Evolution of the “Ivy League”

Written by Anna Lam

The Ivy League colleges in America are widely considered to be among the most elite schools in the world. However, how did they actually come to be? Were the founders brothers? Cousins? Perhaps friends? Today, we’re going to clear up the misconception and analyze how these colleges located in previously uncharted locations have risen to dominate the higher education leagues.

Surprisingly, in the beginning, the Ivy League colleges weren’t even related. They were independent colleges; in fact, all their founders were completely separate members with no connection with one another, and even the establishment date of every institution was entirely different. Originally, these colleges joined together as an athletic conference, playing sports together like football or rowing.

The name “Ivy League” was just a name for this sports conference. It was hypothesized that the name “Ivy” was chosen because these physical Ivy vines covered the historic buildings of these universities. 

How did they actually become so elite?

The Ivy League became so prestigious over a wide period of time.

Firstly, their history, universities like Harvard have been around before America was even recognized as a country. This allowed them plenty of time to build a library, gather experience to build a great curriculum, and build a strong and powerful alumni network, which in turn generated a valuable reputation for them. 

Another factor was the impact that their students had on society. Even back then, in the 18th to 20th centuries, their founders, like Benjamin Franklin, the founder of UPenn, attracted ambitious students to their institution.

But graduates with an “Ivy League” educational background have made some incredible achievements for our societies, becoming Nobel Laureates, presidents, billionaires, and more. It is this exact impact that they have on society that pushed them into the elite circle. 

Due to these high standards and reputation, they have become increasingly selective with their students, creating what some people like to call “the psychology of exclusivity”. The harder something is to obtain, the more valuable and desirable people perceive it to be. 

Overall, the Ivy League colleges to this day still remain as one of the hardest schools to get into, and now you have a brief history as to why that is.