<p>How do you tell people that you are attending Brown without sounding pretentious?</p>
<p>Actually, I’ve run across a couple of people who haven’t heard of it. That was kind of good and humbling.</p>
<p>Brown doesn’t have the recognition of Harvard/Yale/Princeton, at least where I’m from (and I live in New England).</p>
<p>Edit: Let me clarify - many people I’ve spoken to haven’t heard of Brown.</p>
<p>Consider it an early test of your ability to gauge and properly calibrate in social situations depending on who you’re with in conversation. I believe it becomes easier over time once you begin to realize that the assumption of pretension is somewhat grounded in your own (over)valuations.</p>
<p>I just reply fairly straightforward “I go to Brown”, and based on a quick read of who is asking I may adjust to a greater degree my tonality, facial expression, and body language to convey friendliness rather than pretension, sometimes adding “… in Rhode Island”.</p>
<p>In reality, there’s not much problem at all. A good number don’t know about Brown compared to the more well known universities (which suits me just fine). Just as many do and think it’s cool and are genuinely interested to learn about my experience there, no pretension from either of us. A few are wowed but after seeing how I’m down-to-earth about it all conversation continues on without a hitch. A rare few somehow take is as an affront and will either belittle or bring up their “more prestigious” affiliations and go into competition mode. These are the engagements where I politely excuse myself in short order, befuddled that they could not move beyond high school prestige validation to find better forms of fulfillment given their opportunities, and consider myself thankful that I have such a screening tool at my disposal.</p>
<p>I think that the whole thing about “sounding pretentious” says more about the giver than the recipient. I go to Brown, or Harvard or State U. Period. I think that if whoever asked me feels “uncomfortable” with my answer, it is really his or her problem, not mine and I ain’t gonna give a darn about how he or she reacts after asking me. I am being honest. That’s all. Perhaps “the other person” need to work on his own personal issues…</p>
<p>I like that you asked the question and I like what dontknowjack had to say. One of my best friends went to Princeton and then to Harvard Law. One of the things I like best about him is that he wears his intelligence and privilege so well. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, he listens to me, he wants to know what I think about things, he knows anyone has something to teach him. At the same time I know him well enough to know what a serious student he was. Since you are aware of the issue you’ll learn to set the right tone.</p>
<p>Don’t feel uncomfortable if you are being honest. Period</p>
<p>or you say you to go to school in rhode island. half the people i run into don’t even know what it is. </p>
<p>or say it reall casually. </p>
<p>“oh I go to brown”
“oh look at that buttefly”</p>