Parents hate brown: How can I convince them otherwise (I Love Brown!)

<p>This is not a political question in any sense, it’s just my family is Very Conservative and I’ve fallen in love with Brown—but my parents are not impressed. In their “circle” Brown isn’t an option.</p>

<p>I know the argument–It’s your 4 years, not your parents—and I totally agree (that’s why I’m applying) but I want my parent to be happy with my choice as well—I respect them & want to persuade them. </p>

<p>What arguments can I use…or are there any websites or something that show that Brown is amazing in tradition as well as contemporary exploration? (I’m aware of it’s awesome legacy, but the whole "craft your own curriculum (which I love) turns my parents away.</p>

<p>Nonetheless—If I gain admissions to Brown, I’m going—no if’s or buts (that why I applied ed—my parents didn’t know it was binding (till after I submitted the app!!!)!!! HA!!!</p>

<p>If you really respect your parents, wouldn't you have made sure that they understood Brown's ED policy is binding before you submitted your application?</p>

<p>Also, you state, "If I gain admissions to Brown, I'm going---no if's or buts (that why I applied ed---my parents didn't know it was binding (till after I submitted the app!!!)!!! HA!!!" </p>

<p>Are you expecting your parents to pay for your education at a school with which they're uncomfortable and to which you applied without explaining to them that the ED decision is binding and will preclude you from comparing offers from other schools?</p>

<p>If you really respected your parents I would think you would've made sure they're on board with your desire to apply ED to Brown before you apply, rather than after you apply when it is too late for discussion and for their input to be factored into the decision.</p>

<p>Tell your parents that the entire Ivy League is really conservative, and Brown is still conservative, just slightly less so. (Who cares if it isn't true!)</p>

<p>Promise them that you'll become a registered Republican if they'll let you go to Brown?</p>

<p>Why exactly don't they like Brown?</p>

<p>I think she's saying that her parents think it's too liberal, but I may be wrong.</p>

<p>"If you really respect your parents"</p>

<p>I couldn't disagree more</p>

<p>Yeah, it sounds like I totally dont respect my parents, but honestly they're not going to make this choice for me! It's my 4 years!!! </p>

<p>They hate Brown because of the rep they think it has of being a drug-den, and they read this one article about a gender-neutral bathroom article that took first page of the daily brown instead of one featuring the nobel prize winner in medicine (alum). (and some students were supporting it---I agreed with the students that there's another outlet for alumni news like that)--not that it's not improtant, just that one cant marginalize important campus (like...oh...I dont know...living!!!) news for somewhat external news. (you'd have to read the article to understand!) and the Daily Brown is an important source for on campus news!!--the gender-neutral bathroom article is a fight for choice of identity!!! </p>

<p>(lol--Kristina, that's what I'm doing now!)
And they'd have to pay for my education--ha! I can see it now "daughter gains admission to Brown and parents refuse to pay tuition) They couldn't face that public embarrassment. </p>

<p>(sorry for the grammar errors--I have a ton of essays to finish!!!)</p>

<p>thanks wolfmanjack for understanding!! Both of them had the opportunity to attend their dream schools, so now it's my turn! I will chart my own path--I really dont want to have to marginalize them in the process! (I sound so unloving, but this fight has been going on almost 4 months!)</p>

<p>that really sucks that your parents are that involved in this process. i kind of wish my parents were more involved, but they have pretty much stayed out of it. i guess it's good though because i applied everywhere i wanted to. the only college they insist on me applying to is princeton, but whatever, it's their application money lol. because your parents have a problem with the liberal nature at brown, just tell them that it's a small but loud minority... and show them the following princeton review lists...
they'll be happy it's not on these lists:
<a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=3&topicID=28%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=3&topicID=28&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=5&topicID=40%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=5&topicID=40&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=4&topicID=35%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/rankings/rankingDetails.asp?categoryID=4&topicID=35&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>and they'll be happy to know it's on these lists:
<a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/rankings.asp?listing=1023917&LTID=1&intbucketid=%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/rankings.asp?listing=1023917&LTID=1&intbucketid=&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>p.s. if you do get in, and they refuse to pay, you can always talk to financial aid at brown, and maybe you can change your status to independent, and then you'll probably have a small student loan and a lot of grant money to pay... i'm sure there will be a way around the financial aspect</p>

<p>First off, it's hilarious they think it's a drug den, and more hilarious that they think they know when culture of the school from one Daily Herald front page article.</p>

<p>Also, Mello did receive front page treatment, the next day or so when the Herald actually interviewed him, but not the day he actually won it to announce it.</p>

<p>neurosurgeon, your very funny recent post on the Yale board seemed to imply you had applied early there....????</p>

<p>As a parent, I hope my child would not apply ED without telling me.... </p>

<p>^^I think it's optimistic to count on changing status to independent, because if that was easy, no family would be paying tuition at any college.</p>

<p>xojenn, Just because your parents refuse to pay does NOT mean you are independent. It means your parents aren't going to help you. I'm independent according to the government but not Brown because once you enter dependent you are always dependent. The only way you are considered independent is </p>

<p>a) 25+
b)married</p>

<p>there might be one more but nothing you qualify for. if you go to Brown your parents' income will still be the main factor in your aid package.</p>

<p>and modest, having a gender neutral bathroom (or an obvious catering to Transexuals, etc.) says a lot about a place. That tells you something a campus tour won't</p>

<p>Tell your parents that if they believe in personal responsibility, then Brown or any other school without requirements is the perfect place to exercise that. YOU, not a set of rules, will be responsible for seeing that you experience a rigorous, well-developed education.</p>

<p>Of course, many people who describe themselves as "conservative" claim that they believe in personal responsibility, but are actually authoritarian in their impulses.</p>

<p>Haha... the gender neutral thing is interesting, to say the least, and isn't done primarily to cater to transexuals as much as some would think (and the original issue was transexuals, of which there are less than 10 on campus). It's more a breaking down the barriers between the sexes, and truthfully, the majority, well over 95% of "gender neutral" bathrooms are simply single occupancy bathrooms. It just sound better if you call it gender neutral.</p>

<p>The truth is, you could find out all about that on a campus tour, and I'm sure it's come up when discussing co-ed living. I know it has on my tours. Additionally, there are options for all-female housing if that's something you'd like.</p>

<p>Btw, we've had "gender neutral" bathrooms in dorms for a long time-- like when you live in a suite with members of both sex, and many colleges are like that, just not using some hip term for it.</p>

<p>"Steps have been taken in recent years at Brown towards making more facilities gender-neutral as awareness of transgender issues has increased"</p>

<p>Transgender awareness tells you a lot about a place. An open and active LGBTQ also tells you something. An openly gay mayor tells you something. Legal indoor prostitution tells you something. (Not sure where I'm going with this) These things aren't spoken about in most conservative regions of the country. Maybe you've not lived in the Midwest or Plains? Well, they do like hookers but not the gay stuff...at least not openly. </p>

<p>I'm aware about the gender neutral bathrooms. I use one and I'm not in a suite. It's not official though, we just made an agreement.</p>

<p>Dear God, is a coed bathroom really shocking to anyone? </p>

<p>In 1979 we had coed bathrooms in my coed-by-room freshman dorm. Nobody batted an eye and this was nearly 30 years ago. </p>

<p>I hate to break it to your parents but there is not an elite school in the nation that is drug free.</p>

<p>If your post is real: your parents are living in a dream world.</p>

<p>Tell them that it's an extremely excellent institution. All the other stuff in part of the voluntary student culture.</p>

<p>My dad's uncomfortable with Brown too. He says it's too touchy feely, and he gets a weird vibe. We had a funny conversation about it.
"Don't a lot of parents think that about kids going to Brown- that it's a lot of hippies and "sharing the experience"?"
"No, they see it as one of the best colleges in the world."
"Yeah, well..."</p>