When you think of an Ivy League school, do you imagine an open curriculum lacking mandatory letter grades? Well that's what you get at Brown. Since 1969, you can have the option of taking a class on a "satisfactory/no credit" and only grades of A/B/C are given. It sounds great, but it's also extremely competitive and you'll need strong academic chops to get in. Brown is also strong in sports, naturally being a part of the NCAA Division I Ivy League conference and it has one of the top 20 sports programs in country.