Fitting in at Brown
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Anonymous
| (I found this board through a friend in DC) |
Anonymous
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Oops, hit submit too soon. Anyway, we live in Wisconsin (northeast area) and I found this board thru a friend in DC and thus why I'm here. Anyway my child was accepted at Brown. We are pretty middle class (~140k ish income) and she obviously doesn't have experience with the prep school culture although she is obviously very smart.
I am just a little concerned about her fitting in, making friends, etc. Experiences with this? |
Anonymous
| She will have a wonderful time. Its a school full of broad minded individuals from diverse lives. Congratulations - its a fantastic school! |
Anonymous
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Brown is very much not a prep school culture school.
There are plenty of people there who went to prep schools, but also plenty of people who went to public schools, plenty from all around the country, plenty of international students, plenty of students from a variety of backgrounds and incomes and experiences. She'll find people she likes and hits it off with, and have a great time. |
Anonymous
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1. Brown is like the hippie Ivy. The cool thing to do is pretend you have nothing. Kind of like at Berkeley.
2. This type of thing needs to be your child's concern, not yours. If she/he is confident, they'll do fine. Stop borrowing problems. it would be one thing if you were saying your kid is planning to go to school in inner-city Chicago or something where violence is a worry. |
Anonymous
| I really wouldn't worry. I live about a mile from Brown and know a lot of students and alums. They come from a wide range of backgrounds from very low income to very wealthy. I think there are as many trust fund kids at Brown who are hiding their wealth than flaunting it. And, in any case, she will make a wide range of friends, some very similar to herself and some very different. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
| Far left school. I wouldn't worry. Congrats! |
Anonymous
| I wouldn't worry about the "prep school culture" in terms of wealth so much as the extremely liberal (not only politically, but also in terms of morality, sexuality, etc.) and PC culture. That's the part that could be a big adjustment, depending on the environment you're daughter's used to. Hopefully she knows what she's getting into and that's why she chose Brown . . . on the other hand, if she is very modest, conservative, religious, then I would worry. |
Anonymous
Is she really though?  Not everyone gets into Brown because of their smarts.
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Anonymous
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OP, my sibs and I grew up North of you right on the UP border. One of my sibs went East to Boston to college. It was a very different experience than Wisconsin but he adapted and thrived.
If you haven't done a visit to Brown then you definitely should. It is an absolutely beautiful campus. I honestly have never met a person who graduated from Brown who didn't love it - and I know quite a few people who chose a different school and wish they hadn't. From what I understand, the culture there is pretty open and accepting. Additionally, since it is such a 'crunchy' school, I think any kid used to Wisconsin probably will be able to fit in easily especially as far as attire and vibe goes. There will be a little culture shock to be sure but it sounds like you have a smart kid and she should be able to adapt. Congratulations to your daughter! |
Anonymous
| She will fit in fine...unless she's a Christian. |
Anonymous
By "Christian", do you mean the fundamental, proselytizing type? |
Anonymous
I mean someone who doesn't mind talking about her faith and has a biblical worldview. |
Anonymous
| I grew up in Milwaukee and knew people who went to Brown, even way back in the day. There will be others from the area. Congrats! |