Is there really a difference in Ivy league schools in comparison to other universities?

Question

I am interested in Cornell, however that is a TON of money for an undergrad degree, i was wondering what the general consensus was!

Answer 1

Do you know what you want to major in (or do you at least have a few majors in mind or a general area)?

If no, spend some time trying to narrow that down. You should really be picking a school primarily for academic reasons and that is hard to evaluate if you don't know what you want to study. Just because a school has a great reputation does not mean that there are not schools that are better for the area you specifically want to study.

If yes, is Cornell really tops for that field? The biggest differences between colleges is the quality of the contacts you make, both faculty and fellow students. Industry people know which programs have the best graduates in their respective fields. Going to a "name brand" school doesn't give you as big of an advantage if they are not particularly respected in the field you are interested in.

The money thing is a consideration in two ways. One relates to the issue I just talked about. Cornell is great for Hotel Restaurant Management...but so is the much cheaper Florida International University. Everyone knows Cal Tech's reputation, but for Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware gives them a run for their money every year. If there is a cheaper close competitor for the field that you are considering, you should at least investigate it.

Second, will you be going into a career where you will be able to pay off the investment in your premium brand degree? If you plan to be a French teacher, it might not make sense to rack up huge debt (or ask your parents to cough up their life savings). If you are choosing not to immediately pursue a career, but instead go to graduate or professional school, you should avoid betting the farm on your undergraduate degree.

So is the Cornell degree worth it? A lot comes down to what you specifically want to do with this education. That said, Cornell has a strong tradition in my family and I do hope that my kids will be the 3rd generation of Cornellians - if it matches with their ambitions.

For the record, Cornell is in the Ivy League and it is a wonderful place with a long history and rich traditions...but there are other really great places out there, too.

Answer 2

It sort of depends on what schools you are comparing and what you eventually want to do. There are some top notch state universities like UMichigan and Berkeley whose education/name will rivel that of an Ivy League degree. If you are interested in Cornell, they offer a top notch hotel management program and if you are interested in that I would recommend going. Other things to consider are who your colleagues and alumni going to be? Sometimes a school's name itself will get you the job/position because the person hiring graduated from there but of course it may not keep you there. Also, the likelihood of you forming relationships with other future leaders is higher at an ivy league institution. In the long run old fashioned hard work, motivation and enthusiasm will get you anywhere but graduating from an Ivy makes the process easier.

Answer 3

No, the schools you mention would not be flexible, because they don't have to be. Most of these schools look at the unweighted GPA anyway, and expect it to be very near perfect. It doesn't really matter whether or not your school offers AP classes, as long as you had a rigorous schedule. Being from Canada, there is no reason why your test scores would be any different from those of an American student, but if you have a different grading scale than the American schools do, your grades would be analyzed by a service that specializes in this.

Answer 4

Ivy League colleges are good but there is not any use in going if you cant fford it. You will still get a good education at other schools. But if cornell is where u really want to go ( i do too) dont give up try to get some scholorship money.

Answer 5

The difference is in cost. AND if you go to IVY league school you get to SAY you went there. BUT the only ones that will be impressed are the ones that HAVE the money to know the difference.

Answer 6

Why consider an Ivy League school if you don't have the money for it. Unless you are smart enough (or poor enough) for scholarship money, it would be better to find a mid-cost school and not be burdened (or burden your parents) with thousands of dollars of school loans after graduation. Find the best school for the subject you want to study

Answer 7

Yes there is indeed a HUGE difference. It isn't the quality of education either. It's purely the amount of work OUTSIDE OF CLASS that you have to do. Basically it just makes you jump through more hoops (that aren't necessary). Cornell isn't Ivy League, it's First Tier. BIG DIFFERENCE. Ivy League is: Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Amherst, Cambridge, and some consider Stanford to be though it really isn't.