I got accepted to both Brown and Grinnell, and I received a significant scholarship to Grinnell that makes the finances between the two colleges noteworthy. I don’t have the financial background to get any need-based aid from Brown, but if I do go there, I’ll definitely be 20k+ in debt by the end of my four years. At Grinnell, I will come out debt-free. I want to study English and creative writing. I’ve visited both colleges, and they’re fairly similar, though Brown really wowed me.
Is it worth going to Brown if I’ll be in debt? Is it ever possible to negotiate an award from a school that doesn’t usually give that kind of aid? And advice or thoughts on the two colleges is greatly appreciated!
I am from the midwest and attended Brown and loved it. I came to Brown a so-so writer and ever since it has been a strength of mine. I don’t know much about Grinnell, other than my perception that is an excellent LAC in Iowa where students work very hard. For a $5,000+ difference a year, I would definitely attend Brown. Though over $20,000 total is a lot of money, you can make that up by working during school and in the summer. If you were talking a $50,000-$100,000 of debt, that would be a different story. Given that you were wowed by Brown I would go there.
Do you think you can maintain a good GPA, line up some good summer internships and participate in on-campus recruiting your senior year?
If so, I would say Brown as well. $20K of debt is nothing to sneeze at to be sure, but not insurmountable either if you have a plan.
LACs will offer you a different ambiance than an ivy. Brown is definitely more competitive but still has a bit of a LAC feel. That being said it’s endowment per capita lags behind all the other Ivies and even Grinnell. Something to consider.
Grinnell is in the middle of nowhere, and Brown is in Providence. Consider that. But you might like the rural nature of a school secluded where you just LEARN LEARN AND LOVE LEARNING WOOHOO YEAH BABY.
But other than that, Brown is more well known and will turn a few heads in the long run, but please do NOT oh lord please hail mary please do not choose off rep alone baby!
I would say Brown is worth $20K of debt as compared to Grinnell.
Grinnell will provide an excellent education. Stating that it is “in the middle of nowhere” is about as helpful as stating Williams or Middlebury are in the middle of nowhere.
I would still recommend Brown, but not by a landslide, and the option to graduate from Grinnell debt-free is wonderful. I think it is relevant to consider that a $20,000 debt load at the end of undergrad is within the official federal limit to be carried by a student alone (without the parents having to co-sign). That implies that the debt load is “manageable.” I would prefer no debt, but to attend a school such as Brown, I don’t think it is excessive. Congratulations – both are great choices imo.
I have to disagree. Grinnell is a fantastic school, and I don’t think it’s worth the extra debt to go to Brown. I would only go to Brown if you really feel connected to it in a way that you don’t with Grinnell. Don’t let prestige cloud your judgement.
Re your question about whether you can negotiate merit aid from Brown - the short answer is no.
I think Grinnell is wonderful - S loved his experience there. But you have to want a small school and small town. If you were wowed by Brown (which is very similar culturally) and you can afford the $20k in debt, then attend Brown.
Can you afford $20k? It depends on what you are willing to give up in order to pay it off. Live at home for a while after college to save rent? Work over the summer or after college at a job you’d rather not do instead of an unpaid or lower paid internship that you’d prefer? Forgo some of the splurges you might have been able to indulge in with your friends who have money, both during and after college? If you think you can handle the impacts, then by all means, follow your heart.
20,000 of debt isn’t bad depending on the affordability of the loans (Do you mean just the regular ~5K you will be taking out or do you mean this 20,000 is IN ADDITION to the regular ~5K you will be taking out?) If your family can survive dealing with the debt that Brown will come with, do it!
Your decision should follow your stated enthusiasm for Brown. Grinnell offers a full undergraduate focus in small town, Midwestern America, but, as stated above, you have have to want that.
Did you just get off the waitlist?
20k debt is somewhere around $225 per month for 10 years. Not terrible.Of course it is even better not to have to make any payments. I think Grinnell is a terrific school with many benefits and I can’t say it would be a wrong choice to go there. Plus you have visited and it left a good impression. (I know a student who visited a lot of LAC as an accepted student and found it dull, they went to a more preppy partying LAC.) I don’t know too much about details at Grinnell try the Grinnell forum–although my daughter did apply.
Brown, though has an incredibly strong Literary Arts reputation which is rather famous, and the alumni authors are so numerous it is ridiculous. Not just very famous ones like Lois Lowry and Jeffrey Eugenides but many others I have seen listed in the alumni mag, there must be something in the water. Not to mention playwrights, poets and screenwriters. There is a very rich scene going on there in terms of literary festivals, author readings, guest lectures, distinguished speakers and all kinds of groups of students with more specific interests. Although my daughter leaned heavily to the math and sciences, one of her favorite courses was a fiction workshop she did as a senior.
http://www.brown.edu/academics/literary-arts/home/literary-arts-community/community
and great cross disciplinary opportunities, such as the Immersion 3D festival
http://events.brown.edu/events/cal/CAL-00147cc4-4d2d6763-014d-303e45d0-00005740events%40brown.edu/
Ways to help with the cost would include a student job. There are a huge number of jobs that you can do a few hours a week and they can be very enriching. My daughter held a number of various jobs some working with profs. Off campus living Sr and possibly Jr year, with permission. There is housing which is a bit cheaper than dorm/meal plan within blocks, just as close as the Pembroke dorms.
I wouldn’t worry about Browns endowment affecting you in particular. My daughter attended many free events, concerts, trips, conferences and received two research grants–Brown was not tight with money. However, you can’t get any merit aid, they only give need based aid as all the other Ivy colleges. If your need aid was not as large as Grinnell then you can talk to them about that.
Very tough choice. Grinnell is great and I don’t think you will miss out if you go there. You can spend $225 paying college debt or paying for your retirement…
My D attended Grinnell and loved it, and I went to Brown way back when. I’m very impressed with Grinnell, but I would still say that Brown is worth the extra money for what you want. I just think if you were wowed by Brown and were lucky enough to get in, there’s a good chance you would regret it if you stayed at Grinnell to avoid a $20,000 total loan, which I think is a workable amount. (And FWIW - one of D’s Grinnell friends regretted her choice of Grinnell over Brown and was able to transfer to Brown after a year, but you may not be so lucky.) Also, I think it is easier to find a job after Brown.
First question – forget about reputation, etc. Which school do you think you’d prefer?
Grinnell is an excellent college, you will be able to get a fine undergraduate education there. If we really want to be honest, from an educational point of view, what you get out of college will depend on what you put in.
Having said that. Brown is generally harder to get into than Grinnell, and is certainly the more prestigious of the two schools. Brown has a world class reputation, which far exceeds Grinnell’s. Personally, I think being a Brown Alum may have career and other advantages over Grinnell.
As to the cost difference. $20,000 isn’t insignificant. Personally, if it were me, I’d make the investment in myself.