<p>That's fine. It was a silly question anyway. I wasn't planning on filling up my schedule with easy courses. After all, isn't the point of college to learn? I just want to make sure that I have some options if I take some killer courses. What IS Akkadian anyway?</p>
<p>Akkadian is an ancient language that has something to do with the history of math, as it is offered in the history of math department. Maybe related to the Babylonians or something? I have no idea.</p>
<p>Brown is known for being on par with most colleges of its quality for its grading, and maybe a tad easier. Some colleges are known for being very difficult with grading (Chicago, MIT, Swarthmore, Caltech, Reed), and Brown is not one of them.</p>
<p>The thing with Brown is that with an open curriculum and the S/NC option, and with the option to drop a class up until the last day without it turning up on your transcript, most people take classes they think they will do well in. So the average GPA tends to be a bit higher than peer schools.</p>
<p>Okay, I'm confused. Could you please explain the scheduling thing to me? Can you schedule things of the same section? I fail.</p>
<p>Can someone please comment on the theater major or MCM as a major?
Am interested in theater, production, singing, directing etc and not sure if this is a right fit but was told Brown has great theater and acapella groups.</p>
<p>Can you tell me anything about the Brown Application? I'm sure it changes from year to year but anything general about essays, short answers, etc.?</p>
<p>Just use the common app.</p>
<p>Do you know anything about the substance free dorms? I hope that will be a friendly dorm for a sociable student who would rather hang with friends that have parties all the time.</p>
<p>Hey, Glad to find someone who knows well abotu Brown. I heard from my senior who studies in Brown that it is a very socially friendly place. What is Brown good at? Is it hard to get in? Cos i am foreigner and my family cannot afford to pay for my education if i study in U.S.A. is there finanical aid and scholarship?</p>
<p>Wow thats a lot of questions, let me see...</p>
<p>Liquid I don't really get what you mean by "things of the same section." A section is sort of slang for a discussion section, which is for larger classes. They are small groups of 10 or 15 students that meet once a week with a prof or TA to discuss the class material. What did you mean?</p>
<p>Theater is a pretty popular major at Brown and we have some great faculty as well as a partnership with the Trinity Repetoire Something or Other. I do theater as an extracurricular and its incredibly popular, people really go to shows, even the less mainstream or less advertised ones. Its truly wonderful. There are always auditions and constantly shows. Its great. I've taken some MCM classes. There seem to be two different sort of unofficial tracks. One is more theory/philosophy and the other is more theory/film stuff. Sounds like you'd be in the second one, which has produced a lot of great directors and theater people. Then again, I only took Intro to MCM so what do I know. Brown is one of the only Universities in the country to offer such a major. I think there are similiar programs only at U Chicago and Berkeley. The entire subject was sort of developed at Brown actually, there was a Boston Globe article about it a year agoish. There is a whole MCMish culture at Brown. There are a ton of a capella groups at Brown that are also popular. If you have any more specific questions I could try to answer them.</p>
<p>The Brown app essay is usually write about whatever you want. Sort of in the Brown tradition. If you do the mail-in version rather than the electronic one they ask you to hand write your essay, and if you do it that way I highly suggest you do.</p>
<p>bettina:
There will definatley be plenty of non-party social options for you, from theater to a capella to just hanging out in dorms etc etc. You should know a couple things though. Firstly, just because something is substance free doesn't mean that there won't be parties. It seems like you are talking more about a quiet dorm, which there also is. As a freshman you will live in freshman housing and not in any special kind of dorm so you'll have to live and let live a little bit. Sophomore year you can chose what you want. There are two substance free dorms at Brown, one is a house that is supposed to be really nice and the other is a dorm. However, the dorm is open to everyone, even though its technically substance free, and since poeple soemtimes just end up there who arent really substance free its not very strict. if you want real susbtance free living the house is the right option and I think its pretty easy to get into. You should know though taht even substance-ful students at Brown tend not to be obnoxious or rude, you'll probably be ok whereever you are (so long as you don't join a frat).</p>
<p>Hey, Glad to find someone who knows well abotu Brown. I heard from my senior who studies in Brown that it is a very socially friendly place. What is Brown good at? Is it hard to get in? Cos i am foreigner and my family cannot afford to pay for my education if i study in U.S.A. is there finanical aid and scholarship?</p>
<p>Brown is a very socially friendly place, your friend was right. Brown is of course pretty good at everything, but I guess we excell at Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Environmental Science, Neurscience, Comp Science, MCM, Languages, International Relations, History, Political Science, Art, Classics, I think I'm probably leaving a few out but you get the idea. Brown is very hard to get into, the acceptance rate this year was about 14%. Brown does give financial aid, this year they received a 100 million dollar donation that will replace loans with grants for the 10% most economically disadvantaged of every incoming class. Did that help?</p>
<p>It's okay; I think I figured it out. I have two housing questions. First, can you switch to substance-free housing during your first semester, if you feel the need? Also, I heard that single-sex floors/dorms are switched every year? If not, what dorms are they? Thanks for all your help, Moat. You're an indispensible source, especially since it dcircle doesn't seem to frequent these boards as much. Lisa2005 is a good form of oracle as well. Fredmurtz2 too. Is that everyone?</p>
<p>Moat has been doing a rather fantastic job of handling all questions leaving me to do little else beyond watch sitcom reruns and chillax ;0) But, I still do lurk and if I can do anything for anybody, feel free to lemme know</p>
<p>Liquid:
I'm pretty sure you can't switch to substance-free housing during your first semester. You might not be able to do it second semester either. But you really don't need to worry, I promise you. I had a lot of friends who were 100% non-substance users, who never even tasted alcohol, who were completely fine in the normal freshmen dorms. People will not rub it in your face. They tend to mind their own business. Substance consumption at Brown is truly different than I've seen at other schools. I'll give you an example which is that I've never seen a beer bong at Brown, and I've been to a lot of parties. I think Brown students just tend to want to actually enjoy their drink and socialize rather than get obliterated as fast as possible. This makes them more respectful and a little more control. You'll be ok. If you're concerned about huge parties (which is usually unrelated to substances) in the dorms, there are quiet hours starting around 10 during the week which are usually enforced. On the weekends they are a little more lax but then you probably will want it that way. If there is a serious serious problem with your roomate or with your unit, you can switch to another freshman dorm after a few weeks. By that time you'll probably know a dorm to go to where you'll feel more comfortable. But I promise that you'll be ok.</p>
<p>There is a single-sex male dorm, Miller, thats both undergrad and grad i THINK. The all-female floor does tend to move around a little, but I think its usualy somewhere in andrews. Single-sex housing is pretty unpopular at Brown.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot fredmurtz, add your input whenever you'd like. More perspectives are always good.</p>
<p>Fred, what are you studying</p>
<p>I mentioned Minden, the converted hotel, earlier. Here is a GREAT picture of it, you can see that it still says The Minden. The site also has a bunch of great, arty, pics of the Brown campus.</p>
<p><a href="http://photos.tetto.org/brown/4072/%5B/url%5D">http://photos.tetto.org/brown/4072/</a></p>
<p>My family would love to know as well, It seems to replace the "Where are you applying" question. The Social Sciences, likely American Civilization. Remember Sid Meier's games? (or not) Man, they used to have that awesome music in the background Hammurabi Rising</p>
<p>Anyway, Kinda like that when your world is American. The program is pretty flexible, 4 100-level AmCiv classes, 3 university courses in a coherent focus area and 1 or 2 general requirements. I've taken classes in History, Polisci, Education, AmCiv and Sociology. So, although most Brown students diversify their courses more than I do, I've been almost uniformly impressed with the academics despite a TA or two who were less than stellar. It is entirely possible to avoid TA's if you want to and you plan it out. They have some awesome classes in Amciv off the beaten track like colonial American furnishings. </p>
<p>Liquid, If you want substance free housing you likely will not get it until Sophomore Year. And, they have pretty nice housing for it too at that time. </p>
<p>I originally thought the same way as you about the dorming. But, the allegedly substance-free frosh dorms aren't the greatest and I'm told many people are a bit dishonest about it. If it is an issue of great concern to you, feel free to call Reslife and see what they say and do. Maybe they can help you get an abstainer roommate? </p>
<p>I don't drink myself and I've had to be a little more flexible and inventive in making plans. But, I mean people are pretty respectful of individual choices (make sure you are equally respectful of theirs) and there are many things going on anyway.</p>
<p>I've been thinking about the sub-free housing for awhile, but I think I've decided against it. I've been thinking of how unconventional the student body at Brown is, hoping they were different, and I think you guys supported that well. As for the single-sex housing, why is it such an unpopular choice? Lol, I just realized I sound like a very straight and narrow person here. Also, I'm wondering if you guys have any recommendations for classes that you believe have been really worthwhile and just incredibly enjoyable. Did I ask that already?</p>
<p>I can't speak to single-sex options. And as far as sub-free, Do what makes what you comfortable. That's the key issue. </p>
<p>Which academic area or interest? Certainly, I would defer to others on say scientific/math classes.</p>
<p>Well, I'm most likely majoring in a hard science, but I'd like to keep my options open. My interests are very broad and I'd like to explore them, so any subject area is good with me.</p>