Hi, I was just wondering if any students could give me an idea about the social lives at these schools. I really do love them both, but need to make a decision about ED and ultimately this is the final factor. Thanks!
IMHO, the typical student is a bit different. Brown students are more art and indie. Penn Students are a bit more career focused. Both schools have happy students. Many think Penn is more social, and Brown more liberal. Both are great schools. You have to figure out your best fit. Don’t apply ED if you have not visited. Good luck
@vegucated26 I would agree with the post above. There are key differences in terms of the school cultures. Penn students tend to be more social, involved in many ECs and career-focused. Brown is known to be more laid back and artsy/intellectual. Of course you will find all types of people in both schools.
Another thing to consider is location. Philly is a major city while Providence is quite smaller. I would strongly encourage visiting both before deciding.
Also what are you interested in studying?
@Penn95 I have actually visited both of them and loved certain aspects about both of their campuses. I am interested in studying in more biological sciences/neuro and really would love to double major in english. I love the combination of sciences and humanities
@vegucated26
Penn definitely makes it very easy for you to double major and is known for its very big emphasis on interdisciplinary education.
In terms of the fields you are interested in, Penn is generally considered stronger. For life sciences, Penn has quite stronger departments and research opportunities through its top medical school & hospital. They are both right on campus and have plenty of research opportunities easily accessible by undergrads. When it comes to English Penn has also consistently been considered stronger but the practical differences at the undergrad level shouldn’t be major. You also should take a look at the Kelly Writers House at Penn http://www.writing.upenn.edu/wh/. If you are recruited it will boost your chances at Penn and is also an amazing community/resource for all writers and english majors at Penn.
Given that you seem to like both schools equally, I would say that it is fair to factor into your decision the relative strength of the schools in your area of interest.
However, if you prefer Brown more, I would advise you to go with that. Both are excellent schools, and at this level fit matters more than academic strength differences when it comes to undergrad.
@Penn95 I have done a little research about the Kelly Writers House at Penn and saw it when I visited (it sounds really amazing), but haven’t come across anything about being recruited. Could you explain this a little?
http://writing.upenn.edu/wh/highlights/prospective.php
“One of our top priorities at the Writers House is recruiting (yes, recruiting in the same way a basketball coach scouts out power forwards and shooting guards) talented, creative students. Jamie-Lee Josselyn, our Associate Director for Recruitment, coordinates these efforts and remains in touch with prospective students throughout the application process. We welcome high school students and their families to the Writers House and hope you will visit us to meet current students, faculty, and staff members, attend a reading, hang out on our comfy green couch, or sit in on a course (with instructor permission). In the meantime, have a look around our website to find out more about Penn’s vibrant writing community.”