The Ivy League is just an athletic conference, but it has become synonymous with prestige and status among colleges and universities. It has eight schools, all of them among the most selective and elite in the country.
Each of those eight schools is associated with its own set of stereotypes, some true, many not. Here are the most common Ivy League stereotypes for each school in the conference.
Table of Contents
- The Most Common Harvard Stereotypes
- The Most Common Princeton Stereotypes
- The Most Common Yale Stereotypes
- The Most Common Penn Stereotypes
- The Most Common Columbia University Stereotypes
- The Most Common Dartmouth Stereotypes
- The Most Common Brown University Stereotypes
- The Most Common Cornell Stereotypes
The Most Common Harvard Stereotypes
Harvard might get stereotyped more than any other college or university in America. And when people throw out Harvard stereotypes, they often mention rich kids, difficult classes, and future masters of the universe — kids with golden tickets to succeed in whatever they choose to do.
Rich White Kids
In most people’s minds, the composite Harvard student is a buttoned-up, clean cut kid from a wealthy family. And while there are plenty of those at Harvard, the stereotype is not entirely accurate. In fact, Harvard is one of the most diverse universities in the country, including socioeconomically. Students from all over the world come to attend, from every background you can imagine.
Difficult Classes
Harvard is known for having difficult classes, but the data shows that the students don’t actually have too much trouble with them — half the grades given are A’s and A-minuses. Whether that indicates that the student body is just that smart or that the classes aren’t actually that difficult is up for debate.
Future Masters of the Universe
The “Master of the Universe” stereotype arguably originated at Harvard. An MOTU is someone with a golden ticket, insulated from failure in life and career. A Harvard degree is about as close as you can get to such a ticket.
The Most Common Princeton Stereotypes
Princeton stereotypes include wealthy, privileged students; a stuffy social scene; and admissions criteria that make it impossible for all but the most brilliant and accomplished students to have a chance.
Privileged Students
When many people think of Princeton, the first thing that comes to mind is privilege. And while it’s true that many students who attend come from wealthy families, there’s way more to Princeton than just money. In fact, Princeton is home to a diverse and accomplished student body, including plenty of hardworking students who don’t hail from wealthy backgrounds.
Stuffy Social Scene
The definition of a “stuffy social scene” can differ depending on the person you ask, but in general it refers to an environment where people are overly polite and conformist. They may be reluctant to speak their mind or take risks, instead preferring to stay within the confines of what is socially acceptable. This type of setting can be stifling and uncomfortable, making it difficult to have genuine conversations or make connections with others.
Princeton has a reputation as being one of the “stuffier” Ivies, and its insular nature — the campus is somewhat of a bubble and isn’t integrated with a surrounding city or metro area — plays into this stereotype.
Impossible to Get Into
Princeton is also known for its difficult admissions standards, and with less than a 5% acceptance rate, it’s not hard to see why. It’s worth noting that Harvard, with an acceptance rate of 3.2%, is actually the most selective Ivy League university.
The Most Common Yale Stereotypes
There are many Yale stereotypes. The composite Yale student is one who’s wealthy and clean cut, balancing difficult classes with an active social and party life.
Wealth and Privilege
Some people think that everyone at Yale is wealthy and comes from a prestigious family. This is definitely not the case. In fact, there are students at Yale from all different socioeconomic backgrounds. Yale covers the full cost of attendance for any student coming from a household that makes less than $75,000 per year. So, it attracts many students from families that are far from wealthy.
Robust Partying
Others associate Yale with partying and drinking, but the school actually ranks toward the bottom of our list of Ivy League party schools. While there certainly are students who enjoy going out and having a good time, there are also plenty of students who prefer to stay in and study or participate in other activities on campus.
Difficult Classes
And finally, some people might think that the classes at Yale are incredibly difficult and that it’s impossible to get good grades. However, most students do not have a difficult time with their classes. The classes are very interesting and challenging, but any student can succeed if they actually put in the effort to study.
The Most Common Penn Stereotypes
There are many stereotypes that are associated with the University of Pennsylvania. Most of them are centered on the school’s reputation for producing business tycoons and finance kings.
Elitist Students
One of the most common is that Penn is a “snobby” school. This stereotype likely comes from the fact that Penn is one of the most selective universities in the country has produced more billionaires than any other college in the world.
Nerdy Students
Another common stereotype is that Penn students are nerds. This stereotype may be due to the fact that many Penn students ranked at the top of their high school class, have high IQs, and take their academics very seriously.
Finance Bros
The “finance bro” stereotype is a common one among young professionals. The typical member of this breed is young, white, and affluent. He talks about his work incessantly, boasts about his stock picks, and knows more about the inner workings of the financial world than anyone else in the room.
Penn is associated with budding finance bros because of the prominence of its Wharton School, the most prestigious business school in America, which regularly funnels its graduates into top Wall Street jobs. Wharton’s most famous alums include Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
The Most Common Columbia University Stereotypes
Because of its New York location, Columbia gets stereotyped as a school that attracts city-dwellers rather than those looking for a traditional college experience. You won’t find many students tailgating or getting hyped up for fall football games on campus. It’s also known as a school for wealthy students and for rising journalists.
Wealthy, Elite Students
People often stereotype Columbia University as a school for the wealthy and elite, and to an extent, it’s true — Columbia accepts far more students from the top one percent than the average university. However, not all Columbia students come from wealth and privilege. The school has a diverse population, with students from all different economic backgrounds.
Rising Journalists
Columbia is heavily associated with journalism, as its graduate J-school is arguably the most prestigious in the country. But what many people don’t realize is that Columbia doesn’t have a journalism school or even a journalism major for undergrads. Instead, it encourages students wishing to pursue journalism to major in whatever field they want to cover as a journalist, such as economics or political science.
The Most Common Dartmouth Stereotypes
Dartmouth is subject to a number of stereotypes. These include the idea that Dartmouth is a “rich kids” school, that the students are all preppy and conservative, and that there is a lot of partying and drinking, particularly within the Greek scene.
While some of these may be true for some students, it is not reflective of the entire student body. Dartmouth is a diverse and inclusive community with students from all backgrounds and walks of life. The student body is made up of artists, athletes, scientists, politicians, and everything in between. Dartmouth has something to offer everyone, and there is no one “type” of student who attends this school.
Wealthy Students
Dartmouth students are known for being wealthy, and there’s some truth to this stereotype. About 16% of students come from families who earn more than $1 million per year, with another 15% coming from families who earn more than $500,000. In other words, about one-third of Dartmouth students grew up in the so-called top one percent.
This level of student wealth is not unique to Dartmouth; it is found at elite colleges across the country. It’s also worth noting that Dartmouth has massively increased the number of first-generation and financial aid students it admits every year, creating more of a socioeconomic balance on campus.
Preppy, Conservative Students
Dartmouth students encompass a range of backgrounds and personality type, but there’s one that tends to stand out among the others, at least in the eyes of people viewing the school from afar – the preppy conservatives.
These students tend to be white and wealthy, and they often dress in Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, Vineyard Vines, and other brands that signify wealth and privilege. They often come from families that have a long history of attending Dartmouth.
The preppy conservatives at Dartmouth predominate the image people have of the campus, but according to the data, they actually comprise a minority of the student body. In a 2020 election straw poll conducted among Dartmouth students, Joe Biden received more votes than Donald Trump.
Frat Gods
The Dartmouth Greek scene is one of the most vibrant and active on any college campus. There are over 30 fraternities and sororities at Dartmouth, and the Greek houses control most of the social scene on the weekends. As a result, the “frat gods” and sorority girls tend to have the most social cachet among the student body.
But the Greek scene at Dartmouth isn’t just about drinking, partying, and trying to score. Fraternities and sororities at Dartmouth also have a strong philanthropic presence on campus. They raise thousands of dollars each year for various charities.
The Most Common Brown University Stereotypes
There are many Brown University stereotypes. For instance, Brown students are rich and out of touch, or they are intelligent and nerdy. The school is also heavily associated with left-wing ideology.
But students at Brown come from all walks of life and from all over the world. There are plenty of rich kids and nerdy kids at Brown, and there are definitely left-wingers, but there are many others who don’t fit into the common campus stereotypes.
Rich, Sheltered Students
Brown is an Ivy League school, so of course a common perception exists of its students being rich and privileged. It also gives off a bit more of a sheltered vibe than other Ivies such as Penn and Cornell. This could be because the campus is less integrated with the surrounding city than other Ivies such as Harvard and Columbia.
Nerdy Students
Brown has a bit of a nerdy stereotype, even among the Ivies. This probably has to do with the quirky and individualistic nature of its students and the school’s lack of traditional Greek and party scene. Brown is more of a school for writers, artists, and thinkers than it is a school for jocks.
Left-Wing Students
The stereotype of Brown being the most liberal Ivy is true. Several studies have found that an overwhelming majority of Brown students identify as liberal or very liberal. Protests on campus are a common occurrence and were particularly prevalent during the Trump presidency.
The Most Common Cornell Stereotypes
Cornell is subject to an array of stereotypes. Like other Ivies, it is known for wealthy students from privileged backgrounds, high-achieving students, and difficult classes. Cornell is also known for having lots of engineering students, and it gets flak from other Ivies who claim it’s at the bottom of the conference academically.
Engineers
Cornell has the largest and highest-ranked engineering school of any of the Ivies, so naturally, people often associate it with future engineers. There is a bit of truth to this stereotype, as far more engineering hopefuls attend Cornell than any other Ivy. Engineering majors also make up a large share of the student body on a percentage basis — almost one-third. That said, there are still more than 10,000 Cornell undergrads who aren’t in the engineering program.
Difficult Academics
Cornell is known for difficult academics. Part of this stereotype comes from what we just discussed above — it’s a huge engineering school, and engineering classes are known to be difficult. At any big school, however, it’s possible to pick a less challenging major and skate by doing the minimum.
Not Quite Ivy
Over the years, Cornell has become a popular punchline for students and alums of the other Ivy League schools. They consider it the bottom of the conference and, in some cases, not a “true” member.
There are two reasons for this. One, Cornell is known as the easiest Ivy League school to get into — though it should be noted that the acceptance rate is still under 10 percent.
Two, some of Cornell’s individual colleges, including the ag school, actually operate under the purview of the SUNY system, making them technically state schools. This has given rise to the derogatory nickname “SUNY-Ithaca” you’ll sometimes hear bandied about at other Ivies.
All that said, Cornell is most certainly a full Ivy, both officially and in terms of its academic quality. Its student success outcomes are right in line with the other schools in the conference, and its incoming student stats — even though the school admits a slightly higher percentage of applicants — are also comparable.
