Bostonian, I think that for those not from the NE or from Academia, "Ivy" is often used loosely as a synonym for "Elite/Most Applicants Turned Away/Highest Level of Prestige."

So while the term may technically mean just those 8 schools, to most people, it means something more like some loose collection (defined idiosyncratically, if you talk to people about it) collection of institutions that they have very high respect for as institutions (be it warranted or not).




Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.