Academics
Perhaps the most notable feature of a Brown education is its
open curriculum. There is no core curriculum and there are no
general requirements outside one’s major. Students, therefore,
have both great freedom and great responsibility to mold their
own educations. This situation is especially suitable to students
who want to explore a wide variety of courses and subjects,
as well as students who are confident in what they wish to pursue
and do not want to bother with classes they simply have to “get
out of the way” of their academic passion. Further contributing
to the freewheeling academic environment is Brown’s grading
policy. Students may take any course "satisfactory/no credit,"
and courses are regularly graded A, B, C, no credit, with “no
credits” not appearing on transcripts. However, students
must beware; failure to complete at least seven courses in a
semester will result in an academic warning that does go on
record, and 30 courses are needed to graduate. For the most
part, students at Brown are not overly grade conscious nor do
they emphasize preprofessionalism. Students may also create
their own concentration (i.e. major) or arrange a group independent
study project. However, they must be very mature and self-motivated
enough to blaze their own courses in Brown’s structure-free
system.
One of Brown’s biggest setbacks is its small endowment,
which has thus far prevented the university from instating a
completely need-blind admissions policy. However, the administration
has launched an extensive capital campaign aimed at creating
a need-blind policy. There are also currently about 120 University
Scholars who get their aid packages improved with extra grant
money.
Student Life
Students at Brown are pretty liberal and socially conscious—they
are also often criticized for their emphasis on political correctness.
Activism plays a major role on campus, where there always seems
to be something to protest or advocate. Gay rights, feminism,
multiculturalism, fair labor, and the environment are all popular
issues. The liberal atmosphere also goes hand in hand with the
popularity of poetry, literature, and theater.
The frat scene is minor, but does exist—about ten percent
of men and only two percent of women belong to the coed frats
and sororities. Most Brown students like to look down upon the
Greek system, although freshmen and sophomores can often be
found at their parties. As with academics, the administration
leaves most choices and responsibilities in the hands of the
students for the most part, feeling that if they are at Brown,
they are adults.
Sports aren’t very popular, with several students never
having attended an athletic event, although the intramural program
is decent. The school has decent athletic facilities and a handful
of recent Ivy League champions.
Campus Environment
Brown’s campus is located atop College Hill near downtown
Providence, which could be considered a college town since it
is also home to three other colleges. A ten-minute walk can
take students into downtown where there are many of the standard
city amenities such as restaurants and theaters. If Providence
isn’t enough, Boston is just forty-five minutes away.
Brown’s campus architecture varies widely, from Greek
to Modern. Students are guaranteed housing and required to live
on campus all four years. The dorms are all right, but are rather
basic, without much of the size and frills other Ivies offer.
Off campus housing is available for some seniors, but rents
are fairly steep for the turn of the (last) century homes that
dot the gentrified neighborhoods surrounding the university.
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