)
It's no wonder people put Ivy League schools on such a pedestal. Between all the movies and television shows featuring Harvard and Yale — remember Rory Gilmore's inner struggle when it came to choosing between the two? — and the clout of having a degree from one of the elite eight northeastern universities, who wouldn't think everything about the schools is a dream?
While the academics at these schools is unquestionably prestigious — and they have educated some of the country's most well-known minds — it doesn't mean life on the campuses is as well.
Dorm rooms are small and dining hall food is exactly that. The campuses are beautiful, but there are a vast amount of non-Ivy campuses that are as well . While the Ivy League was originally formed to create a sport conference, and its teams often make it into tournaments, there are plenty of teams at schools all across the country that are constantly beating them out for titles.
Take a look at these photos proving life at an Ivy is no different from life at any other top university in the country.
)
)
)
Growing up, its easy to think of Ivy League colleges as the pinnacle of higher education in every way.
)
Yana Paskova/Stringer/Getty Images
Whether you watched "Gilmore Girls" ...
)
"Gilmore Girls"/Warner Brothers
... "Legally Blonde" ...
)
MGM
... or "Gossip Girl," the idea of attending an Ivy was everywhere.
)
There is some confusion, though, about what schools are actually part of the Ivy League.
)
Scott Eisen/Stringer/Getty Images
The elite group of eight includes Harvard University ...
)
Paul Marotta/Stringer/Getty Images
... Yale University ...
)
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Stringer/Getty Images
... Dartmouth College ...
)
Dartmouth/YouTube
... Columbia University ...
)
Kevin Hagen/Stringer/Getty Images
... Princeton University ...
)
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
... Brown University ...
)
Mike Cohea/Brown University via Getty Images
... University of Pennsylvania ...
)
Gilbert Carrasquillo/Stringer/Getty Images
... and Cornell University.
)
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
While the Ivys are known for their academic prestige, the grouping of Northeastern schools was originally conceived out of athletic competition.
)
Corey Perrine/Stringer/Getty Images
Many people believe Stanford University is an Ivy League school.
)
Shutterstock/MintImages
Source: Quora
By academic standards, it more than fits the bill.
)
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Source: Quora
And so does the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
)
Marcio Jose Bastos Silva/Shutterstock
Source: Quora
However, neither of these schools is part of the Ivy League conference. The formation of the league had little to do with academia; it is — at its core — a sports conference, much like the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference (B10), and Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12).
)
Abbie Parr/Stringer/Getty Images
The schools within the Ivy League conference compete in all types of sports. From track and field ...
)
J. A. Hampton/Stringer/Getty Images
... to crew ...
)
General Photographic Agency/Stringer/Getty Images
... baseball ...
)
Adam Glanzman/Stringer/Getty Images
... basketball ...
)
Corey Perrine/Stringer/Getty Images
... and football — just to name a few.
)
AP Photo/Bob Child
Possibly the most well-known of the Ivy League rivalries is the one between Harvard and Yale.
)
Adam Glanzman/Stringer/Getty Images
Source: Quora
Even in terms of athletic excellence, though, theres nothing exceptional about the teams at Ivy League schools.
)
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Because of the academic reputation, high tuition rates, low acceptance rates, and the label of a private college, its easy to assume that life on any of these campuses is unimaginably luxurious.
)
LENS-68/Shutterstock
The ivy-draped stone buildings do give the scenery a certain nuance ...
)
Wikipedia
... but in reality, these campuses arent much different from others around the country.
)
Peter Aaron
Like many universities, the dorms dont really look like they do in the brochures or movies.
)
"Legally Blonde"/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
While students may be dreaming of an Elle Woods-esque setup, reality at Harvard looks a bit more like this.
)
Peter Alfred Hess/Flickr
In fact, living arrangements can be so cramped that students at Harvard have been known to remove their closet doors because theres no room for them to swing open.
)
Dan Ray/Flickr
Source: Quora
Many Ivy universities were some of the first in the country.
)
Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images
And while that is a great draw for a student looking for rich history ...
)
AP Photo/Jim Cole,
... it also means there are a number of historical buildings lacking updated necessities like air conditioning.
)
thomas/Flickr
Source: Quora
The amenities at Ivy League schools are similar to those at other universities. Campuses typically have several gyms for both personal and group fitness ...
)
Tess Heder/Flickr
... multipurpose common areas and work spaces ...
)
Jeffrey Bary/Flickr
... and various libraries with different study environments.
)
Jeffrey Bary/Flickr
The stacks inside Browns John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library look like those at any normal library.
)
David Hilowitz/Flickr
And the food in the dining halls is hardly gourmet. After all, "Cafeteria food is cafeteria food," one Quora user wrote.
)
BerkleeWithSandra/YouTube
Source: Quora
Students at Ivy schools arent immune to having to trek across campus during less-than-perfect weather.
)
Mario Tama/Getty Images
In fact, since the entire league is located in Americas Northeast, they get hit hard with snow and cold during the winter.
)
John Moore/Getty Images
Northeast winters can be extremely tough.
)
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Just like anyone else studying in a snow-prone area, Ivy students may have to dig their bikes out of a mound of powder before they can get to class.
)
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The schools have well-earned reputations for stunning architecture ...
)
Hansel Teo/Flickr
... stone, cathedral-looking buildings ...
)
Christopher Capozziello/Stringer/Getty Images
... and amazing grounds.
)
Jon Bilous/Shutterstock
And lets not forget those famously popular iron gates that welcome visitors onto campus.
)
Thomson Reuters
But theyre not the only schools with beautiful campuses.
)
Princeton University/Facebook
Indiana University, Bloomington is well-known for images of these pillars.
)
Wikipedia
Source: INSIDER
And palm trees make Stanford Universitys campus a West Coast dream.
)
turtix/Shutterstock
Source: INSIDER
The Rutgers campus also has manicured lawns and walkways. The New Jersey school faced off against Princeton in the first game of intercollegiate football in 1869 — it sparked quite the rivalry.
)
jass/Flickr
Source: Rutgers and ScarletKnights.com
Wellesley College has the same beautiful buildings.
)
Flicr/redjar
As does the College of William and Mary.
)
Facebook/William and Mary
Source: William and Mary
The University of Maryland, College Park campus is centered around a brick building-lined mall thats modeled after the National Mall in Washington D.C.
)
carmichaellibrary/Flickr
Source: University of Maryland
When you break down all the elements of Ivy League schools, theyre actually very similar to other top universities across the country. Sure, they have their share of famous alumni.
)
Paul Marotta/Getty Images
Source: Business Insider
But, of course, non-Ivys have some pretty famous alumni of their own.
)
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
See Also:
SEE ALSO: What it's really like to be a student at Harvard
DON'T MISS: The oldest college in every US state