Is Brown the right school for me?

smyeth
Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:22:35 +0000

Long story short:

I’ve decided that I want something extremely particular from my college education. I want an intense learning environment, an emphasis on a capstone project, and a place where people are free to be themselves. My dream schools are those you probably haven’t heard of: New College of Florida, Reed, Hampshire, and Marlboro.

My parents, on the other hand, are aching for me to go Ivy. They think that Brown (and Dartmouth) are the best schools for me, given my predilections for small and rural (Dartmouth) and intellectual (Brown).

I think Brown is a nice school, but I honest-to-goodness don’t see myself here. I feel that admissions are too competitive in a way that drowns out student personality, and I feel that I as a Brunonian would take advantage of the open curriculum and pass/fail and would not use it constructively (and profs wouldn’t run after me and yell at me/prevent me from graduating because I decided not to do any work). A school like Hampshire, on the other hand, there is pressure to get something done (in the form of a capstone project) but not so much pressure that you can’t enjoy yourself.

I also don’t know if I fit in with the Brown “vibes,” either. I think of myself as a pretty crazy person, and the school seems pretty normal and well-rounded.

Any help convincing me otherwise?