<p>Hi Guys:)
So I'm a freshman at high school (international) and I got into the Duke Young Writer's program this year. In the past, I've attended the Johns Hopkins CTY and the Stanford EPGY program. This year, I want to try something different, and I've been torn between the two different summer programs: The one at Brown and the one at Duke. I want to do a writing course, but I don't want the classes/courses provided to only pertain to "writing" based classes. I'm interested in a bunch of courses offered at Brown, but only a few at Duke. (I think i've already paid for the Duke one, but I can always get a refund). I was wondering: Which camp is better? Which location/campus is better? Which would sort of benefit me more when applying to college. Do you have any past experiences with these camps? Thanks:)</p>
<p>Ok first up although I am biased I would have to say that Duke’s campus is far more beautiful than Brown’s (and most people I know would agree with me on this one); I cant say the same for the surrounding city though, however, Durham is slowly becoming a rather vibrant town and there are some awesome places to eat (you just have to look hard enough). Unfortunately I have no idea about the merits of the respective programs and so I cant be of any help to you in that regard.</p>
<p>It seems like, if you want to take a writing course, you’re more likely going to get a rigorous curriculum if you attend the Young Writers one, because the entire thing is focused on writing. With Brown, they have a lot of writing courses, but they also have a bunch of other courses, which means writing may not be a specialty.</p>
<p>Besides, if you’ve already paid, you’ve probably already put down a non-refundable deposit. So I would go with Duke!</p>
<p>The thing with young writers is that the campus is shared with so many other camps, which is really a downside. Duke TiP (sorta like CTY) is definitely the main camp, with the largest enrollment and taking up the main quads and dorms. They also dominate campus with their activities, which makes it hard to be on the campus while TiP is in session. (said with much love as a former tipster). Also, there is usually a dance camp that takes place during the young writer’s sessions. From what i’ve heard, the young writer’s camp isn’t at an extremely high level of writing, as it caters to such a wide age range. Because of this, you will also have less freedom.</p>
<p>I’ve never been to Duke, but I took a writing course at Summer@Brown last year. Providence is full of great shops and places to explore. Plus, the classes are rigorous and you learn a lot. The best part was having a lot of freedom (and free time) which really gave me a great sense of having a college experience. Both programs sound great, but I can guarantee that you’ll meet a ton of people with different interests at Brown!</p>
<p>Also, the program at brown is geared toward high school students, rather than younger kids, so I found that to be a refreshing difference from other programs, like EPGY and CTY. But good luck and I hope you have a great time wherever you go!</p>
<p>Did you enjoy the EPGY program better, or the Summer@Brown program? I am trying to decide which to go to :)</p>