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In general I think Brown kids tend to be diverse, but there are definitely stereotypes floating around. Because we're in the Ivy League, there's a perception that a lot of people here are snobby and rich. Of course, some people at Brown are snobs and some are rich as well, but for the most part this doesn't really hold. Most people are friendly and nice. Among the other Ivies and elite schools I think we have an easy-going reputation because of our open curriculum and lenient policies on alcohol. This is true to some extent--I feel like we're less academically pressured and tend to party more as a whole, but we also do value our learning experiences in the classroom.

Brown is a very accepting and open-minded environment. I don't know much about the LGBTQ community here, but it does exist and definitely plays a role in campus life. There's also a fair amount of racial and ethnic diversity, and it's always interesting to meet international students here. Some people tend to hang out with cliques of friends that are similar to them but there's a lot of interaction between people of different backgrounds overall. A lot of students are financially well-off, and people here in general dress well.

Well, I guess I see Providence. Bus stops, the mall, clubs, bars, and restaurants are all close to or integrated into the campus. Brown is embedded in Providence. We do tend to be an insular community and there's a lot of talk of "getting off the hill" but at the same time Brown is an open campus. Parents walk through the main green with their children and/or pets on sunny days. We may be on a hill, but there's no clear boundary between in and off campus.

Some people study in their rooms, but this is sometimes difficult on the weekends, depending on where you live. The Sciences Library, also called the SciLi, is a very popular place, especially if you're studying in a group. Other good places include the Rockefeller Library (the Rock), a relatively new building nicknamed Smitty B, Faunce, and sometimes even the Sharpe Refectory/Ratty. Both the SciLi and the Rock have quiet study spaces if you don't want to be distracted. Smitty B and Faunce have rooms with chairs and tables that are usually available after normal class hours.

My experience is mostly with freshman dorms, and they're not always too great. Where I live there are sometimes heating or plumbing problems, though there hasn't been anything serious. A lot of the dorms are pretty old and a bit worn out. If you live in one of the bigger dorms, it might also get really loud and messy on the weekends. The sub-free dorms tend to be nicer, since the buildings are newer and the occupants are quieter. As a sophomore you can also go live in a frat or a special interest house in addition to the dorms, and the options there are better too. Upperclassmen get priority in housing and they can also opt for apartment-style living or just move off-campus altogether.

In the end, it came down to either Brown or a big well-known school in my state. I visited Brown and researched it and decided that it was a better fit for my personality and interests. I also wanted to experience living in a different part of the country, so the distance was a plus for me.

There's a large variety of dining options on campus. There are two main buffet-style cafeterias, the Ratty and the Vdub. For a meal credit, you get access to a lot of different foods, including fresh fruit and cereal and soup and salad bars and vegan/vegetarian options. The downside to these two is that the food isn't too great, but there's always something to be had. Besides these are the smaller eateries, like Jo's, the Gate, the Blue Room, and the Ivy Room. These tend to serve better, restaurant-quality food although they have less options since each has its own specialties. Besides the university eateries, there's always restaurants on Thayer Street, which is practically on-campus and very accessible. There are some cheap restaurants as well as more up-scale ones, depending on your tastes. Basically, there's a lot of options for food on campus, and if you get bored even with that you can always take a bus or walk down to Providence for more choices.