(I posted on here a few weeks ago for Dartmouth vs Duke, but decided against Duke after visiting.)
Intended major: Cognitive science (not sure though)
Similarities: New England Ivies with lots of research opportunities for students, especially in the life sciences/medicine
Costs: Dartmouth $45K/yr, Brown $65K/yr
Dartmouth Pros
- The Dartmouth Outing Club and general outdoorsiness
- Active Hillel that is smaller and more tight-knit than Brown
- Traditions and campus culture taken very seriously
- Strong alumni network
- Quarter system sounds great to me
Dartmouth Cons - Almost a 3 hour drive from my hometown
- According to my student host today, you have to be very self-motivated to take full advantage of the resources, which I'm not sure I am
- A majority of students end up in finance, which is not my thing
- COLD and DARK
Brown Pros
- Amazing freshman dorms, at least those I saw on South Campus
- Only 30 minutes from home
- I already know students here, including good friends (7 others from my grade are going)
- More opportunities to do stuff off campus around the city
- Gives more personalized guidance to students
- Open curriculum gives a lot of freedom to explore different fields
Brown Cons - More students, so less of a tight-knit community
- Not as academically rigorous
- Didn't like the vibe of the Hillel as much
Tiebreaking considerations
- I just want to know what you guys think: is it better to be in a challenging environment that will force me out of my comfort zone (Dartmouth) or an environment that feels familiar and friendly, and will basically let me do whatever I want (Brown)? Of course there is the financial consideration as well.