Brown & SATs

<p>(QUICK NOTE: I posted an identicle thread in the Yale forum… so if it sounds familiar… that’s why…)</p>

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>So I am thinking about applying to Brown. In fact, I will be applying to Brown this fall. However, I have ACT and SAT scores that most of you would consider to be a joke (trust me, I’m studying for them and retaking them this fall). On the plus side to my horrible test scores, I have a strong transcript (straight-A’s including AP and college classes), strong extracuriculars… well basically everything else is strong. I guess my question is (and I’m not sure who this question is posed to) do you think I can still get in?</p>

<p>Maybe there are students who applied to Brown in a similar situation… where you accepted? Rejected?</p>

<p>I guess the reason why I don’t just give up on applying to Brown is because I am not the type of person to just quit. Plus, a student from my school who scored a 24 on his ACT, and around an average of 600 on his SATs, was accepted to Harvard this year. I suppose that gives me a little hope because I have a very similar profile to him… but shoot, everyone in all these forums make it seem like you can’t get in without a 2400!</p>

<p>I am just wondering what your experience is… let me know.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

<p>i had lower the average sat's and got in, i'd say you have more of a chance at Brown than Yale. that's not a bad thing at all. I applied to both as a transfer but I think Brown fits me much better than any of the other school's I applied to would have.</p>

<p>SAT's matter. A lot. They do. It's just reality. Apply, but don't get your hopes up if you don't have 650+</p>

<p>SATs matter. But I don't think it's fair to put a particular weight on it, without looking at specific candidate profile.. Other things matter, too. </p>

<p>In the words of an admission officer: "It's a holistic process."</p>

<p>I think if you can break 2000 you should be ok. Especially with that strong transcript.</p>

<p>i had a 1760, but as a highschool student they'll weight SATs more</p>

<p>They say it's a holistic process...but i really don't buy it. I think SATs matter much more than they like to let on!</p>

<p>Hey thanks everyone for the feed back.</p>

<p>ClaySoul, can I ask what drew you to your conclusion that they matter "much more"? JW</p>

<p>im not sure what he means but i know in my case it was no doubt a holistic approach that got me in. standardized tests didn't do crap!</p>

<p>I applied 3 times to Brown. Once as a senior in HS, once while taking a year off after high school, and once as a transfer, which is when I finally got in. </p>

<p>I wrestled with reapplying my whole year off after high school, and decided to do it in the last 48 hours before it was due. My application was basically the same as the year before except for one thing -- higher test scores. Suddenly I was good enough to go on the watilist. Granted it could have been bad luck one year and better luck the next, but I really think the SATs had something to do with it. </p>

<p>Also, and more to the point as to the reason I draw this conclusion is my experience with admissions at my first school, Tulane. Granted Brown isn't Tulane, but Tulane also claims to have a holistic approach. I just don't believe anyone who says SATs don't matter. I applied to Tulane applied as a senior and got in, but not to the honors program or with any merit aid. I sent them higher test scores in my year off and suddenly i was "smart" enough to be a distinguished scholar award winner and be in the honors program.</p>

<p>first post :)--- d_rolla: im gonna be a freshman at Brown next year, and my test scores were, by no means, stellar (on the low end of Brown's range). i don't think that low scores alone are enough to keep you out of Brown, but I definitely think the rest of your application must be pretty outstanding in order to make up for it. to an extent your grades and difficult course load will negate your low scores (as was the case with me), and if your personality shines through your app, then the adcom might just look past those scores. Scores that are way too low, however, give the adcom a reason to automatically reject you (your friend at harvard, for example, is in the vast minority) I'm also probably the exception as opposed the rule, so keep studying! Just don't give up hope so soon! Although it's cliche, you really never know in college admissions.</p>

<p>mana has it right. </p>

<p>If your scores are low (and if you don't mind me asking, what were yours that you considered on the low end of Brown's range -- mine were 1370, which is probably on the low end of Brown's range, but they were worse than that (1290) when I first applied), your application has to be all the more strong to make up for it. </p>

<p>People do of course get admitted with poor SAT's, and that's why universities can get away with saying the are "holistic." But like mana said, that is the exception and not the rule.</p>

<p>i have chanced upon this thread, and it struck me that as i have scored perfect on the SAT, it might be appropriate and relevant for this thread about SAT and admissions.</p>

<p>as a Canadian applicant to brown for next year, i have:
SAT: 2400. (2nd testing. First testing was 2280 with 780 in both reading and writing)</p>

<p>Grades and GPA: decend to good. generally 93-ish. but somewhat mediocre in some while very good in others (e.g. 96 in Art History AP)</p>

<p>(have won nationally (joint 4th in history contest) in academic competitions, etc)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars: having won national standing in piano, numerous prizes, awards, etc.
(2nd in Canada in one case)</p>

<p>Somewhat (although increasing) involved in community. </p>

<p>senior editor in school literary megazine. </p>

<p>etc. listed above are the more significant points.</p>

<p>sports: my weak spot. i participate avidly (cricket team, swimming) but i am in no way a natural athlete. to be quite frank, i am naturally unathletic, much to my own regret.</p>

<p>it would be of the greatest assistance if you could offer some sort of observation/opinion on my chances given the above conditions.</p>

<p>hmm. you write very formally, von_herrs. </p>

<p>i think anyone who scored perfect in the SATs got a good chance to gain admission to Brown. so, there goes.</p>

<p>from what i've seen, tech schools really like to see a 2400. a friend of mine who got a perfect score was accepted to mit and caltech, but didn't get into any of the ivies or stanford. purely anecdotal, but there you are.</p>

<p>Clay, I scored a 1750... but I'm studying from the Princeton Review book that I bought... I'm hoping to improve my scores at the next sitting... </p>

<p>I just wanted to say that I posted a topic in Harvard's thread talking about myy friend getting in... and they called me a troll. lol. I also posted something in Yale's thread and there are barely any responses. I get a "warmer" feeling from the Brown students. Not only in here, because you are more responsive, but from browsing the other topics and just reading all of the possitive things that Brown students have to say about their school. It's nice. :)</p>

<p>Oh, also, I've decided to apply to Yale ED via QuestBridge... if I get the QB scholarship and am admitted to Yale, then I'm bound with Yale... but it's a full ride scholarship, and I need that! lol. Otherwise, if I am rejected from QB I will apply to Brown ED because it seems awesome! Does anyone have any advice and/or discussion on that? </p>

<p>Thanks again, everyone.</p>

<p>smv, i think i thought pretty much the same in terms of tech schools liking 2400's. but the case of your friend with perfect SAT and getting rejected by ivies is interesting. the thing is, the last place i want to go is a tech school. the very idea of computer technology is frightfully monstrous to me. (yeah.....and me being a male.....). anyhow, it would help me quite a bit if you could provide a bit of background on that case. as of right now, i am guessing the thing that shot the deal was extracurriculars. </p>

<p>my hope is that one could get into ivies with 2400 SAT good transcripts and decent extracurriculars. problem is, don't know if that is actually the case.</p>

<p>People with great / perfect scores get rejected all the time!</p>

<p>yeah, i saw in the stats profiles lots of perfect score people got rejected from Brown</p>

<p>that's the precise reason i am worried</p>