Background information about the IVY League
The Ivy League Ivy League schools are believed to be mythical institutions that safeguard the secrets to lifelong success and prestige. Back when I was in high school, I heard multiple classmates proclaim that “if only I can get into an Ivy, I’d be set for life.” This perception is especially strong in China, and the competition to break into an Ivy has reached an all-time peak.
Harvard: First of all, there’s an old saying in America – how do you know if someone went to Harvard? They’ll tell you.As the country’s highest ranked university (besides Princeton but who cares about them), Harvard enjoys international brand recognition, esteem, and envy. And the students know it.When others discover that you go to Harvard, your physically appearance will actually shift in front of their eyes to look smarter, richer, and smugger. Trust me, it’s been scientifically proven by the hoard of grad students residing in Cambridge’s basement laboratories. Harvard is so special, they made up their own name for red and called it “crimson.” Why choose Harvard: To row boats, use the same sink that Franklin Roosevelt used, and receive a truly world-class educationReal reason to choose Harvard: To be better than everyone else
Princeton: Princeton is like that younger brother who earns better grades, makes more money, acts more humble… but can never eclipse the shadow of his scintillating older brother who everyone adores no matter what.For this reason, Princeton students generally treat others with respect and humility, until they find out you’re from Harvard or Yale. Then they’ll embark on an endless diatribe about how they’re superior to you (“It’s shown in the official ranking! Look at the research!”) To be fair, maybe Princeton students’ indignation is justified because they seriously are an elite bunch. As in, their parents are probably in the top 1% of America’s wealth hierarchy. Princeton also happens to be home to the most unimaginative mascot across the entire Ivy League. Why choose Princeton: To see autumn leaves change color, high-five John Nash when you see him in the cafeteria. Yale: It is like the much younger baby brother who cries hard and screams loud, but there’s no chance in hell he’ll be considered as on the same level as the other two“But we produced just as many Supreme Court justices as Harvard did!”“But so many U.S. Presidents went to Yale too!” Yale: To be President someday.
Columbia: Columbia is the most boring Ivy. Here’s why. It’s not part of the snobby “HYP” but still boasts solid academics.Its location, New York City, is too diverse to be stereotyped.It’s strong in nearly every subject but isn’t famous for any particular field of study.It tries to be avant-garde with the school color, but baby blue is actually a deceptively conservative choice because nobody can hate it.Columbia will be forever slotted in the middle of the pack among Ivies, failing to polarize in any direction and therefore coming off rather bland.
University of Pennsylvania: UPenn can be likened to the old LA Lakers back when they had Kobe but no other good players.The school exhibits several disadvantages – weak reputation of its College of Arts and Sciences, location in a declining city, being frequently mistaken for Penn State... However, UPenn retains one bright spot that shines so radiantly it nearly redeems every weakness. And that’s the Wharton School of Business, by far the best undergraduate business program offered globally and the alma mater of a certain U.S. billionaire turned President.At UPenn, Wharton students possess an average of 20 extra IQ points than everyone else.UPenn is referred to as “Jew Penn” for attracting tons of Jewish students.Why choose UPenn: To experience a large campus environment, enjoy the casual social atmosphere, and cheer on Philadelphia sports teams.
Dartmouth: As the Ivy League’s smallest member, Dartmouth suffers from weak brand name recognition, especially outside the U.S.A. It’s also located in a cold, isolated small town with nothing to do except huddling around a bonfire devouring alcohol.Dartmouth students are humble by necessity. They can’t feel superior to anyone if nobody else even exists within a 100-kilometer radius of campus.If Harvard embodies the elitist, refined urbanite then Dartmouth represents the easygoing, provincial farm boy. Dartmouth also houses the most vibrant Greek Life system among all the Ivies, therefore producing the heaviest drinkers. Why choose Dartmouth: To snowboard, bond with a tight-knit community, and take advantage of the school’s undergraduate focus.
Brown: It touts its liberal approach to education, which emphasizes student flexibility and free-thinking. In reality, Brown is like that mother who lets her children run around screaming in public because she doesn’t want to “restrict individuality.”For Brown, structure epitomizes the ultimate evil. After all, freedom allows someone to discover who they truly are…which in the case of most Brown students turns out to be a guitar playing pothead who took one Art History class then spends an hour lecturing his friends on how to “glimpse the hidden beauty” of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. If you’re exposed as a political conservative while attending Brown, you’ll most likely be stoned to death.
Cornell: Cornell is an Ivy League school the same way Pluto is a planet. Barely. It sits as the punchline of every joke in the Ivy League. Every time students at other Ivies want to have a good laugh, they just say “Cornell” out loud.Despite its position as the Ivy League’s dumb cousin, Cornell actually enforces a vigorous and challenging curriculum. It’s known to be, “easy to get in, hard to get through.” Cornell students suffer from high academic pressure and constant mockery by other Ivies. They also reside on the vast but barren land of Ithaca, New York where the most common pastime is heading out to farms and pushing over cows.Nevertheless, students enjoy the most diverse and delicious food selection across the Ivy League. And since food is the most important metric when judging colleges, Cornell gets the last laugh after all.
常春藤盟校(The Ivy League)的说法来源于20世纪50年代。上述大学早在19世纪末期就有社会及运动方面的竞赛,盟校的构想酝酿于1956年。各校订立运动竞赛规则时进而订立了常春藤盟校的规章,选出盟校校长、体育主任和一些行政主管,定期聚会讨论各校间共同的有关入学、财务、援助及行政方面的问题。
早期的常春藤学院只有哈佛、耶鲁、哥伦比亚和普林斯顿4所大学。4的罗马数字为"IV",加上一个词尾Y,就成了"IVY",英文的意思就是常春藤,所以又称为常春藤盟校,后来这4所大学的联合会又扩展到8所,成为如今享有盛誉的常春藤盟校。
关于"常春藤联盟"名称的来源有两种理论。
根据第一种理论,"常春藤联盟"之原名应追溯到1937年,一位《纽约报》(New York Herald Tribune)体育新闻记者斯坦利·伍德沃德(Stanley Woodward)先生铸造了此名词,因美国最古老及最精英的学校建筑物均被常春藤覆盖住。
根据第二个理论,来自较早称之为"四联盟"(Four League)的运动协会,成员包括哥伦比亚大学、哈佛大学、普林斯顿大学和耶鲁大学。在保持学术传统之时,"四联盟"(Four League)被写为罗马数字的"四联盟"(Ⅳ League)。读英文字母时,"Ⅳ" 有着和"Ivy"同样的发音。
不论何种理论是正确的,到1954年时,"常春藤联盟"(亦是所谓的常春藤团体董事会议:The Council of Ivy Group Presidents)一词被正式形成沿用。
常春藤盟校(Ivy League)是由美国的七所大学和一所学院组成的一个高校联盟。它们是宾夕法尼亚州的宾夕法尼亚大学,马萨诸塞州的哈佛大学,康涅狄格州的耶鲁大学,纽约州的哥伦比亚大学,新泽西州的普林斯顿大学,罗得岛州的布朗大学,纽约州的康奈尔大学,新罕布什尔州的达特茅斯学院。这8所大学都是美国首屈一指的大学,历史悠久,治学严谨,许多著名的科学家、政界要人、商贾巨子都毕业于此。在美国,常春藤学院被作为顶尖名校的代名词。
常春藤(Ivy League)一词原指美国东北部八所大学组成的体育高校联盟,包括:哈佛大学(Harvard) 成立于1636年,耶鲁(Yale)成立于1701年,宾夕法尼亚(Penn)成立于1740年,普林斯顿(Princeton)成立于1746年,哥伦比亚(Columbia)成立于1754年,布朗(Brown)成立于1764年,达特茅斯(Dartmouth)成立于1769年,康奈尔(Cornell)成立于1865年。
这八所大学都是美国一流大学,它们的历史悠久,治学严谨,教授水平高,学生质量好,因此常春藤大学有着优秀的声誉。其中,康奈尔大学建立于美国独立战争之后,其余7所大学均建立于美国独立战争之前。独立战争之前,美国有八所大学,其中七所加入了常春藤联盟,只有威廉与玛丽学院因为地理位置和运营模式的原因拒绝加入该联盟。

