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Leaving Home...
Question?
| Why would a student from Hawai'i would be willing to pack everything he owned into two suitcases and one carry-on to travel approximately 5,078 miles (with an initial heading of 51 degrees to the NE) to Providence, RI for an undergraduate degree? The Atlantic is much colder than the Pacific, strolling down Thayer is nothing like cruising through Waiks, and Bickfords just can't compete with Zippy's when you and your crew are hungry late at night... |  |
Answer
Brown University was the third college in New England and the seventh in America -- and the only one that welcomed students of all religious persuasions.
A commitment to diversity and intellectual freedom remain the hallmark of the institution today.
While facilities and programs expanded, Brown chose to keep its enrollment relatively small, with an undergraduate student-faculty ration of about 9 to 1.
Enrollment as of fall 2002 totaled 7,430 with 5,711 undergraduates, 1,396 graduate students and 323 medical students.
The main campus covers nearly 140 acres, all of it within a 10-minute walk of its hub, the College Green. The University is situated on a historic residential hill overlooking downtown Providence, a city of some 170,000 people.
Brown's unique curriculum, designed and implemented in 1969, provides students the opportunity to become architects of their educational experience. Undergraduates must pass 30 courses, demonstrate competency in writing, and complete the requirements for a concentration, or major, in order to receive a bachelor's degree from Brown. The curriculum does not require distribution or core courses outside the concentration.
Some 1,800 courses support more than 100 concentrations, many of them interdisciplinary, and a wide variety of independent studies. The degree programs for undergraduates are bachelor of arts (A.B.), bachelor of science (Sc.B.), and the combined bachelor of arts and bachelor of science (A.B./Sc.B.)
Nationally renowned for innovation in medical education, the Brown Medical School celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2000. The MD2000 curriculum encourages active engagement in and service to the community. Brown's Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) is a unique eight-year continuum that integrates undergraduate study in liberal arts with professional studies in medicine, with the aim of producing physicians enriched with the benefits of a broad education.
Brown offers 57 study abroad programs in 18 countries. Approximately 500 students take advantage of these programs each year.
The university has 34 varsity athletic teams that compete in the Ivy League at the NCAA Division I level; additionally, there are 13 club sports and 10 intramural teams.
Regarding life after Brown: 65% pursue employment in fields as varied as education, the arts, finance and public service; 35% of undergraduates pursue graduate or professional study immediately; 60% of undergraduates pursue graduate or professional study within 5 years; over 80% of students applying to medical school are accepted; well over 90% of students applying to law and business school are accepted.
Answer
In some respects a great education can only be so exciting right? I mean, Brown is still in PROVIDENCE for goodness sake!
However, you need to consider all sides of the story. Residing in Providence lets you experience life in a bustling metropolitan center without the urban sprawl associated with other big cities.
According to an article in the Honolulu Star Bulletin (10/18/2002) NYC, Jersey City, and Providence are the top three "Centered Cities". (San Francisco and Honolulu are 4 and 5 respectively)
Plus, on the east coast there are numerous modes of transportation that can easily take you to Boston (one hr. N), NYC (3 hrs. S), or D.C. (6hrs. S)
(Eh, don't be shame now! I KNOW you don't know U.S. geography past CA, OR, and WA like the back of your hand so use da map you lolo).
If Amtrak and Greyhound aren't your thing, you can fly to your destination of choice out of Providence's TF Green or Boston's Logan airport.
Visiting your homies out in SO CAL can even cost less than $200!!! Let's face it, anything out here will take you farther than The Bus can for a pretty good deal....
So, pack up your suitcases/boxes/duffle bags and come explore Brown for yourselves! Tour the statehouse, walk through the new Providence Place Mall, browse through the unique shops on Thayer and Wickenden, stop at East Side Pockets for lunch, go to Boston for dinner and a show, and be sure to let us know if you have any other questions....
Even though the eastern seaboard gets kinda frigid, experiencing seasons other than summer and a colder version of summer is amazing.
Seeing the leaves change color during autumn, walking through falling (as opposed to disgusting, melting) snow during the winter, and watching the flowers bloom during the spring is incredible!
