While this year’s high school graduates already know where they are going to study this fall, next year graduates might be still thinking about where to go.
There are local universities such as Oakland, WSU, MSU or UM to choose from, but there are also Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Princeton, Cornell or Brown. Yes, the latter are expensive and somewhat elitest schools, known for picking and choosing their freshmen, but they are also schools which give students a great start in life and often substantial financial aid, as well as generous scholarships. This is not to say that our Michigan schools do not offer a very good education. Venturing further from home, exploring more of the vast US, and living on their own, might, however, be a very enticing option for many young people.
Take the brothers Konrad and Mateusz, born in the US to Polish immigrants. They both graduated from Brown University: Mateusz graduated this May with two bachelor’s degrees, in Economics and in East Asian Studies (Korean), while Konrad, the older brother two years ago finished the eight-year MD program and is now a resident in neurosurgery in Kentucky.
Mateusz, almost 22 years old, who is soon starting his first job in the banking industry, does not have any debt (!!!), as almost the entire cost of his studies was covered by financial aid and scholarships.
It goes without saying that both brothers are very talented, driven and hardworking, but what makes them different from many other Polish Americans is that they decided to take a leap of faith and apply to a university which could be considered by many Polish American families beyond their children’s reach.
In the decision-making process which occurred prior to settling on Brown, one should not underestimate the role of their parents, who were very active in researching and exploring different educational possibilities for their sons.
Why did first Konrad and then Mateusz get in to Brown? As we well know, excellent grades and high SAT scores combined with extracurricular activities and volunteering still might not be enough to get in. Both brothers speak fluent Polish due to their parents’ diligence and insistence on speaking Polish at home – a familiar story to many Polish American parents and children – and they first attended Catholic schools, then an International Academy; they play musical instruments, and practice taekwondo among other things.
Konrad and Mateusz are not sure what gave them the edge which got them in to Brown, where the acceptance rate is around 5%. Possibly it was the well-written essays in which they described their family’s perseverance and determination to provide them with the best education possible. This Polish American story might have resonated with the university and resulted in it offering the brothers very considerable financial support which allowed them to live far away from home (Brown University is in Providence, Rhode Island), and study at one of the most selective and prestigious universities in the country.
The undergraduate curriculum at Brown gives students a large measure of freedom in choosing what courses they want to take. There are of course prerequisites they need to take to be able to enroll in more specialized, core curriculum courses, but no general education requirements, except for writing. In addition, students are allowed to design their own concentration of studies, if they choose to do so.
To get a fuller picture of the “Brown experience” we need to add to this a very active, vibrant student life, with over 400 student organizations focusing on academics, culture or social causes, and many opportunities to conduct undergraduate research.
This arrangement encourages and allows for all sorts of intellectual pursuits, stimulates individual growth and results in Brunonians – that’s what Brown alumni are called – being well-rounded and highly desirable on the job market.
As we read in Brown’s history: “Brown was founded in 1764 — the third college in New England and the seventh in Colonial America. Brown was the first Ivy League school to accept students from all religious affiliations, a testament to the spirit of openness that still typifies Brown today.”
During his four years at Brown Mateusz was a competitive player on the university eGaming team and danced in a Korean pop group (DAEBAK K-pop Dance Association), while Konrad, the older brother, perfected his knowledge of the Polish language, was a member of a Catholic group, practiced taekwondo and conducted extensive undergraduate research.
The brothers’ success is also shared by their parents, who like many Polish American parents, highly value education, and did everything they could to support their sons. This included many car trips to Providence, as well as supplying their sons with their favorite home-cooked foods.
If you are a high school student facing the choice of university, or a parent of such a student, we hope that after reading this story, you will feel encouraged to try your chances at one of the prestigious American universities, such as Brown. You might be surprised that this type of education, perceived as elitest and very pricey, might be actually affordable.
As a point of interest, Polish language and film are taught at Brown by Dr. Paulina Duda, a visiting assistant professor of Slavic Studies, whose position is supported jointly by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA), and the Kosciuszko Foundation.
