These universities are part of the Ivy League, better known as the Ivies, among America’s most known brands. How well do you know these institutions of higher education? Here are 7 True or False Questions to test your knowledge of the (in)famous American Ivy League.
True or False?
1. The Ivy League is a group of universities originally formed for its academic excellence.
2. Stanford University, MIT, and Georgetown are some Ivies.
3. Ivy League institutions are the oldest institutions in the US.
4. All Ivy League institutions are private research universities.
5. Ivy League institutions are expensive.
6. The admissions percentage to Ivies is a single digit, ie, less than 10%.
7. All Ivies have the highest-paid graduates.
ANSWERS
1. False. The name, Ivy League, became official in 1954 when 8 universities competed in an sports conference that became known as the National Collegiate of Athletic Association or the NCAA as it is more commonly known. As it did then, the NCAA today regulates student athletes of member institutions and organizes college (university) competition. The namesake comes from the slightly earlier time of the 1930s when the New York Herald Tribune sports writer, Stanley Woodward coined the phrase to refer to these universities.
2. False. Stanford, MIT, and Georgetown University are often mistaken as Ivies. The eight Ivy League institutions are the original Big 3, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, plus Columbia, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) Brown, and Dartmouth College, and the lesser-known Cornell University.
3. True. And False. Although Harvard University claims to be the oldest of the colonial colleges established before the American revolution, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the College of William and Mary also claim oldest status.
4. True. Bearing both the appeal and the controversy of a private university the 8 Ivies have spawned a list of 8 Public Ivies, reputed to give an Ivy education at a public price through « flagship » or lead public universities like Berkeley in the University of California (UC) system and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
5. True. However, along with other American non-Ivy League institutions, they have among the largest endowments in the world and offer scholarships and financial aid for tuition, room and board. Harvard eclipses all others with nearly $33 billion, followed by Yale ($21 billion) then Princeton and Stanford ($19 billion each). As is the case with non-Ivies, the sticker price may not be what students are paying.
6. Almost False. But a little bit True. US News and World Report say that Stanford (not an Ivy) is currently number 1 with an admissions rate of 5.7%. Harvard comes in a close second at 5.8%; Columbia and Yale tie for a third at 6.9%. Cornell is the Ivy League university with the highest acceptance rate at 15.56%.
7. False. According to PayScale, Harvard, Princeton and UPenn are in the top 10 with starting salaries at the low-end of $60K and mid-career incomes at around $120K, but top graduates by income goes to engineering or tech colleges like Harvey Mudd College and Cal Tech. A few lesser-known liberal arts colleges with strong engineering programs like Santa Clara and Duke outplaced some Ivies by mid-income careers.
Haru Yamada, octobre 2015
haru@hyeducation.info
www.hyeducation.info
