Ivy Plus schools

I've seen the term 'Ivy Plus' being thrown around a bit. What schools fall under the Ivy Plus category? Are these schools simply Ivies with a few additions, or do they have a different status level in college admissions? Would love to hear people's thoughts!

The term "Ivy Plus" refers to the traditional eight Ivy League schools, plus a select group of other elite institutions. The original Ivy League schools are Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale. The additional schools typically classified as "Ivy Plus" sometimes include other top-tier institutions like Stanford, MIT, University of Chicago, Caltech, Duke, UCLA and UC Berkeley. The list may vary slightly depending on whom you ask, but these are generally the schools considered part of the Ivy Plus group.

These institutions are comparable to the Ivy League schools in terms of academic excellence, selectivity, and prestige. Just like the Ivies, they feature rigorous academics, exceptional faculty, and outstanding research opportunities. Keep in mind that the term "Ivy Plus" is not an official classification. It's more of an informal label used to group these schools together during conversations about higher education and college admissions.

In terms of college admissions, these Ivy Plus schools are seen as highly competitive and desirable options for students pursuing higher education. However, each individual school has its own unique strengths, programs, campus culture, and admission preferences. So while they share some similarities with the Ivies, students should also consider factors such as fit and alignment with their career goals when assessing any college or university, Ivy Plus or not.