I was considering applying to Brown ED but my parents are scared that it might be too competitive, they’ve heard from their friends that the academics are really hard and that people are really competitive but secretly. Is this true? I come from a relatively amicable hs but I think it’s a tough curriculum (IB diploma candidate) Anyone with similar backgrounds who can help?
Secret competition? That’s a new one. Brown is not a cut-throat environment. The students who apply, are accepted and attend are high achievers. So they work hard and want to do well. But they don’t want to succeed at the expense of their fellow students. If an inner desire to succeed is “competitive but secret” then I guess the description fits. But it’s not how I would characterize the school.
And it’s nice to know that somewhere people are describing Brown as “really hard” because its reputation is that it’s the slacker Ivy. Classes are not easy and students work hard. But the workload is not insane.
That is surprising because Brown has the reputation for having the least competitive culture amongst the top schools and being the most laid-back ivy. Of course classes are going to be hard and the students are smart and motivated, this is a top school we are talking about. However by top schools standards one would probably find Brown to be the least cutthroat and most collaborative and also flexible in terms of curriculum and allowing students to catch a breath and figure out what they want.
My S graduated from a not-so-competitive high school doing the IB diploma track. He is thriving at Brown - working hard but learning so much from so many different people. I think the IB diploma track helped him prepare. If you love Brown and can afford to apply ED, then I say go for it.