<p>Yeah, believe it or not I’m deciding ED between Brown and Columbia or Yale SCEA. I need to read more into Yale though. But for what I’m interested in (Urban studies), I’m not sure if Providence would be the best place to study. And I’m a huge city fan, having lived in the suburbs and being 35 minutes away from everything on the train my whole life.</p>
<p>Exactly! The only thing swaying me away from Brown towards Columbia is the location . I mean if the campus scene is boring then there are plenty of things to do off campus. The people at Brown seem more chill though …</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard from my friends at Columbia, a lot of campus life is off-campus. If you’ve visited, it’s easy to understand why: the city surrounds the campus. Some of my friends there concede that a portion of school spirit and student-run activities is weakened by the bustle of the city. But if what you want is to go to school and live in a city, and have your extracurricular life a little more detached from your school than usual, then of course Columbia is a great place.</p>
<p>Brown is in a city, not in the suburbs. Brown is in a residential district, but unlike Los Angeles, which has miles of homes and then miles of businesses rather distinctly placed, Providence is small enough that homes and businesses are close. Providence is one of the largest cities in New England, and you should check out the Swearer Center for community service, which is organized to involve students in regular Providence.</p>
<p>Also, @Obstinate, I contacted the Urban Studies department earlier this year because I too am interested in that department. The head professor emailed me back the next day, and hooked me up with their department staff who then put me on their mailing list. I recommend emailing Heather Parker or one of the professors in the department—they were inordinately friendly and helpful!</p>
<p>In follow-up to hollyert’s post, from a member of Brown’s class of 2012, calling Providence one of New England’s largest cities doesn’t really say much. Students coming from urban areas tend to find it on the small side (admittedly, it’s more than large enough for me, a product of the suburbs). Almost anything nearby in Providence is within walking distance, such as the mall and the train station. People certainly go to these places, but I have found that it’s more common for people to stay on campus. There are regular trains to Boston at fairly reasonable prices for people who are interested in a larger city, too. On campus, there are parties for those interested, but also many other activities - every morning, students receive an e-mail called “Morning Mail” that lists some events that will be occurring soon in addition to announcements. Not all of them will interest someone, but there are events for everyone, ranging from music and theatre performances to Facebook’s all-night codeathon that was held this spring.</p>
<p>Haha, yeah, I’m from the middle of Los Angeles, about 5 minutes from Downtown, so of course nothing compares. But even San Francisco is small by L.A. standards. I’m just saying that Providence definitely counts as a city.</p>
<p>Also, New Haven wasn’t that impressive. I mean it’s not Boston, it’s not Atlanta… Yale is just closer to the city-parts I guess. If you want a real city, why don’t you want to go to USC or NYU? (Just kidding… I know why!)</p>
<p>Brown/Providence is city enough for us “suburban dwellers,” and I think that it’s close enough to Boston, NYC, etc. for students to get away if they really want to. I’m fine with the size of Providence because I’ve lived in smaller cities in my life and a place like NYC seems a bit daunting, but nonetheless Brown, Yale, and Columbia are all wonderful schools! </p>
<p>To the OP: Yeah, it would be sweet to meet a roommate off of CC, but if everything soesn’t work out next year and I get in, just hit me up!!! I think that I’ve met a potential rommate anyway from a past camp at Brown so it’s all good anyway! </p>
<p>Also, Kobe had the unbelievable and incomparable Shaq to play with at the beginning of his career-excellent for winning titles. LeBron has done more since he was drafted in 2003 then Kobe has accomplished the past few years (although both have lost Finals, won MVPs, and gotten scoring titles). I used to be huge on Kobe, but the more I see him play, the less I like him now because, IMHO, LeBron is a MUCH better teammate and likable guy. Would be an awesome discussion to continue at Brown!!! :)</p>
<p>hollyert, funny you mention. I actually did email her. She gave me some amazingly helpful answers. It was a huge email. I’ll totally email profs at Columbia and Brown and see who gives the better emails. Heather was really helpful though.</p>
<p>Yeah, Carson’s a good 20 minutes from Los Angeles, and even LA is definitely not “city” enough for me. I just want to be surrounded by history and culture. The whole “everything is within walking distance” entices me, but do people really even experience what city there is? </p>
<p>I’ve ridden the MBTA. It’s awesome!</p>
<p>MBTA ftw :D</p>
<p>And I love Boston because it’s got history and old-world charm interspersed with the modern 'big city stuff</p>
<p>To big dreamer: And that is why Kobe is the best player in the NBA. Welp c Melo later!</p>
<p>Oh, I’m not a Nuggets fan, I was just hoping for an interesting series. I want K-Mart to fight with Odom, multiple Ts on Kobe and Dahntay Jones, and Birdman to own Gasol, etc. Seriously, Lakers should be down 3-0 right now if the Nuggets were actually smart. </p>
<p>Kobe was downright exhausted tonight; he couldn’t stand for the post-game interview. I’m sure that ESPN will try fabricate a story by saying that “Kobe is too tired to win a ring” and “The Lakers rely too much on Kobe.” He did have a nasty shot over Smith late in the game, though!</p>
<p>'Melo has had a coming out party in this series, and he will be regarded as a superstar next year. Kobe has his way with Stern and the refs, so that’s why I predicted last summer that he’ll be right back in the Finals beating Lebron in 6 games. </p>
<p>Kobe had some amazing plays tonight, but I think that he is no longer the BEST in the league, but maybe most CLUTCH in the league. At least until LeBron whips out his jumper next fall…!!! 
</p>
<p>Enjoy winning the title this year and I hope that we see each other at Brown in the next few years! :)</p>
<p>does anyone have any advice since we’re entering summer and time for applications!!</p>
<p>I don’t know HOW you did so many ECs. I mean I do them for the IB CAS program here, and we do a lot you know (partly because we get eaten alive if we don’t) but not half as many.</p>
<p>I did most of my EC’s during summer and winter/spring breaks! Bump anyone else?</p>
<p>So I know you guys must be exhausted from all these “chance me” posts, but I’m starting to reconsider where it would be “realistic” for me to apply.
My problem is that I have always, always aspired to attend an ivy league school, but now that it’s time to apply, I’m starting to worry. I visted Brown in the spring and fell in love with the school, the open curriculum, everything. However, I haven’t spent high school discovering the cure for cancer… </p>
<p>My stats are:
3.9 unweighted GPA (approx, a little higher)
4.3/4.4 weighted GPA (depending on straight A’s senior year/ not)</p>
<p>I attend a large public high school in an urban area in California that is repeatedly ranked in the top 50 to 60 high schools in the nation (including both public and private schools). The workload for honors/ AP classes is unbelievable compared to my friends who attend other schools, yet I still will have taken 8 AP/honors classes by the time I graduate. </p>
<p>With the exception of one class (Honors Pre-Calculus), I have gotten straight A’s all throughout high school. However, in Pre-Calc our 2nd semester final was so hard it managed to bring my high B down to a 79.4, or a C, for an entire semester where I had never had lower than an 85. I guess I’m just worried that that one C kills my chances at any elite college. </p>
<p>SAT I (retaking in the fall)
CR: 650
Math: 740
Writing: 740
Total: 2130</p>
<p>SAT IIs
US History: 760
Taking Math IIC in the fall</p>
<p>AP tests
A.P. Language and Composition: 5
(will be taking AP tests for AP gov, AP calculus and AP lit as well this year)</p>
<p>Extracurriculars
- President and editor-in-chief of my school’s award winning literary magazine in my senior year, Vice-President and editor-at-large my junior year and a staff member for all 4 years of a high school. I am currently in the process of entering my portfolio in regional and national contests/ scholarships.
- Photo editor of my school’s highly selective newspaper in my senior year and a staff writer in my junior year. (Newspaper only accepts upperclassmen)
- Part time job lifeguarding for the last 3 years to save up extra money for college.
- Played the clarinet in my school’s concert band in my freshman year, but could not continue in my later years due to my school’s stringent graduation requirements. (i.e. I had to take a completely useless weight lifting class instead of playing in the orchestra as part of a ridiculous graduation requirement)
- Played on my school’s JV tennis team
- Also I am a rather accomplished pianist (have been playing privately for 10 years).</p>
<p>@ cali, going to be harsh, sorry! you have weak SATs, and ehh extracurriculars.
you bring up your sat at least 100 points.
your extracurriculars are ehh because they’re so generic. i’ve seen SO many newspaper editor-pianist-one sport- photographers. if you have no accomplishments to show for your extracurriculars or aren’t particularly passionate about any, you dont stand out. you say you’re an accomplished pianist but you don’t illustrate that anywhere. JV tennis and clarinet are very insignificant ECs and are barely worth mentioning. at that point, all you have is part-time lifeguarding, EIC of the magazine and photo editor of the newspaper which all lack the ‘wow’ factor (despite how selective they may be…)</p>
<p>Guys, she has only taken one AP and her gpa differs significantly from the average admitted to Brown. Although I do know someone that had a 3.6 that got into Cornell, it is going to be hard</p>
<p>I had a 3.6 and got into Brown. Granted, my 3.6 was different from many 3.6s because there were some classes in which the quality of work required for an A was roughly “this work is publishable,” but we really can’t just look at this and reject someone for their GPA.</p>
<p>
It doesn’t automatically kill your chances. Obviously it doesn’t help, but it’s 1 class, not all of them.</p>
<p>Taking AP courses but not the exam may come off as a bit suspect, but if your school is ranked as you said it is, Brown will better know what they’d be getting in a student like you, as well as what the As in those AP courses actually mean.</p>
<p>
I can’t tell if that’s a serious comment or not. If it is, Brown doesn’t release average GPA of admitted students because such data has no meaning; a 3.9 at one school is not the same as a 3.9 at another.</p>
<p>I’m not giving a chance because there is a ton of information that the officers will have that we don’t (and couldn’t get) that’ll determine the outcome, but I wouldn’t be as quick to write you off based on this as the others seem to be.</p>
<p>“I’m not giving a chance because there is a ton of information that the officers will have that we don’t (and couldn’t get) that’ll determine the outcome, but I wouldn’t be as quick to write you off based d, though of courn this as the others seem to be.”</p>
<p>Totally agree with Uroogla, I know someone who got Brown with Nineteen-sth SATs, though of course, doing the IB made all the difference. Still, it gonna be impossible to chance anyone coz’ we get to look just at the package, not the actual content in it…</p>
<p>omg your Extra curricular activities are so good you should definitely apply to Yale because they have a great music program. I think that HYP aren’t huge reaches so you shouldn’t be too worried even if your GPA/SAT scores aren’t perfect. Seriously you will be happy if you apply to Yale/Harvard because you have a great chance there.</p>
<p>Amazing ECs - try to get into Yale 
Your SATs are great too. In my opinion you would get into Brown on ED if this is what you really want.</p>