While its eight members (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale) are highly selective colleges for admission, the designation "Ivy League" only refers to their membership in a common athletic conference
The athletic conference that boasts academic powerhouses Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale Acceptance to an Ivy League school is considered the brass ring of the application process, although many argue that an equalif not bettereducation can be achieved at many other non-Ivy League schools