<p>I’m not vehemently opposed to a core, and in fact, Harvard was very nearly my first choice, despite its nine-course, non-departmental core. What swayed me in the end, though, was the freedom to explore, and, well, to mess up. As an entering freshman, I have a fairly good idea of what I want to concentrate in. However, my planned major may look appealing until I actually have to study it at a college level, or a new interest may well present itself, causing me to switch concentrations. Had I fulfilled half the requirements for my degree and had to complete a core on top of that, changing majors would be a lot more complicated. Since Brown doesn’t bind me to an academic path (or to finding one) from day one, I’m excited to try my concentration on for size while looking at other options.</p>
<p>That, along with a few personal reasons, was why Brown was my first choice.</p>