Ivy League Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| Ivy League | |
|---|---|
| Data | |
| Established | 1954 |
| Members | 8 |
| Continent | North America |
| Country | United States |
| University Type | Private |
| Other Names | Ancient Eight |
All of the Ivy League universities share some general characteristics: They are among the most prestigious and selective universities in the U.S., consistently placing near the top of college and university rankings; they rank within the top one percent of the world's universities in terms of financial endowment; and they attract top-tier students and faculty. The Ivies are also all located in the Northeast region of the United States and are among the oldest universities in the country—all but Cornell University were founded during America's colonial era.
The Ivy League universities are all privately owned and controlled, although many of them receive funding from the federal or state governments to pursue research. One of the eight, Cornell, has four state-supported academic units, termed statutory colleges, that are an integral part of the university.
| Table of contents |
|
2 Terminology 3 History 4 Reputation 5 Endowments 6 Cooperation 7 Competition 8 See also 9 External links |
The term Ivy League refers strictly to the original eight schools. However, the term Ivy Plus is sometimes used to refer to the eight plus Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University for purposes of alumni associations and university gatherings; however, these two schools are not part of the Ivy League.
Caswell Adams of the New York Herald Tribune made a passing comment about the schools in 1937, referring to the ivy growing on their walls. Stanley Woodward, a fellow sportswriter, coined the phrase in a column soon thereafter, informally dubbing the eight competitive universities the Ivy League in advance of any formal sports league involving the schools.
In 1945 the athletic directors of the schools signed the first Ivy Group Agreement, which set academic, financial, and athletic standards for the football teams.
In 1954, the date generally accepted as the birth of the Ivy League, the agreement was extended to all sports.
An apocryphal etymology attributes the name to the Roman numerals for four (IV), incorrectly asserting that there was such a sports league originally with four members. This myth may be attributed to a desire among some alumni to claim elite status among the "ancient eight."
Most, if not all of the Ivy League schools are known for their highly selective undergraduate programs. Indeed, acceptance rates to all of the schools have dropped consistently over the past decade. In addition, many of the universities are well known for their top-rate graduate and professional programs. Some notable programs include:
Harvard owns nearly 430 acres (1.8 km²) of property in the Boston area.[1] Columbia is notably the second largest private landowner in New York City, which has some of the highest property values in the world.
This is an Article on Ivy League. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Ivy League Members
The members of the Ivy League are, in alphabetical order:Terminology
The term Ivy League was first coined informally to refer to these schools, who compete in both scholastics and sports, but it also refers to the formal association of these schools in NCAA Division I athletic competition. In some sports, notably baseball and tennis, the Ivy League teams also compete against Army (the United States Military Academy) and Navy (the United States Naval Academy).History
As an informal football league, the Ivy League dates from 1900 when Yale took the conference championship with a 5-0 record. For many years Army and Navy were considered members, but dropped out shortly before formal organization.Reputation
Endowments
The Ivy League schools are among the wealthiest private universities in the U.S., a status commensurate with their ages and long-standing relationships with the highest echelons of American society. All of the Ivy League schools have endowments over $1 billion of assets.[1] Harvard, with a $22.6 billion endowment (as of 2004), is the wealthiest university in the world, and is the second non-profit organization in the world (after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) to report an endowment over $20 billion.[1] Yale, with an endowment size of $11 billion, is the second-wealthiest. Next come Princeton with $8.7 billion, Columbia with $4.3 billion, Penn with $3.5 billion, Cornell with $3 billion, Dartmouth with $2.4 billion, and Brown with $1.5 billion (all as of 2003).Cooperation
Seven of the eight schools (excluding Harvard) participate in the BorrowDirect interlibrary-loan program, making a total of 40 million items available to participants, although the ILL program is not affiliated with the formal Ivy arrangement. (Harvard holds another 15 million items in its collection.)Competition
Harvard and Yale have both an academic and an athletic rivalry; they first met in a rowing race in 1852. Princeton and Penn are mainly basketball rivals. Cornell and Harvard are hockey rivals. Unlike most Division I athletic conferences, the Ivy League prohibits the granting of athletic scholarships [1]. As a result, the schools are typically less competitive in football and basketball, even when compared to universities with comparably rigorous academic standards such as Stanford or Duke.See also
External links