Burned by Brown University Early Admissions. Unhappy at Brown

[fallenchemist]

<p>While BrownParent’s statement is a bit harshly worded, it is essentially correct in its spirit. I am questioning the truthfulness of the post itself given the statement that

But Unhap’s family struggles to earn $75,000 per year, and Unhap feels like a pauper.

</p>

<p>Yet Brown says quite plainly on their website that families earning less than $100,000 per year are guaranteed no loans in their package.</p>

<p>

@Brown University

The Corporation of Brown University has approved a new financial aid policy that eliminates loans for students whose family incomes are less than $100,000, reduces loans for all students who receive financial aid and no longer requires a parental contribution from most families with incomes of up to $60,000.

<a href=“https://news.brown.edu/articles/2008/02/new-financial-aid-policy”>https://news.brown.edu/articles/2008/02/new-financial-aid-policy&lt;/a&gt; This was in 2008 and judging by the most recent Q&A page on Brown’s FA section: <a href=“http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/financial-aid/general-questions#faqun”>http://www.brown.edu/about/administration/financial-aid/general-questions#faqun&lt;/a&gt; it is still the policy.</p>

<p>And you say you contribute $30K a year from a $75K annual income? Most people state their gross income, perhaps you are stating your net, which means you are more likely earning closer to $140K. So pending a reasonable explanation, I am personally dubious about this post.</p>

<p>But even if there is such an explanation, I have to agree that you knew this going in, or certainly should have known. There were net price calculators in place when your son applied.</p>

<p>I also question the statement about dorm arrangements where you said:

Zero privacy: Coeducational everything. Gender neutrality rules! Men and women share bathrooms. Unhap likes segregated bathrooms.

</p>

<p>According to the Brown website for freshman housing <a href=“http://reslife.brown.edu/current_students/special_interest.html”>http://reslife.brown.edu/current_students/special_interest.html&lt;/a&gt; separation by floor, and therefore presumably single gender bathrooms, is available.

@Brown

Some students request to live on an all-female or all-male hallway. We accommodate these requests by designating same-sex floors in coed residence halls. Educational programming for same-sex floors are designed to help residents explore women’s and men’s issues through events focused on gender.</p>

<p>Upperclassmen can request same-sex housing by filling out a Special Interest Housing Request by Super Deadline Day (see Residential Calendar).

</p>

<p>There are numerous places where the liberal atmosphere at Brown is clearly documented, and you certainly knew the cost going in. As was stated, no one can make you take out loans for $40K a year, no matter what application status they used.</p>

<p>So at this point I am calling this post into question. But I would rely on current Brown students and others with far more direct knowledge to confirm or deny what I am seeing.</p>