I’m just going to say it. There is a wave of political incorrectness in dreaming for and aspiring to and admiring the Ivies. I read over and over again about how smaller and less selective colleges are better than the Ivies, how the Ivies aren’t worth it, how the Ivies are just about the rankings, and how the students are like sheep being herded– how they are uber-competitive and missing the importance of learning. And it’s simply not true. I just had the pleasure of visiting with one of my kindest and most authentic students of all time. He is now at Yale. He gushed as he told me all about how wonderful and enriching his world is there. He loves the students– they are bright and welcoming and interested in everything. He loves his classes. He’s HAPPY. He’s humble! He’s lucky and he knows it. And I’m all about it. There are plenty of wonderful colleges that are not ranked as highly as the Ivies, but we need to quit feeling the need to bash colleges just because they are highly ranked and just because so few students can get in. The opportunities at these colleges are truly superb. I’m tired of making excuses for these amazing institutions. It’s impossible to get in, but if you can get in, I say go with your head held high and relish every second. He brought me a mug!! He made my day!
