On Wednesday, Oct. 4, two Ivy League schools, in addition to three “mini-Ivies,” came to Phoenix, to tell hopeful young high school students more about their dream colleges. The event was held at the Doubletree Conference Center, in Tempe.

Located on the East Coast, Ivy League universities are seen as the top schools in the nation. These include Brown, located in Rhode Island; Columbia in New York City; Cornell in Ithaca, New York; Dartmouth in New Hampshire; Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts; University of Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania; Princeton, in the heart of New Jersey; and Yale, standing tall in New Haven, Connecticut.

Speaking on behalf of Dartmouth, the smallest of the Ivy League schools, the representative stated, “We are not just green by color or by mascot but by love of environment.” If you’re interested in humanitarian causes and environmentalist purposes, Dartmouth could be the right fit for you, with its core research and liberal arts education centered around a purely green backdrop. Closing her presentation, the speaker described “One Dartmouth: no matter your passions and interests you are able to use all of our resources.”

The second Ivy League representative, speaking for Princeton University, outlined the four year experience of her school with exciting details. Unique to Princeton, the university has a program called the Bridge Year: a program that pays for 35 chosen, incoming freshman to take a gap-year before they actually live on campus. A dedicated nine months of service, this program is something new and exciting for students who want to experience the world before college. Despite this progressive program, the representative described Princeton as a “very traditional campus, with the options of metropolitan surroundings, like New Jersey and New York.” If you are in search of a top university, focused on undergraduates and global service, Princeton is one of many fitting options.

Some people may believe that Ivy Leagues aren’t worth the diligence they require in high school or the copious amounts of necessary extra-curricular activities it takes to even be on their radar, not to mention the countless hours of studying for those perfect standardized test scores. But, others would strongly argue that a degree from one of these eight universities makes sure that you are set up for success for the rest of your life.

No matter your beliefs on these schools, if your life’s goal goal is to “go ivy” — or if you don’t believe such high-value should be placed upon any college-level education — hard work will still pay off in your college endeavors.