Brown University Visit Report by swissmiss3

Visit Activities:

Information Session: Yes - Friendly, informative, presenters didn't seem very organized.

Campus Tour: Yes - Pretty campus has large trees, interesting buildings, and green spaces (a plus to me). Lots of squirrels and birds. Liked that.

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Campus:

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It was early June, so not too many students were there, but the ones we talked with were helpful and friendly.

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The tour guide and info session people were very friendly, same with the people in the bookstore.

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Brown was my third campus to see, and I thought it was very pretty. Later, after seeing prettier ones, I still think it's nice.

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They were doing summer construction and we had to watch our walking, but understand that's the best time for them to do it. All was clean, though.

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Didn't see one.

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They had the usual blue lights and available escorts. Due to Brown's location within a large city, it's probably not as safe as one at a more rural location.

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While at Brown, I decided to apply but changed my mind after seeing other schools that fit my own preferences better. Nothing at all against Brown, I simply found others that appealed to me more.

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Off-Campus:

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It looked fine around campus, but parking is absolutely horrible. We got there early and managed to find a spot that was only 4-5 blocks away and in shade.

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Providence has a great shopping area that's close to campus and looks wonderful. We didn't have time to check it out, but if you go there you should.

Campus Visit Notes for Brown University

Visit Description:

Brown was my third college to visit and it was a short drive from Holy Cross. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express (Warwick-Providence) on Jefferson Bouldevard in the Providence area and that hotel was possibly the very best one we stayed in on the entire trip. We asked the desk to recommend a seafood restaurant, and they even drove us there with their shuttle. The food was delicious and when we finished the shuttle returned to pick us up. We were able to stay at this hotel because a relative gave us free nights with his points. Otherwise it would have been out of our budget. Even though the front desk staff knew we weren't paying, they treated us like royalty and were MOST helpful and kind. You couldn't ask for better treatment.

The next day we toured Brown and I liked it. There was only one thing (at that time) that I questioned about Brown. In the information session, the presenter told us that Brown has an option for its undergrads to receive grades OR be evaluated on a pass-fail basis. Brown allows its students to do the pass-fail option for all 4 years. They said that it's not common for students to do it for all 4 years, and not many students opt to do it. Call me weird, but I found it ridiculous that a college with a wonderful reputation as Brown's would even consider something like this. I can see it for the first semester when students are adjusting to college and being on their own, but not all 4 years.

Hotel/Lodging Recommendations or Comments:

Holiday Inn Express (Warwick-Providence) airport on Jefferson Boulevard is fabulous.

Dining/Restaurant Recommendations or Comments:

The hotel front desk suggested a seafood restaurant that was reasonable but delicious. Across the street from the water on a quiet street. Great food, good service, and the hotel has shuttle.

Other Comments (Transportation, local attractions, parking, etc.):

Large shopping center along the water down the hill from campus looked great, but we didn't go.