<p>All right it is so hard for me to pick one between the 2 lovely schools, but after some research i know that NU is more rigorous while Brown fosters free curriculum. but i got problems with both: for NU, i’m a bit worried about the courseload, which is said to be quite pressing; and for brown, although the open curriculum really grants freedom in course design, i feel i cud just be “lost” in all of the courses…Yes i cud be able to pursue all my interests at brown but what if i end up pursuing every one of them and in the end get lost among all those interests? i think at brown if u don’t know which final concentration u wanna go, u wud just be torn apart among all of ur various interests…Sigh…well northwestern may be “un-free” enough but cud the life be too stressful?
Thanks so much for your advice, anyway, cuz i am regularly lost between them…</p>
<p>This is an interesting dilemma as both universities are outstanding academically but quite different socially and in educational philosophy. Brown University encourages students to try new areas of study with its very liberal & unlimited pass/fail type grading system that can be selected by the student as often or as little as desired. Northwestern University requires applicants to apply to one of six schools or colleges. Four courses per ten week term on the quarter system is the normal classs load taken. Since Northwestern students take 48 courses over four years, it is easier to complete a double major at NU than at most other universities. Northwestern University has the third highest number of National Merit Scholars--behind Harvard & Texas--while only offering a tiny $2,000 per year merit scholarship. So then, what is the attraction? In my opinion, the attraction is the variety of majors offered, the encouragement to double major, and the fact that highly intelligent, talented & gifted kids are kept busy with both academics & extracurriculars. My niece recently graduated from Brown University and is in Africa on a Fullbright Scholarship after being directionless for a gap year after Brown. Northwestern students tend to have direction as that is the nature of any university which requires direct application to a specific college or school within the larger university. If you are intelligent and accomplished enough to be admitted to Brown & to Northwestern, then you certainly can handle the work, as well as the workload, at either school. It really depends what you want during this stage of your life. Do you get energized by being involved in courses and ECs? If so, then Northwestern,s environment may be right for you. Or do you crave freedom to find yourself in a less structured environment? Then there is no better place to do so than at Brown University. Brown may be a bit more similiar to a LAC than is Northwestern University, in my opinion.</p>
<p>visit both. there are more people at northwestern that didn't get into brown than the reverse.</p>
<p>Brown!!! Only would consider NW HPME program as equivalent.</p>
<p>NU and Brown are pretty rigorous- idk if one is more than the other?- why do u say they are</p>
<p>nervedoctor,</p>
<p>It's NU, not NW. That just shows how little you know about NU and I guess you just don't know NU has many highly ranked programs.</p>
<p>Thanks so much, everybody! You've been of great help.</p>