Harvard receives over 43,000 college applications every year; however, they only accept 2,000 students. Yet, they are known as one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. From a young age, movies, parents, and society has impressed upon us that going to an Ivy League means you’re smart, talented, and elite. But, what makes schools like Harvard so great? Why is it worth it to spend over $50,000 a year to go there? Why do you have to have a nearly perfect SAT score, ACT score, GPA, and extracurricular resumé to get in? Is the time and money spent getting into Harvard really worth it? Frankly, I think it’s not.
Most people admitted into Ivy League schools are all very similar in their applications. Nearly all of them have 36s on their ACTs and 4.0 GPAs. Not to mention, each applicant has founded every single club in their school and has saved a million puppies while they’re at it. This leaves very little room to be exceptional at Harvard because everyone else is exceptional too. Sifting through all of these applications is an arduous process, and some have claimed that being admitted is nothing more than luck of the draw. So, that leaves me to wonder why people go through all of that work only to have their acceptance be based on random chances. While these schools have been credited with educating the best and brightest minds, so have other, less prestigious schools.Their programs have been called “greater” than the programs at other schools, but that can also be blamed on their small class sizes and one on one time with professors. Many other schools offer small class sizes and have succeeding students as well.
According to an article, Ivy Leagues offer the best education. However, when it comes to real issues such as job outlook, student satisfaction, and return on investment, many other schools are as good if not better than the Ivys. By not going to an Ivy League school, you are still able to get similar jobs, equal satisfaction, and equal (if not better) return on investment. Even if you don’t go to an Ivy League, you will usually make more money than your degree costs. Because Ivy Leagues are so expensive, it will take you longer to pay off your degree than it would take someone who spent way less on college, assuming you are earning similar salaries. These facts go to show that prestige is not the most important factor when it comes to making a college decision.
Do you think that being accpeted into an Ivy League is worth the work it takes?
Why do you think society holds Ivy Leagues in such high regard?
Would you attend an Ivy League?
Do you think Ivy Leagues are overrated?
Sources:
College Gazette, et al. “Why the Ivy League May Be Overrated.” Collegegazette.com, 3 Mar. 2020, collegegazette.com/why-the-ivy-league-may-be-overrated/.
Harvard University. Harvard University, 2 Apr. 2021, www.harvard.edu/.
Replies
Very interesting topic and great job Ava!
They are definetly overrated, I believe that the only thing you get out of an ivy league is the bragging privledges and huge debt. I mean they are ivy leagues and their alumni is valored in millions of dollars so their could be potential good job opportunities.
I don't think that being accepted into an Ivy League school is worth what it takes because you can get a degree from a different college that has the same majors but without as many strict rules. I would not attend an Ivy League school because it sounds like it is boring.
I think that a person can be successful without going to an Ivy League school. However, if you look at the colleges that many well known people have gone to, a lot of them are Ivy Leagues or other schools with low acceptance rates. Ivy Leagues are expensive, but you are also paying for all of the connections that the school offers too. For example, these schools can get you into good internships.
While Ivy Leagues allow you to make connections, most college programs around the country do that as well. I think that you can make good connections and find good jobs/ internships without having to go to an Ivy League.
While I think that Ivy League colleges are overrated, there is something to say about prestige. They are obviously top colleges in the country and will provide a good education, but I don't know if they are the best. There could be other lesser known colleges that provide a better education for less. The educational aspects of Ivy Leauges may be overrated, but there is more to come out of college than simply education. Going to an Ivy League can help develop higher levels of connections which can help after college. Society sees these colleges as prestigious and, even if they are overrated, puts emphasis on an education from them.
I don't know if in my opinion they are worth all the work it takes to get in, I think it depends on what a person wants in their life. In my opinion society holds people who go to those schools in too high regards and it seems like to be really successfull in life you have to go there, while there are different ways to do that and they are differ from person to person.
Personally I do think that Ivy Leagues are overrated. In my opinion, you can get just as good of an education if you were to go to any other college. Although people associated with Harvard and Yale are very smart, there are other very smart people who get denied to these colleges. I also do not think that these colleges are worth the price you pay. Ivy Leagues can cost a lot more for almost the same education.
I also think that Ivy Leagues are overrated. You can get a great education at plently of other less expensive schools without having to do nearly as much work to be accepted.
I would not attend an ivy league school because first I don't think I would get accepted and second I do not think I would get along with others that also attended an ivy league school. I think society hold them to such high standards is because they are much harder to get into.
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