Need some clarification about 'baby ivy league schools'

I've been hearing this term - 'baby Ivy league schools' recently but am not sure what it really means. Are these just like lesser known Ivy league colleges or something else? Any clarification would be helpful!

The term "baby Ivy" or sometimes "little Ivy" is often colloquially used to refer to a set of small, highly selective liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern U.S. that are known for their rigorous academics, much like the Ivy League schools. However, unlike the "Ivy League," which is an actual athletic consortium of eight schools (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell), "baby Ivy" is not a formal or officially recognized group; it's more of an informal term people use to indicate colleges that possess attributes similar to those of Ivy League institutions.

The exact roster of schools people consider to be "baby Ivies" can vary a bit depending on who you ask, but usually, you'll see names like Amherst College, Williams College, Swarthmore College, and Bowdoin College coming up frequently. Keep in mind that these these schools, while smaller and perhaps less universally recognized than Ivy League universities, nevertheless offer some of the most excellent educational opportunities available.

Also, being small liberal art colleges, they're a bit different in focus compared to larger Ivy League universities. Instead of having a wide array of programs they excel in various disciplines, typically with an emphasis on undergraduate education and more intimate academic settings (e.g., smaller classroom sizes, more opportunities for one-on-one interactions with professors).So to wrap up, "baby Ivies" aren't lesser-known Ivy League schools but are highly prestigious institutions in their own right. They offer unique experiences that can sometimes align closer with some students' goals and preferences compared to larger universities.