| There is a big difference between being a non-competitive environment and being a laid-back party school. My D has never worked harder than she has at Brown this year. She stayed up until 5 am finishing an art piece and the next day the same thing studying for a Cog Sci mid-term. A few days later, the same thing for a paper that was due. She is taking some classes S/NC, and has worked as hard or harder at those classes. And what did she say when she finally had a few moments to call us? She was brimming with vitality and excitement. She said that although she was too exhausted to think, she never felt more exhilarated and more excited about the work she had just completed. She pulled a 4.0 her first semester, and it looks like it might be the same this one. Even though Brown doesn't compute GPAs. Fine with us! The purity of her love of the work is what feels real to her. The fact that everyone around her is the same, although at times feels very intense, is giving her an opportunity that will never be duplicated. She knows this. The air is charged with learning. It's charged with intelligence. It's also charged with a great sense of humor. It may not be the right place for everyone; I hope it's not. But it is so the right place for so many. I have never met anyone who went/goes to Brown who has said anything but the best and highest praise for this place. That simply does not exist at many places. |