Please weigh in on my son’s chances ED. He’s interested in History and Poli Sci.
GPA 3.896 (UW) / 4.41 Weighted
At graduation will have IB Diploma and have taken 8 honors classes and 15 IB classes
SAT: 1540
Extracurriculars: 2 varsity sports sophomore thru senior year, NHS, top band since freshmen year, 100+ hours of community service, works as a math tutor, part time job with a local nonprofit.
Brown is my son’s #1 choice and he would like to apply ED, but I’m concerned he’s wasting ED for a school that is realistically out of reach.
If your son were to apply to Brown ED and not gain acceptance, he nonetheless can look forward to having excellent options. This site lists a few colleges that may be of interest:
My son had similar stats although the wasn’t in IB. Had about 11-12APs and a few more honors. Didn’t do band but was varsity and club sports. Tons of volunteering (long-term ones), leadership, part time work, an internship. No research. No national awards other than AP ones and National Merit Commended. His personality and how he felt he was a good fit for Brown got him deferred during ED round but accepted in regular decision. He just finished first full week at Brown as a freshman today. If your kiddo really wants to go to Brown, I would let him go for it.
I didn’t even know what Brown was until a couple of years ago when he told me about it. He was so passionate about it and put a lot of research into it. It was and is a big stretch for our family since we have to pay in full, but having experienced orientation, seeing the advising and support my son’s gotten, as well as not having to deal with the rat race to get into a class, I’m really grateful my kid goes to Brown. Candidly, we are paying for it but still. The open curriculum just boggles my mind, as well as the dean of the college encouraging all the students to discover their passion. My son is able to concentrate in an area he wants vs feeling the pressure to major in biology to be efficient with his schedule. The city is great and very progressive and if I had to drop my kid into a place 2620 miles away from home, I’m really glad I did. If you get a sense from your son that he’s done his research homework and can really articulate why he wants to go to Brown (as well as being able to afford it), I say go for it!
A testimonial, to perhaps help ease the pain of writing those checks:
I was really glad to be going to Brown during the time I was there. In the decades since my graduation, that appreciation has only grown. It was nonstop hard work (mostly), but my oh my what a fantastic experience. The students like to learn, the professors like to teach, and what rules there are (mostly) don’t get in the way. Even the administration lends a hand from time to time: An entering first-year from my area related to me how, after being dropped off at the campus by an airport taxi, he realized he had no idea which way it was to his dorm. But soon a nice couple happened by. They offered to show him to his dorm, even carrying some of his bags. That’s how he met the president of Brown University and her husband.
