Little Ivies

Little Ivies is a group of renowned and less elite colleges in the USA that do not belong to the Ivy League. However, the designation does not represent an organization or official association.

Institutions, which are referred to as "Little Ivies " are old, small, reputed and leading in the academic liberal arts colleges (universities ) in New England. The term " Little Ivies " expresses that these small universities have similar features as the big Ivy League universities.

Scope of the term

The term is sometimes used interchangeably with the Little Three (little three) used, so Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams. The term " Little Three " refers strictly speaking to an earlier Sports League and was used for this purpose, these three schools to be labeled as a social and academic elite trio, he also allowed the association with the so-called Big Three of the Ivy League: Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Encarta defines the Little Ivies in reference to these three schools, which they referred to as " small", " exclusive" and " with high academic standards and old traditions."

In addition, the term can also refer the colleges of today's New England Small College Athletic Conference relate ( NESCAC ), ie the Lesser Three along with Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, and Tufts.

In his introduction to Greene and Greene's concerns guide specific to the " historically as Little Ivies designated group (including Amherst, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Swarthmore, Trinity, Wesleyan, and Williams ) ," the " the summit of the Prestige and the selection criteria achieved and even thousands of our best and brightest young men and women rejected " would.

Universities, which are often called " Little Ivies ", are: