<p>I really thought that Stanford was going to accept me through Early Action, but apparently, I wasnt good enough based on their “holistic process.” :(</p>
<p>So after much gluttony and overeating, I ended up applying to all of the ivy league schools (except Columbia). And to be honest, I applied to almost all of them (including Brown) because of the name and the prestige despite not knowing much about them (maybe except for Harvard and Princeton)… </p>
<p>Like, I want to know, what makes Brown University a good school? (except the fact that the girl from harry potter goes there) More importantly, what makes Brown a good school FOR YOU?</p>
<p>Brown has always been the bad boy school of the Ivies to me. The really, really smart kids that actually have personalities. Think Josh Harnett in The Faculty or James Van Der Beek in Varsity Blues.</p>
<p>The New Curriculum, of course, is a huge appeal to Brown. Take every class pass/fail and still graduate. The students decide which classes they want to take due to no requirements (i.e. They’re their own archeticts of their GE). Unlike schools such as Berkeley where students complain about not getting the classes they want.</p>
<p>Did I mention Brown is consistently voted the happiest school, most notably by The Princeton Review?</p>
<p>Out of curiosity, how did you answer the question on the Brown application: “Please tell us more about your interest in Brown? Why does Brown appeal to you as a college option?” Did you just say that you want to go to Brown because it’s an Ivy? Shouldn’t you have asked this question before applying? </p>
<p>I sure hope you applied to some true safety schools.</p>
<p>Well, the fact that I can be a business owner, Santa Claus, and neuroscientist at the same time by taking such irrelevant classes with a more laid back attitude and more of an exploratory spirit make Brown more than perfect, that is, perfect ->positive infinity.</p>
<p>^^ i pretty much said that i love the campus, the area, and the liberal arts curriculum (was not that specific). and yes, i applied to some safeties. UCLA, UC Berkeley, and two other UCs. </p>
<p>@ graagh
thanks for the link. i didnt know about the open curriculum until now. thanks for the link… gosh, i really did fell in love with Brown after reading that link :D</p>
<p>I like Brown because I feel that it focuses much more on the fact that college is supposed to be an enlightening intellectual experience than other universities. I dislike the fact that distributive requirements at other schools basically say, “here is what we think is important - learn it, get your grade, don’t ask questions.” At Brown, YOU get to decide what is important. To me, college isn’t supposed to be about GPAs, preprofessionalism, taking classes you hate. That’s not to say I have no interest in ever making money, and I’m probably not going to major in underwater basketweaving, which is where the fact that Brown is an incredibly prestigious ivy league university comes in. Brown is a school where you can spend four years having truly enriching, enlightening, pressure free academic exploration - and still be able to land a top position or get into a top grad school easily.</p>
<p>My final decision came down to Brown or Columbia, which might seem unusual at first, but it was a very difficult decision for me to make. I know I just touted the merits of the Open Curriculum, but I also really see the merit in Columbia’s Core curriculum. Ultimately, I chose Brown for social reasons. Social life at Columbia looked lacking to me compared to Brown. I wanted a tightknit campus focused more traditional college experience. I wanted to LOVE my school and be among happy students. Brown seemed to offer that in spades.</p>
<p>^
i agree. i dont really want to be forced either. another university i would love to go to is princeton, but after hearing about brown, i might reconsider… in princeton, you are only allowed to “concentrate” in one subject matter. also, everyone is required to write a thesis.</p>
<p>i mean, i am the first to admit that i was naive on being dead set on one school ignoring the other great schools out there. thats why, right now, im educating myself about the other colleges that i have applied to. like all of you, i want the best for myself, and i am asking questions to make sure that i will make the right decision once i get all the acceptance and denial letters on march and april.</p>
<p>to all of you who responded: i wish the best of luck specially if brown is your top choice…</p>
<p>It’s great that you’re trying to learn more, but you should have done that before applying. If you didn’t even know about the open curriculum and only applied to Brown because it’s an Ivy, I have to say you will most likely not get in. The last thing you want to do is choose a school for its name. Think about whether or not you can see yourself being a good fit at the school. If you think you are, apply. That should be the thought process.</p>
<p>i know my stats are good and that my commonapp essay great, however, i believe that my “why brown” was not as passionate compared to my stanford and princeton one. but if i get accepted, i will probably turn it down to make room to those who loves Brown with all their heart. i know how it feels not to get to their top choice…</p>
<p>Brown takes a more “holistic” approach in evaluating applications as well, compared to other top-notch schools, just to let you know.</p>
<p>Berkeley could be considered a safety… if you had really high scores and not too much else. The UC System is very stats-based in terms of admitting students.</p>
<p>Don’t be surprised if you’re rejected from Brown. If you say you hardly knew about the school, it’ll come across in your short answer on the supplement. The school is very big on “fit,” something tells me they KNOW when a student is just a mass-ivy applicant.</p>
but if i get accepted, i will probably turn it down to make room to those who loves Brown with all their heart. i know how it feels not to get to their top choice…</p>