Liberal arts colleges see decline in applications
While Yale celebrated a record total of about 26,000 applications this year — a roughly 14 percent rise over last year’s total — admissions news at Williams College offered less cause for celebration.
Williams, a renowned liberal arts college about three hours north of Yale, saw a 20 percent drop in applications compared to last year, down to 6,050 from 7,552, a college spokesman said. Other top liberal arts colleges, such as Swarthmore and Middlebury colleges, also saw a decrease in their applicant pools this year, despite posting record applicant totals last years. The dip in...
additionally, wesleyan university had a 22% increase in applications this year. not all liberal arts colleges fit this mold, but they seem to have been ignored.
I think the author was comparing the top Ivy League schools to the 'little ivies'.
I think the author was comparing the top Ivy League schools to the 'little ivies'.
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Not clear especially with the title given. Besides, Wesleyan is considered a little Ivy.
The title doesn't necessarily have to reflect specifics of the article's content. I think it is a given that HYP universities are being compared to 'little ivies' such as Swarthmore and Williams. Furthermore, Wesleyan is not a 'little ivy'. They are sometimes referred to as 'the private ivy', which is a moniker the school gave itself as part of a marketing strategy.
who the hell calls them "little ivies" besides the students there who want to massage their egos?
Wesleyan, Amherst and Williams have been known as the "Little Three" for decades because of their longstanding athletic competition. Wesleyan, which apparently had the largest increase in applications of any elite school in teh country this year, has never marketed itself as "the private ivy."
Yes, Wesleyan for sometime was referring to itself as 'the private ivy'. It might have stopped now. 'The little three' is based on an athletics relationship and has nothing to do with the title 'the little ivies'.
Wakeup: Actually, the nickname 'Little Three' emerged in 1910 as a counterpoint to the 'Big Three' of Harvard, Princeton, Yale. Over the years some people mangled it to 'Little Ivies' as opposed to the 'Big Ivies'; then expanded the nickname to mean a larger group of the elite liberal arts colleges. As to Wesleyan and the Private Ivy, that never happened. You're confusing it with the story of a marketing consultant who 10 years ago came up with the slogan "The Independent Ivy," which so offended Wes students and faculty that it was dead on arrival and never used.
What about other liberal arts colleges outside of the east coast? Occidental College for example has continued to set records with regards to applications. Their increase was not on the Stanford/Yale/Brown level, but 4% is respectable especially considering over the past 12 years they are up over 220% (though this year's increase might be partly the President Obama effect). What about the Claremont Colleges? Reed?