Brown University is an Ivy League institution, making it a part of the country’s most prestigious series of universities. It is famed for its “Open Curriculum” that was launched in 1970 that allows students to create their own core curriculum, as opposed to being bound to a prescribed one. 

This freedom has seen Brown’s students excel academically, with the university providing students with incredible faculty members to learn from in tight-knit class sizes; the 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a student population of just under 10,000 allows students every opportunity to benefit from close academic relationships with peers and professors alike. 

With 2,477 courses on offer, the university is noted for its History and English programmes, and the Warren Alpert Medical School also has produced esteemed talent. 

The campus of Brown University is 146 acres in size and its architecture reflects the history of Providence in that it tells the stories of the city’s development in the buildings on site. There are 235 buildings that make up the main campus and the university’s other site is the Pembroke Campus and is three blocks north of Brown’s main campus. 

University Hall is Brown’s oldest building, constructed in 1770 and is even a National Historical Landmark, and the Van Wickle Gates on the west side of campus only open three times a year and are wrought with student superstition. 

There are also numerous public transport options at Brown, with B.U.S. (Brown University Shuttle) ferrying students around campus and beyond free of charge, and students can also ride RIPTA buses or trolleys for free with their U-Pass. 

Brown University’s heritage of inspiring the best talent and academic thinkers has also fostered a series of entrepreneurial go-getters and the university has created more and more opportunities for these entrepreneurs to display these skills. 

One such opportunity is the Breakthrough Lab, an eight-week summer accelerator programme where students can hone their raw entrepreneurial talent into tangible products and services under the tutelage of industry professionals and mentors. Each B-Lab participant receives a $4,000 scholarly award to further their ideas and shared workspace at 1 Euclid Avenue. 

The Nelson Centre for Entrepreneurship is the home of all things entrepreneurial and the facilities and support found here can allow students to take the next steps towards actualisation of their dreams. 

There is a culture of research heritage at Brown University and this is reflected in the 704 Fulbright Scholars who have taught or researched in countries around the globe. 

Brown has a number of fellowship and grant programmes that can aid undergraduate students in research projects over the summer or academic year. One such fellowship is the Royce Fellowship, allowing 20 Brown undergraduates up to $4,000 to conduct research and investigation into their chosen field, and benefit from the network of researchers and facilities at Brown. These facilities and research institutes include the Annenberg Institute, Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institution, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, and more.

Careers Services at Brown University are dedicated to ensuring the futures for undergraduates and postgraduates alike and this is achieved through many ways. 

One way is through events and workshops, with CareerLAB putting on 395 employer events between 2019-2020 and with a total turnout of 19,929 students engaging with these events across that year, which goes to show the effectiveness of workshops like these and the can-do mentality of the students at Brown. 

Industry partners and connections also give Brown an edge over other universities, with over 10,000 unique employers posting jobs, internships, and work experiences through the university between 2019-2020. The university’s alumni network is also still very much involved with the university, with 12,711 emails sent by students on the BrownConnect site to alumni between 2019-2020. 

Brown has over 500 student organisations that range from political, religious, hobby-based, sports, etc. These clubs are an excellent way for students to socialise and unwind away from their studies, and the high percentage of international students who represent over 100 nationalities gives the campus a wonderful multicultural feel. 

There are 34 Division I sports teams at Brown, with 38 club teams and 18 further intramural sport offerings, so students can either go see a Bears game or take part in some sports themselves. 

Providence is the capital city of the state of Rhode Island and is a very vibrant and youthful city, ideal for students from any background. Riverwalk Park is a scenic spot to bike or walk around and the flea markets are a great place to shop locally and find great food from pop-up restaurants. 

Brown University has a reputation to uphold as one of America’s greatest universities and it does this by empowering its students to achieve the best for themselves through its “Open Curriculum” concept that has proven over 50 years to create excellent students who are work-ready and conscious of what is needed of them to succeed academically.

Funding across the board is exceptional and students can pursue their research or entrepreneurial inclinations easily at this institution. Though tough to get into due to the nature of Ivy League universities, it is easily worth trying because of the wonderful attitude towards higher education and student empowerment.