<p>So I know the two are pretty different, but I visited both in the spring and am in love with them both of them. I want to apply ED to one or the other, so please give me some advice!</p>
<p>I haven't visited Amherst yet, but I heard it's a lot more preppy... well maybe that's not the word... I heard that it's more focused on athletics.
I'm not sure I know what I'm trying to say, so maybe someone could help me out.
From what I've heard, the cultures are rather different.</p>
<p>my impression is that amherst is more preppy and waspy, while brown is more culturally cosmopolitan and diverse.</p>
<p>brown is located in a cooler place.</p>
<p>there is also a fundamental difference between being at a LAC, and being at a university-college. brown has considerably greater resources in the sciences and in academic scholarship across the board</p>
<p>The culture at Amherst is a little different compared to Brown, but I wouldn't say that it's definitely more "WASPy." I considered both schools and it was hard finally letting go of Amherst. I visited Amherst for the Diversity Open House Weekend and I loved it; the campus felt really intimate and during the fall it was gorgeous, there were a couple of parties going on but it didn't feel like "frat" culture dominated the social scene (Amherst doesn't have frats, but I'm referring to what other people call athlete-focused). I think Amhert's diversity stats are actually better than Brown's, but I'm not completely sure. It did have a more homogenous feel than Brown, maybe because of Brown's environment and culture, and the fact that Amherst is a lot smaller. </p>
<p>I think a lot of it has to do with location and whether you want a small LAC or a larger university-college, like dcircle said. Amherst seems to have a very tight knit atmosphere, whereas with Brown I felt like people tended to have groups of friends and stuck to that particular group. However, I didn't notice any visible self-segregation and extreme cliqueyness at Brown, but it all depends on what you want. In terms of location, I wanted to be near a city, so Providence won hands down in that respect. I loved College Hill, I loved Thayer Street, and I like the numerous of opportunities and activities going on, academically and socially. However, Amherst is nestled in the mountains of central Massachusetts, which is gorgeous and really cozy and warm. </p>
<p>The student bodies at Brown and Amherst also seemed very warm and inviting, as well as being quirky intellectuals. They were also really fun-loving and happy, which separated them from other schools I was considering (UChicago, for instance. Which is also amazing, but that's another post). I heard that the applicant pools overlap by a significant amount, probably due to the open curriculum. Students are very self-directed and motivated as a result. The Brown kids I met did seem more artsy, and most of the Amherst students were involved in athletics, but that is by no means the general rule. </p>
<p>Amherst also has the five college consortium, although I'm not sure how frequently and widely Amherst students use it. Amherst is not completely isolated like Williams; the town itself is small and quaint but there are some nice restaurants and cafes and small shops nearby, and Northampton is only 20 minutes away. </p>
<p>I think if you should visit both and get a feel for both schools. They were two of my favorites, and even though they attract similar applicant pools I think the vibe at each school is different. In the end, I chose Brown, but I think I would be just as happy at Amherst. </p>
<p>Hope that helped! :]</p>
<p>I just saw the posts comparing Brown vs. Dartmouth. If you look at that thread, slipper's post and the post before that (sorry, I forget the username) are pretty applicable to Brown vs. Amherst as well; the only major differences are that Amherst has the open curriculum and it's a lot smaller than Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Is it just me or do all the posts about a school vs. a school start to look like names of supreme court cases?</p>
<p>"On May 29, 2008 at 9:45 pm, the brown forum of college confidential ruled in favor of Brown by a 5-4 decision"</p>
<p>False rumors fly like locusts.</p>
<p>Brown is just as preppy as Amherst, if not even moreso.
Given its reputation as a university in the Ivy League, it attracts large concentrations of upper middle class and wealthy applicants, and due to its tradition, like Amherst, it has strong WASP roots.</p>
<p>Brown is certainly not more "cosmopolitan" and "diverse." Those two words more adequately describe NYU, for goodness sake.</p>
<p>Visit the town of Amherst and surrounding towns like Northhampton, and visit Providence, RI, and judge for yourself which location is superior.</p>
<p>Be sure to visit both colleges. Be very, very sure to visit both of them.
And, if you are accepted to both, and ultimately have to make the difficult decision, do not choose Brown because it is an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>Amherst has one train [Amtrak] which leaves once a day from the town and if you miss it you're in the town for the rest of the day. You're seriously misguided if you're going to argue that Providence/Brown is not more cosmopolitan and/or diverse</p>
<p>I have spent eighteen years of my life in Manhattan, New York City.
Providence is not cosmopolitan. Providence is not diverse.
The town of Amherst is not cosmopolitan. The town of Amherst is not diverse.
Neither of them are cosmopolitan. Neither of them are diverse.</p>
<p>One goes to college primarily to learn, secondarily to socialize.
If one has a yearning to get out of town every single day of one's .....life, then one should attend community college instead of schools such as Amherst and Brown. College students serious about academics typically go out of town, or go out for a night on the town, during the weekend: Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday: not every day of the week.</p>
<p>Moreover, the frequency with which a train stops at a destination should not be the deciding factor about whether or not it is cosmopolitan and diverse. It is a nonsensical argument.</p>
<p>Cringed while reading above post. Had that "I just ate too much buffet and didn't realize it until just now" look on my face. That being said...funny how two people from NYC are arguing about Providence. Continue...</p>
<p>Who said that Brown is inherently better because it is an ivy? The op was trying to ask for opinions from people who go there/visited the schools. </p>
<p>"Brown is certainly not more 'cosmopolitan' and 'diverse.' Those two words more adequately describe NYU, for goodness sake."</p>
<p>Uh, Providence is more 'cosmopolitan' than Amherst, Massachusetts. You're comparing a city, albeit a small one, to a small town in the mountains. New York City isn't the only city in the world, even though that's hard to believe.</p>
<p>"One goes to college primarily to learn, secondarily to socialize."</p>
<p>Believe it or not, for some students they can learn and have fun at the same time. Looking into the cultures and social aspects of both schools is expected. Nobody said anything about going out of town every single day. And your rash assumption that students who like to get out of town should rather attend community colleges is bigoted and condescending. Have you studied at Brown?</p>
<p>ahh kids these days</p>
<p>I think it is fair to point out, however, that Brown students are far less economically diverse, by and large. Brown is relatively pretty poor, and can't provide the sort of aid that Amherst does. I'd agree with the poster who pointed out that the enormous difference in per-student endowment is probably the biggest educational difference.</p>
<p>Not sure how more of an endowment than 3 billion could really affect my education at Brown. I have everything I need. I think people really lose their common sense on how education works. I don't see how an extra 27 billion dollars (Harvard) is going to educate me more 3. I learned plenty at my CC and I'm sure they were pretty darned broke. My favorite prof was at that poor CC in the middle of nowhere. </p>
<p>And I don't know if you're aware but Brown has changed its finaid policy.</p>
<p>Is Brown now need blind towards internationals? Has it eliminated loans? If so, I apologize. I know little about Brown itself, but I know a number of Brown students (anecdotal, I know...) and they seemed to agree that the celebrity/wealthy culture at Brown was necessary, since the school itself has such a small the endowment is, relative to other prestigious schools. Correct me if I am wrong.</p>
<p>I do think I have benefited from Amherst's endowment. The opportunities that they give the students is immense (they paid for me to travel abroad twice...my freshman year). I don't know how this compares to other schools, but I doubt it would be possible if Amherst weren't so wealthy. Of course Brown can provide opportunities that Amherst doesn't, as well.</p>
<p>
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Is Brown now need blind towards internationals? Has it eliminated loans?
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</p>
<p>No. Brown is not need-blind for internationals. Brown has eliminated loans for families whose income is below $100,000, and has proportionately lowered them for others. Also, for non-internationals, if a family's income is below $60,000, depending on assets, they have reduced or eliminated the parental contribution to the cost of attendance. I believe they will still require a student to contribute. Financial Aid award letters for continuing students (soph through senior) have not been sent yet, so the final tally is really a matter of speculation for those of us who are not families of 2012 students.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Brown has eliminated loans for families whose income is below $100,000, and has proportionately lowered them for others. Also, for non-internationals, if a family's income is below $60,000, depending on assets, they have reduced or eliminated the parental contribution to the cost of attendance.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>If financial aid is a concern, this is a compelling reason to choose Brown. Amherst's cutoff for complete loan elimination is $40,000. In addition, Amherst does not guarantee to reduce or eliminate parental contribution, even if a family happens to meet this cutoff.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I believe they will still require a student to contribute.
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</p>
<p>Yep, this is true. I have two friends with FAFSA EFCs of 0, who will be attending Columbia and Princeton next year, and both of them will still have to pay 5,000 to 8,000: all of which is student contribution, work study.</p>
<p>Um, what? Amherst eliminated loans for EVERYONE.</p>
<p>
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Students graduate from Amherst with no debt. Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, students will no longer be required to take out student loans as part of their financial aid awards.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Mea culpa. The 40,000 cutoff applied only to the 2007-2008 year.
My statement regarding parental contribution still stands.</p>
<p>Brown also does not "guarantee" it, either, and I can't think of a single case in which Brown's financial aid has been more generous than Amherst's (has this been the case for anyone on this board? If so, I apologize.) I am almost certain that last year Amherst most certainly did NOT give loans to people with incomes of $40,000...not even close. Are you an Amherst student, kwu?</p>