I got rejected from Brown University in high school. It was one of my dream schools back then…read more Thankfully, life had other plans, and I'm forever grateful I ended up at my other dream school, UC Berkeley. But life has a funny way of circling back with plot twists. Over a decade later, I'm thrilled to be admitted to Brown University for my Master's! I joined the inaugural cohort of their Online Master's in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society. I didn't think I'd get into such a small, competitive program, but I shot my shot. And I got in! I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Brown campus on my own dime for grad school orientation week. Brown clearly takes very good care of its community and students. I enjoyed attending multiple events, meeting fellow Brunonians, and exploring the gorgeous New England campus. Go Bears! Once a Cal Bear, always a Cal Bear. Now officially a Brown Bear too. Head-canoning Oski and Bruno being West Coast and East Coast brothers.

First of all, Brown University has an absolutely GORGEOUS campus. Long, kind of funny story short,…read moreI stumbled upon this campus. I was exploring the area, literally, walking around taking in the beautiful scenery on a surprisingly "summer-like" fall day. And as I approached AND walked on the campus, I kept saying to myself, this has got to be a college campus... this is somebody's school. Lol! And just like that - BAM! I walked by a sign that said Brown University. My mouth dropped and I smiled big... chuckling at myself. Everything was so peaceful and well-manicured (as expected from an Ivy League school). I blended in as I perused the campus, people watching the students go about their day. I love architecture and the buildings are beautiful. It was such a pleasant time!

Absolutely gorgeous architecture that makes me think of the Musee D' Orsay in Paris and the Grand…read moreCentral Station in New York. The interior design for study books and desks are very creative, as expected of a prestigious design school such as RISD. I also enjoyed the mini free exhibit they have of Snow White pop up fairy tale books.

I feel so blessed to be kissin' on someone who works for RISD and it kind enough to max out his…read morecard with me. I mean, I don't know what the limit is actually. I just know that each time I enter the building I hold my breath and touch those amazing ornate doors that are just background to the hallway where students eat cafeteria food. As one would guess, this library is amazingly curated. I am a huge Maurice Sendak fan and I found copies of works by him that I didn't know existed. Like the first translated version of a famous Czechoslovakian fairy tale that he illustrated. I always grab a comic too. They have two sections, one for typically sized comics and one for over sized comic books. Also, the student work they showcase is always interesting. As a bibliophile I feel genuinely lucky to have this library in my home state. And I'll totally marry someone who has tenure there so I can sneakily read their books till they die.

I was in town for a short visit to attend a graduation. Two nights before I came I found this hair…read moreschool and contacted them for an appointment. I was able to schedule the first appointment on Friday morning. I arrived and checked in. I had a short wait before I was greeted by Adele who performed my services. I originally came in for a silk press but after the consultation it was recommended that I pivot to a deep conditioner and blow dry. Adele was amazing! She was attentive and knowledgeable and consulted with me about everything. She provided great services and was very attentive with my hair. I ended getting a trim and a different style than what I had originally planned but I love this even more. The prices are great too! I can't believe everything came to less than $20!!! Please bring cash for tips! You can pay for services via credit card but can't put tips on the card and the students work very hard!

I tried calling 6 different times on several different days (including twice today - over an hour…read moreapart) because I wanted to schedule a tour and enroll in their esthetics program. Each and every time I called, I was transferred and it rang for 3 minutes before hanging up. Upon calling back, the person who answered sounded annoyed as if I was the problem. She never once offered to take a message for whoever coordinates the tours. They have no voicemail to leave a message and you can't reply to the automated texts they send after you fill out their form online to schedule a tour. It just tells you to call to schedule - yet they make it unnecessarily difficult to do so. A first impression of not answering the phone on multiple occasion, hanging up on multiple occasions and having no voicemail when someone wants to enroll says a lot about this school's professionalism. After so many tries, I gave up and contacted another school that booked me for a tour in less than 1/5 of the time I spent trying to get in touch with people at Empire!

My husband and I stumbled upon it while we were looking for a playschool for my son. We were…read morelooking for a shorter program, that would just allow for some socialization. The more we read about it though, the more it seemed like a wonderful place for our son. The calming atmosphere, and wonderful routine are things that our son took to immediately. He is a cautious little boy, and very wary of people and spaces, Angel Care has brought out the absolute best in him, and in turn, helped us learn as parents, as we can see first hand how he responds to the slightest changes made. The directness, Catherine Valenti has a remarkable understanding of children and their needs. He has developed so much confidence and his language skills are incredible. He sets his place every day, he shakes hands, he puts things away (within reason- he is a toddler after all!) and although he still will act out sometimes (toddler) he is able to vocalize his frustrations and we, as parents have learned to validate them and work through them alongside our son. You can see him being proud of himself and the work he has done, and it continues on at home. One of my favorite aspects of Angel Care is that they go outside all year round, and spend lots of time outdoors having messy, muddy, glorious outdoor free time. Inside there is calm, order and routine, and outside lessons continue in a way that seems to be lost in many other places. There is a strawberry patch where my son picks and eats berries. This simple act is so meaningful, as he learns where they come from, how they form from flowers, and that he must wait until they are ripe to pick and eat them. Small life lessons in the fresh air lead to rosy cheeks and long afternoon naps! I simply cannot imagine a better place for my children's early education.

From the owner: Montessori is a unique approach to education known around the world. Not daycare, not a traditional…read moreschool-- Angel Care Montessori is a paradigm for education in Rhode Island providing a nurturing environment for children to play, learn, and grow while preparing the young child with the foundational habits for life. Angel Care Montessori was founded by master teacher Catherine Valenti in 1995 and is an extraordinary place where small hands discover, see, feel, stack, build, sort, paint, interact, sing, dance, and learn with confidence. It's a place nurturing an unparalleled vision in early childhood education for your child from 2 to 5 years.

Our daughter is currently in her second year at Child's Play. We have loved the that the school is…read moreplay-based and the co-op model has allowed us to witness her experience in the classroom firsthand. Child's Play is such a special community because of the parental involvement. It's so comforting for me to know that my daughter has both incredible teachers and fellow parents in the classroom to support her when I am not there. I cannot stress enough how truly dedicated and experienced our teachers are at Child's Play. My child requires some additional support. Between offering additional resources for her in the classroom to attending IEP meetings on their own time, the teachers at Child's Play have played a vital role in our daughter's growth and development. A maximum of 5:1 child:adult ratio has allowed her teachers to take the extra time with her when she's needed it. We are very grateful for this very understanding, knowledgeable and autism-friendly community.

We feel so lucky to have found Child's Play! We've had kids in the toddler, nursery, and preschool…read moreclassrooms. The teachers are exceptional and incredibly experienced, and the play-based curriculum is just what we were looking for. Being in the classroom as parents is such a unique experience! Most importantly, our kids love it and can't wait to go to school. Can't recommend it enough!

Arete Academics exceeded all of my expectations! The instruction, test-prep and ststudying…read moretechniques helped me increase my SAT scores by 280 points. I am now more confident overall and more competitive for the schools on my list!!

From the owner: Arete tutors help you reach your educational goals. We specialize in online and in-person tutoring…read moreand educational consulting services. This includes subject tutoring, test prep, study skills, college application guidance, elementary education and more!

I've been attending the URI CCE campus for the past few years while finishing my work to earn my…read moreB.A. The campus is easy to get to, the school gives students parking passes to park at the Convention Center (which is only 3 blocks away and they also have a shuttle service for night students to go back and forth). It's two blocks from Kennedy Plaza, so RIPTA access is easy too. Most school support services are available at this campus. However, there may an infrequent time you might have to make a trip to the main campus in Kingston for something or other.

I discovered the URI Feinstein Campus Gallery on a Gallery Night tour and have stopped by many…read moretimes since, The art is always good. I recently saw two excellent plays The Journey Out by Frank Toti and La Voce's Antigone by Anouilh in the Paff Auditorium. I beleve that Steve Pennell the Coordinator of Arts & Culture is doing a great job of making URI a part of Downcity check it out. It is much more than night classrooms

These people love children and it definitely shows! We attended a Girl Scout event here and my…read moredaughter loved it! I hope they do more events next year.

The empowerment factory is a wonderful place to learn about health and wellness. The teachers and…read morepresenters are top notch and the environment is delightful. Check out the health and wellness monthly talks coming this winter

Everyone was fabulous from Julia at the front desk entrance to Jennifer and our public safety…read moreofficer and staff

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is a private art and design school in Providence. Our…read morecity is lucky to have such a top notch liberal arts school within city limits, which allows for diversity, youth, and innovation to thrive in the area. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase the accessibility of design education to women. Today, RISD offers bachelor's and master's degree programs across 19 majors and enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. The Rhode Island School of Design Museum--which houses the school's art and design collections--is one of the largest college art museums in the United States. The Rhode Island School of Design is affiliated with Brown University, whose campus sits immediately adjacent to RISD's on Providence's College Hill. The two institutions share social and community resources and since 1900 have permitted cross-registration. Together, RISD and Brown offer dual degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. As of 2022, RISD alumni have received 10 MacArthur Genius fellowships, five Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Academy Awards. A 2016 analysis of the most successful American artists at auction found that the vast plurality held undergraduate degrees from RISD.

OVERALL - Some other medical school are old and outdated where students are expected to conform to…read morearcane rules, but not at Alpert. You can do pretty much whatever you damn well please. It's a carry over from the undergrad culture. EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE - If you spend any amount of time at this business, you'll undoubtedly run into Cindy. She is an amazing jack-of-all trade and makes sure everything runs smoothly. She looks out for me and make sure I am well-fed and happy. Even my own mother doesn't do that. Can't say enough good things about the level of customer service here. COMPLIMENTARY MEALS - One of the perks of this business (and one that they don't advertise!) is the many complimentary meals. It is not unheard heard of to go for a full week with lunch and dinner provided every day. Sometimes, there are 3 simultaneous free lunches in one day so choices abound. I go grocery shopping about once every 6 weeks! FREE WI-FI - Not only is it free. It's blazingly fast! Download speeds are routinely over 100 Mbps. Make sure you are on a gigabit connection to take full advantage of this. BATHROOMS - Bathrooms are very clean and sanitary. However, there are no paper towels. There is one bathroom in the building with two hand dryers. I recommend you wash your hands and then dry both hands simultaneously using the two hand dryers. Cuts your drying time by half. WIDESCREEN TV - Gigantic TV with 1920 x 1080 resolution all over the place. The only downside is there is no cable. Bring your own movie and make sure it's Blu-ray to enjoy the big screen. PARKING - I have heard parking is a problem, but I wouldn't know since I bike. They don't have conveniently located bike racks, so I lock my bike to the handicap ramp. Fortunately, there are no handicapped people who use the building. HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY - The sidewalk is paved with choppy cobble stone that's not very wheel-chair friendly, especially considering that the stones will chip over time. I would give it a 3 out of 5 for accessibility. CONVENIENCE - Being here for 4 years interferes with a few things in life, like your ability to travel abroad. They do insist that you learn a few facts one in a while. Not ideal, but definitely manageable. NO SHOES, NO SERVICE - They don't post the rules on the door like they do at McDonald's (nor is it posted anywhere else in the building for that matter). You don't know that they won't serve you until you walk through the door and get in trouble for not wearing shoes. Very sneaky. This is one of the things I dislike the most about this business, and why it only got 4 stars of out 5. To knock off a whole star is a little unfair. I would take 1/2 a star off if I could, but I can't. One workaround to the no shoe policy is to wear a pair of shoes past the security desk, waltz in, and then take them off. Just make sure you don't walk by the security desk again. BIG BROTHER - They have cameras everywhere here! And the security guards have access to a face recognition software. My friends and I were traipsing through a restricted access area of the building one Saturday evening. Of course, we didn't know it was a restricted area until a security officer called us out by our name, and neither of us have ever spoken to this security officer before. Don't mess with the security here - they're not your typical Rent-A-Cop. VALUE - $50,000 per year is pricey no doubt. But it's a great business and they serve a quality product. Overall, it's a solid value. If you don't believe me, just look at the thousands of people who wait around every year hoping to get in. Alpert can definitely charge more for their services based on supply and demand, but they keep their prices fair. - Stanford T.

From the owner: As Rhode Island's only school of medicine, the Warren Alpert Medical School plays a critical role…read morein training future physicians and scientists. Our graduates go on to successful careers in the full breadth of medical specialties.