<p>I was admitted to both Harvard and Brown, but I was completely unprepared for this decision as I was sure that nobody <em>really</em> gets into Harvard these days!! X_X I have always loved Brown's super-liberal, hippie-ish student body and its active social life. I want an intellectual school with incredibly smart students that also know how to balance their work with play and have tons of fun as well. But now I am looking into Harvard more, and I love the Cambridge/Boston area, as well as the prestige that goes with being a Harvard student. Any advice on which choice would come closest to the college experience I have described, or life at the two schools?</p>
<p>hi sunnydaler, first of all--congrats!
i went to brown as an undergrad and i'm harvard for grad school, where i also advise undergrads. i'm biased towards brown--both places have trade-offs for college. most people with this choice choose harvard, but there is a significant number that match your profile and choose brown. feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions</p>
<p>First of all go with the better financial assistance. If all things are equal, there is only ONE Harvard, don't pass that up.</p>
<p>Congratulations, and Harvard. That is the ultimate academic dream is it not?</p>
<p>First of all Congratulations! I wish I had the option of choosing between these two choices. It seems like you've had your heart set on Brown for quite some time, but now you're dealing with Harvard, which is of course, Harvard. Harvard recently announced that they will no longer be accepting transfer students for the next two years, so if you turn down Harvard now, you turn down Harvard for undergrad. That's something to think about. If you can, visit both places again, see if that helps at all in making your decision. I know that you'll be happy at whatever choice you make.</p>
<p>"I have always loved Brown's super-liberal, hippie-ish student body"
- this doesn't particularly describe Harvard</p>
<p>"I want an intellectual school with incredibly smart students that also know how to balance their work with play and have tons of fun as well."
- this definitely describes Harvard</p>
<p>"I want an intellectual school with incredibly smart students that also know how to balance their work with play and have tons of fun as well."</p>
<p>That also definitely describes Brown...I don't see your point.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the advice...I think what I meant by the super-smart kids who can balance work with play is that I've heard Harvard is a wonderful school, but the social life can be lacking at times. Whereas having visited and spoken with kids from Brown, I get a lot more of a fun-loving & social feel. I could be wrong on this, though.
I guess the reason I can't just immediately accept Harvard (which most people would probably do) is that I am a bit off-beat and throughout high school I haven't fit in very well in the homogenous, mostly-wealthy region that I live in. So I think I always had in mind a college with a very subversive, counter-cultural social life, but definitely a social life.
Eek...I know this is a wonderful issue, but it <em>is</em> a decision that will alter my future forever, and that is WAY too much responsibility for a girl afflicted with serious senioritis to have!!</p>
<p>^^Don't let the senioritis get out of hand or you won't have to worry about attending either one of those fine schools.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, the opportunities for any relatively high achieving student at either of those schools will be the same.</p>
<p>at both harvard and brown, the students are intellectual and know how to have fun. But brown is definitely more of that "offbeat" school that you seem to want more than anything else. </p>
<p>you seem to be leaning more towards brown and a better fit for it. if it makes you feel better, last year my school's valedictorian turned down Harvard for Brown and she could not be happier.</p>
<p>I agree with post #11. Brown appears to be the school for you.</p>
<p>I disagree that it is a decision that "will alter my future forever". It's not like you're getting married! It's four years, you can't lose either way, but I agree that if you're drawn to Brown, that affinity in and of itself increases the odds that you'll have a greater time there than at H.</p>
<p>One could argue that you are just as likely to meet a future spouse (and many other long-term relationships/friendships) in college as at any other time in your life, so it definitely will alter one's future forever. On the flip side, you can't predict who specifically you will meet at your school of choice and any school is just as likely to have someone for you to meet as any other. Although if you like the people at Brown then obviously there is an advantage there.</p>