<p>Hey guys. I am going to be a senior this year and I think I am done with all of my college visits. After the visits, the two schools that I narrowed my ED choice down to are Penn and Brown. Assuming that I am qualified for both schools (i know this is subjective, but i want info about the schools themselves, not my chances at them). </p>
<p>Coming into the college search, I was pretty sure that I wanted to be in a city, and my family had ties to Penn (my uncle went there, but my parents love it). When I went to Penn, I really did love it. I love that I can go into Philly whenever I want, and I also think it is an extraordinarily beautiful school. Academically it is incredible but the academic program itself is nothing special (requirements in some areas- not as hardcore as Columbia, but not as lax as Brown). I also like the fact that it really really encourages undergrad research. I thought that Franklin Field is SO cool and old-school, and that the quad looked great. So in general, I could definitely see myself going there and being happy there.</p>
<p>However I have been recently thinking that some of my love for Penn has been because of the possibilty that my parents have subconsciously pushed me towards Penn. So, I thought back to other schools and I realized now that I really did like Brown. Academically, like Penn, it is incredible, but it also has a FASCINATING academic program (at least in my opinion). The idea that every single class that I am in will have students that have SELECTED to be in that class and that students can choose their own Brown curriculum really intrigued me. The freedom is really enticing. Thayer street seemed pretty cool. The campus itself is very beautiful, but Providence itself is pretty seedy (in my opnion). Providence doesn’t really compare to Philly in terms of being a “city”. I also have this idea (idk why) that most Brown students are artsy/hippie, and I am not like that at all. I don’t want to be an outsider at a school where I think I will thrive due to the freedom offered.
Are any of my perceptions totally off? I need some help making this decision. The aforementioned paragraphs are just me thinking stuff out. I thought that just MAYBE if some of you guys heard all of my thoughts, then you might have some recommendations. Thanks a lot in advance</p>
<p>I would go to Penn, you can’t beat Philly. Also, as far as not having as much freedom as you would at Brown, well that could be a good thing. It’s good to get a well-rounded education and take classes that you normally wouldn’t take.</p>
<p>yeah thats true, but you can look at that from the other way too. i mean, at Brown I remember them saying that you could take some classes pass/fail so that you can experiment with classes that you normally wouldnt take- and this is supposedly a common thing to do.
I know you can’t beat Philly- I love it there. HOWEVER, you don’t go to Brown for Providence, you go for Brown, ya know? Philly is a perk for Penn, but it wouldnt be the reason</p>
<p>Though I do respect both schools equally, I think that if you want Brown, you have to be on board with the whole package. Brown is very into being Brown, and the students I know there seem to stand quite solidly behind their image of Brown, which starts with the open curriculum but continues into an overall outlook and approach to life. That’s my impression, at least.</p>
<p>Penn, I think, means different things to different people, among the College, Wharton, its engineering school, and its often overlooked nursing school. I think one would find a wider array of personalities and outlooks at Penn than at Brown.</p>
<p>Another note: a few course requirements never hurt anybody. At Brown, you’ll be able to choose all of your courses; at Penn, you’ll be able to choose all of them too, though your selection may be slightly hindered by distribution requirements.</p>
<p>yeah I understand that. Personally if I were to apply to Penn I would apply to the College (fyi). I kind of get that whole thing about Brown. I still don’t know though. I’m not saying that the requirements at Penn are necessarily a bad thing, but I just think that the open curriculum that Brown has is a lot more intriguing.
As I think about this, I wonder- If I am not feeling AH I LOVE BROWN and have that whole mentality thing- does that mean that it isn’t for me? (this is based on what unalove said)</p>
<p>unregistered- i’m not SO OBSESSED with teh open curriculum that I definitely want a school that has one- it is just one element that is factored in when I’m going to choose the school. it just seems interesting</p>
<p>I know it gets ragged on a lot, but I think Brown is an academically amazing school. Of all the schools we visited, only Chicago IMO had a more intellectually exciting feel about it.( You know when you can close your eyes and hear just great conversation happening all around you?) Brown kids just seemed so cool and self possessed. So adult.</p>
<p>And I looooooooved their admissions staff and the prof who so kindly exchanged many emails with son. </p>
<p>Penn is gorgeous. Philly is my favorite city. But my son felt that it was way too preprofessional.(And he wants to be a lawyer ) And I felt that preprofessional aside, the kids seemed a tad immature. There are definitely groups and cliques.</p>
<p>^ I’m not sure how you can judge the relative maturity or “preprofessionalism” of 9600 kids spread among 4 different undergraduate schools based on one campus visit.</p>
<p>In any event, Penn offers a breadth and depth of academic opportunity unmatched by any of its peers. The school takes the interdisciplinary potential of its 4 undergrad schools very seriously, and encourages students to take courses in more than one school. Given the strength of many of Penn’s liberal arts departments (several ranked in the top 10 or so), its extraordinary research opportunities, its number-one undergrad business school, its top-3 nursing school, and its engineering school (with, e.g., top biomedical engineering and nanotechnology programs), it really offers a diverse academic package that’s hard to beat.</p>
<p>And yes, you’ll find lots of preprofessional types drawn to Wharton, Nursing, Engineering, and Penn’s excellent placement in law, medical, and business schools, but you’ll also find many students drawn to Penn’s leading liberal arts departments, research opportunities, and other “academic” attractions.</p>
<p>I’m at the campus a fair amount. My writers group has a few Penn students. Plus…they have an awesome ancient antiquties museum. Saying all that…the campus doesn’t give off an academic vibe.</p>
<p>And 45 Percenter, on my son’s tour of Penn there were kids making fun of the guide. The embarrassed guide in turn told the group ‘dont worry, you can avoid the as**oles.’ I hadn’t expected that kind of behavior knowing the 3 students in our writing group. Sorry, but that kind of thing is immature and wasn’t experienced at ANY of the other schools we visited.</p>
<p>^ I’m at the campus a fair amount also, but I don’t remember ever seeing YOU there. :p</p>
<p>Seriously, though–that’s an unfortunate incident with a few Penn students, but it’s unfair to paint all 9600 with a broad brush stroke of immaturity. I’m sure there are some of those types at every school. Plus, you don’t know what the relationship may have been between the kids making fun and the guide (friends, etc.). In any event, the 3 students in your writing group may typify the school more than the others.</p>
<p>Plus, I don’t know what you mean by “the campus doesn’t give off an academic vibe”. There is more academic research occurring at Penn than at all but a handful of other schools. You can’t get much more academic than that. If you mean that Penn isn’t quiet and monastic, and has a healthy social life and lots of activities, well then, you’re right.</p>
<p>I think it’s just a matter of fit, but I wasn’t speaking quiet and monastic. More like excited chatter as class room discussion morphs into down time. I noticed at Brown as well as Chicago that there doesn’t seem a fear of letting your geek flag fly. Penn kids seem to hang, closely guarding their out of class time from stuff like that.</p>
<p>Of course my writing buds are an endless stream of chatter at the White Dog…but that could be because I often treat:)</p>
<p>bb, I would say that this is a classic case of when NOT to apply ED. Other than being urban ivies, Penn and Brown are on opposite sides of the personality spectrum. I don’t think the difference between Providence and Philly is as significant as the difference between the Brown and Penn personas. </p>
<p>You should apply RD and overnight at both after you’re accepted. You don’t mention the rest of your list, but I’d make sure it includes some less selectives.</p>
<p>momrath- the thing is though, that i really do like both. i do understand that ED should only be for the ONE school that you are as close to 100% as possible that the school is the one for you. saying that, i’m sure all of you are well aware of the competition nowadays that exists with ESPECIALLY the top schools. ED undoubtedly gives you a leg up in admissions at whatever school you apply to. I’ve concluded that since i have identified two schools that i am PRETTY sure I would be very happy at, then I should apply ED to one of those schools to increase my chances at one of those schools. I mean, I think it makes good sense. am i wrong?</p>
<p>Ramses, you treat me to the White Dog some time and I’ll be more than happy to come endlessly chatter. </p>
<p>The Penn kids I’ve known through the years have never had a problem chattering about anything, including academic subjects, politics, philosophy, the meaning of life, etc. Again, at all 3 schools (Penn, Brown, Chicago), we’re talking about thousands of kids, and I think you’d have to spend a lot of time with a lot of kids at each school to really get a feel for what they’re like. And even then, with 9600 undergrads at Penn, there really isn’t one type of kid (as you’ve seen with your writing buds). In fact, you’d no doubt find at Penn at least as many chatty kids as you’d find at Brown and Chicago.</p>
<ol>
<li>REAL Philly cheesesteaks from Pat’s or Geno’s.</li>
<li>Ralph’s Italian Restaurant in South Philly.</li>
<li>The food trucks with inexpensive, quick lunches all around Penn.</li>
<li>Sang Kee Peking Duck House in Philly Chinatown.</li>
</ol>
<p>haha thanks phorid- i’m not sure if that is going to tip the balance, but its good to know. by the way- not to be rude or anything, but why does chicago keep coming up?</p>
) And I felt that preprofessional aside, the kids seemed a tad immature. There are definitely groups and cliques.</p>
</p>