<p>I know this question is probably ridiculous, but I absolutely love Brown and want to apply early decision. However, my mother insists that if she’s going to pay 30k+ per year (where we fall in financial aid for most top 20 schools) in place of a full ride with a stipend to my state school, then the school has to have a “name that means something.” To her, that only means Harvard and Yale. We live in the middle-of-nowhere Oklahoma, so I think most people here have a misconception of which schools are prestigious. My question is how respected is Brown in other places where people know U.S. colleges better? Is it in the same league (not as in Ivy League) as Harvard and Yale? Or is my mother right and Brown’s “name” doesn’t “mean as much” as Harvard and Yale?</p>
<p>Harvard and Yale are Harvard and Yale for a reason. Don’t pick a school based on name recognition in rural Oklahoma. </p>
<p>It’s definitely not my reason for applying. I love the open curriculum, the vibe on campus, the new neuroscience building, and other things; the name has nothing to do with my decision. However, what I was saying is that name recognition is very important to my mother, the one paying for college, so she isn’t letting me apply early to a school that she doesn’t think has a good name. I think that Brown is very reputable, I just need to know whether that is the general consensus or not. </p>
<p>I think you are asking the wrong question.
The right question is “of the colleges I get into, which is the best for me?”</p>
<p>Your mom may not know how competitive the top colleges (including Brown) are and may, like many parents, think their child is really great and special, etc…and therefore, like some, may think their kid can get into some/all of those schools…</p>
<p>So…</p>
<p>How about this?
Keep your options open. Apply to many (which you should do anyway).
To get your mom on board, go to the results threads of here for Harvard, Yale, Brown and a couple of others and find the “super-student” who was rejected by those schools. Find a couple. Show her.
The point of that is that by sharing that, she may realize that there are no guarantees. None. Nada.</p>
<p>That may get her to realize that you must apply broadly and have some safeties, etc.</p>
<p>Then, when the dust settles, figure out what your options are and figure it out then.</p>
<p>There is NO reason to stress about it yet.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I know that Brown has an acceptance rate in the single digit percentage. I understand that saying that it is “difficult to get into” is an understatement. However, my question is regarding the reputation of Brown. I love Brown and it has been on the top of my list since my campus visit. Unfortunately, my mother sees name recognition as a requirement for any college I attend. I need to confirm that Brown does have the stellar reputation that I think it does.</p>
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<p>If your family can easily afford the $120-200K for you, then this may not be an issue. For many families, they’d say “Brown is nice but a full ride and money for grad school/house down payment is nicer”. If you’re part of the 99%, then don’t discount this. If not, then no worries. Read up on Brown. Visit if you can.</p>
<p>Hello 430. I usually don’t respond much to posts, but can’t understand why everyone who has responded to your post doesn’t seem to understand your relatively simple question. First, I think the basis of the question is really whether to apply early decision, as that would commit you to a school your Mom may not pay for. I assume that applying regular decision does not create as big a problem, or at least defers that discussion until you see what your choices are. </p>
<p>But to your question: Brown is an Ivy League school and that label, alone, puts in in pretty much every international list of the top 50 colleges in the world. Maybe top 100. If you go to US News rankings, or pretty much any other ranking, Brown consistently scores in the top tier. That kind of consistent ranking, I think, translates into an outstanding reputation. It is not in the league of Harvard, Yale, Oxford (I think?) and maybe Standford, or MIT for what MIT is known for, but it is far above the vast majority of schools. </p>
<p>Now, what that gets you is open to debate. As many have said, state schools offer a great deal and, in the end, can lead to a great career, etc. So, it probably is not that important where you end up. </p>
<p>Another thing you can look up is particular departments. In some areas Brown has a better reputation than others in terms of faculty, professors, post-graduate employment, etc.</p>
<p>But overall, I would say that Brown has an outstanding reputation just by virtue of being in the Ivy League. Whether that justifies, for your Mom, giving up a full ride at a state school is another matter. Not sure how you make that judgment exactly. But if it hinges on reputation, I think your Mom might be interested in various rankings.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! I just wanted to make certain that Brown is as reputable as I think it is.</p>
<p>Perhaps it would help her to see the accomplishments of the Alumnae? You can find that type information simply by googling “Brown alumnae”. </p>
<p>What does it take for your mother to be satisfied with a school’s reputation?</p>
<p>Brown has an excellent reputation because it is an excellent school, not because it is a member of the Ivy League. </p>
<p>While it doesn’t have the worldwide name recognition of Harvard and Yale, most major employers and every grad school is very familiar with Brown, its graduates and alumni. It is most well-known on the East Coast. </p>
<p>Your mother should understand that a lot of schools get their name recognition from the football team. A lot of other schools get the reputation from the grad school, though they may also have outstanding undergraduate programs. Like you might hear so and so is a Harvard MBA, but that so and so might have gone to undergrad at Ohio State, or Brown. (Brown is focused on undergraduate education but has a small and very good grad school.)</p>
<p>To me when a student is looking at highly selective schools, the fit of the program, the culture of the college, the advantages luxuries of access to faculty and resources are important. Brown is in rare company and some students do choose it over other Ivies because of fit and sometimes because of particular undergrad departments they are known for.</p>
<p>What aspect about ‘a name that means something’ is important to your mom, what is the something? Does she feel it is more important that she brag to her friend’s that you are at Harvard over your own choice of college based on the curriculum, the student body, the culture? It is possible that she will feel she ‘got her money’s worth’ that way. But it may be more important that you are somewhere you will be happy and that leads to a successful college career. Or does the name have to mean something for other, more important reasons. Recognition for grad school acceptance? Check, Brown has an extremely good reputation as excellent preparation for grad school,law school, med school and places students into very top programs. My own daughter went to a top 10 ranked computer science program. Recognition for employers, Check. I have to say that my daughter feels that Brown has given her a very good network. But she did go to grad school and has that network too. Or does your mother think that you will make more money? I can say that a Brown CS student is making what a Harvard CS student is.That may depend more on your major and career you go into. Try to have a meaningful discussion about what the something is.</p>
<p>It would be silly to pretend that Brown has the branding of Harvard or Yale. There are plenty of people who will be blown away that you went to Brown and others who don’t know of it at all, because they are just people who don’t know about elite colleges. But if you are going to pay the big bucks, you should be deciding on the best for you, imo. </p>
<p>However, whether or not to pay that money over a full ride to your state school is a serious question. Many people just don’t have the money to do that and you should be cognizant if you are really asking too much.</p>
<p>Here are a couple links that could help you out:
<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/page+2”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/page+2</a>
<a href=“BigFuture College Search”>BigFuture College Search;
<a href=“Brown University”>http://www.forbes.com/colleges/brown-university/</a>
<a href=“Alumni & Friends | Brown University”>http://alumni.brown.edu/news_events/in_the_news/</a></p>
<p>Your Mom is asking the same questions many others ask. A full ride merit scholarship at the state honors program vs paying for an elite private university. The well funded and no funds students don’t have to worry about costs and go to the top private U. The upper middle class students receive little aid and can’t afford the private U and end up at the state honors program. This trend is growing and should be a big concern for the top privates.</p>