▁a ▁resident ial , ▁academic ▁or ▁administrative ▁building ▁or ▁ground ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁academic ▁excell ence . ▁The ▁ceremony ▁is ▁most ▁known ▁for ▁being ▁pract iced ▁among ▁older ▁colleg es ▁in ▁the ▁N ort he astern ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁is ▁most ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁I vy ▁League ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁small ▁liberal ▁arts ▁college ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Little ▁I v ies . ▁Some ▁institutions ▁announ ce ▁members ▁of ▁Ph i ▁B eta ▁K appa ▁and ▁special ized ▁honor ▁design ations ▁for ▁students . ▁Some ▁classes ▁don ate ▁to ▁the ▁college , ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁gates , ▁fac ades , ▁and ▁door ▁out lines , ▁by ▁ins cri bing ▁or ▁creating ▁their ▁own ▁version ▁of ▁symbol ic ▁icons ▁of ▁the ▁college ' s ▁se al ▁or ▁other ▁prominent ▁ins ign ia . ▁The ▁iv y ▁stones ▁are ▁usually ▁decor ated ▁with ▁the ▁gradu ation ▁date ▁and ▁a ▁symbol ▁that ▁represents ▁the ▁college ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁or ▁the ▁class ▁as ▁a ▁whole . ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁iv y ▁stone ▁is ▁one - by - two ▁feet ▁and ▁is ▁usually ▁made ▁out ▁of ▁work able ▁stone . ▁ ▁On ▁occasion ▁students ▁have ▁featured ▁prominent ▁al umn i ▁on ▁their ▁class ▁iv y ▁stones ▁or ▁have ▁selected ▁to ▁feature ▁an ▁eng ra ving ▁of ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁their ▁gradu ating ▁class . ▁Since ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁since ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁at ▁B ates ▁College , ▁students ▁have ▁un ve iled ▁class ▁iv y ▁stones