<p>I’m visiting Brown in a couple of weeks. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I should see/ask to help me decide if Brown is for me?</p>
<p>I would suggest staying for longer than a simple info session/tour combo. If possible, stay overnight with a friend or ex-classmate who attends, or try and stay in a nearby hotel or B&B so you can enjoy some of Brown’s offerings at night. The tour doesn’t take you in the library (I’m not sure you can get in without an ID… when I visited I met up with a friend who goes there) so try to get in there! The biggest thing that helped me during college tours is just exploring on your own. The guided tours take you to only a fraction of the spaces the college has to offer. Try to visit the department you’re interested in and just walk around. See if you see yourself walking there in a year or two!</p>
<p>I agree with BostonBoy - a simple tour/info session really won’t help you get to know the school that well. Try your best to meet up with a current student (preferably not an incoming freshman, as they’ll just be getting used to things) and stay the night if you have the opportunity.</p>
<p>You should be able to go in either of the main libraries if you wish. Also try to attend a class in something you’re interested in to see what it’s like to be a student.</p>
<p>I work tours/info sessions and the like, and I would say that while they are fairly comprehensive if you’re in a rush, the more informed you are about Brown the better - considering that you might end up spending four years of your life here, an extra hour or two on campus is certainly a wise investment. For that reason, I would suggest you try to:</p>
<p>a) Visit a class - find a class that interests you and shoot the professor an email asking if you can sit in on the class. Make sure to talk to the professor afterwards if you can, they can be really illuminating. Attached is Brown’s online course catalog.</p>
<p><a href=“https://selfservice.brown.edu/ss/bwckctlg.p_disp_dyn_ctlg[/url]”>https://selfservice.brown.edu/ss/bwckctlg.p_disp_dyn_ctlg</a></p>
<p>b) If the weather isn’t terrible, consider grabbing a sandwich in the building where the tours are offered and then ‘pic-nic-ing’ out on Main Green for half an hour or so; this is the hub of campus, and I think you can get a pretty good sense of the makeup and attitude of the Brown student body just by being an astute people-watcher and sitting on the Green for a while, especially in-between classes and in the afternoon.</p>
<p>c) Don’t be afraid of your tour-guide/info session leader - they are there because they want to help you learn more about Brown (Brown is pretty much the only school where tour guides and info sesh leaders aren’t paid, we do it for love of the college ). So ask questions, either during or after the tour/info session! </p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>
<p>(Also, if you’re into Science, try and go on a Science Tour; the general tours pretty much are forced to skip the science part of campus due to the layout of Brown)</p>
<p>Also, the following website, Events@Brown, is the Brown administration’s website for posting events, which can be attended by (for the most part) the local community and public at large. While it is by no means a comprehensive description of all goings on at Brown, check the site out on the day you’re visiting to see if there is any interesting event you might consider going to. </p>
<p>[Week</a> of August 26, 2012 - September 1, 2012 :: Brown University Events Calendar](<a href=“http://events.brown.edu/cal/main/showMain.rdo]Week”>Events | Brown University)</p>
<p>If there’s a particular department at Brown you’re interested in (even as just an EC) email a professor and ask if you can meet with them or sit in on a class. </p>
<p>I emailed just a few days before I visited. Just directly to the professor I was interested in meeting. The professor and I talked for over an hour, he invited me to his class and other events, answered all questions, and more. It was definitely way more informative than just a tour and gave a more “insider” look at the school. All of the faculty I talked to there were incredibly helpful and welcoming. Also, if you know anyone who studies at Brown see if they can meet up. They can show you their dorms, the normal hangouts, and talk about classes.</p>
<p>Lagging, we’re you able to connect with profs that easily? With the number of applicants, I’m surprised!</p>
<p>That’s because the vast majority of applicants go to the info session and then leave. So many families try to cram too many college visits into a limited time frame. </p>
<p>My daughter emailed and met with professors on several campuses when she was an applicant. Sometimes she had to email several before one responded and agreed to meet with her. </p>
<p>In the vast majority of cases, the question is not “is Brown for me?” but “will Brown admissions officers accept me?”. Sure, you should be considering whether you want to apply to Brown, but you are also looking for info to include in your application that will make you stand out and demonstrate that you will bring something special to the campus. You’re not going to get that info by just going to an info session and taking a tour.</p>