In 2023, Brown became a founding member of the Small Town and Rural Students College Network. Since then, the University has continued to expand its support for rural students, including creating a rural-specific orientation group this year.
According to The Herald’s first year poll, approximately 10% of incoming students come from rural areas globally. Brown’s admitted class has seen a 13% increase in the share of rural students over the past two years, data from the Office of Admission shows.
Morgan Anderson ’27, a rural student herself and leader of the Bruno orientation group, told The Herald that she aimed to create an open and comfortable atmosphere for new students. She encouraged students to ask many questions and take advantage of the University’s resources, including attending office hours and utilizing academic advising.
Santosh Manikandan ’28, who grew up first in O’Fallon, Missouri and more recently in Whitesville, Missouri, a community of just over 2,000 residents, was one of the students in Anderson’s Bruno group.
“It was nice to connect to people who had some of the same fears as I did,” he said. Manikandan explained that many resources that are ubiquitous in metropolitan areas can actually function as challenging novelties for students coming from smaller communities.
Anderson echoed this sentiment, noting that navigating the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority can be perplexing for those who grew up in areas without public transportation.
In addition to creating a rural-specific orientation group, Brown has offered fly-in programs at no cost for rural students since 2019. Since then, the program has expanded with the launch of the STARS college network.
This coming weekend, the Office of Admission will host a fly-in program for college counselors in rural areas.
Hadley Cook ’28, another member of Anderson’s orientation group, said she enjoyed the opportunity to be with other rural students during orientation. “There were a lot of jokes about growing up in the middle of nowhere and almost getting hit by cars crossing the street here,” Cook told The Herald.
“It was nice to have people with similar backgrounds,” she added.
Talia LeVine is a senior staff writer covering admissions and financial aid. They study Political Science and Visual Art with a focus on photography. In their free time, they can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee.
