Hi everyone,
I’m on the fence about whether I should apply to Brown ED or RD. My major concern is my ACT score. I took it again yesterday but I’m not confident that I got a higher score. I also didn’t do so well in most of my classes last year (due to extenuating circumstances), so my GPA isn’t super high (still respectable though). Here are my core stats:
ACT - 28 (I've only taken it once in September. Long story short I couldn't qualify for fee waivers my junior year)
IB Diploma candidate
ECs - Forensics (9,10,11,12), DECA (10,11,12), Spanish Honor Society(11,12), one or two other clubs (a few awards from some but nothing major). I'm interested in the BEO concentration
Recs - Great - good, I asked teachers that liked me and knew me personally
Hooks - URM (Mexican), first gen, low income (not sure if that's really a hook but I discuss my socioeconomic background and how its shaped me in my essays)
I’m pretty hard on myself when it comes to testing, so perhaps I scored 1-4 points higher this month, but idk. I could still apply ED and just send in my September score. I know that I can definitely improve my score in December for my RD apps, but since the admissions process is holistic a higher score won’t necessarily guarantee anything.
Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!
@ala1001 I’m pretty sure I’ll have a higher chance at Cornell, but I’m afraid that applying to a more specialized school might shut off some of my exploration. I wasn’t too in love during my campus visit at Brown, but then again, I only attended the info session. And I’ve only just walked around Cornell.
@hungryandbored Yup. I’m afraid that if I apply to CALS, I might have fewer opportunities to explore. It also seems like Cornell is not too open to that kind of academic exploration on radically different things? I’m not too sure how easy it is, but based on the website, they kind of seem to want you to focus. I could be wrong.
Thanks for the responses. I’m still deciding (!).
Does anyone know a little more about the “liberal” vibe at Brown? Liberal as in tolerant or politically correct? Lots of activism? I don’t really mind, but I just want a clearer picture.
@featherkin yeah i understand. So a friend of mine actually got into Brown and Cornell and ended up choosing Brown and he said academically he likes it but the liberal atmosphere is ~too much~ for him (we were all surprised when he chose Brown tbh) from what I’ve heard it is extremely PC and students are very involved in activism but it can be overwhelming (according to my friend). A lot of people from my school go there and I asked about academic freedom and they said that you definitely have the freedom to try out the classes you want as long as you manage your schedule well. Both are amazing schools and at the end of the day, I would say go with your gut! And if you’re still conflicted, I would then go where ever you think your chances are higher :)))
for those of you who submitted/ are submitting abstracts: is there a specific format for the abstract heading? Or should we just title it abstract without indicating the title of the project, lab, or mentor?
When did you guys send your scores? Because I sent mine 2 weeks ago and Collegeboard indicates “fulfilled” but on my Brown account they don’t seem to have arrived yet!
Question for those who already submitted: I got an email from Brown (about our Brown Account),and they said that we should receive an email the Wednesday AFTER we submit the Common App? But I already submitted the common app? Do they mean the general deadline?
@ithinkuracontra I am submitting two teacher recs and one from GC. I was going to submit one from my research mentor but decided not to because I thought it would be redundant. My GC told me that unless your supplemental letter will be OUTSTANDING and offers a different perspective than your others it isn’t worth sending additional recs
@ala1001 That’s good to hear! I did the same. I was just worried because I heard my guidance counselor tell someone to submit all four if that was the maximum amount… I believe your perspective makes sense though.
@allima I got that exact email! I submitted my app on Sunday and didn’t receive an email today, so I don’t quite know what that means. It’s slightly inconvenient because I can’t yet tell what has been received and what hasn’t.
