Brown v. Wesleyan ED?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>these two are definitely my top two choices and if I got into either with a good amount of financial aid I'd go there in a heartbeat. the problem is that they're pretty much tied in my mind.</p>

<p>SAT: 2330 (730 CR, 800 math/writing) SAT II: 770 US history 760 french
gpa: 3.89 (unweighted, I've taken just nearly as many honors and ap classes as possible)
AP: US Hist 5 Eng Lang 5 French Lang 4, taking Eng Lit, Phsyics B, Microecon this year.
no class rank but in the top 5% (so that would be at least 10/210)
possible majors: thinking about political science and maybe minoring in either music or film, but not married to any of them.
senior courseload: 3 aps, at least one college class and an honors class</p>

<p>I'm mostly looking for an intellectual and free atmosphere (flexible curriculum) where there is an active student arts scene, and a campus that isn't completely isolated.</p>

<p>Wes seems to admit a lot more ED, and I know a lot of people who got in there that way. Brown seems to have a relatively low acceptance rate. I would also guess that Brown would give more FA but I'm not sure. </p>

<p>Do I have a chance at either?</p>

2

<p>I believe Wesleyan does not have minors. (Double majors, though.)</p>

<p>How about I apply to Wesleyan ED, you apply to Brown, and we'll report back in three months?</p>

3

<p>haha... I'll think about it.</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure they do have minors, but they just call it something else, but a double major would be just as likely for me.</p>

4

<p>I would apply to Brown. Wesleyan's RD acceptance rate is higher than Brown's ED. Your stats definitely qualify you for both schools, so why not maximize your chances of getting into Brown? You can't get more flexible than Brown's New Curriculum, and Brown consistently top "happiest student" ratings.
Personally, I disliked Middletown when I visited Wesleyan, and found the campus disjointed though I definitely didn't hate it. However, Wesleyan is renowned for its film program. My tour guide talked about the Wesleyan "mafia" of writers and directors in Hollywood. Don't know about political science or music there though.</p>

5

<p>Don't forget Wesleyan has EDII, so it's pretty easy to hear from Brown in December then jump to Wesleyan. Good luck. I don't think you can go wrong with either.</p>

6

<p>Hey there! I struggled with this same question a few years ago (ended up apply ED to Wes and never looked back). Here are some of my thoughts:</p>

<p>A) Actually, Wes does not have minors. We do have certificates, but only in a very select number of subjects, and it's only for subjects that we DON'T offer a major in. </p>

<p>B) I will note that Wes's film program is esp. well known, and our music program is also particlarly good.</p>

<p>C) Are you sure your finances are such that you WILL get enough FA if you apply ED to one of these schools? Because if not, you shouldn't apply ED, anywhere. In fact, if fin. aid. is important, I'd caution against applying ED even if you're certain you will qualify for aid at both of these schools, because it means you won't be able to compare packages, won't have as much leverage to re-negotiate, etc.</p>

<p>D) Have you visited both of these schools overnight? As I said, I faced the same quandary, but the overnight visits made it clear for me that I preferred Wes in terms of fit. They’re very similar schools, but there are definitely some differences, not the least of which is size (which made a HUGE difference to me). </p>

<p>C) A trick my GC told me when I was trying to decide between these schools is this: flip a coin (head Brown, tails Wes), and decide to go wherever the coin lands. Then sleep on it, and see how you feel in the morning...this actually really worked for me (it landed Brown, I woke up less than thrilled).</p>

<p>As others have said, these are both great schools, and you can’t really go wrong. But I suspect they are not 100% tied, and I think your best bet is to figure out which one you’re more likely to regret not giving a shot too (esp. if you have visited both). And, once again, maybe ED isn’t the best strategy if you need FA.</p>

7

<p>thanks for the advice. I might stay over at wes when I go for my interview next week. I also did a summer program at brown but obviously you don't see what it's really like, so I guess I would want to go back.</p>

<p>applying to brown ED I and then wes EDII if necessary is an interesting idea...</p>

<p>my parents have said that if I was sure where I wanted to go, to just apply and not worry about FA yet. I have some really minor reservations about both that make it feel like I probably should wait until later.</p>

<p>so I guess I shouldn't do ED if I have a shot at getting in RD- do I?</p>

8

<p>you definitely have a shot at RD at Wes. For Brown, I guess I'd want to know more about your ECs.</p>