Princeton or Brown?

Kalorama
Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:50:33 +0000

I am also a Brown graduate. I found no down side to the open curriculum. It permits you the freedom to try new subjects, gives more flexibility to try dual majors too. More important than the open curriculum is that Brown has many courses, majors and seminars that are cross-disciplinary–allowing you to look at a problem, subject or question from various perspectives. The various academic departments work together (rather than in silos) to provide this type of learning. As an example, you may take a public health class that looks at issues from the standpoint of biology, public policy, economics and sociology… Princeton has much less of this cross-department collaboration than Brown. In addition, over the past several years, Brown has beefed up its advising resources, so that students can thougtfully plan out their academic choices.
Both Princeton and Brown are excellent schools with a focus on undergraduate teaching. I think it is a matter of choosing a place that values fewer rules and creativity over one that is frankly more conventional. Also, the location of the schools is very different. Brown is in a rich urban setting, with a very historical and artistic surroundings. Princeton is in a very suburban town.