idontcare

Simple enough question, and this is the best place to ask.

alvyy

Because my ED contract said so :-)

No, but for real, Brown just had this distinctive "at home" quality when I visited. I was immediately attracted to the campus style with brick buildings and greens. I heard great things about the people there, all about how diverse the student population is and the collaborative nature of the students. I definitely liked what I heard about students really respecting each other. The campus is right in the growing city of Providence that I really enjoyed visiting, but yet it felt isolated enough that I felt like I was still on a college campus. Oh yeah, did I mention it's one of the best schools in the country?

modestmelody

Many reasons, I'll highlight a couple.
1) Educational philosophy. As someone who has interests in education and the philosophy of ed, I happen to think Brown's Curriculum, it's goal, what it seeks to build in students is pretty much the way to go for higher-ed for me. The ability to explore, well, really, the encouragement to explore all the areas of academic enrichment that I choose, to build a curriculum for myself, a living, breathing body of knowledge that changes as I grow and mature throughout college and find out new things about myself that causes me to dive in other directions, and the ease by which all of this is done, with no red tape, no awkward looks, rather a smile sharing the knowledge that I'm doing something very, "Brown", and that it's awesome I want to take Creative Fiction, Archaeology, Geochemistry, and Quantum Mechanics in one semester.

The focus on learning, not assessment...

The class environment this creates...

The people this environment attracts...

2) Access. Science students always want to know, "Can I do research as an undergrad?" Brown actually REQUIRES one year of research to earn an Sc.B. (our equivalent to the B.S.). Beyond that, research opportunities are as easy to come by as asking. All of the equipment at Brown can be used by undergraduates-- we're not second class citizens. I already have two friends who are going to be first authors on papers. Etc, etc etc. I could talk forever on that subject...

That's just two of many reasons I'm here. What are you looking for from your undergraduate education? What do you envision wanting to have gained from it all? How do you think you can best go about reaching that goal (not a career goal, mind you)? Those are questions to ask while searching which may help you focus on important aspects of a school when choosing.

dcircle

even several years out of undergrad and after stints at harvard and mit, i truly feel brown is one of the greatest places on earth to be in college.

as modest pointed out, the academic philosophy (not just the open curriculum) is unique and unparalleled. almost everyone in your classes will be their because they CHOSE to be there. students at brown bring a passion for learning to the classroom that i haven't seen anywhere else to date.

because everyone designs there own course of study, everyone's experience is very unique. as a result, you can't help but be enriched not only from your own experience, but from the cool things everyone around you is doing. and the benefits of brown do not end when you graduate--i have leveraged my brown experiences into a career in surgery and health policy but have best friends who are successful in filmmaking, entrepreneurship, you name it.

in summary, if you are intellectually curious, passionate person that wants to do something completely unique with your life there is no better place.

kelceallach

i chose brown because it has unique magnetism. it attracts types of students that can only be found sparingly at other universities. i love the curriculum and the emphasis put on the ambition of the individual.

and so many other reasons!