Summer@Brown summer program questions

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

I am thinking about taking a 2-week robotics course in this program. It costs basically $4000 though. I have a couple of questions:

  1. Is it worth the money? Is it both a good academic and social experience?
  2. What do you do outside of class?
  3. Easy to make friends? Did you befriend mostly people in your classes or a variety of people?
  4. Is there a lot of hooking up/partying?
    5… How selective is it? I have a 4.2W GPA, (around 3.7UW though my school doesn’t calculate it), is that good enough?

And for those who have taken STEM-related classes in this program, how is the gender ratio? The reason I ask is because I took several robotics and gaming related classes before and I was the only girl in many of them , although it’s a minor concern.

2

Not a direct response to your question, but you might find the following comments at least tangentially useful.

D has been involved in robotics since middle school. She had looked for solid robotics summer programs in the past two summers. But given her background, did not find any. The summer programs that are out there are somewhat elementary for people with prior robotics background. Since you have taken a few robotics-related classes, make sure the course content at Brown is not too trivial for you.

D took an online neuroscience class from Brown couple of summers ago and truly liked it. I was also impressed by the quality of instruction, depth of course content, and the level of interaction between students and the professor (and his teaching assistants). BTW, that experience made me much more receptive to her seriously considering Brown for her undergraduate studies.

I suspect the residential summer program is even more engaging and beneficial to students than the online version.

Her GPA was a bit higher than yours, though I doubt yours would exclude you from the program, especially if your genuine passion for the topic is reflected in your application.

3

Hi! I went last year so hopefully I can give you a second opinion

  1. It is a good social experience and as for academic, it depends on your course and professor. Personally, the course I took last year didn’t really satisfy me because it was taught in a style that I don’t like, however, I have become more interested in the topic and have maintained contact with the professor. As for if it’s worth the money… no if it will be a burden to your family, but yes if you can comfortably afford it. There is financial aid available but personally, I didn’t get THAT much and you spend a lot of money on food, clothes, weekend trips, etc.
  2. Outside of class there are ALWAYS planned activities. They have you download this app that shows the schedule every day and the activities each day range from badminton, running club, tie dye, seminars/lectures (topics ranging from feminism, college, standardized testing, and mental health), and they have an open mic night pretty often which was pretty popular! But even if you don’t participate in those, there’s always Thayer street nearby, the student center that has a pool table, or just hanging around with friends.
  3. It is really easy to make friends! Don’t stress!! Everyone goes there seeking new friends and even if you do know one or two people there, you’re still going to make new friends (and hopefully want to). As for befriending classmates, it all depends. Personally, my class didn’t really get along and I didn’t make any friends in there but my friends and hallmates did! So it all depends but bottom line, YES you will make lots of friends!
  4. There is hooking up but only if you’re into that! Every night people actively seeking out hookups would mingle in the main green area. However if that’s not your thing then don’t worry, there are plenty of people who aren’t either. I made great friends and there was no hooking up involved. As for partying, there is a little bit but honestly you’ll get kicked out if you’re caught and it goes on your record so most people just don’t do it because it’s not worth it. However, people did party and get caught and get kicked out. Smoking is more prevalent than drinking though and they’re more lenient with that for some reason.

Hopefully that was helpful??!

4

Hey, I’m going to Summer@Brown this year!

5

Honestly, it was a way better social experience than it was for me as an academic experience. I did a two week engineering course. If you have the money, it’s a great way to spend your summer and you get to put it on college apps

6

I went last year and feel free to message me if you want more information or a different perspective from what the others have given you.
My group was very superficial yet I met people who weren’t.

Definitely had an experience of a lifetime.

7

i´M GOING THIS SUMMER TOO

8

What dates? I’ll be there on july 11th!

9

I went last summer and it was the best experience of my life, however I got all of my funding from a scholarship program known as Joyce Ivy.

  1. Is it worth the money? Is it both a good academic and social experience? I thought it was totally worth the money, but then again the money wasn't mine to begin with :) . I did get there and switch classes, (which you can do if necessary) because the class I started with was assigning way too much homework and I wasn't comfortable with the teaching style. But socially I loved it and everyone was super nice and interesting. I still have best friends that I met there that talk to me every day and know me better than anyone else I've ever met. It changed my life going to Summer at Brown.
  2. What do you do outside of class? There are so many things to do outside of class. There are a ton of clubs and activities to be a part of. They do weekend trips as well to Boston and Newport along with to the beach so there is more than enough to do. But honestly I spent a majority of my time hanging out with my friends and just talking.
  3. Easy to make friends? Did you befriend mostly people in your classes or a variety of people? So easy to make friends. As I said everyone was really friendly and everyone else is looking for friends too. I think if you go with an open mind and are ready to meet new people everything should be fine. And I say this as an introvert...
  4. Is there a lot of hooking up/partying? There wasn't a ton of hooking up but people were extremely thirsty on yik yak. I think if you're looking for it, you'll find it. Some people even made temporary tinder accounts while there... lol

5… How selective is it? I have a 4.2W GPA, (around 3.7UW though my school doesn’t calculate it), is that good enough? :smiley:
It’s honestly not selective at all, but a lot of the kids who go want to be there. You should be fine and I’ve never heard anyone being rejected from it. As far as brown is concerned, its free money.

10

@tswizzle you make me miss the program so much!! main quad was wild…

I went the summer before my junior year, and the program completely changed my life. It’s one of the most memorable events of my life, and one of my favorite memories. The friends I made there are some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met, and I love them to death. One of the things I loved about the program (from a social aspect) was how easy it was to pick up with a new group of people and just hang out. Everyone was so open minded and open to making new friends. Plus, on the weekends the RISD summer program kids come to hang out, and they’re always cool to see too. Academically it’s pretty lax – if you want serious academics, go to the Harvard summer camp. But summer@Brown is a lot like Brown – fun, open-minded, interesting, and memorable. Plus, it’s full of incredibly scintillating people. I could sit down with my group of friends and have a well-educated, serious conversation about SAT weighting and the elitist issue at colleges right now, and then switch to a discussion about One Direction at the drop of a hat. I would say it’s a must-do if you can afford it – take the opportunity while you still can. Warning, however: I went for only three weeks, and you’ll never want to go back to your high school again. You’ll want to stay forever!~

11

@aidayed Me too, I’m in July 11th! What course are you taking? I’m taking Intro to Med!

12

Intro to macroeconomics!! @alibnhm20

13

To me I think it was worth it but I wouldn’t go again.
If you are a casual student and you have money to burn, yes, then it is worth it, perhaps on your college apps or something.

I had fun but I really do think taking a summer job would be better worth your time.

Things you should know:
-Food: Some of the food is really subpar. If you’re not a picky eater then you should be fine.

-AC: There’s no AC in my dorm. Every morning me and my roommate wake up just because we are so sweaty.

-Culture: People of the same ethnicity usually hung out together. I guess I was annoyed because I’m a American Born Chinese, and I definitely felt like some groups I was friends with (who were “true” Chinese) excluded me.
Please, if you come here, try to talk to new people!

Also, so SO SO many people smoking and drinking. I’ve heard of people dropping acid.

-Curriculum:
Depends on what you apply for. For me, my class was basically just the textbook. Not worth it. I heard “Do you want to be a doctor” is really cool, since they get to work on cadavers.

-Selectivity: Not selective at all. If your not failing, you should be fine (pretty obvious by some people here).

Other things:
Yeah the extracurricular activities are fun! Still some problems though, I went to two workshops and the teacher didn’t show up. Ironically, one of them was “time management”

It’s really easy to make friends. I’m super shy, but I still found a comfortable group to have fun with as well as others on my dorm.

Personally I was disgusted by some of the kids here. Some people were just goofing off and not going to class or just being rude to the teacher. Some other kids also just did drugs all day and drank.

Coming from a place where there wasn’t a lot of wealth, I was personally angered because so many of those kids could have had a much more rewarding experience then them. If you go here, APPLY YOURSELF!

You are blessed with this opportunity, don’t waste it.