Brown University Top Questions

I feel that many racial groups tend to cling to one another. The kind of student that would feel out of place at Brown is a person like me. Someone from an underrepreseted ethinicity like Mexican; someone who has not been exposed to upper class people before; and someone who is not used to cold weather and the entire New England mindset. What students wear to class varies alot. Students go from sweats to very trendy outfits to attend class. Its awesome because you feel comfortable no matter what you're wearing, because chances are there is someone else dressed similar to you. Even if you wear heels to class, people don't stare at you weird. The financial background that is most prevalent is definitely upper class. Students are disproportionately wealthy. Most students are politically aware. The political demographic is predominently leftist. I have heard people talk about how much they will earn.

Brown is pretty chill with just about everything. I mean, it's all about student-based initiatives. Some policies suck, but that's how the world it sometimes. I would say, like everywhere else, it could use some work. It's definitely further along than many places.

A ton of diversity on campus, and many many many cultural groups and performances--these are actually some of the most popular events on campus. The kind of student who would feel out of place at Brown would be a republican. (Though there are plenty of those). Actually, I think that athletes sort of our the most awkward group at Brown, because students at Borwn really don't care about athletics at all--I ahve never been to a football game etc. So I think athletes in general get alot of shit (especially football players etc). Different types of students do interact, but probably not as much as they should. Tables at the dining hall: athletes, hipsters, nerds--I mean its really not that much different from anywhere else. Studente are generally super casual at Brown--most everyone wears jeans and sweatshirts. Every now and then someone will wear something nicer, but I would say that is omre an exception than a norm. Most Brown students come from America, esp the Northeast and West coast, but seriously, there are students from everywhere. Financial background most prevalent is upper middle/upper class. Alot of students are rather wealthy here, but then there are plenty of kids that do not ahve much money. Students don't really talk about how much they will earn unless they are dicks.

Brown is very cuturally and socio-economically diverse and really helps lower income students enroll, but there are very few republicans and very few traditionally religious people. Students often dress from pajama attire to fairly fashionably. Brown students have the fashionable hippie look. And the engineers claim to be nerds but they are pretty normal. The Computer Science people are pretty nerdy though.

Basically what it boils down to is that there is a group on campus for everybody. Some groups like to "show their pride/force" more then others and protest certain things, and hold forums/talks and things like that more often then others; but there is a group for any student which is something really unique to Brown. The university also does a great job of helping advertising the different groups.

I don't think anyone is bound to feel out of place at Brown. It is incredibly diverse in terms of interests and their is no real dominant social group. If you reach out, you will find people with your interests and be able to have a satisfying social life. Brown students have a pretty distinct sense of style. We're pretty casual on the whole, but I can't really nail down what the "typical Brown student" would wear. In reality, there is no such thing as the typical Brown student. Different groups definitely interact in housing and classes if nothing else. The social scene isn't that separated to begin with. That being said, I wish there was more interaction between racial groups. Most Brown students are from the two coasts and in or around major cities. They are generally financially well off. That being said, even as a senior, conversations about financial future isn't a frequent topic of conversation. Students are very politically knowledgeable fairly left of center, but they aren't as active as they are rumored to be.

Different types of students interact: athletes with non-athletes, international students with American students, etc.

People are pretty tolerant and there is a lot of importance placed on being politically correct at all times. You should expect to get an immediate negative response if you say something ignorant during class. The LGBQT society is pretty prominent, and they have some conflict going on with conservative students because of their sexually explicit Sex Power God posters posted all over campus. A conservative student newspaper wrote an article called "femsex sexually harassed me" because they put table slips on the tables at the ratty with pictures of female genitalia..! I think Republicans feel out of place at Brown, as I said before. Students wear anything from PJs to high heels to class. It really depends on the class and major. Most students in Art History take pretty good care of themselves and there is a joke on campus that the prettiest girls are in the Art History Department. However, a lot of people wear sweatpants and sneakers, too. When it gets rainy and snowy during winter, most students stop caring about their looks. However, in the summer, most students dress pretty nicely. I would certainly say students here look very, very good. "No wonder why Brown asks for a photograph in the application.." I don't think they ask for it anymore though. There are four tables in the dining hall: One of them is full of Jocks. They are eating loads of protein and they have loads of colorful drinks on their trays. The other one is a freshmen table, they are still excited about the food- they will learn very soon! They all go and get a bowl of soft serve after their meal, freshmen 15 is starting to take it's toll! On the third table a student is eating by herself and reading the Brown Daily Herald. It is considered very normal to eat breakfast/lunch by one's self. Especially if you go before 11 or after 2, the dining halls are very calm and it's relaxing to eat by yourself. Between 12 and 1, it's a real shit show.

The only word that can accurately describe every Brown student is “quirky”. The only kid who wouldn’t fit in at Brown is the one who fits in everywhere else. Sometimes, it seems like that admissions office accepted every applicant who just couldn’t seem to fit into any particular group in high school and then forced them to mingle together on our campus. At Brown, you’ll find a belly dancing pre-med, a football player majoring in philosophy, and a frat boy who went to Band Camp and they’re probably all partying together next weekend. Though many students from the same backgrounds, religions, and races tend to gravitate towards each other, social groups at Brown are less defined in these terms than in many other schools and rarely resemble any sort of pattern. Plus, with recent changes in financial aid policies, students from low-income backgrounds have become more and more prevalent on campus, making the campus continuously more diverse. Yet regardless of their differences, Brown students seem to all share a genuine friendliness and open-minded viewpoint towards others. Its not uncommon to walk down hallways with every door open or to see acquaintances take the time to stop and say hello while they make their way across the Main Green.

Different types of students interact at Brown all the time. It is one of the things I love most about Brown. That people are easily friends across different groups with no judgment. Brown has many many student groups on campus that cater to racial, religious, LGBT and many more groups. Plus, if there is something you'd like to form a group around and Brown doesn't have one then it is pretty easy to get approval and form a group yourself. All the groups advertise with table slips in the dining halls and often host parties or other open nights to attract people. It would be hard to feel out of place at Brown because there are so many different types of students. I can't imagine not finding someone you have something in common with. The normal attire at Brown varies - A LOT. There are many people who run to class in jeans and a sweatshirt but then there are just as many who get dressed up in the latest fashion trends. It varies, but there is no "requirement" that you get dressed up for class. Brown students are politically aware and many are active. While the stereotype is that everyone here is to the left, that is certainly not the case. There are just as many hardcore conservatives as liberals. Just be ready to argue your views if asked. Now that Brown admission is Need Blind i think it makes the financial situations of students here even more varied. Yes, Brown is an expensive school so many students come from a background with money, but many work at school to pay off loans. Everyone has friends in both situations, so there isn't really a divide of people here.