Resolved:the Ivy League has lost its prestige and allure as many non-Ivy schools have exceeded them.

First of all I must ask what you consider prestigious to mean? Most people consider prestigious to signify "the best". Yes, many of our state universities provide not only adequate, but top notch quality education. But I would disagree with the statement that being "cost effective" would classify one as prestigious. In fact the word "prestige" is often associated with wealth and connections. Yes, perhaps these Ivy League schools seemed overpriced to your average student but to many it seems worth the extra cost for the coveted "label". Just as some people will pay more for that "brand name" clothing item, the same goes for certain classes and their education. Yes, that off brand jacket is sufficient enough to keep you warm but the majority of consumers will pay a larger price for one similar just because it carries a well known name. As far as your comment about the old buildings I have one word to say about that "History". Not much different to one of the prime rules of selling and buying real estate "Location, Location, Location." Build the same house, one in the middle of Kansas, the other on a beach in Malibu….which will cost more? Also there are many out there who are willing to pay more for the experience of studying in an institution such as Harvard that has had a superb reputation for over three hundred years. Then there is that added benefit of bragging rights. Though some desire the experience just to impress others by telling them that they lived and studied in the same place as "President so and so", others (like me) are fascinated with the past and love the nostalgic feeling that only older universities can incite. As far as being taught by old geezers. From my college experience I found the "old geezers" to be the best teachers of all. They captivated me with not only their knowledge but experience. Those are the classes I learned the most in, and remember most fondly. I can't say much for the many classes in which I was subjected to TA's (student teachers or teacher assistants) which were barely out of college themselves and knew minimal about what they taught. I will agree with the fact that one can receive just as great, maybe even a better education at a more cost efficient university. However, your argument contends that Ivy League schools have lost their "prestige and allure". In 2006 The New York Times wrote that "The most prestigious college in the world, of course, is Harvard, and the gap between it and every other university is often underestimated. Colleges that emphasize teaching may well offer a better education that Harvard. But it still exerts a pull on teenagers that is unmatched." If they have lost their allure then why was this a record breaking year for applicants being rejected from these schools? An article in the April 4, 2007 edition of the New York Times written by Sam Dillon, "A Great Year for Ivy League Schools, but Not So Good for Applicants to Them." proves that these schools will not lose their bragging rights anytime soon. "Ten years ago a student with perfect SAT's or a valedictorian could have easily gotten accepted at the college of his/her choice, provided of course that the essays and the recommendations were respectable. This has all changed. According to Dillon, "Harvard turned down 1,100 student applicants with perfect 800 scores on the SAT math exam. Yale rejected several applicants with perfect 2400 scores on the three-part SAT, and Princeton turned away thousands of high school applicants with 4.0 grade point averages. Needless to say, high school valedictorians were a dime a dozen. It was the most selective spring in modern memory at America's elite schools, according to college admissions officers. More applications poured into top schools this admissions cycle than in any previous year on record,"