Brown University Top Questions

Make sure to visit the campus beforehand! Follow your gut and not just the name of the school. My friends that chose Brown over other Ivy-League schools never looked back! As it tends to be harder in High School, college is the time to surround yourself with people with like interests and who truly inspire you. If it wasn't for my friends at Brown I wouldn't be the same person today! Use all of the resources available to you because once you graduate the 'real world' is much less willing to push and guide you towards your goals.

Find a college you can pay for without going too far into debt; education is what you make of it and a prestigious institution is not always the best choice. If you are an athlete and are looking to play collegiately, converse with the players on your prospective team--speak specifically with the seniors and those who are not injured but do not play. If you are adversely affected by dreary weather, perhaps look for a school that has consistent weather patterns and plenty of sunshine. If possible, visit the schools you would like to attend and learn as much about the programs you are interested in as possible. While visiting a school, check in with yourself and ask if the school "feels right." When you finally decide on a school, get involved from day one. Activities, clubs, and sports are a fantastic vehicle to meet new people and develop your comfort zone. away from home

People put college on a pedestal way too much. Yes, it is an important life choice that may determine much of your future plans, but if you're unhappy at the first school you choose, transferring is easy enough. When searching for the college that best fits you, the two most important aspects to consider are: 1) the field in which you may like to concentrate and if unsure, how much mobility between fields and classes you have at that school, and 2) how closely you identify with the other students at the school. Social life is a very big part of college life and if you're unhappy with your social life, it affects everything else you do. The best way to make the most of your college experience is to follow these two axioms and to get involved with everything and anything that interests you. The more you do and the more involved you are, the better your experience will be and the more successful you will feel.

Visit the schools many times: it's the only way to get a good feel for the campus.

More important than anything else is finding the place where you feel comforable and excited about learning. Once you get to college, the most important thing is finding something to do. College life will be incomplete without involvement in some sort of extra-curricular activity. What you do outside of class is what will really build your social life and is also what you will most remember about school (aside from perhaps how hard it was).

Don't choose a school based soley on the programs they offer or their reputation. Get a feel for the students and atmosphere by visiting or talking to current students. You want to choose the place where you will be living for the next four years not just the place you will be earning your degree. There is more to where you are going to school than the school itself--from extra curriculars to the city it is in to the interests of your potential classmates. Once you chose and get to your school, it can be intimidating. Although the freedom college gives you in both your academic and social life is overwhelming and somewhat unexpected at first, there are endless resources to help you get acclimated, and once you have, to help answer any of the millions of questions that constantly come up if you just look for them.

It's important to visit a campus rather than just look at the guidebook. The guidebook is trying to convince you to go there, so it has something for everyone - not until you actually get on campus, meeting the people, sensing the academic/cultural/political atmosphere, understanding what it would be like to actually attend can you get a good idea of whether or not you could feasibly spend the next four years of your life there. If you end up a place that for whatever reason doesn't mesh with your personal or academic goals, you won't be able to take advantage of the opportunities that a college education offers you. Once in college, the responsibility for your education falls on you instead of on your parents, teachers or school system. Take a variety of classes, even classes you think would never be practical for your studies or your career. Sometimes these classes will introduce you to ideas, methodologies and world views that you would never have otherwise encountered. And that's what college is about: expanding your view of the world.

Visit a psychic and have your palm read. Or play Eenie-meenie-minie-moe. Um, hang out on the green, or the quad, or whatever. Listen to what students are talking about, who they're hanging out with, what they're up to. Frisbee's are always a good sign. Just come to Brown....

Attend lots of guest lectures and take advantage of extra-curriculars.

The most important piece in making my decision (which was a great one for me) was the visits I made. I visited the schools on my own and went around trying to get the feel for life there, even sitting on classes. I would strongly advise that prospective students not just visit their college choices and see thier landmarks in a rehearsed tour, but also explore the school and the area and try to get a glimpse into the vibe on campus. It's actually fairly easy to do if you can just pretend you are actually a student there. Yes, you will definitely get lost and likely stand out as someone who is clearly not a student as you pull out your campus map, but don't let that sway you. Go to the library. Sit in on a class. Eat at the dining hall (even if you have to pay for it). Explore the area. Try to fit in the college experience into your visit, and then you'll know if it's really right for you.