I can't speak for the Ivy League but I can speak for someone who commutes 260+ miles to graduate school and has done the air route v. the train route v. driving.

They all take roughly the same amount of time.

The train's advantage is that you can actually get something done during your commute, you can get up, you can use your cell phone , and you are not at the mercy of the airlines. You are at the mercy of Amtrak, but train tickets are for the most part refundable and changeable, which is more than I can say for airline shuttles.

Airport hidden costs include parking, rental cars if you are needing to be a little more mobile, all that starbucks you'll drink and the speeding ticket you may get trying to make the first shuttle of the morning.

I don't know if its worth taking something a bit less flash than acela to save some cash. My taller half spends about 85 bucks a week commuting back and forth to Corvallis from Seattle on Amtrak, she was spending close to 370 a week for a Portland shuttle ticket and a rental car to school. Good if you need to be there for a short period of time, not good every week of the quarter...

I would suggest the train, a business class upgrade, a good pair of noise cancellation headphones and making good friends with the conductor.
If you have to leave your car at the station I would recommend a detachable faceplate or better yet, don't do it.

best of luck on your class.

lala