<p>Hi, I don't really know if this is the right place to post this, but I hope you guys can help anyway.
I have an offer to read English at Oxford, and I also have a place at Brown (which was the only US college I applied to, because I absolutely fell in love with it). My parents are pretty much insistent that I go to Oxford because it has the better reputation, but I prefer Brown and I'd really rather go there.
I was just wondering if you had any advice, either as to how I could persuade them or as to whether they actually have a point.
Thanks!</p>
<p>I think today Brown is equal to Oxford for an undergraduate education. Oxford's funding problems are well publicized.</p>
<p>It depends if you want the liberal arts experience or not. If you wish to read English and only English and you know that's definitly what you want and love, then perhaps Oxford is a better fit. If, on the other hand, you like the flexibility of the liberal arts system (especially Brown's open curriculum) and want to be able to explore different, random, courses, then clearly Brown is the better fit. I would also say that in the US, Brown has the better undergraduate reputation than Oxford - but reputation (and certainly not the minute difference in reputation between two amazing institutions) should not be motivating factor when choosing between the two. </p>
<p>If it helps, I chose Princeton over Cambridge because I simply did not feel secure enough to commit myself to reading Economics, and my parents, who also initially lent towards Cambridge, eventually agreed at me. </p>
<p>The other thing is that the college experience at Brown is quite different to that at Oxford. The famed Oxbridge tutoring system is definitely a very big plus for Oxford and keep in mind that you won't find that level of attention at Brown. Congratulations on two fine acceptances, and have fun wherever you go.</p>
<p>Are you a US student or from the UK? IMO, this choice can be boiled down to a few factors - If you are UK, go to Oxford - far better value for the $ than a US Ivy (unless you qualify for massive financial aid at Brown). If you are from the US, and the financial outlay would be roughly similar, determine if you want to explore other disciplines (Brown!) or benefit from the superlative educational methods of the tutorial system (Oxford!).</p>
<p>My son was offered a place at Oxford for the PPP degree, so we have exhaustively researched the positives and negatives of attending versus one of the US colleges to which he was accepted. Feel free to PM me if you like.</p>
<p>vaib - Oxford's financial problems have affected tuition levels, especially for internationals (just ask me, I have calculated it down to the penny based on the the ever-fluctuating exchange rate). However, $ problems have not changed the heart of the program, the amazing advantage of tutorial instruction. As long as the methodology remains intact, Oxbridge still offers an unparalleled opportunity for a student who is focused enough to specialize early.</p>
<p>I agree with yulsie. Probably most people would say not "better" for one or the other: mostly, "different." Our family toyed with the idea of a UK choice for quite awhile. It is more for the focused student who wants depth right from the start. There are actually a lot of European internat'ls at Brown; it would be interesting to know how many of those are from the UK. But in any case, they must have seen something in our educational system of value to experience for themselves.</p>
<p>I hope your parents will also see the value of your attraction to Brown. Generally, students do best at the institution that is their best or better fit. The happiness factor is a major ingredient of student success. Perhaps if Brown has study-abroad options, you could persuade them with that idea.</p>