Ivy League Scholarships

Ivy League Scholarships February 20, 2012 Ivy League scholarships are myths.  For years, weve rolled our eyes when parents brag about how their child received a full scholarship to Princeton. Or a full scholarship to Brown, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, Penn, Columbia, or Cornell. The fact is, the eight Ivy League colleges dont offer scholarships. If by scholarship, these folks mean financial aid, then the answer is yes Ivy League colleges all offer financial aid. But scholarship implies merit. If these parents knew that Ivy League colleges dont offer scholarships but only financial aid, would they still be as boastful? When in line at a grocery store (or anywhere else for that matter), dont tell people you got a full ride to an Ivy League college. Theres no such thing unless by full ride you mean full financial aid (photo credit: Joseph Barillari). Its one of the differentiating factors of the Ivy League for athletes in particular. Ivy League athletes dont receive scholarships. Theyre recruited, yes. But they dont pay lower tuition costs because they happen to be recruited athletes. There are no athletic scholarships in the Ivy League and its one of the pivotal reasons why Ivy League schools often cannot compete with their Division I peers. But, at times, they can compete. At times, the underdog has its day. Jeremy Lin is a Harvard grad. Historically, Princeton has staged remarkable runs in the NCAA Tournament. In spite of not receiving athletic scholarships, Ivy League athletes make a habit of proving they belong at the top of their sport. So if youre a mom in the grocery store wearing a Princeton sweatshirt, bragging to the lady behind you in line how your son just received a full ride to Princeton, think twice. The lady in the grocery store might know that Princeton does not offer full ridesunless of course by full ride you mean full financial aid! If thats what youre bragging about, then go right ahead! Like Bill OReilly, we just want to keep people honest! Check out this post on Ivy League Tuition Costs.