Brown or Middlebury?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

<p>I was very thankful to be accepted by two great schools. However, I am torn as to which one to attend. I will visit both colleges soon, maybe I’ll experience that “moment where you just know” type of thing. </p>

<p>Brown is an Ivy (reputation does matter a little bit) and has the alternative-open curriculum association. Many Brunonians - former students of my high school - have confirmed Brown to be such a happy place to be. Whereas Middlebury is a smaller, more exclusive bunch and provides the opportunity to challenge myself with a difficult workload and a different, possibly more successful(?) route to success.</p>

<p>So can you help me as to which one?</p>

2

<p>I think your visits will help elucidate. They’re obviously both great places - just very different ones.</p>

3

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<p>You can’t be serious if you’re implying this statement doesn’t apply to Brown.</p>

4

<p>They’re very different places (large uni vs small liberal arts college, urban vs. rural, etc.). I think your visit will help clarify things. </p>

5

<p>neverdone that is really an odd statement that you made. Why would you think that? It doesn’t make sense.</p>

6

<p>I’d rather be Brown bound than a MiddKid personally, but both will give you a great education. Best of luck! </p>

7

<p>Well, OP, you can push as hard as you like at Brown, including taking grad classes should you exhaust your undergrad options or just need one for a special area of interest. My daughter audited a grad class jr year, to gain some specific type of knowledge for an independent research class she did that started in jr year with with that prof, and expanded to summer work on a research team, through Sr year and the following summer. She also took at least one grad class Sr year. These were very impressive activities for success as a graduate school applicant.</p>

8

<p>They are two very different schools. Academically, and this is going to be unpopular to say here, Middlebury iso a more rigorous school. Brown’s flexabiliy is a blessing and a curse. The curse part is that it undermines its reputation as an academic powerhouse. Also, its academic departments are not highly regarded the way academic departments are regarding in the other IVY league schools. it has a lot of strenghts. All schools have pros and cons. To pretend otherwise is short sighted. A con for Brown is its acacemic reputation compared to other Ivy schools and Middlebury.</p>

9

<p><a href=“http://cdn01.cdnwp.celebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/14/jennifer-lawrence-10.gif”>http://cdn01.cdnwp.celebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/14/jennifer-lawrence-10.gif&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>From today’s Brown Daily Herald:</p>

<p>“I’m kind of surprised that the percentage who considered Brown their first choice isn’t higher,” said Joonpyo Sohn ’16, a transfer student from Middlebury College, adding that many of his peers at Middlebury told him they considered Brown a great institution when he got his acceptance letter.</p>

<p>Sohn said he transferred to Brown because he felt limited by Middlebury’s academic requirements and lack of a diverse student body. The open curriculum was the biggest “pull factor,” he said, adding that “Brown is more accepting of diversity and more accommodating to many different types of people.”</p>

<p><a href=“U. first choice for two-thirds of students, poll shows - The Brown Daily Herald”>U. first choice for two-thirds of students, poll shows - The Brown Daily Herald;

11

<p>Iostaccount comments on Brown’s flexability may have some truth to it but the people who consider it a bleesing are the Brown students and those who consider it a curse are 60 year old tenued faculty (in bow ties) at other universities who want more students filling up seats in their field of study.<br>
If Brown were not in the Ivy league it’s fair to say it would be difficult or impossible to pull this off without losing it’s ranking and prestige. </p>

12

<p>I think April 7’s comments about Brown’s academic reputation are absurd, and there is no way to even back up the claim. Brown has many highly departments --Brain Science, applied math, classics, philosophy, history, political theory, etc, to name a few. Brown produces a very high percentage of students who go on to earn PHDs, Fullbrights, Rhodes, etc and other top academic prizes. Furthermore, Brown produces an impressive number of pulitizer prize winners, and its faculty have won many prestigious awards over many years. These types of outcomes would not be possible without a top rated faculty and academic departments. Middlebury is a liberal arts college --so it is absurb to even compare it to Brown. Liberal arts professors conduct relatively little research; their primary job is to teach (certainly a potential advantage for undergraduate students), but if you want to conduct research as an undergraduate, I still think attending a major research university is better. </p>

13

<p>Transfers happen both ways. For instance, the quarterback for Middlebury’s football team transferred to Middlebury from Brown.</p>

14

<p>Very few transfer out, about 10 a year according to last report I saw in Brown Daily Herald and it is often athletes, they don’t track why. I have nothing but enthusiasm for Middlebury. But to say it is superior to a Brown education doesn’t hold up.</p>

<p>I like the story of the student who transferred out to Harvard and then back again.</p>

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<p><a href=“Leaving the 'happiest' Ivy for other colleges - The Brown Daily Herald”>Leaving the 'happiest' Ivy for other colleges - The Brown Daily Herald;