricted to only a few. A lot of that depends on academic potential, proper resources, and demographic background. Traditionally, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton tend to be the most selective schools if I’m not mistaken. This doesn’t mean that the other are necessarily not great schools, though.</p>
<p>Cornell has always been the largest Ivy League University. Asking why is sort of like asking why Michigan is larger than Cornell. It just is.</p>
<p>Each of the Ivy’s is strong in just about every department they have. However, relatively speaking there are differences. For example, most would agree that Cornell and Princeton have the strongest engineering schools.</p>
<p>Otherwise, as Islander says, HY&P are generally always the most selective. Other schools bounce around – I think this year D&C were ‘hot’ schools, but that changes somewhat from year to year. Regardless of the year, all 8 of the schools have been considered amongst the Top Top schools in the country year in and year out for the past century.</p>
<p>This being said, there are also many excellent schools whose admissions standards and current reputations are comparable to the Ivys. (Think practically any USNWR Top 15 or so, and probably a few others.).</p>
<p>Hmm… I always thought the answer to “why Cornell has a larger student body” is because it is physically the largest Ivy League campus (roughly 560 acres of campus excluding the plantations and golf course). The next largest appears to be Princeton with some ~300 acres excluding the golf course.</p>
<p>But then again, Cornell does have a lot of open space…</p>
<p>Thanks for the answers, guys (or girls). I might be applying to some Ivy League schools and I was just wondering what some of the differences were between them so I could make the best decision. Thanks!</p>
<p>Trololol. Get out statlanta/learn how to Google.
I just read the first three lines and started laughing.</p>
<p>^Word. </p>
<p>@Statlanta: There’ve been dozens, even hundreds of these posts just on this forum. As a (hopefully) competent prospective Ivy League student, learn how to get the information you need when it’s out there in no short supply.</p>
<p>you want Cornell to get MORE selective?? aren’t ivies small enough with the rising number of applicants and all?</p>
<p>Cornell was founded on an entirely different principle than the other Ivies. It was a rebellion against the old-school elitist liberal art institutions (except Dartmouth, which was an Indian college) descended from Europe and is called the first truly American university in its structure and scope. Ezra established it to provide both practical / technical training and broader liberal arts education that would admit anybody capable of handling its rigor and provide that person the opportunity to study in any field they want.</p>
<p>I know I sound like a viewbook, but it gets lost in the world of rankings and side-by-side comparisons that its existence in the same athletic conference is really the only true parallel to the older institutions Cornell set out to improve upon. Stanford was later modeled on Cornell.</p>