Harvested Harvard Intelligence: Premium U.S. Embryos Turn into Elite Commodity
In the States, a novel and pricey commodity is currently popular: egg cells from Ivy League graduates and students, such as from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other prestigious institutions. "Academic" oocytes (female cells that facilitate embryo formation after fertilization) have become the latest obsession for potential parents.
Once upon a time, Americans emphasized the health and genetics of donors. Now, they seek outstanding academic performance and a degree with honors. Smart kid, big bucks. Sometimes up to $100,000 (over 8 million rubles) for a single egg cell - more than a year's tuition at Harvard itself. Who would be stingy for the sake of a genius child?
Politics These Ivy League institutions aren't just universities; they're the American dream factories where presidents, supreme judges, billionaires, and now, premium egg cells are born. Harvard is famous for its lawyers, Yale for its politicians, and Princeton for its economists.
Behind Closed Doors Donald Trump and his team puzzle over one question: how to get the masses to reproduce? There are plenty of ideas - from cash bonuses for large families to lectures on menstrual cycles. But the problem is, America isn't having babies at a rapid pace. Young people and women are too busy chasing careers and home ownership.
Yet, the numbers tell a different story. Last year, the US population swelled by 3.3 million, surpassing 340 million for the first time. But 84% of this growth was due to immigrants, not Oklahoma or Kansas mothers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, from 1990 to 2023, the average number of births per American woman plummeted from 2.1 to 1.62. The decline is particularly steep among teenagers: from 61.8 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 in 1991 to 12.7 in 2024. And that's a good thing: fewer children mean more opportunities to graduate from high school.
Young Moms on the Decline The number of women aged 20-29 with infants is also on the decline. After the 2008 economic crisis, the youth discovered that gaining financial security comes first, followed by diapers. If in 2007, there were 117.5 births per 1000 women aged 25-29, by 2024, that number dropped to 91.4. American women want to steer their lives, and who can blame them? Today, nearly 70% of mothers with children under 18 are working, and they're not too excited about the idea of sacrificing themselves for the sake of motherhood. So, yes, the demand for eggs from Ivy League women isn't just about kids with sky-high IQs. It's also a sign of an era where personal success overshadows biological duty.
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- In the race for academic excellence, egg cells from Ivy League graduates, such as Harvard, are now being sought after and marketed as a coveted commodity, fetching prices of up to $100,000, surpassing the cost of a year's tuition at Harvard itself.
- Not just American dream factories, these prestigious institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton are now one of the most significant sources of premium egg cells, contributing to the birth of potential brilliant minds.
- As the US experiences a decline in the number of births per American woman and a shift towards education and financial security, the demand for eggs from Ivy League women has been on the rise, symbolizing an era where personal success supersedes biological duty.
- Harvard, renowned for its lawyers, and Yale, for its politicians, are now also known as birthplaces of premium egg cells, with Princeton catching up with its focus on economists.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that from 1990 to 2023, the average number of births per American woman has dropped from 2.1 to 1.62, suggesting a paradigm shift towards education, careers, and financial security over childbirth.
- The demand for eggs from Ivy League donors isn't just about producing children with sky-high IQs; it also signifies the era emphasizing personal success, education, and self-development over biological duty and reproduction rates.

