My son just got into Brown from the waitlist after accepting Pomona College. Now he is torn between going out west (we are from Boston) or going to Brown. Any insights into their cognitive science major programs, social life, etc. would be much appreciated!
My kid had a similar choice. Pomona offers the benefits of the Consortium, intimate classroom settings, strong relationships with professors, great food and great weather. Brown has the Ivy League name, the oppotunity to take classes pass-fail, and far more celebrity offspring. Most of Pomona’s social life is on campus while Brown has a more robust off-campus scene. Pomona is probably more nurturing while Brown is larger and more impersonal. The workload at Pomona is intense - there is nowhere to hide when there are ten classmates. I’ve been told that Brown is somewhat easier and allows for more free time. Does your kid want to try a different region for college or be closer to home? What is important to your son? Are the costs the same? Does he want to go to graduate school (edge to Pomona) or work in the Northeast (Brown)?
Having just about completed his high school career at boarding school in New Hampshire, he had expressed an interest in leaving the New England area early on. I’m not sure he needed to be all the way in California, but it does have a certain appeal, of course. By itself, it has proven not to be a compelling enough reason to stick with his decision to go to Pomona since he is actively and throughly researching all that Brown has to offer and how it compares to Pomona. I think he is considering the appeal of a larger, university setting and the additional resources it might offer. He is used to small class sizes and clothes professor relationships so I know that is appealing but perhaps not 100% required since the upper level Brown courses would offer a similar environment. As for what’s important to him, he would tell you that first and foremost it’s the intellectual curiosity and passion of the students. He’s a hard-working student and has a love of learning that is not necessarily directed towards a clear career path at this point. He just wants to explore in many different directions. The costs are pretty much the same so that’s not a factor. He has said he’d like to go to graduate school.