Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Is Stanford an Ivy League School Is Duke MIT

Is Stanford an Ivy League School Is Duke MIT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Most people have at leastheard of theIvy League, but not everyone knows which schools belong to the venerable group. Is Stanford Ivy League? Is Duke Ivy League? Is MIT Ivy League? In this article, we'll answer these questions and more as we take a look atwhich schools comprise the world-renowned Ivy Leagueand which schools are most often mistaken forIvy League institutions.We'll also explore what being in the Ivy League means for schools and how Ivy League schools compare with those not in the Ivy League in terms ofnational rankings and selectivity. Is Stanford Ivy League? What About Duke and MIT? Contrary to what you might think, none of these schools are in the Ivy League.But thisdoesn't mean that Stanford, Duke, and MIT are not prestigious schools; rather, it simply means they're not affiliated with theIvy League. Confused? Let’s begin by looking at what the Ivy League is and why it was formed. The Ivy League (often called the Ivies) is a consortium of eight private universities based inthe northeast region of the US.Itsmembers are as follows: Brown University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Harvard University Princeton University University of Pennsylvania Yale University All Ivy League schools are extremely selective and highly ranked- but this wasn’t the initial motivation behind the schools’ unification. The Ivy League (or the â€Å"Ivy Group,† as it was once called) originated as an athletic conference back in the 1950s. Over the years, the phrase has come to be associated with more general notions of prestige, selectivity, and academia due to the esteemed reputations of its members. Essentially, "Ivy League" is nothing more than aname for this particular group of schools- that’s it! While Stanford, Duke, and MIT are all clearly prestigious schools with high national rankings and low selectivity rates comparable to those of Ivy League schools, they are notIvy League schools simplybecause they are not members of the Ivy League. Of course, thisdoesn't stoppeople fromassuming they're Iviesdue to their many similarities! Ultimately, though,no matter how prestigious or competitive a school is, if it’s not one of the eight schools listed above, then it is not an Ivy League school. Even ifa school soundslike it could be an Ivy, that doesn't mean it actually is one! What Schools Are Often Mistaken for Ivy League Schools? Stanford, Duke, and MIT are not the only schools often thought to belong to the Ivy League. Other schools commonly mistaken for those in the Ivy League are those that are: Highly ranked and extremely selective. Ivies are almost always ranked in the top 15 nationally, with acceptance rates below15%. Schools commonly mistaken for Ivies tend to be those with similar rankings and acceptance rates- sometimes despite not even being located in the northeast where the Ivy League is based. Located in or near the northeast. All Ivies are in the northeast, but not all schools in the northeast are Ivies! Highly acclaimed or well-known schools in Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other nearby states are often mistakenly assumedto belong to the Ivy League. Below is a chart containing all Ivy League schools and those commonly believed to beIvies. I've included each school's location, US News ranking, and acceptance rate so that you can easily compare Ivies with non-Ivies. TheIvy League schools have beenbolded for clarity. School Location US News National Ranking(2019) Acceptance Rate Princeton Princeton, NJ 1 6% Harvard Cambridge, MA 2 5% Columbia New York, NY 3 (tie) 6% MIT Cambridge, MA 3 (tie) 7% University of Chicago Chicago, IL 3 (tie) 7% Yale New Haven, CT 3 (tie) 6% Stanford Stanford, CA 7 4% Duke Durham, NC 8 (tie) 8% UPenn Philadelphia, PA 8 (tie) 8% Johns Hopkins Baltimore, MD 10 (tie) 10% Northwestern Evanston, IL 10 (tie) 8% Caltech Pasadena, CA 12 (tie) 8% Dartmouth Hanover, NH 12 (tie) 9% Brown Providence, RI 14 (tie) 8% Vanderbilt Nashville, TN 14 (tie) 9% Cornell Ithaca, NY 16 (tie) 11% Rice Houston, TX 16 (tie) 16% Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 18 19% UCLA Los Angeles, CA 19 (tie) 16% Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO 19 (tie) 16% Emory Atlanta, GA 21 22% Georgetown Washington, DC 22 (tie) 16% UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA 22 (tie) 17% USC Los Angeles, CA 22 (tie) 16% Carnegie Mellon Pittsburgh, PA 25 (tie) 22% Tufts Medford, MA 27 (tie) 15% University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 27 (tie) 27% NYU New York, NY 30 (tie) 21% Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA 38 (tie) 28% College of William Mary Williamsburg, VA 38 (tie) 37% Boston University Boston, MA 42 (tie) 25% Penn State* University Park, PA 59 (tie) 50% Amherst Amherst, MA 2 (National Liberal Arts Colleges) 13% Vassar Poughkeepsie, NY 11 (tie) (National Liberal Arts Colleges) 24% *This school, though not as selective as the others in this table, is sometimes mistaken for the University of Pennsylvania (also called Penn)- one of the eight Ivy League schools- due to its similar name. As you can see, Ivy League schools generally stick to the top 15 positions of nationally ranked universities, with most of them in the top 10.Additionally, all Ivy League schools are extremely selective; the lowest acceptance rate for an Ivy is just 5% for Harvard, while the highest acceptance rate is 11% for Cornell. This table also indicates thatthere are many schools that are just as good as, if not better than, Ivy League schools- which explainswhy schools such as Stanford and MIT are frequently confused for Ivies. For example, MIT and the University of the Chicago are currently ranked #3, tied with Columbia and Yale and beating out five other Ivies! Similarly, Stanford, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Northwestern are all ranked fairly highly at #7, #8, #10, and #10, respectively, giving them rankings equal to or higher than Dartmouth, Brown, and Cornell. Stanford (not an Ivy) gets the award for most selective school with a mere 4% acceptance rate.That being said, after Stanford, the most selective schools on this list are all Ivies: Harvard (5%), Princeton (6%), Columbia (6%), and Yale (6%). Lastly,this table shows us thatschools are sometimes mistaken for Ivies due to their beingin the northeast.Examples of such schools include the highly selective Johns Hopkins, Amherst, and Georgetown, in addition to someslightly less selective (but popular and prestigious) schools such as NYU and Boston University. Ivies and non-Ivies are like two different flavors of cookies: they may be different, but they're both equally delicious! Recap: Is Duke Ivy League? Is MIT Ivy League? Stanford, Duke, MIT, and many other well-known universitiesare often mistaken for Ivy League schools due to their superior academic reputations and high selectivity. But in reality, the Ivy League consists of just eight extremely selective schools, which are alllocated in the northeast.Once again, these schools are as follows: Brown University Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Harvard University Princeton University University of Pennsylvania Yale University Although the Ivy League is generally associated with prestige and high rankings, this doesn’t mean non-Ivies can't be as good as or even better than Ivies.Many non-Ivies, such asStanford and the University of Chicago, are actually ranked higher than Ivies and maintain similar (or even lower!) acceptance rates. Ultimately,the Ivy League is just a name for a particular group of schools that just so happen to share strong rankings and low acceptance rates.When it comes down to it, any top-tier school- Ivy or otherwise- is an excellent choice for college! What’s Next? Want to make a great impression on the Ivy League?Learn what a good SAT/ACT score is for the Ivy League, and get tips on what classes you should take in high schoolin order to impress admissions committees. Ready to apply to a top-tier school?Awesome!Now all you need is some step-by-step advice. Check out our in-depth guides on how to get into the Ivy Leagueand how to get into Stanford- both written by admitted applicantsto these schools! Want to stand apart from other applicants?Learnhow to score aperfect 1600 on the SAT, so you can increase your shot at getting into the school of your dreams! Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today!

Monday, March 2, 2020

Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening

Jonathan Edwards - Colonial Clergyman of the Great Awakening   Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an extremely important and influential clergyman in the New England colonial America. He has been given credit for beginning the Great Awakening and his writings provide insights into colonial thought.   Early Years Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. His father was Reverend Timothy Edwards and his mother, Esther, was the daughter of another Puritan clergyman, Solomon Stoddard. He was sent to Yale College at the age of 13 where he was extremely interested in natural science while there and also read widely including works by John Locke and Sir Isaac Newton. John Lockes philosophy had a huge impact on his personal philosophy. After graduating from Yale at 17, he studied theology for two more years before becoming a licensed preacher in the Prsbyterian Church. In 1723, he earned his Master of Theology Degree. He served a New York congregation for two years before returning to Yale to serve as a tutor.   Personal Life In 1727, Edwards married Sarah Pierpoint. She was the granddaughter of the influential Puritan minister Thomas Hooker. He was the founder of the  Connecticut Colony following a dissent with the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts.Together they had eleven children.   Heading His First Congregation   In 1727, Edwards was given a position as the assistant minister under his grandfather on his mothers side, Solomon Stoddard in Northampton, Massachusetts. When Stoddard passed away in 1729, Edwards took over as the minister in charge of a congregation that included important political leaders and merchants. He was much more conservative than his grandfather.   Edwardseanism Lockes Essay Concerning Human Understanding had a huge impact on Edwards theology as he tried to grapple with mans free will combined with his own beliefs in predestination. He believed in the need for a personal experience of God. He believed that only after a personal conversion instituted by God could free will be turned away from human needs and towards morality. In other words, only Gods grace could give someone the ability to follow God.   In addition, Edwards also believed that the end times were near. He believed that with the coming of Christ, each person would have to give account of their lives on earth. His goal was a pure church filled with true believers. As such, he felt that it was his responsibility to ensure that his church members lived according to strict personal standards. He would only allow those he felt truly accepted Gods grace could partake of the sacrament of the Lords Supper in the church.   The Great Awakening As previously stated, Edwards believed in a personal religious experience. From 1734-1735, Edwards preached a number of sermons about justification of faith. This series led to a number of conversions among his congregation. Rumors about his preaching and sermons spread to surrounding areas of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Word spread even as far as Long Island Sound.   During this same period, traveling preachers had begun a series of evangelist meetings calling on individuals to turn away from sin throughout the New England colonies. This form of evangelism focused on personal salvation and a correct relationship with God. This era has been called the Great Awakening. The evangelists produced huge emotions. Many churches were disapproving of itinerant preachers. They felt that the charismatic preachers were often not sincere. They didnt like the lack of propriety in the meetings. In fact, there were laws passed in some communities to ban preachers the right to hold revivals unless they had been invited by a licensed minister. Edwards agreed with much of this but did not believe that the results of revivals should be discounted.   Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God   Probably Edwards most well-known sermon is called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He not only delivered this at his home parish but also in Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. This fiery sermon discusses the pains of hell and the importance of devoting ones life to Christ to avoid this fiery pit. According to Edwards, There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God. As Edwards says, All wicked mens  pains  and  contrivance  they use to escape  hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, dont secure em from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security....  But the foolish children of men do miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in their confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow.   However, as Edward says, there is hope for all men. And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has flung the door of mercy wide open, and stands in the door calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners... As he summed up, Therefore let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come... [L]et everyone fly out of Sodom. Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed [Genesis 19:17].   Edwards sermon had a huge effect at the time in Enfield, Connecticut. In fact, an eyewitness named Stephen Davis wrote that people were crying out throughout the congregation during his sermon, asking how to avoid hell and be saved. In his today, reaction to Edwards was mixed. However, there is no denying his impact. His sermons are still read and referred to by theologians to this day.   Later Years Some members of Edwards church congregation were not happy with Edwards conservative orthodoxy. As previously stated, he enforced strict rules for his congregation to be considered part of those who could partake in the Lords Supper. In 1750, Edwards attempted to institute discipline on some of the children of prominent families who were caught looking at a midwives manual that was considered a bad book. Over 90% of the members of congregation voted to remove Edwards from his position as minister. He was 47 at the time and was assigned to minister to a mission church on the frontier in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He preached to this small group of Native Americans and at the same time spent the years writing many theological works including Freedom of the Will (1754), The Life of David Brainerd (1759), Original Sin (1758), and The Nature of True Virtue (1765). You can currently read any of Edwards works through the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University. Further, one of the resid ential colleges at Yale University, Jonathan Edwards College, was named after him.    In 1758, Edwards was hired as the president of the College of New Jersey which is now called Princeton University. Unfortunately, he only served for two years in that position before he died after he had an adverse reaction to a smallpox vaccination. He died on March 22, 1758 and is buried in Princeton Cemetery.   Legacy Edwards is seen today as an example of revival preachers and an initiator of the Great Awakening. Many evangelists today still look to his example as a way to preach and create conversions. In addition, many descendants of Edwards went on to be prominent citizens. He was the grandfather of Aaron Burr and an ancestor of  Edith Kermit Carow who was Theodore Roosevelts second wife. In fact, according to George Marsden in Jonathan Edwards: A Life, his progeny included thirteen presidents of colleges and sixty-five professors.   Further Reference Ciment, James. Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History. M. E. Sharpe: New York. 2006.