<p>So Brown is basically my favorite school ever, and I have a few questions about admissions
- I know grades/SAT/ACT are important. This is just a random type of question. </p>
<p>So - According to college board, the popular majors at Brown are typically under : </p>
<pre><code>* Social Sciences: 45%
- Other: 25%
- Biology: 19%
- Physical Sciences: 11%
</code></pre>
<p>I want to major in Psych./ Political Sci. and it looks like those are popular, so would it be more difficult for admission since I’m choosing the popular majors?</p>
<p>I hope others will comment, but I have never seen any talk to suggest that Brown takes the major into so much consideration as some schools do. It seems to me that they are more concerned with the applicant. However, it does seem as if they court science majors a bit. Not sure why they then ask them to write an additional essay (if they are still), unless most applicants view that as a benefit to get to present themselves further.</p>
<p>For one example, my daughter applied as undeclared. Although she had a pretty strong physical science background in coursework and EC and was pretty sure to pick a science major according to her. But she looked real good on paper for English type major, and the SAT v was the higher score.</p>
<p>Are you considering that popular major --'Other: 25%'?</p>
<p>We don't create a class around expected concentration.</p>
<p>FWIW, the numbers are more like 40% "sciences", 30% humanities, 30% social sciences.</p>
<p>I'm going to present a different point of view. Brown does very much care about majors. It just built a very big, very expensive science building -- believe me, it wants to make sure its labs are full with smart, talented science majors. Brown makes extra efforts to make sure it has engineering students. A female science major (especially sciences like physics and engineering) has an easier chance of being accepted over a female English major. </p>
<p>Plenty of social science majors and undecideds get accepted. But many apply, too. I can't provide hard numbers. But all my discussions with admissions and other university administrators suggests that certain majors are institutional priorities, and students who express interest in (and have demonstrated that interest in a concrete way) will be noticed in the admissions process.</p>
<p>Institutional priority doesn't exist for an area like life sciences which is our largest area of concentrators. That building was a response to facilities which had not kept up with the tremendous growth in that area, not as a forward-looking venture.</p>
<p>We do make extra efforts to attract science applicants, but everything I know that our efforts stop past trying to get them to apply. In the room, making the decision, our classes are not consciously designed to have certain number of concentrators in each area.</p>
<p>Modestmelody, do you work in admissions?</p>
<p>No, but I've had extensive discussions with the office due to working in the general tour guide program as well as having done science tours over the summer and during the year.</p>
<p>Most of what I say here is the impression I get, sometimes I'll state actual fact. What I can tell you is that admissions officers have said what I write or that they've said something similar to me that creates this impression.</p>
<p>Parents on these forums tend to be more cynical about the process than I am, in general, and it is true no one can really be sure to what extent they play what games when doors are closed.</p>