Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Pennsylvania and Dartmouth– if you’re looking at an international education or the USA, then these are certainly on your list. The Ivy League Schools are a dream for hundreds of thousands, only a few thousand get the chance to realise that dream, and even fewer actually get to go and experience the Ivies for themselves. If you want to get a sense of what experiencing the Ivies would look like (other than the academics), then read on!
1. They are the “Ancient Eight”! These eight universities are indeed some of the oldest higher education institutes in the United States, with Harvard being the oldest one in the country. Their reputation of being long standing icons of learning and knowledge certainly compliments the nickname.
2. Columbia: “Bands before Exams!” The university’s marching band stages an hour long show – packed with great music and hilarious jokes – in their Library a day before exams, and it’s called the “Orgo Night”.
3. Benjamin Franklin founded the University of Pennsylvania. As far as founders go, Pennsylvania definitely wins.
4. You can’t shoot films at Harvard! Professional filming is banned on the Harvard University campus. So all those Hollywood movies apparently based in Harvard, weren’t actually shot there! In the 1970s, filming was permitted and some movies of the time had actual scenes on the campus, but after that it was banned.
5. The Ivy League holds Presidential Status! This is a big factor of what makes the Ivy League what they are – reputation and alumni. About 15 of US Presidents went to Ivy League schools. That doesn’t mean attending an Ivy League school launches your political campaign, but it sure gives you an edge.
