If you haven’t yet made up your mind, we think you should come to Brown. But in case a polite recommendation from a college newspaper isn’t enough, we spelled out some pros and cons to help you make your choice.
5 REASONS TO CHOOSE BROWN (not including the ever-famous Open Curriculum)
1. The people: Brown is full of students who are passionate about what they’re learning and professors who want to help along the way.
2. Providence: Over four years, you’ll get to know the city — with its bustling arts and food scene — well beyond Thayer Street.
3. RISD: If you’re interested in art and can snag a spot in VISA 0100, you’ll have access to some of the best art classes in the world. Plus, the students are intimidatingly cool, and they’re always selling beautiful crafts at various fairs across campus.
4. Spring Weekend: Every year, Brown Concert Agency brings a handful of musicians to campus for a festival on the Main Green. Inevitably, you’ll see someone perform who you can brag about in five years: Mitski, Kendrick Lamar, Phoebe Bridgers, Smino and Ari Lennox have all headlined in years past. (This year: Ethel Cain, Remi Wolf, 070 Shake, j.i.d, doechii and alice long.)
5. The social scene: You don’t need to rush a fraternity or go out to make friends — Brown students are good at meeting people by joining clubs, forming bands and playing intramural sports.
5 REASONS NOT TO GO TO BROWN (early decision kids … maybe skip this part)
1. Sports culture: Brown has its fair share of great sports teams — but if you want to go to a school that tailgates, regularly packs its football stadium or is full of school spirit, you might want to look elsewhere.
2. Providence: For all its charms, Providence is still a small city. You’ll be spending a lot of time riding trains if you’re looking for big concerts, a vibrant downtown or restaurants that stay open past 10 p.m.
3. Housing: Brown has built three new residence halls in the last two years, and many of its dorms are fine. Still, every year students clamor for a spot in Young Orchard or Wellness, in part so they can stay as far away as possible from Grad Center (a block-sized ode to brutalism).
4. Greek Life: Brown does have a handful of close-knit sororities and fraternities, but they play a fairly limited role in the wider campus social scene. If you like to go out on the weekend, you’ll often need to know what athletic team is throwing a party — or whose birthday it is.
5. January to March: Somewhere between 2 and 49 degrees. Often rainy. Maybe snowy, but it usually melts before you can even start building a snowman. Survive these two months, and you can survive the rest of your Brown career.
