Hi-incoming freshman! Which pre-orientation programs do you recommend? There are soo many
The currently offered pre-orientation programs are New Scientist Catalyst, Mosaic+ Transition Program, Bonner Community Fellows Program, Excellence at Brown, Third World Transition Program, and International Orientation. What you may enjoy best highly depends on what you’re looking for.
(Note: New Scientist Catalyst and Mosaic+ must also do Excellence, TWTP, or International Orientation.)
I actually am not quite familiar with the NS Catalyst program or the Mosaic+ program, but if you identify with an underrepresented group (African American, LatinX, Chicanos, Alaska Natives, Hawaiian Native, Indigenous America, Pacific Islanders) and are interested in STEM or CS (respectively), then you should definitely check it out.
Bonner - I consulted a friend about this:
“A common misunderstanding is that it’s only just a pre-O, it’s actually a 4 year fellowship. Bonner pre-O is a part of every year you’re at Brown, it’s just advertised through pre-Os. If you want to pursue it as the way it is and understand it’s not just a pre-O, I highly recommend it to those who are dedicated to social change and social justice through community engagement! It’s also a special program that emphasizes first gen and low income folks because community service is often only sustainable in college for those who have money versus those who really care but need other jobs. Bonner itself partners you with a community nonprofit/org that you “match” with and then you commit to being with that site for 4 years since Bonner is about sustainable community engagement. On the side, you get trainings/workshops that happen in pre-O and throughout the year. You get a lovely community of first gen and low income people of color who care deeply about their communities and social change. Bonners are often seen in leadership positions across campus too, just because of the type of people we are. My experience has been amazing but it’s definitely a long-term commitment that requires time and energy every week so it’s a big decision to make even before entering college. It’s actually a new program at Brown since we’re the first Ivy to have a Bonner program, so we’ve had ups and downs with the issues of being new, but otherwise it’s been a lovely community and a really worthwhile experience.”
Excellence at Brown - I consulted another friend of mine:
“The best parts of Excellence for me were the people I met in my group and getting to speak to professors from a wide range of fields before the semester even began. Learning how to use the writing center was also super helpful. Excellence is only as much work as you make it to be. If you actually write your daily essays, cool, if you don’t, they’re not going to do shit lol. I recommend Excellence more for people who feel their writing isn’t strong and want to get a taste of what college expectations are like, and for people who think they’d take the program at least somewhat-seriously (so you’re not wasting the writing center staff’s time). I’m glad I did Excellence because through it I made my best friend and I learned a bunch of Earthquake facts thanks to a random geology seminar.”
TWTP! This pre-O is fantastic! I’m a little biased because I did this pre-O and I will also be running one of the workshops! Don’t be scared away by the name - it’s not just for students from “Third World” countries. It’s really actually about working through and learning more about being a minority (in any way) and navigating that in a predominantly white, ableist, cissexist, classist, heterosexist institution. Various workshops discuss these topics, and confidentials are available for students to attend and speak about their own concerns. I personally really loved TWTP because I loved the critical thinking and questioning about my place in society and at Brown, questioning the structure that has been imposed upon us. I especially loved the people - everyone’s really pure, really interested in helping you feel comfortable and safe. It’s predominantly run by and for people of color, people who are queer, people who may not be abled, and people who identify with a combination of these. This is also not an academic pre-O, but rather one about understanding the sort of world you might find yourself in at Brown, and creating a community at Brown to navigate this together.
International Orientation is generally for, well, international students. It allows international students to find a community at Brown amongst other international students. You can still be a part of other pre-Os.
