<p>From what I hear, everyone seems to think that Brown is a terrible school and that going to Brown will not help advance one's career/grad school prospects.</p>
<p>Is this at all true? If not, why do people think this.</p>
<p>It doesn't have a bad rep in my circle. All the alumni I know love it. It simply appeals to a different type of student than does Princeton or Dartmouth, for example.</p>
<p>I don't know where you got that idea from. It is a very solid school no doubt. Any negativity you are hearing is probably because it is an Ivy League school that is not 'up to the level' of HYP.</p>
<p>It doesn't have a bad rep.</p>
<p>Yeah ... ... <em>scratches head</em> when and where did Brown become a university with a "bad rep"?</p>
<p>P.S. I'll admit that I was mildly disappointed when I visited, but its "rep" is quite good AFAIK.</p>
<p>First time I've heard of any "bad rep".</p>
<p>No bad rep here.</p>
<p><em>Some</em> people believe that Brown has a hippie rep... due to the lack of graduation requirements. For the same reason, people believe it's less academically rigorous than other Ivies.</p>
<p>Brown?! It's in the IVY LEAGUE.</p>
<p>The IVY LEAGUE</p>
<p>It's infallible.</p>
<p>No bad rep here.</p>
<p>Brown bad rep?</p>
<p>I think not...</p>
<p>Hm.. I've never heard anything bad about Brown.</p>
<p>An important correction to post #8: Brown certainly has <em>graduation</em> requirements. As far as I know, every school has some form of "graduation requirements" - they don't just pass out diplomas to anyone who wants one. To graduate from Brown, you need to pass 32 credits, and demonstrate writing proficiency, among other things. It simply lacks <em>distribution</em> requirements dictating in the areas in which those credits are earned.</p>
<p>And in response to the OP: I think Brown has an excellent reputation.</p>
<p>Are you kidding me??? I thought I saw it all earlier today with the person who felt "inferrior" for going to Georgetown because it <em>gasps</em> has a lower US New and World Report ranking than some other places that he/she was admitted to. </p>
<p>Brown is obviously a fine school and it isn't that hard to figure out without putting yourself through the sort of mental hell you're obviously going through.</p>
<p>I would do almost anything to go to Brown. And I know many others who feel the same way...I really have no idea what the people you've heard this from have been smoking.</p>
<p>People with no firsthand knowledge of Brown make those comments. It shows their ignorance. Anyone with actual knowledge of how Brown works would recognize the high academic level of its students and the strong academic demands made by its professors. I am amazed when people mistakenly speak about the open curriculum as meaning that students can take 4 years of ANYTHING (or implied NOTHING substantial) and still graduate, as if there is no coherent plan or set of requirements to fulfill. In reality, just like at any college, Brown students must select a major and take all the required courses for that major. The number of required classes varies by major, but is probably very similar among colleges (so a biology major at Brown probably takes the same number/type of science classes at Yale or Cornell). It's just at Brown a student has more electives, since everything outside of their major requirements and the writing proficiency are basically electives. My son is a neuroscience major and he must take 7 background classes (specific math, chem, bio, and physics courses). He must also take 10 neuroscience classes (some are specific courses, others are neuro electives with a common concentration, one is a critical reading course). So, he must take those 17 courses. Possibly the remaining 13 classes are up to him; I'm not sure if he has additional PLME requirements to fulfill.</p>
<p>A misconception is that Brown classes are easy. The intensity of the classes and the work required by the Brown student is comparable to students at other highly selective colleges. If you search these boards and read comments made by transfer students, the general consensus is that the courses at Brown are much more demanding than at their previous schools. To me, this tells a lot because they are able to compare apples to apples. I've never heard a Brown student say the classes are easy. </p>
<p>What people fail to recognize is that at Brown, students are more invested in their classes. They want to be there. The freedom to choose what to study is a nice perk and is why Brown tends to attract kids who are intellectually invested in their education and will make the most of this opportunity. They WANT to study a variety of subjects and they enjoy the freedom that Brown provides.</p>
<p>Luckily, employers and graduate schools are aware of the high standards at Brown and all the other schools at that level (Ivy or non Ivy). That is why Brown graduates do so well upon graduation and are admitted to top graduate programs.</p>
<p>there were some kids who talked trash about Brown back in my hs. They were either not very well-informed students who confused Brown with the UPS company, or the others were a group of students who were bitter Brown rejects.</p>
<p>This book trashes Brown, Dartmouth, etc..</p>
<p>The Ivy stereotypes aren't meant to equate to bad reputations. People make fun of each school for its idiosyncrasies but ultimately they are all well respected.</p>
<p>I have that book and the author has the same derogatory view of Amherst and other schools with an open curriculum. He clearly feels a core curriculum, heavy in the classics, should be followed by all students (although he does offer praise for Brown's classics department). He insinuates that students intelligent enough to be admitted to these top tier schools are somehow incapable of selecting appropriate courses and even implies they would take all their classes pass/fail. Has he seen the high admission rates to grad school and medical school? That simply would not happen if students took more than a couple classes pass/fail - which is how the system was designed - to allow students to explore areas of interest without worrying about a class ruining their GPA. At many other schools, students heading to grad school simply won't take the chance with new or weaker subject matter. To me, it's a shame when a student passes up an opportunity to learn (for learning sake) because they might not get that A.</p>
<p>The author objects to any professors or courses with a political slant outside the norm (or perhaps, one that is different than his). What happened to college is a time to discover new ideas so one can analyze, agree, disagree, or yikes, even protest? Reminds me of some of my old Catholic school teachers who felt it was wrong to question anything... </p>
<p>I'm wondering at some of the other statements he makes. He talks about how important the arts are at Brown and how its not that far a drive to the RISD campus. RISD is next door to Brown's campus. It's much further to walk to the train station or the mall (something done all the time). Good thing one doesn't have to drive To RISD since few Brown students have cars on campus - something one wouldn't know when reading how there's such a high car theft rate at Brown.</p>