What do a former American Ballet Theater dancer, an ex-convict-turned-voting rights advocate and a former guitarist for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have in common? They are all alums of the University's Resumed Undergraduate Education program, and they all went through these experiences before enrolling in their first class here.
The small program offers adults who have been out of high school for six years or longer an alternative to the traditional application process. Rather than extracurriculars or SAT scores, RUE applicants are evaluated on their experiences after high school and can include people who had limited opportunities to attend college straight out of high school.
The program is highly competitive, with fewer than 10 applicants admitted each year. According to Nick Danford '11, president of the Resumed Undergraduate Students Association and a former professional ballet dancer, successful applicants to RUE have a unique experience and tell their story "in a compelling way."
"It's nice that in the (admissions) process, they look at everything you've done — all of you — rather than just what you look like on paper," said Megan Keough '14, a former ballet dancer and freelance writer.
Having abandoned traditional schooling at the age of 12 to focus on her dancing, Keough never took the SATs or ACTs. The standard admissions process would not accurately portray her when she decided to return to school, she said. "My high school transcripts were like 11-years old. What does that say about me now?"
Board room to Blue Room
While most students were busy filling out applications with extracurricular activities, students like Danford and Karima Ben Ayed '12.5 were busy pursuing careers on the stage with the Nevada Ballet Theater in Las Vegas and in a corporate office, respectively.
Ben Ayed was born in Tunisia and later lived in France and Germany before coming to the United States with her husband to study at a community college in Virginia. She worked in language instruction, corporate training and account management before returning to school.
David Salsone '12.5 also travelled before applying to Brown — through his time in the military. One of five former military members currently enrolled in the RUE program, Salsone said he lived in Bahrain for four years while serving with the Army.
"I could've stayed in telecom and taken the six-figure job that they offered," he said. But, "I honestly just had an academic curiosity."
This same curiosity has led dozens of parents, ex-military service members and former dancers — groups that Danford said RUE "loves" — to apply to the program.
"RUE is not some kind of second chance program," said Danford. " These people have very valuable experiences. They contribute just as much to the classroom experience as people who have taken the typical route."
Nate Albert '01, an RUE alum, was the guitarist for the ska band Mighty Mighty Bosstones before applying to Brown. Andres Idarraga '08 is an ex-convict who advocated for giving Rhode Island ex-felons the right to vote, a goal he accomplished during his time on campus. A state referendum approved giving ex-felons the vote in 2006, and Idarraga was able to register to vote.
RUE students often return to their professional careers again after graduation. Rachel Moore '92 was a ballet dancer before RUE — she is now the executive director of the American Ballet Theater.
Culture shock
With their less traditional backgrounds, many RUE students also carry a fair amount of baggage that can make full-time study more complicated for them than it is for other students.
The University makes a few policy exceptions for RUE students. In addition to not being required to live on-campus or purchase a meal plan, RUE students have the option to study part time. These allowances can be crucial for married students like Keough, or those who continue their professional career while enrolled and often need to commute.
But not everyone takes advantage of these exceptions. Salsone opted to live on-campus for his first semester, and Ben Ayed is currently on meal plan.
"It's a nice way … for me to meet students from my classes, to meet students I met through other organizations and sometimes to just sit at a table and chat with someone I don't know," Ben Ayed said.
For many RUE students, the greater challenge is adjusting to academic life. Keough said she had difficulty connecting with younger undergraduates on a meaningful level, while Ben Ayed said, "In my case, I wish I would socialize more, to be frank."
But these students ultimately seem to feel they connect with fellow students through common academic passions. "I'm a little different, but not in any way that matters," Salsone said. He participated in Brown Outdoor Leadership Training and briefly played on the men's crew team before National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations regarding prior education forced him to quit. He said he has undergraduate friends both within RUE community and outside of it.
Danford, recently a finalist in the Mr. Brown pageant, said he tries to live with "one foot steeply in the RUE population and one foot dancing around at house parties."
Money matters
Though RUE students generally express gratitude for the program, there is one factor many say they would change — its size.
The program's small size has a lot to do with the increased costs of attending Brown, according to Maitrayee Bhattacharyya, associate dean for diversity programs and the designated advisor for RUE students. "Brown has a very strong commitment to meeting need," and RUE is no exception, she said.
But unlike in the traditional admissions process, the program receives a set amount of money each year. The University rates RUE applicants on a need-blind basis, then accepts as many top candidates as it can fund. Bhattacharyya noted that though many RUE applicants have already excelled in professional fields, they often stop working to become full-time students.
RUE students "don't have parents who are going to pay for us," Keough said.
Accepted students said they find the aid they are provided with meets that need — with one exception. The University expects RUE students to earn roughly twice as much as traditional students for their summer earnings contribution, Keough said.
Salsone said the assumption is that their experience gives them a higher earnings potential. "It can be an assumption that's not really founded in anything," he said, noting that he cannot return to the military for a summer job.
"The Silent Program"
Students in the program describe themselves as "nontraditional."
"What does traditional mean, at the end?" Ben Ayed asked.
Though programs like RUE exist at many universities they are often not very large or well publicized.
"The information is there, but you definitely have to be looking for it or have heard about it. It's not hidden," said Bhattacharyya.
Danford said the program's size — only four students were admitted in his year — can make him "question the legitimacy of (his) nontraditional path."
Ayed said she originally applied to Brown as a transfer student without knowing about the program. Only after she had begun the application process did a University advisor tell her about RUE. At that point, Ayed said she was "told that obviously with my background — with my personal history — I wasn't necessarily considered a traditional student."
"I wish that we had a bigger presence, honestly," Keough said, calling the RUE program "the silent program."
For most RUE students, discovery of the program happens through word of mouth. Danford said a former coach was a RUE graduate and told him about the program.
As president of the Resumed Undergraduate Student Association — a group that serves both RUE students and adult students returning after extended leaves of absence — Danford said his overall goal has been "to celebrate RUE."
"If this program didn't exist, I wouldn't be at Brown," he said.
