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After graduating from a New England prep school, Emily Katzwell was relieved to discover everyone at Brown, the elite private college she joined, was just like her.
“I was nervous about all the big changes college would bring. So I was really happy when I realized Brown is pretty much just like the school I left. My prep school has really prepared me for this place.”
Citing elements of the student body such as lack of diversity, a high magnitude of concentrated wealth, and white corporate culture, Katzwell explained how her initial fears of fitting in were completely dispelled. “Everyone here is like me: bound by a shared set of values and privileges, so I’m not worried anymore. It’s great!”
She went on to mention how her first Friday night she was afraid to go out. But after receiving a text message from three friends who also went to her prep school and attend Brown, she felt a little better. “My friends took me to this party at the Buxton dorms. I was so nervous I wouldn’t connect with anyone. Boy was I wrong.”
Katzwell went on to describe a series of interactions between her and other partygoers in which they traded stories about ski vacations, what their favorite New York clubs were, and the merits of having multiple homes. “We connected like that!” said Katzwell, snapping her fingers together and smiling. “Some people where talking in French, and I just walked up to them and spilled out the story of the French immersion program I did in Paris when I was 16, all in French! I knew I would find friends here!”
Up in their offices, administrators are aware of the anxieties students like Katzwell can harbor. “College can be a difficult place for freshman who attended wealthy private schools to acclimate to,” said James Miller, Brown’s dean of admissions. “So we want to make the transition as seamless and comfortable for students like Emily. This place is here to serve those kinds of students.”
