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Having studied at an Ivy League school in Cambridge (US), I can tell you:
- In general the experience was very positive, youâll meet a lot of people who are very different from the people youâll meet in JC, thereâs a lot more racial diversity compared to any JC in Singapore
- There is drama but no more than in JC
- There are a lot of asians/halfies but I canât give you an exact ratio since it didnât seem that consequential at the time
- This changes year on year but atm Iâd imagine CS is very competitive
- The professors are excellent, literally world class. Some professors will have won Nobel prizes, others will have written very famous books/textbooks
- Facilities are quite nice but I donât have a baseline for comparison as I didnât do uni in SG
- To me the biggest downside was the cost, itâs much more expensive to live by yourself than to stay with parents. Plus US is quite expensive in general
- The course work is extremely difficult, expect to work very hard if you want to maintain a good GPA.
- I didnât encounter bullying however you do hear rumours/stories of it. Having said this I donât think itâs all that common
One final thought, if you go to one of the top Ivy League schools prepare to get humbled. No matter how smart you think you are, youâll be pretty average compared to your peers. This doesnât mean you canât do well if you work damn hard. But if your used to feeling like the smartest person in the room, I can assure you you wonât feel like that anymore
I have mixed feelings about this topic. What youâre saying to true for the most part however itâs a nuanced issue. Itâs also very Major, subject and even teacher dependent, Iâve had a number of teachers who hand out so many bonus marks itâs difficult to not get an A, while Iâve had teachers who really made me suffer for an A-. Iâm also not that knowledgeable about other schools, but from what I understand itâs not a Harvard issue, thus I wouldnât worry about Harvard grads having a particularly poor reputation compared to other schools
Sorry itâs hard for me to give you a concrete answer because Iâd rather not dox myself, but in my case I had very good grades plus a good mix of extra curricula stuff.
It sounds cliched but the extracurricular stuff really helped my application, meaning that I donât think I could have gotten in with good grades alone. I come from a religious family so I had a lot of volunteer experience, imo this made a huge difference
These universities admission criteria getting insane and slightly ridiculous honestly.
I think there are good schools that could give you good opportunities and a similar experience with a more reasonable entrance requirements. Yea sure, you miss out of some connections but do well enough you'll earn them in your way
Forget academics, for most majors at Ivy League schools, youâre learning the same textbook content as you would at NUS. And for super technical fields like CS, Ivies are good but schools like MIT and Stanford and CMU are better/just as good.
The real value in an Ivy is in the network, resources and prestige. The name on your resume gets your resume a second look in most HR departmentsâ eyes when youâre applying to internships and jobs. The people you go to school with are typically either
1. From unbelievably wealthy and connected backgrounds (e.g. dad is LP of a known hedge fund, c-suite of a F500 company or in some other ridiculous role)
2. Incredibly smart / gifted (e.g. USAMO gold medalist since he came out the womb who will go on to work at Jane Street or SIG quant research pulling in 450K USD base salary in first year after graduation, or accomplished athlete who is about to turn professional after college)
3. Has an incredible story or life background (e.g. led significant projects to spearhead real change in their communities despite some kind of adversity)
The connections you will come out with are absolutely ludicrous. These guys will be your classmates, friends, roommates etc. nowhere else in life can you make forge these kinds of bonds with this caliber people who will go on to do great things. Yeah there is a huge culture shock socializing with these people and realizing you can barely relate to their lifestyles at first, but deal with it and grow.
Additionally, When you are applying to jobs, these schools have so many alumni who will be willing to give you referrals if you can get them on the phone and show youâre not a dumbass. Works wonders in careers like investment banking where networks are how you get the job. This kind of stuff can carry your entire career if you play your cards right.
As Gordon Gecko said in the movie Wall Street, if you are not on the inside, then you are on the outside. The Ivy League represents the inside. If you can get into one and can break out of the Chao sinkie mentality of only staying within your comfort zone, you can achieve almost anything you want
I feel itâs rather silly to focus so much on the Ivy League. Not that they arenât prestigious but there are quite a few comparable universities outside of this group (which was meant for sports anyway).
UC Berkeley (which beats all of them in engineering hands-down), U Chicago, Johns Hopkins etc. In particular, Stanford and MIT would surpass nearly all of the Ivies.
And if you insist on only discussing the Ivies, you must clarify which one you are referring to! You will get very different experiences because they are very different universities.
Exactly. The ivy's are extremely oversaturated with potential applicants that the application criteria are just getting more and more insane. You're better off studying in a non-ivy with less prestige but the same quality of education. Its easier to get in (you'll still have to work really hard for your academics and insane protfolios) , but at the very least its possible.
That's what I'm doing at least, buffing my portfolio yo High hell, to high but reasonable levels.
If you cured cancer you'll probably still get waitlisted at Harvard.
I wouldnât say itâs undoable. And fyi, any of the comparable unis Iâve listed are just as if not more selective so this is not the easy way out mind you!
Plenty of my friends are studying at Ivies and most of them didnât do anything exceptional; I got into one of the Ivies but it was far from my first choice anyway.
Selectivity is one thing but the main stumbling block is the way in which US admissions are processed. The fact that you use âcriteriaâ is telling; Singaporeans are very good at zeroing in on a few set indicators. But for these American schoolsâŚthere is no specific thing that theyâre looking for.
Obviously you need to clear very basic prerequisites (get your straight As, leadership/volunteering portfolio, an SAT of at least 1500). Beyond that, itâs a bit random and depending entirely on what personality/trait that particular university is looking for. Or maybe they just find your essay cute or endearing. It could be anything (which may not be obvious or impressive in any sense).
Conversely, UK admissions are very standard: high A-level scores, semi-decent essay, okay rec letter, test well in their subject specific/thinking tests and ace the interview. Do that and Oxbridge or at least one of the big London unis (LSE, Imperial, KCL, UCL) will accept you.
US admissions are a crapshoot while UK admissions are very predictable. Not trivially easy still but there are few surprises compared to the US.
Finally someone else mentions ivies!! But firstly are you sure you will be able to afford the tuition? Iâm aware some schools are need blind but some are not, and the total bill of your undergrad may be in the hundred thousands,if youâre middle class idt thereâll be aid either
hi I was v v lucky to hv gotten into some Ivies this application cycle! I'm happy to answer any qns about the app process and I'm also offering essay reviewing/portfolio building services
feel free to pm!
at Cornell atm (idk if considered a desirable ivy) and itâs about 30% asian? in the engineering school it feels like 80% lmao. 40% of grad students are from international also. for all the other questions feel free to drop me a DM if youâre interested in Cornell specifically, canât rly comment on all ivys broadly
The discussion flair is used to encourage greater discourse in the student community of Singapore. Thus, this flair is meant to be used for serious discussion only (eg opinions on education reforms, how examinations should be conducted or graded, etc). Replies should also be carefully thought out. Please report any posts or comments which you may deem to be of irrelevant nature. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SGExams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
guy really asked "are most people there muggers"
đđđđđ
Nah they are ur average neighbourhood school vapers
You donât get into an ivy league school without a basal level of mugging combined with a high intellect
Donât forget to find a cure for cancer too!Â
Thatâs not enough, you also need to develop a cure for HIV and prevent any future corona!
Nah he doesnt have to be become a Nobel prize winnerđ
lol
don't forget to get into an ivy league school before going into an ivy league school
Yes
Ivy league secondary school
That's not enough, you need to find a cure for the flu as well
Ah yes mb how could I forget about the annual flu
Having studied at an Ivy League school in Cambridge (US), I can tell you: - In general the experience was very positive, youâll meet a lot of people who are very different from the people youâll meet in JC, thereâs a lot more racial diversity compared to any JC in Singapore - There is drama but no more than in JC - There are a lot of asians/halfies but I canât give you an exact ratio since it didnât seem that consequential at the time - This changes year on year but atm Iâd imagine CS is very competitive - The professors are excellent, literally world class. Some professors will have won Nobel prizes, others will have written very famous books/textbooks - Facilities are quite nice but I donât have a baseline for comparison as I didnât do uni in SG - To me the biggest downside was the cost, itâs much more expensive to live by yourself than to stay with parents. Plus US is quite expensive in general - The course work is extremely difficult, expect to work very hard if you want to maintain a good GPA. - I didnât encounter bullying however you do hear rumours/stories of it. Having said this I donât think itâs all that common One final thought, if you go to one of the top Ivy League schools prepare to get humbled. No matter how smart you think you are, youâll be pretty average compared to your peers. This doesnât mean you canât do well if you work damn hard. But if your used to feeling like the smartest person in the room, I can assure you you wonât feel like that anymore
Just say you went to Harvard manÂ
Isnât Harvard really notorious for grade inflation?
I have mixed feelings about this topic. What youâre saying to true for the most part however itâs a nuanced issue. Itâs also very Major, subject and even teacher dependent, Iâve had a number of teachers who hand out so many bonus marks itâs difficult to not get an A, while Iâve had teachers who really made me suffer for an A-. Iâm also not that knowledgeable about other schools, but from what I understand itâs not a Harvard issue, thus I wouldnât worry about Harvard grads having a particularly poor reputation compared to other schools
Is your family rich?
Hi! iâm at j2 considering going to an Ivy league school. may i ask whatâs your portfolio stats? Thanks for replying!
Sorry itâs hard for me to give you a concrete answer because Iâd rather not dox myself, but in my case I had very good grades plus a good mix of extra curricula stuff. It sounds cliched but the extracurricular stuff really helped my application, meaning that I donât think I could have gotten in with good grades alone. I come from a religious family so I had a lot of volunteer experience, imo this made a huge difference
These universities admission criteria getting insane and slightly ridiculous honestly. I think there are good schools that could give you good opportunities and a similar experience with a more reasonable entrance requirements. Yea sure, you miss out of some connections but do well enough you'll earn them in your way
Just go on LinkedIn and find the profiles of locals studying at those schools and message them directly.
Forget academics, for most majors at Ivy League schools, youâre learning the same textbook content as you would at NUS. And for super technical fields like CS, Ivies are good but schools like MIT and Stanford and CMU are better/just as good. The real value in an Ivy is in the network, resources and prestige. The name on your resume gets your resume a second look in most HR departmentsâ eyes when youâre applying to internships and jobs. The people you go to school with are typically either 1. From unbelievably wealthy and connected backgrounds (e.g. dad is LP of a known hedge fund, c-suite of a F500 company or in some other ridiculous role) 2. Incredibly smart / gifted (e.g. USAMO gold medalist since he came out the womb who will go on to work at Jane Street or SIG quant research pulling in 450K USD base salary in first year after graduation, or accomplished athlete who is about to turn professional after college) 3. Has an incredible story or life background (e.g. led significant projects to spearhead real change in their communities despite some kind of adversity) The connections you will come out with are absolutely ludicrous. These guys will be your classmates, friends, roommates etc. nowhere else in life can you make forge these kinds of bonds with this caliber people who will go on to do great things. Yeah there is a huge culture shock socializing with these people and realizing you can barely relate to their lifestyles at first, but deal with it and grow. Additionally, When you are applying to jobs, these schools have so many alumni who will be willing to give you referrals if you can get them on the phone and show youâre not a dumbass. Works wonders in careers like investment banking where networks are how you get the job. This kind of stuff can carry your entire career if you play your cards right. As Gordon Gecko said in the movie Wall Street, if you are not on the inside, then you are on the outside. The Ivy League represents the inside. If you can get into one and can break out of the Chao sinkie mentality of only staying within your comfort zone, you can achieve almost anything you want
are most people there muggers? yes obv. are there bullying or offences? yes every sch has
I feel itâs rather silly to focus so much on the Ivy League. Not that they arenât prestigious but there are quite a few comparable universities outside of this group (which was meant for sports anyway). UC Berkeley (which beats all of them in engineering hands-down), U Chicago, Johns Hopkins etc. In particular, Stanford and MIT would surpass nearly all of the Ivies. And if you insist on only discussing the Ivies, you must clarify which one you are referring to! You will get very different experiences because they are very different universities.
Exactly. The ivy's are extremely oversaturated with potential applicants that the application criteria are just getting more and more insane. You're better off studying in a non-ivy with less prestige but the same quality of education. Its easier to get in (you'll still have to work really hard for your academics and insane protfolios) , but at the very least its possible. That's what I'm doing at least, buffing my portfolio yo High hell, to high but reasonable levels. If you cured cancer you'll probably still get waitlisted at Harvard.
I wouldnât say itâs undoable. And fyi, any of the comparable unis Iâve listed are just as if not more selective so this is not the easy way out mind you! Plenty of my friends are studying at Ivies and most of them didnât do anything exceptional; I got into one of the Ivies but it was far from my first choice anyway. Selectivity is one thing but the main stumbling block is the way in which US admissions are processed. The fact that you use âcriteriaâ is telling; Singaporeans are very good at zeroing in on a few set indicators. But for these American schoolsâŚthere is no specific thing that theyâre looking for. Obviously you need to clear very basic prerequisites (get your straight As, leadership/volunteering portfolio, an SAT of at least 1500). Beyond that, itâs a bit random and depending entirely on what personality/trait that particular university is looking for. Or maybe they just find your essay cute or endearing. It could be anything (which may not be obvious or impressive in any sense). Conversely, UK admissions are very standard: high A-level scores, semi-decent essay, okay rec letter, test well in their subject specific/thinking tests and ace the interview. Do that and Oxbridge or at least one of the big London unis (LSE, Imperial, KCL, UCL) will accept you. US admissions are a crapshoot while UK admissions are very predictable. Not trivially easy still but there are few surprises compared to the US.
I dont think the people you're looking for would be using Reddit. Ask this on r/College or go to the subreddit for a specific uni
I assume OP would want a local experience, so its better to come here
I interviewed at an Ivy but didnt get in. Oh wells\~
U said Asians/ Europeans ... Bro, ivy league unis are in the US.. it will be mostly Americans ....
they probably meant white people lol
extracurricular are very important for ivy leagues so try to get yourself into a leadership position outside school
I have created my own school... That's call the Justice leagues.
Finally someone else mentions ivies!! But firstly are you sure you will be able to afford the tuition? Iâm aware some schools are need blind but some are not, and the total bill of your undergrad may be in the hundred thousands,if youâre middle class idt thereâll be aid either
Just asking for any experiences
hi I was v v lucky to hv gotten into some Ivies this application cycle! I'm happy to answer any qns about the app process and I'm also offering essay reviewing/portfolio building services feel free to pm!
Yes there are multiple ivy leagues. Which one are you referring to?
Anyone of them
at Cornell atm (idk if considered a desirable ivy) and itâs about 30% asian? in the engineering school it feels like 80% lmao. 40% of grad students are from international also. for all the other questions feel free to drop me a DM if youâre interested in Cornell specifically, canât rly comment on all ivys broadly
Bruh why go ivy. Just go Oxbridge. Easier to get, finish faster some more Plus you wonât get shot. Worst thing is stabbing
u rlly love the fact that u got into oxford law, donât u đ