Brown University Top Questions

I would say that college is an experience that you cannot truly prepare yourself for. Some of your friends may change and your outlook and interests may also shift but this is not a cause for alarm, but a part of the whole process and learning experience. Do not be afraid to take chances, college is the time to do things that you will not have the flexibility to do in the future. No matter what, make friends and stay focused, partying might be fun, but ultimately you will regret not getting started on that essay a little bit sooner.

Anticipate change. Be prepared to sacrifice anything in order to achieve what you came for, be ready to sacrifice that extra hour of sleep, that night out with friends, that phone call back home, because you will have to change in order to adapt to this extremely different environment that resembles nothing from the one you come from. Be ready to question yourself, but don?t think doubt mean you are wrong, it simply means it is time to change and redefine that aspect of your life. Be willing to put aside your pride, and acquire that humbleness that you will need when you go ask for help, because you will not know everything when you get there. Be open to many challenges that you know might seem tough, but that ultimately will provide you with a greater understanding of yourself. Do not think that this is all a clich?, do not minimize this opportunity, and do not think that you are only here to study, because you are here to start a new part of your life, and ultimately to build intellect, character, morals, values, and social skills; all of which are tools for you to function in society.

Do not let people walk all over you. You will make friends and be nice, but always remember to stand up for yourself. You are God's daughter and deserve respect and kindness from people. Stay focus, even when relationships become intense. Try not to let family issues get too much in the way of your work. Besides that be yourself and you will do fine. Actualy forget everything I just told you, because if you do not go through these events then you might not turn out to me the amazing women I am today. Don't worry you will do just fine, you are made for a great purpose.

Stay true to who you are, be open minded and outgoing, and never place too much importance on what people think of you.

College is not the end of everything.

I will tell my high school senior self that when filling the questionaire for dorm, go to the extreme. I know the person that I am and when I filled out the questionaire I was lenient because I was afraid of the extreme neat freak studious student. Now living with my roommate, it is miserable. She is sloppy and I mostly believe that she doesn't study very much. Brown's questionaire is not detailed so take the few questions that they provide into careful consideration. When coming to Brown, pack light and bring only the necessity. There are stores here that you can buy whatever you need. The first month or so you will feel that you spend too much money and are afraid that you are out of funds, don't fret about it. It's natural because you are buying the necessities and books. After the first month your expenditure will sharply decrease and if you want to live cheaply, it will be possible to spend little money.

Be confidently yourself. The pettiness of adolescence and high school is over. You were admitted because you stood out, not because you fit in. Why would you want to hide who you are, anyways? It's far more fun to be genuine than artificial. Be passionate in what you do. Your college years are few and go by surprisingly quickly, so you better make the most of them. Engage yourself fully in your classes (go to class! do the reading!) and you will feel greater satisfaction in the knowledge you gain. Attend campus events and public lectures. Get involved in student groups and develop your leadership skills. Think about your values. Adult life is far too busy and stressful to allow the breathing room necessary to think deeply about your values, desires, and personal philosophy. Just as you must rely on your formal education in adulthood, you must rely on your self-education. Take the time to consider what you want out of life; how important is national service, family, money? Have fun. You are surrounded by thousands of smart and accomplished kids who have also watched Animal House. Do crazy things and always have fun. (Alcohol definitely not required).

Don?t worry you?re going to make it. Take a deep breath. Finish out senior year strong, but don?t get too preoccupied with school. Learn to appreciate friends, family, pets, your car, your bed, and home cooked meals. Now, get excited. College is big time?you?ve been working towards this your whole life?and its almost here. College will go by faster than high school; it?s OK to feel like your head?s underwater and the whole world is flying by. Even so, try to appreciate it. Try new things. Take interesting classes that you can?t stop talking about, even on the weekends. Make new friends. Meet, flirt, kiss, repeat. Date someone. Even if it makes you feel silly, call your family, they miss you. Don?t forget where you came from, stay in touch with your friends at home. Read everything. Maintain a balance in all you do. Even if you feel like you're too busy to make the grade you want, have the social life you want, make new friends, keep the old ones, and still manage to sleep a little, slow down, relax, and remember: I Can. Learn. Find yourself.

I would tell myself not to expect too much too quickly. I came to college expecting that within a matter of weeks, I would have a strong core group of friends, have some idea about what I might want to study, be excelling in my classes, have experienced all that Providence has to offer, etc. When I got here, however, I realized that those things take time - much more time than I had expected. The transition was difficult for me because my expectations had not matched up with the reality of the situation. I would make sure that my high school self would know to make peace with whatever situation I encountered upon arriving at college and understand that the transition will take time. It is called a transition for a reason - it doesn't happen overnight. Only a couple of months into my college experience, I am still searching for many of the things I had expected. It took me a while to realize that I won't be able to obtain these things quickly, but now I am taking each day as it comes in my college experience.

The advice I would give to my senior-year self would be to be more self-evaluative and open-minded. If I had been better at juding my strengths and weaknesses, I would have had more time during my first year at Brown to explore academic interests and non-academic activities that I intially had written off. Being more open to different possibilites would have helped as well. When I came to Brown, I had the preconceived notion that I wanted to work in the media industry. I have a certain number of the requisite skills to succeed in such a field, but I should have realized earlier on that pursuing jounalism, for example, did not fit with my personality. If I had been more honest with myself and more willing to test new subjects, I would have taken what many people onsider "fluffy" courses - those involving philosophy, social/cultural theory, visual art, and performance art. Instead, like many other ambitious students, I believe those topics were below me and I focused on the social sciences. Two years later, I cannot help but wonder if I would have been better suited to such a field.

I would advise myself to keep working hard and keep dreaming big. Hard work in high school set me up academically for college. But the most important thing that I would tell myself would be to get ready for the best experiences of life: college is a place where you learn so much about yourself and others, and as a result you grow and learn so much about what life is like. Although college is about growing academically, it is very important to remember that it is also about growing personally.

Keep on keepin' on. Don't worry about anything, it'll be alright.

You really do change in college, but its largely for the better. Once you go, you'll never be the same person, and your entire perspective on the world will be different. Being scared is alright, but it also shouldn't inhibit you from doing what you truly want to. You should try new things, an lots of them. You don't have to be the best at everything. Date, party, make friends, get involved. Also, work hard, that is what you're in school for. At the same time, don't over stress about classes; the real world will be totally different from college, and down the line, you'll realize that the grade you make on that one test didn't actually matter that much. Do you're own thing and love it. Be bold. Explore.

Take intro chem and calculus your freshman year of college!!!

I think that after the immense amount of time and effort I put into college, I wish I had known that nowhere would be perfect, and any transition would be hard. There's a huge amount of internal pressure, I think, to love everything about a school when you finally go there, because people (myself included) build up the college selection process as not just finding the best fit for you, but the most perfect fit. After a hard week this year, my mom reminded me that even here, not every moment will be viewbook-style perfection. I wish I'd have reminded myself of that last year. I wish I'd have known that in high school -- I think it would have helped me be a bit more Zen about the craziness.

Don't worry! There's not too much of a transition involved from high school and home to college and dorm living. There are plenty of people around who want to become your friend, who want to hang out and will know where the closest CVS is. Just focus on going and having a great time. Everything will go amazingly. Trust me, I would know.

I would tell myself to slow down, relax, and enjoy the learning process. I would tell myself not to have a definite goal or plan in mind, but to allow myself to explore all the different options available to me.

I would tell myself to relax a little and to enjoy life a bit more. In high school, I was part of nearly every student group and had a leadership role in most of those groups. Now, while I am a member of several student groups, I find I am able to make more of a difference, being able to narrow my focus more. I have found it is sometimes a good idea to turn down leadership roles and am more honest with myself about how much responsibility I can take on. I think in high school I should have worried less about doing everything and more about how much I could do in each activity in which I was involved. With this experience and knowledge, I have been able to help create a clinic in Mali and am currently starting a non-profit organization to aid HIV-positive children in Mumbai. Knowing I have been playing a role in improving the quality of people's lives is an incredibly fulfilling feeling.

As a high school senior, I was very unsure of what sort of college I wanted to go to. Both of my older siblings had gone to Brown, and my parents (my father especially) wanted me to go to Brown as well. Since I didn't have a well defined idea of what school I wanted to be at, I was influenced by my family's desires. With my experience at Brown so far, which has certainly not been all bad, I know that I would be happier at a smaller school. This is what I would tell my high-school-senior-self. I would also encourage myself to go to a less academically rigorous school, because here at Brown I spend much of my time staying on top of my course work. With this knowledge I think I would have been able to make a better college decision, a decision with me in mind, rather than the other members of my family. But, regret yields nothing good and since I don't want to transfer (I think the transition would just be too hard), I'm determined to make my remaining time at Brown the best it can be.

Shop a lot of classes, try new things, do the reading and don't be afraid of hard classes, give people lots of chances.

For one, I would tell myself to lower my expectations and be slightly more realistic about the maturity level of the students who will be attending your university. Also, I would be sure to emphasize sorting out my major as early as possible and then discovering more about the university. Furthermore, I would advise paying closer attention to my schoolwork and to be more aggressive concerning volunteer work and career-searching. Lastly, I'd suggest getting a job as soon as possible, and either changing my freshman year dorm assignment or exploring the environment outside of my freshman year dorm.

Try to make as many friends as you can and socialize in the beginning of college life. You don;t want to find yourself being lonely.

It is not difficult to adjust to academic life on campus. Learning in college is fun and there are so many interesting classes to take. Although some classes may seem daunting, with enough effort anything can be achieved. If you study and keep track of what is needed for each course then there is no problem getting the highest grade possible, even at an Ivy League school like Brown. Set time aside to focus on each subject that is not completely clear and all the material will make perfect sense. When it comes to social life, everyone here is so different and unique that all are accepted for each aspect of who they are, and there is no reason to worry or be embarrassed about one's interests, background, appearance, personal identity, etc. The best thing to do is to join clubs; since the student body here is so diverse, there are clubs for almost anything, and it is a great way to meet people with whom you have many things in common. It provides networking opportunities for when you graduate and start your career, and it is a chance to make life-long friends.

Passion is the secret to success. Try new things, such as interesting classes and fun extracurriculars, that will make you explore things that you have always felt would be intriguing but never had the chance to try or felt did not align with the path you have chosen. Now is the time to do things that will make your life something special. If you can succeed in making yourself happy with what you are doing, then the world will be a better place. People say that college (and life in general) are about finding yourself. The truth is that, if you open yourself up to new possibilities, you can make yourself the person others need to see and the one that you want to become.

Be prepared for the best four years of your life. Know that academics come first and don't overcommit and spread yourself too thin in terms of work load and extra ciriculars. Most importantly, have a good time and don't sweat the small stuff.

That freshman year of college was a very scary and lonely time. I was so upset about being uprooted that I did not take advantage of the many and exciting opportunities presented to me. Two years later, I sit here annoyed with myself for wasting one of the best years of my life mourning the past. With this in mind, I would urge my seventeen year old self to shake off the nerves. Everyone is anxious! It is necessary to step outside of one's comfort zone in order to make a college home. I may regret that wasted freshman year, however I know that I am a stronger and more determined individual because of it, in that never do I want to relive that loneliness again.

So many times I have thought, "I should have taken that course over this one," or, "What if I had gone to art school?" The road to my concentrations (what majors are called at Brown University) has had its share of bends and turns...even U-turns. This fall I will be a junior, and I have not even formally declared my second intended concentration, computer science. I have wished that I had taken the introductory CS courses during my first semester at Brown, that way the 9th or 10th semesters that may be on my plate would disappear. That said, those bends and turns ARE part of the road. Without them, I may not have found computer science...or brilliant artists...or my brilliant friends. If I were to go back to my senior year self, I would say to embrace the road. There is nothing you can do to change what is behind you, so take your exact experiences and histories with you to make informed decisions about which direction your road will take next.

I think the most important thing to do is to realize that there are a lot of places where you can be happy. People can get so stressed out about trying to get into the right college, when the truth is they might have just as great an experience somewhere else. Be realistic about what you options are, and remember that, especially if you're trying to get into the top tier schools, admissions decisions can be very arbitrary and you should try very hard not to take rejection personally. As far as making the most of one's college experience, I think it's important to always be open to making new friends. There are a ton of extracurricular activities at virtually every college or university I've ever heard of, and they're a great way not only to make friends but to be involved in the world outside of school. Getting too engrossed in schoolwork risks warping your view of the world. That being said, going to class is very important too; a good balance is difficult to find but essential nonetheless. Finally, don't worry too much about drinking/drugs; just talk honestly to your kids!

Don't let finances necessarily keep you from applying to where you want to go. Pick a school that matches your personality - learning style, social scene, living conditions and work ethic. Talk to people who go to the school as well as administrators. Visit if you can to get a feel for what life there might be like, and remember to balance work and play once you're there. There's so much to do, but if you manage things the right way, you can enjoy all of it.

In advising my peers and talking to numerous prospective students, I have come to believe that far too many high-school students today (along with their parents) believe that there is only one school and one path for their future. They put so much pressure on themselves to get in to highly competitive schools and be perfect, with perfect GPAs and perfect SATs. Few high school students can know for certain what they want to do with their lived and how to begin life after high school. The best thing they can do is to choose a school that they honestly believe will be a home to them and will create lasting memories.

Choosing the right college is one of the most important choices that a student makes in their life, and also one of the most difficult to make. However, when searching for the right college, individuals must be true to themselves. It is important for students to pursue their own interests at a college that best suits not only those interests but also their personality; one cannot get caught up in the name or prestige of the school. If it feels comfortable and right for you, then the name or status should not matter. For parents, it is simple - give your son or daughter the freedom to make the desicion for themselve, do not push your interests or feelings about a certain school. After all, it is the student not the parent that will spend four years of their life at a particular school. And, as for the college experience, it is once again important to just be yourself and not try to fit in for popularity. Nearly every school will have people just like you, people who feel the same and have same interests. You will get the most out of school if you allow yourself to be yourself.

Visit the college, get a feel for the campus and its the surrounding area, the students and their social life, the departments and their courses, and the extracurricular, vocational, artistic, etc. offerings of the school and how well they're used by students.

I would say choose an environment where you think you had the chance to both fit in and feel welcome and have the opportunity to have some serious personal growth.

I would like to tell parents and students that even though research is the best policy when looking for the right school, you should also let your heart help you pick, because the resources available in the school are what is going to prepare you for a future career, but it's the passion in your heart that's going to make you successful.

Be open minded. If your parents have always wanted you to be a doctor or a lawyer, take that into consideration when choosing your school and your major, but don't let it be set in stone. College is only what you make of it. If you go in with too many or too few expectations, you won't get what you want. Be informed, be passionate. Be unsure of yourself sometimes. Don't let yourself get caught up in how useful your degree is going to be. If you're learning about things you love, you will find a way to use your degree once you have it. Visit schools. Choose a school that makes you feel at home, not just because it has the right program. Love what you're doing, no matter what it is. Strive to be able to look back at your college experience and know that you did what was right for you. You are the most important person in your life. Make yourself happy, however you can.

The best way to find the right college is to really think about the student's academic and extracurricular interests as well as the kind of community he or she would like to be a part of. For example, I knew I wanted to attend a prestigious and academically challenging university that was also diverse and placed great emphasis on the quality of life of its undergraduate students. Brown University encompassed those qualities, which is why it was my top choice. As far as making the most of the college experience, my number one recommendation would be to take advantage of all of the resources offered by the school. Asking questions and asking for help are a key to succeeding in college, both academically and personally.

First, have an open mind and an open heart! When finding the right college students have to take everything into consideration such as academics, athletics, social life, etc. If he or she is not comfortable with a certain choice they will not be able to make the most of their college experience. Also, one of the most important things I've learned is to not set your heart on one college that you hope to get accepted to. Being closed minded will only devistate you more if you are not accepted to your top choice. Have many different options because students have to realize, more and more qualified individuals are applying to the same schools and it's not as easy to be accepted. Everything happens for a reason and know that if you are not accepted to a certain school there are many other schools out there that will be a perfect fit. College iis the opportunity of a lifetime, have no regrets and you will succeed! As for the parents you have to be patient and supportive throughout the entire process. Give advice and guidance because you are who your child looks up to the most!

Ask the right questions during the college search. Don't feel obligated to choose the most selective school that accepts you simply because of its reputable name?make sure you are considering everything that is important to you. This will involve some soul-searching and self-discovery, but will be vital to your comfort and satisfaction with your decision. Urban campus? Rural? Suburban? Tens of thousands of students? Commuter school? Smaller than your high school? How often will you want to travle home, and how will you travel? What region do you want to be in? What are your interests, and what does the campus have to offer you in that way? How much like your peers do you hope to be? But don't be afraid to take risks! You have four years to try something new. Go out of state if you have the means, or choose a campus known for it's diversity. It could make your college experience culturally enriching, beyond what you will expect from the classroom.

Don't get too stressed about it. Apply where you honsetly think you fit and write great essays that show how much you love the school. Essay readers will see this!! Visit lots of places and see what excites you and makes you feel at home. Talk to alum!

Visit the college before accepting an offer of admission. Meeting the people and walking through the campus will be a reality test for students who will be living away from home for the first time.

Two of the main points I looked at when choosing a college were location and academics. Personally, I wanted a huge change. I wanted to challenge myself and push my independence to the next level. In order to do this, I chose to attend college on the opposite side of the country at Brown University in Providence. For me, this was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being away from my family and friends and everything familiar was difficult at first, but it challenged me to explore different parts of my individuality and fostered a stronger sense of independence. College is supposed to help you find your path in life and acquire tools to succeed in that life. Going away for college and attending a rigorous academic university was a great way to acquire those skills for success and foster them in a safe, intriguing environment. When choosing a school, I think you just really have to consider what suits you best and what's most important to you. For me, I just had a feeling of belonging when I first visited Brown. I knew I could make it my home, and I have.

I strongly suggest to visit the school before hand and maybe spend a night there with a student. It is good to go to the classes and meet some of the students. Experiencing college life for just one night can be really helpful in deciding what kind of school you want to attend.

I would say that finding the right college is a very daunting task and it takes time and not to choose too quickly. I would say to apply to at least 10 colleges/universities, the more options the better. As for making the most of one's college experience, one has to maximize the resources that are available and take chances socially and academically.

Try and think about things you will want in two or three years, not just what you want to do right now. After two years, you might look on some things you thought of as important and laugh at how trivial they are, and some things you never thought of are incredibly important now.

While I do really think that being happy at the college you choose is to some extent a state of mind (ie have a positive attitude and actively seek out the campus resources that will fill in the holes when you find something lacking), there are a few things that parents and students can be aware of before making such an important decision. Forget about prestige! The days of blindly applying to a school based on status, without even visiting or speaking to current students, are over; a college education today is much more about being comfortable with yourself as a person and giving yourself the knowledge and tools to get a head start on life. Visit the prospective school you love, ask current students who love the school what other similar schools they had applied to in order to round out your pool (and increase your chances at finding the right fit for you!), and make sure that this school can give you the size, support and activities that you are used to. In the end, college should challenge and shape you, but you already have 18 years of habits and passions - make sure this school complements those needs.

It does not matter if you get into your first choice school, what is important is that you make those most of your experience there. Each college and university is there for you, the student, so make sure you take full advantage of your professors, advisors and fellow students. The other students are there for the same reasons as you are, to learn, by using eachother as a resource for academic and other purposes you will grow and enjoy college that much more. Make the most of every situation and you are sure to be rewarded.

Students and parents should make their best effort to visit as many campus' they can in order to get a feel for the college or university. Student's happiness and satisfaction have alot to do with their innate feelings about the look and feel of a campus.

When looking for the right college for yourself, or for you son/daughter, it can most definitely be overwhelming. When first approaching this process firstly figure out what you want out of your college. Do you want a small, medium or big campus? Would you rather be in urban, rural or suburban surroundings? Questions like these can help to eliminate a lot of places. Then consider what kind of social scene you would prefer. How important is diversity to you? Just figure out what you want and allign colleges with these desires. Once in college, try to take full advantage of all the college is offering. Join clubs, sports and even take a look at the sorority/fraternity life. College is not just about the education. This college is going to be your home (if you go away to college). There are educational values and there are life lessons to be had. With this in mind, get out there and actually experience college. Have fun and work hard. Learn to balance, and enjoy it while you have it.

Parents and studens should know that nothing can ever replicate the true college experience. Guided tours and information sessions are geared towards recruiting new applicants first and foremost. The priority of these events is not always giving prospective students a real "feel" for their insitution. Furthermore, often parents and potential students get caught up in the figures; but numbers, percents, and ratios do not accurately represent a school. What is important is the human aspect of a college or university. The way to get a true feel for any college is to talk to current students. They are the ones who are really experiencing all that a school has to offer and they are your potential fellow peers and friends. It will be easy to tell in a short conversation how happy students are with their school. College students are friendly and talkative and they have no motive to be anything but honest! If you see students lounging around in groups in the dining halls or on the quad just go right up and ask them some questions!

Definitely visit, ask current students, and relax.