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.

The most important factor to take into consideration is the atmosphere of the college. You're going to spend four years, some say the most important four years, at that school so it is important that you feel at home. Often students and their parents get caught up in the pursuit of prestigious schools, but it's important to understand that you can be successful and make the most of your college experience regardless of where you are. This is why it is so important to find an environment in which you can thrive. Take the time to visit each school, attend classes, go on tours of the campus, dorms, and dining halls. Meet with deans, faculty, and students. Find out about class sizes, campus resources, extra-curricular activities, and go wherever it is that students hang out. They will give you the most honest advice so speak to as many students as you can. You will know where it is that you feel at home. And most importantly, don't freak out! This process can be really stressfull, but it can also be really fun. If possible, take your whole family on college visits and make it enjoyable.

First piece of advice: wherever you go, there you are. Be careful in your college selection, yes, but remember that no matter where you go, you will have friends, you will learn, at least if you want to, and you will grow and change. Having said that, I'd suggest that you try to go somewhere where the students seem happy, and where you think you'd be comfortable making friends. Reading and papers and career development will get you far, but finding a supportive community will get you farther. Second piece of advice: Don't discount the Greek system. You may be an individual, a non-conformist, or a recluse, but if you see an ad for a rush event that strikes your fancy, GO. I never thought I'd be Greek, but joining a co-ed Society was the best thing I have ever done. I have met friends to last a lifetime, found a great social/career network, and have a place to come back to for events and reunions. I can't imagine what my undergraduate life would have been like without such a close-knit community to support me.

At every school I visited, everyone told me how happy they were and what an amazing school it was. In college, I've seen this school be a happy, amazing place, and I've also seen it be less than wonderful. My mother once told me "You see the inside of yourself and the outside of everyone else," and I think that is a very apt mantra, especially when it comes to the college experience. There are great things and not so great things about every school, about every Freshman experience, and about every person. Don't be afraid to acknowledge both, and don't feel alone in doing so. Find out what is real by looking to understand the inside of other people's experiences, during both the college search and your years at school. Making the most of college means experiencing it in all its truth, through both the highest moments of elation and the lowest moments of frustration.

Find a school with variety: a diverse student body with varied interests and ideas. College is just as much about what you learn outside the classroom as it is what you learn from your professors. Look for small classes that empower the student to take initiative. Be open to change and live in the moment and most imortantly: this is the student's college experience only he/she can learn, choose and do.

Don't fall victim to prestige-lust; it's not all it's crapped up to be. Just make sure you end up at a reasonably reputable school that will get you where you want to go. If you don't know where you want to end up a decade down the road, don't sweat it. Study what you like (you'll find out quickly what you DON'T) and the rest will come. Don't let your school get in the way of your education. Most schools efforts to encourage diversity are full of crap - mine is the most homogenous campus I've ever seen. Everyone shares the same set of values. Talk to students at a prospective school and ask them what they HATE about their school and you'll actually get useful information in choosing where to matriculate...

The number one piece of advice for students is that they should take the helm on their college search process and be proactive, rather than passive. There are many similar students competing for schools, financial aid, scholarships, etc. which is why you need to do your research and try to stay organized. Do not be shy about asking questions to your college counselor, alums, current college students, and admissions officers, but remember to be respectful to all groups considered (especially admissions officers!). If you are able to narrow down a few schools, make the extra effort to shoot an email to the admissions officer with a question showing you are informed and interested in the school, not just on a superficial level. Try to keep up some form of correspondence and if you are able to submit a supplement that highlights more about your personality, involvement in some sport, music group, or club/activity--do it! (so long as the school will accept a supplement). Parents: do not bug the admissions office when decisions are being made and sent out; be a sounding board for your children to help them reach a decision, rather than dictating college decisions for them!

Visit as many colleges as possible. Stistics and brochures can only tell you so much. The first emotion that a student gets when walking onto the campus for the first time will speak volumes to how well match he or she is to that school. Read the course cattalogue to see if the course describtions excite you and get on the school's social networking site, such as www.dailyjolt.com Finally, don't underestimate the value of the student body. Professors are important, but in my experience the student body taught me as much if not more than my professors.

Take your time in selecting the right college. Start early folks! The most important task is to talk to the students. Ask them what they like, about sports and social life, and what really goes on at the school. They will be much more honest than any school official. Ask them what they don't like, and what they would change about the school. Think about cost, but don't let that limit your options. Some of the best colleges are private, and some hold real value for your dollar. Aim high, shoot for your dream college and don't apply to a school unless you know you could see yourself there. DO NOT attend a college without visiting and learning all about it- that could be a major mistake. When you get there, enjoy everything it has to offer. Go to plays, see speeches, go to frat parties and enjoy yourself. Don't obsess over your major, but try and figure it out early so you can plan you academic schedule. If you find that you don't like your major- switch! Above all, have fun.

Go with what feels right

Visiting the campus beforehand and asking the actual students what they really think of the school are very important. At the same time, consider the financial situation of the family and whether you like the college near home or far, suburban or urban, big or small, conservative or liberal. Nonetheless, no matter where you go, make sure that you make the most out of the experience you have there, make good friends, and build a vision for your future. It'll be the best time in your life.