While many Brown students come to the University from afar, only a small percentage are from the Ocean State. According to the University’s Office of Institutional Research 2021-2022 Common Data Set, 94% of undergraduates are from out of state.
The Herald spoke with four undergraduates who fall into the 6% of students from Rhode Island about their experiences going to college in their home state.
Peyton Newman ’23
Newman attended the Narragansett Public School System her entire life.
Despite now only living 40 minutes away from where she grew up, Newman only travels back once a month. “My parents actually left Rhode Island,” she said. “So I mostly go home to see my friends.”
She added that many of her friends go to the University of Rhode Island, which makes it easy to see them.
Newman does not think that her college experience has been very different from that of other Brown students. “Once I went to college, I stayed at school,” she said.
When she was younger, Newman never envisioned attending college so close to home. “I wanted to leave Rhode Island,” she said. “I love it here, but I really wanted a change of pace and to see something new.”
But one of her high school teachers convinced her that Brown was the right fit. This teacher pointed out that Brown had all of the qualities she wanted in a college and told her she should at least explore it as an option.
Neman decided to entertain Brown as a potential college, and it ended up being the only school that she applied to within 100 miles of Narragansett.
“The rest is history,” she added.
Going to school close to where she grew up has “benefits and drawbacks,” she added, though “it’s nice to have a familiarity with everything.”
Shadi Soufan ’26
Soufan is from Pawtucket, which is roughly a 25-minute drive away from Brown, and attended Blackstone Academy Charter School — a public charter school.
In contrast to Newman, Soufan goes home every weekend and sees his friends from Rhode Island nearly every week, he wrote in an email to The Herald.
Soufan did not always plan to go to Brown. “I originally wanted to go to school in Boston — still close to family but also (in) a new environment,” he wrote. “My college decisions didn't work out in Boston and eventually Brown was my strongest option.”
He added that Brown’s proximity to his home was something that drew him to the school.
“It feels amazing to go to college so close to home because if I ever need something from home I can just go and get it,” he wrote. “If I ever have to visit my family or if there is a family emergency, I can be there” quickly.
“Since I grew up in Rhode Island, I'm used to all the amazing spots and I can show all my friends around the state,” he added.
Soufan also wrote that he does laundry at home every weekend, which saves him money.
Arissa Campbell ’26
Campbell is also from Pawtucket, but she moved to Johnston the summer before her senior year of high school. She attended Shea High School, a public school in Pawtucket.
Campbell’s family currently lives about 20 minutes from campus. “I’ve gone home a few times since the semester started, and I see my family pretty often,” she wrote in an email to The Herald. “Even if I don’t go home for the weekend, chances are that my parents will stop by to drop something off or to say hi.”
Campbell always wanted to go to Brown. “I’d heard about it throughout my life and it was a school that I always dreamt of going to,” she wrote.
“I didn’t want to go too far from home, so I only really applied to schools in New England,” she added. “I was initially weary about being so close, but when I really thought about it, I realized the benefits that being close to home brought me.”
Overall, Campbell enjoys how close her family is. “I’m still able to have that quintessential college experience living away from my parents and family,” she wrote, “but if I need something from home or if I ever get too homesick, I can easily remedy the situation with a quick trip home.”
She also wrote that she feels more connected to her high school friends because she has more opportunities to see them. “It gets so busy and overwhelming sometimes that I think people can sometimes forget to check in with family and friends over the phone,” she wrote. “Living nearby means that I can see them and catch up in person.”
Campbell is open to both leaving and staying in Rhode Island after graduation. “I do think that at that point I’ll probably want to branch out more and travel,” she added, “but we’ll see.”
Aidan LeBlanc '25
LeBlanc is from Warwick, which is approximately a 15-minute drive from Boston, and went to Toll Gate High School.
“Both of my parents work in Providence, so I’ll stop in and see them at work every once in a while,” he wrote in an email to The Herald. “Rhode Island is a really small place, so if I go to the mall, I always see someone I know, whether that be friends from high school or family.”
While LeBlanc routinely runs into old classmates in the Providence area, most of LeBlanc’s friends attend URI, which is far enough away that he does not see them often, he wrote.
LeBlanc knew about Brown growing up and often visited campus whenever he made trips to Providence. “While it was always an aspiration, the idea of applying against tens of thousands of other applicants for very few spots was always nerve-racking,” he wrote. “It joined my list of schools later than others.”
Brown’s close proximity to home also discouraged LeBlanc from adding the University to his college list until the end of his junior year.
“I always wanted to go to a school in a bigger state like California or New York to get the feel for life outside of Rhode Island,” he wrote. But “I realized the opportunities I would receive here completely outweighed the cons of living so close.”
LeBlanc has enjoyed the ease in which he is able to stay connected with his family. “I was worried going into college that my parents would be invasive of my college experience,” he wrote. “But they have been amazing about giving me space until I need family time and supporting my college journey from afar.”
“I do feel that living so close to my family allows me to stay more connected with my siblings at home, as I get to come home for dinners and talk to them about school and life,” he added. “I think it is important for our relationships to have those times together in person.”
