Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2010 - (Page 44)

students review The Students Review series is intended to aid prospective college students in their search by offering insiders’ views of selected colleges and universities, as expressed by current undergraduates or recent graduates who have high academic ability. Note that the number of reviewers is small. Consider their personal perspectives as only one factor as you gather information and impressions from many sources. Our reviewers include 32 students, who major(ed) in anthropology (1), applied math (2), biochemistry (1), biology (3), biophysics (1), classics (1), computer science (4), economics (3), education (1), English (1), French studies (2), geology (1), health & society (1), history (1), international relations (1), Latin American history (1), linguistics (2), math (2), music (3), neuroscience (2), physics (1), psychology (1), public policy (1), Russian studies (1) and sociology (1). (The number of majors exceeds 32 because several reviewers had double majors.) Reviewers’ comments appear within quotation marks. brown university accepted to Brown University and the school of medicine in their senior year of high school. While many Ba/md programs are accelerated, making it difficult for students to find room for non-premedical courses, PLme encourages students to gain a full undergraduate degree in any subject they choose, whether science or non-science. the mission of this innovative program is to produce socially aware and socially responsible physicians who not only have a mastery of the medical sciences but are also well educated in fields beyond medicine.” addition to all that Brown offers, “in students can take design and art courses at the nearby rhode island school of design (risd). there’s even a new five-year dualdegree program in which students earn a Ba at Brown and a Bachelor of fine arts (Bfa) at risd.” social life quality of instruction is very high. all “the quality of Academic instruction for undergraduates Brown has one of the most liberal curriculum policies around, with no core curriculum or distribution requirements. While recognizing the dangers inherent in this sort of freedom, reviewers valued the freedom it gave them to shape their own education. They also spoke glowingly of the level of attention given to undergraduate education at Brown. “excellent. Brown’s general attitude toward education is quite enlightened: students are expected to design their own educations to meet their own goals. We also have an unusual grading system: whether you take a course pass/fail or for a letter grade, if you fail, it does not appear on your official transcript. this encourages students to risk taking courses in unfamiliar areas without worrying about hurting their transcripts. i think my education was a resounding success. i wish i could have had a few more years there.” undergraduate classes are taught by Brown professors, and all Brown professors teach undergraduate classes. i found the professors to be universally friendly, accessible, and very committed to teaching.” absence of any required courses “the means that all classes are filled only with students who want to be there. People can be creative and design their own major if they don’t find one that fits their interests. Both of these features contribute to the overwhelmingly positive academic environment.” lack of required courses means that “the everyone who takes, say, a math class, is probably pretty good at math, or at least very interested in it; and that can be intimidating for students who are not confident of their abilities in that subject. But that’s where the pass/fail option is so valuable, providing a risk-free environment for experimentation.” of Brown’s unique offerings is its “one Program in Liberal medical education (PLme), an eight-year program in which students are Reviewers agreed that Brown offers students a full and lively social life. “freshman year was like being tossed into a living mulch heap: a mixture of as diverse a group of students as the admissions office could muster, and an extremely fertile environment for social growth. the social life is one of the main reasons i chose Brown. Whether you like to dance, go to plays, or protest labor violations, there is a lot to do.” over 300 student-run organizations, “With there’s plenty to do on campus—concerts, films, student theatrical productions, poetry readings, etc. and if you can’t find something to do on campus, Brown is only five minutes by foot from the heart of downtown. Providence is a beautiful city, recently revived, with a strong cultural and arts community and many fine restaurants.” of the things i loved most about “one Brown was the widespread commitment to social justice and the acknowledgement of the importance of self-reflection. Brown is a great place to find out what you really believe and what you’re passionate about. 44 imagine nov/dec 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2010

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2010
Contents
Big Questions
In My Own Words
Inside the Ropes
Get Your Hands Dirty!
The Bone Reader
The Science of Archaeology
A Window to the Past
History and Archaeology in the News
National History Day
Dig This!
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Taking the Leap
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2010