<p>I am currently a junior in high school and I’ve been looking into a lot of colleges lately, but Brown and Princeton seem to stand out. They both have great undergraduate programs and are good research institutions. I’m not really sure what I want to study yet if I go to either.</p>
<p>Can anyone go into detail about the pro’s and con’s of each of them?
(I know I can apply to both, but according to Princeton, they won’t consider the application if I apply early decision somewhere else, likely Brown).</p>
<p>Well, I live relatively close to Princeton and I have a friend who attends it, so I can tell you some information about the setting (from a non-Princeton student POV). The area itself is very beautiful, especially with all the purple flower trees ( i forgot the names…not cherry blossoms) along the streets. Your main transportation is train and foot, but the area makes that very easy. The campus itself is huge and have a very rustic feel(I found it sublime and I loved it when I saw it). I had to take a field trip there and run around the campus for Latin class because theres Latin phrases all around the campus. Outside the campus, there are a lot of little coffee/candy/etc. shops where you can easily chill with friends and relax. The stores for shopping outside the campus kind of suck, unless you like Princeton logos on all your clothes or extremely preppy clothes. There is also a train station nearby, so a lot of Princeton students go to NY on their time off (it’s about an hour train ride…not sure how much of a discount they get on the price, but it shouldn’t be too much money). I have a few pictures of around the campus (as well as the Latin phrases !) if you want to see them :P. I can’t really tell you many pros or cons about Princeton, since I really don’t have any interest in going there. </p>
<p>Brown has a lot of pros for me, but the most significant one is (obviously) the free curriculum and the freedom it seems to exert.</p>
<p>The schools despite being two very famous Ivy leagues that are relatively small, are different in many aspects.
Brown is known for its pass-fail grades and the freedom the students get in choosing what they want to do. The students there are chill but smart, they compete with themselves, instead of comparing their achievements to others. If you are someone who likes doing projects and assignments differently, then Brown would be a great place.
Princeton is a place where many students are either legacy&high social status or very motivated, interlectual people. There are tough classes which you must take, so to survive at Princeton, you must be a hard worker.
Both are excellent schools, and I suppose it depends on what kind of person you are. If you are someone who is more liberal and creative (and undeclared on your major) then Brown would be a great place for you, whereas someone who is looking for the old school prestige, and ready to study (there’s all the classes you must take and harsh grading), then Princeton is your place.
In my opinion, Princeton is probably more ‘prestigious’ but Brown is just a really creative and open environment.
If you are privileged to get accepted into either school, you should be proud of yourself!</p>
<p>If anyone could do a comparison of any biology, chemistry, bioengineering, chem engineering, neuroscience, or psychology programs that the two have, that would be awesome :)</p>
<p>If I were (somehow) accepted to both, I would personally choose Princeton, despite how much I love Brown’s general atmosphere. Princeton offers simply the best undergraduate education a person can get. Students there also get the largest endowment. It’s a beautiful campus and a very idyllic place to live and learn. </p>
<p>Don’t hurt me I know this is a Brown forum! Haha but that’s just my personal opinion. If you’re interested in sciences I’d say Princeton is better for you. But of course what it all comes down to is your personal preference, because they are two completely different schools.</p>
<p>I’m a science person and I wouldn’t even dream of PTon over Brown.</p>
<p>They’re very different places culturally (both social and academic culture) and I don’t think that it should be too challenging to differentiate the two with a bit of research and figure out where you fit best.</p>
<p>I agree Modestmelody. The problem is, looking into Brown made me fall in love with its atmosphere and philosophy. However, I’ve lived right by Princeton my entire life (next town over…the town is walking distance from my house) and have been enraptured by it for so long. It’s been my life’s goal to go there. Now it’s like I’m having a crisis of faith. I want to apply early decision to Brown, but if I do, I can’t apply to Princeton. Ahhh!</p>
<p>to Jimbonium: You can’t apply to princeton only if you are admitted ED to Brown - if you are rejected or deferred, you can always apply to Princeton.</p>
<p>I would probably be happy at either. I was just thinking that if I apply early decision to Brown, I would have a much higher chance of getting in. Plus, I think I already have a better chance of getting in there regardless.</p>
<p>That stinks.
Will applying as early decision increase my chances of getting into a college? Does anyone know about how many people get accepted/deferred/rejected in ED?</p>
<p>Princeton prefers that you send in everything by December 15, though the deadline is January 1. Still, you should send it in by the 15th. I applied to Brown ED and heard back on the 14th, so I had my Princeton application ready to send the next day incase I didn’t get in.</p>
