I do not expect you to read all my posts, but some of them clearly show how I am connected to Brown. The larger point is…who cares?
If someone is not connected to Brown and often gives good advice (such as the poster @T26E4, who is from Yale, but visits from time to time), you would discount that advice in favor of not-so-good advice from a Brown student/alum/parent/donor? That doesn’t seem like the Brown way.
I feel uncomfortable talking about myself, my parents, my grandparents, my children, my connected friends, on message boards, although I have strayed from time to time (like right now). I just think it sounds–for me-- a bit braggy and pretentious, although I understand and accept that most others disagree with me on this. Maybe that is old-fashioned, or quaintly modest. Just the way I am.
I do agree with the statement by @Iwannabe_Brown that “I absolutely judge people’s comments based on who they are in relation to the topic.” (emphasis added) So if a 1970s alum (not referring to anyone here), who has no kids at Brown, and hasn’t been back to campus for years, starts talking about how he or she knows from personal observation that Andrews is a great dorm but the elevators always break down…I would tend to discount that observation. (Even though it is true, based on comments from someone I know well)
Best way to smoke me out if you think I am a fraud is to challenge what I say if you think I am wrong, rather than offer up weak sauce snark and assumptions.
EDIT: So what State are you from and what was the acceptance rate? According to your post, this information clearly is public information if it was shared with “perspective (sic?) applicants”.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Let’s dispense with the snark and the personal challenges, shall we? Accept a poster’s credentials at face value, or don’t. Listen to him/her or ignore. However, the back and forth challenges really is not helpful to the OP.
Consistent with the admonition above, what State are you referring to and what was the acceptance rate?
This information clearly is public information if it was shared with “perspective applicants”. We can compare this with the approximate 17.2% acceptance rate for RI that has been advanced earlier
For what it’s worth. I have been told by a very active Brown alum, whose sister was on Brown’s admissions board, that “Brown does have a mandate that it admit RI students at a rate of roughly double the rest of the pool”. I would attribute the additional admits to faculty and staff offspring (kind of like recruited athletes in the ED process).
So, from the OP’s perspective, do we think this is good news or neutral news, since he/she apparently is not a child of a faculty member or staff member?
In other words, do we think the admittance rate for RI residents who are not otherwise hooked is greater than the overall rate?
Note: There are only about 720 faculty, and of course an additional number of staff members, but I don’t think there are a sufficient number of faculty and staff to be having enough kids applying each year to double the RI acceptance rate. The RI acceptance rate may also be affected by legacies–Brown grads are dispersed around the world but it seems (can’t prove it) that a disproportionate number settle in RI, so this could make up the difference.
Question remains, if OP is not a child of an alum, professor or staff member, is there an admissions advantage being from RI?
No. And I’m pretty sure that Harvard gives preference to local kids – local as in Boston, not all of Massachusetts and certainly not all of New England.
ETA: Being from New England does not give you an edge at any of the New England very selective schools, unless you are from the immediate area. If anything, being from New England is a disadvantage. If you want a geographic advantage – if you are from New England, then apply to schools in the deep South, for example.