Finance, consulting and tech are gobbling up top students

To understand how America’s Ivy League universities see themselves, read their admissions brochures. Leafing through the just-so photos of giggling students on tidy lawns, a vision emerges of sanctuaries for personal growth and intellectual exploration—as much cocoon as ivory tower. The world has come to a different impression. Portrayals of the Ivies dwell on out-of-control woke politics and tented encampments protesting against the war in Gaza. The presidents of four Ivy League schools have stepped down since late 2023 after being accused by politicians and alumni of excess sympathy for the latter vision.