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!

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.

Great convenient location to take classes if offered away from Kingston Campus while able use the…read moreresources that Providence has to offer.

From the owner: VISION The University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence…read moreCampus and the Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies play a major role in advancing the Mission of the University of Rhode Island, particularly in achieving the international standing as a leader in urban research and service opportunities in continuing education, community development, professional development and scholarship. Recognizing the world-wide trend towards urbanization, we will deepen our students' education through engagement with the rich and diverse environment that a major city provides. Through the University's Urban Grant designation, the Providence Campus and the Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies will benefit the State of Rhode Island and the world. MISSION As an educational force for positive change in an urban environment, through our community of scholars and our multi-disciplinary degree program which involves our students in the tangible problems of our State, we will prepare students to be leaders in an ever-changing world through education, innovation, and collaboration. VALUES We respect the dignity of each individual, valuing the diversity among us. We demand from members of our community an uncompromising integrity and pride, which is evident in our commitment to serve citizens of the State of Rhode Island and the immediate region.

For my 300th review I figured I needed to discuss someplace really special - and what could be more…read morespecial than my alma mater, Providence College. Although I graduated a number of years ago the lessons I learned and the strong moral foundation I received at PC stays with me every day. It gave me a strong academic foundation that eventually led me to the career I follow today. Founded in 1917, PC is steeped in intellectual traditions that date back centuries and have withstood the ravages of fashion and change. The lengthy Development of Western Civilization program provides a strong liberal arts foundation for all students and encourages a sense of scholarly inquiry that pervades every course of study at the college. Moreover, the Dominican tradition encourages a strong faith that engages the heart, mind, and soul. Attending PC, and being a part of the Providence community is a singular experience that changes a person forever - in a good, charitable, and positive way. In rating PC so highly I could talk about the many additions that have been made at the campus over the past few decades. I could go on about its technological improvements, the specialized schools, and all of the good changes and new things that have kept it a truly top-notch four-year institution. However, as a college is only as good as the students it graduates I think a brief example would suffice. Back a couple of weeks ago I entered a series of three races north of Boston. I wore my old PC sweatshirt, and after finishing I ran into a young lady wearing a PC Rugby pullover. She is a teacher, just south of Boston, and impressed me with her dedication to her career, her level of intellectual reasoning, and the overall maturity that she displayed. Over the next two races I saw her, and met some of her fellow graduates and they all impressed me the same way. If, over the course of nearly a quarter century, the quality of PC's graduates is as high as those recent ones, the school has succeeded in its mission quite admirably. St. Thomas Aquinas would be proud.

I was a student for 4 years. I can confidently say, now succeeding in life post-grad, that these…read morewere the 4 worst years of my life and I regret ever stepping foot onto Providence College's campus. Not only were the students small-minded, cliquey, and just overall rude and aggressive individuals, but the academics and opportunities within the school are severely lacking. I studied Biology on the pre-med track and was consistently bounced around between three advisors. I never got the guidance that was bragged about when I toured the school and attended each info session. My advisors never knew who I was and always seemed to lead me down the wrong track. I was merely just a kid on the conveyor belt they needed to get out in 4 years. Now as I work through all the errors made during my undergrad years, I look back and curse my advisors and the school as a whole. They guaranteed I struggled for 4 years under their dismissive eyes and now, free from their grips, I'm still having to undo all the messes they left me with. Regardless of what your degree is, this school is not for you. It does not set you up for success; your connections mean nothing and don't translate into the real world; the professors have no pull outside of the gates on Cunningham. This school is a joke of an institution and I should have transferred when I had the chance. I beg you to strongly reconsider your application or acceptance into this establishment. You are wasting your money and your mental health will curse you for years to come. Providence College....do better.

In the spring of 2024, the Brown Arts Institute introduced a new initiative. Every Saturday and…read moreSunday from April 6 through November 17 at 1:00 PM, there will be free Public Art Tours led by students. These tours will provide weekend enrichment through the exploration of Brown University's distinctive outdoor public art collection. With guidance from University Curator Nicole Wholean, students curated tours that feature a personal selection of 6 works from Brown's wide-ranging public art collection of over 30 pieces. The tour could range from 35-45 minutes. Saturday tours meet at the Eli Harvey sculpture, Bronze Bruno on the College Green. Sunday Tours meet at Tom Friedman's Circle Dance on the Campus Walk. No advance registration required, just arrive at the location before 1:00 PM. There are no public art tours on April 20 and 21, May 25 and 26, August 31, and September 1. On Sunday, August 11th, I was at Tom Friedman's Circle Dance on the Campus Walk about 12:45pm and stayed till 1:05pm, but no one showed up. The next day, I emailed artsinstitute@brown.edu and Nicole acknowledged there was a scheduling error and no one was scheduled to give a tour on Sunday. She apologized and confirmed a student will be giving a tour this Sunday, August 18th, so if I like I could try again. On Sunday, August 18th, I was at Tom Friedman's Circle Dance on the Campus Walk about 1:00pm and met Hayley, our guide. It was just a small group of 3. We started with Tom Friedman's Circle Dance which is a joyful, energetic sculpture inspired by Henri Matisse's La Danse (1910). The figures are first made a maquette out of aluminum roasting pans. Looking at this sculpture, you can feel the happiness from the figures. We then walked across the street to Maya Lin's Under the Laurentide installed at the east entrance of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) at 85 Waterman. This piece serves as a reminder of climate change and the urgency of the research taking place at the IBES. After, we walked to Simmons Quad to see the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius that stands at the rear of Sayles Hall. The statue is a copy of one now housed in the Capitoline Museum at Rome and one of only two replicas in the world. Next, we stopped at Giuseppe Penone's 2006 cast bronze sculpture entitled Idee de Pietra (Ideas of Stone). It is installed amongst the elms that create a perimeter around the Main Green and I never noticed it before even though I've walked by the Main Green plenty of times. Idee de Pietra is modeled after a nut tree, possesses a striking likeness in color, texture, and stature to the real thing. It stands 27 feet in height with a 5000 pound granite river stone is nestled amongst the branches. Balance is central to Idee de Pietra, presenting an invitation to consider the stone, perched amid the branches of the tree, as an intermediary between the forces of gravity and light. This was probably my favorite piece on the tour. My interpretation is the stone is a student and the branches around it are supporting the student either directly or indirectly. Following was an iron and stone sculpture installed in 2014 on the Quiet Green. This was designed by Martin Puryear and created as "a living site of memory, inviting reflection and fresh discovery without provoking paralysis or shame" symbolizing a move toward infinite freedom even as the weight of history remains half-buried. The sculpture serves as a crucial everyday reminder of Brown's historical ties to the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the work of Africans and African-Americans, enslaved and free, who helped build Brown University, Rhode Island, and the nation. Second to last stop was Henry Moore's Reclining Figure No. 2 -- Bridge Prop (also known as Three Piece Reclining Figure) installed on the Main Green. This is an exploration of the body through the interconnectedness of its various bifurcated pieces. The work was inspired by Waterloo Bridge, London. Last stop was the seven-foot Bronze Bruno statue sculpted by New York City animalier Eli Harvey and casted by the Gorham Manufacturing Company in 1923. This statue was paid for by $10,000 of donations from Brown alumni. Strength, courage, and endurance are inscribed on the front plaque of the bear and represents Brown University students. On the back of the bear, there is a piece of "Slate Rock" on which Roger Williams supposedly landed in 1636. I really enjoyed the free Public Art Tours led by Hayley. As she is a recent graduate of Brown University, she added antidotes about her time at Brown and the pieces she showed us were really thought provoking. Our tour finished at 1:35pm. Hayley mentioned that each tour guide curates their own tour and have their own stories about the art so it'll be a different experience each time.

2 PM Saturday, May 25, 2019…read more The elderly Caucasian woman at the returns desk allowed us to return a jacket that did not fit. It still had the tag on it. But she was very polite. When we bought clothes that fit she allowed us to cut the line and come directly to her. We were impressed.

This large green space is one of the most iconic places at Brown University. Many times, people…read moremeet at the "Quad" to hang out, to play Frisbee, to study on the grass, etc. It is surrounded by several buildings that provide this space a compact, cozy feel even though it's fairly large and spacious. Among the points of interest around the Quad include: The Van Wickle Gates (1901), Carrie Tower (1904), University Hall (1770), Hope College (1823), Manning Hall (1834), Slater Hall (1879), Rhode Island Hall (1840), and Robinson Hall (1878). Just a nice place to enjoy nature.

I love this campus. Students seem so kind and open to chatting with strangers. Very welcoming…read morefeeling. I love how everything is open and how lit up it was so I felt safe walking around campus. Lots of students walking around Sunday night which made me happy because I felt if it was busy Sunday I wonder how weekdays must be like. So, I went back Monday with some of my co-workers & fell even more in love. Students are sweet there and non-judgemental. Lots to do in the area and downtown providence is only 10 minutes away.

Orientation 2018 was great. Definitely one of the more organized events I have attended in the last…read more5 years. Campus is very nice with several great views of the Harbor. The shuttle buses are very comfortable and spacious. For $40.00, a family cant beat the value that is provided for the 2 day orientation events. Parking was free both days and families received 2 meals on the first day as well as breakfast on the second. Bookstores are equipped with both books and swag. A little pricey, but thats typical of any campus bookstore. The Harborside Bookstore was geared toward the culinary students and therefore had most of their cutlery and cooking utensils. A great addition to this tour would have been a driving tour of both the Harborside and Downcity campuses...but understand such things cost money (especially the fuel). Hope lil bro has a great time at school in the fall!

I had such a great time at the school, its so beautiful and everyone is really friendly. I can't…read morewait to attend for fall classes and really start working on being a true JWU Wildcat. The campus is perfectly groomed and I have to say for someone that doesn't like grass (like me, true city girl) they did have some comfy grassy areas to just hang out. I really liked how the buildings were set up on the habourside, with all the restaurants and starbucks (BIG PLUS) in the same area. All the culinary classes in one building and other classes in another. They were very organized when it came to the flow of the orientation schedule and definitely lessened that feeling of anxiety all beginning students have. I would recommend this school to anyone that needs a more well rounded college experience and a staff that is always willing to help you succeed.

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.

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.