<p>Where on earth did you hear Brown has a bad reputation? I have heard nothing but praise for Brown from everyone except Bill O'Reilly.</p>
<p>I mean I wouldn't go to Brown because it's too hippie for my tastes, but I have no doubt that it is among America's finest undergraduate educations.</p>
<p>No bad rep, it is mostly due to the kinds of students it tends to admit. In a sense they are more unique than those who attend the other ivies.</p>
<p>Brown is obviously one of the most competitive schools in the country to get into, students are as bright as any anywhere, professors as committed, and, I believe, the campus as a whole a happier, more satisfied place than most. But, with only 30 classes required to graduate and freedom to pass/fail at will (exercised, on average, 1 class per semester) IF ONE SO CHOOSES it is possible to skate through 4 years here much more easily than at many similar colleges. This in no way diminishes the superb academic OPPORTUNITIES. Graduates do extremely well in grad and professional school placement. Job connections via alumni, especially in business, are probably a bit less strong than one might expect but this parallels the relatively low endowment at the school - graduates have been statistically less inclined here to head to Wall Street than to non-profits, for example, when compared to east coast coast cousins. For many drawn here, this fact is a major plus, not a negative.</p>
<p>Much of the perceived bad rep comes from the US News Rankings. Brown is the lowest ranked ivy...but this is due to a variety of factors that ignore the university's true academic reputation.</p>
<p>If anyone doubts Brown's worth as an institution, they can look at its selectivity, the acceptance rates of its graduates into graduate schools, and this website:</p>
<p>The</a> New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Collegiate Matchups: Predicting Student Choices</p>
<p>When people take the time to look at the school, they see that Brown is an amazing institution.</p>