<p>I’m pretty upset about this because with the one from 2012-13 i felt i actually had a shot at being accepted
What do you guys think about this? Why did things change? Is this actually important? Should I be worried? Do you think it will also change this drastically next year? </p>
<p>Yes, it changed for 2013-14, or it is an error. Go back several years, and they match 2012-13. </p>
<p>It would be kind of drastic to go from very important applicant interest to no interest in it at all. Suggestion - call the admissions office and ask an officer. The horse’s mouth is always best.</p>
<p>I would venture to say that for Brown, or any school with a <10% acceptance rate, that the difference between important and very important is statistically insignificant, and that one should not “bank” on anything.</p>
<p>^^ True, but the difference here is from “very important” (2012-13) to “not considered” (2013-14). Not sure I am comfortable assuming that distinction is statistically insignificant. </p>
<p>@BrownParent - Thanks for that info; did not know that. Weird, so I wonder what the “very important” was tracking on the other data sets? Hey, then again, they are a private university, so they can do what they want. </p>
<p>@BrownParent
They gauge your interest through your essays and your interview
Also, this is somewhat irrelevant but i’ve been lucky enough to meet the admissions counselor for my area (i.e. he will be reading my application next year) twice–once at Brown and once here so that’s another way my interest is gauged. He may or may not remember me but I have a really unique name so unique that i’ll be the only one with this name applying next year. </p>
<p>That being said, does all of this go out the window? what’s the point of interviewing if they don’t care how much interest you show? </p>
<p>They will still have an opportunity to see your essays and interview report. If you want to know what they are interested in for the interview, read the thread on interviews started by fireandrain. The interview can establish a lot more than interest. </p>
<p>Why not call or email the admin officer and ask? Right there you are showing interest too. When my kids had a questions, they compiled them and asked their regional officer for the respective schools. Except for two schools, everyone responded pronto and a few even followed up after apps were submitted. Ask politely and professionally and you should get an answer. But, not getting an answer is not indicative either. Son got into the schools that never answered his questions.</p>
<p>@marilo12 - Just do not send multiple emails. One should suffice. My kids compiled any questions and asked a couple questions in one email. </p>
<p>Last thing you want to do is bug a busy admin officer. I would recommend reviewing the school website and see if you have a specific question about a major. This way you ask two questions and get more info back. That shows even more in-depth interest.</p>
<p>Huh? You thought that by showing a high “level of interest” you had a stronger “shot at being accepted.” I’ll be blunt: Nope, doesn’t work that way. </p>
<p>Only difference I see in the two data sets that are worth noting is that Brown is finally admitting that GPA and SATs are really really important. They always were. A high level of interest never compensated for low grades or mediocre SATs. I’m a little surprised at the new coding for level of interest, but that might simply reflect the reality that most people interpret level of interest as visits, which Brown hasn’t tracked in years, whereas Brown interpreted level of interest as marilo states. They are just defining level of interest now the way everyone else does.</p>
<p>I don’t think this warrants a call to an admissions officer, at all. What skieurope said is more accurate.</p>
<p>And marilo, you’d be amazed at the memory of those admissions officers. They very often remember the students they meet during their travels.</p>
<p>Okay so let’s clear something up. I’m not saying that showing interest overrides having bad scores and a low gpa, which i don’t have, but if it’s listed as VERY IMPORTANT one year and not considered at all the next then that’s definitely something to be concerned about and to say that it’s completely unimportant when it clearly is very important is simply not true. </p>
<p>I’m not trying to sound rude but i feel like you guys aren’t understanding what i’m saying. it’s not as if i don’t have a shot without showing interest, i’m saying that i feel that my stats are good enough that with the interest i’m more likely to get in than if i hadn’t shown any interest at all.</p>
<p>@fireandrain: so if they’re just re-defining level of interest as showing interest in interviews and essays, would you say that interest still counts but it’s considered WITH essays and interviews rather than as it’s own category? </p>
<p>Only one group / person can answer this question with certainty - email the admin. Anything else is everyone just guessing. I understood exactly your question after looking at the data sets. Only Brown knows why they changed, if they changed - remember, it still could be an error. </p>
<p>I agree. I don’t think anything has changed. Your application package needs to demonstrate that you are academically competitive, have a compelling story and you’re a good fit for Brown - which I think means you’re enthusiastic about learning, open minded and accepting, friendly and engaged. Visits, emails, meeting with adcoms only help you to the extent you learn about yourself and Brown from them.</p>
<p>However, @marilo12 I think you are wise to meet with your regional Brown adcom and otherwise learn as much about Brown as you can. I was just at a reception for admitted students and their families and noted a few random things:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>There were about 20 admitted kids there, and the regional rep knew them all by name, by high school and details about their lives. He talked to my daughter about meeting her in the 11th grade, reading her essays; and he discussed with her specific details about her essays - and asked her for updates. He said from his initial read of her application he thought she was a good ‘fit’ for Brown.</p></li>
<li><p>The 20 or so kids there were all very different looking: preppies, hipsters, black, white, urban, suburban, rural, nerds, bow ties, suits, dreadlocks, flip flops etc… But as as a group they were highly engaged with each other for over two hours. No wall flowers, no texting, no bored looks - just very excited, enthusiastic kids engaged in lively conversation with others that they had just met. At the end, the kids had to be literally herded out of the building and conversation continued out the door to the parking lot. </p></li>
<li><p>I spoke with a mom of a current Brown student and she said the diversity at Brown is amazing - people from all over the world from every possible socioeconomic background. She said of her D’s friends who she has met - they all have very different interests but are all deeply engrossed in their ‘thing’ whatever that ‘thing’ might be and interested in what what their friends and classmates are doing.</p></li>
<li><p>The adcom talked about one student at Brown he had admitted who was a bit dismayed his first semester when he realized he was not the smartest and most interesting person in the classroom, but than discovered he was happy and excited to NOT be the smartest and most interesting person in the room. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>If you read the threads here on CC of a admitted students, one common denominator seems to be they have a genuine interest in Brown and put much effort in demonstrating their ‘fit’ in their applications. A few examples from admitted students here on CC:</p>
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<p>I know my own daughter spent a LOT of time learning as much as she could about Brown, and spent a LOT of time pondering, crafting and drafting her essays. She also spoke in depth with her teacher recommenders about Brown and what Brown seeks in an applicant. </p>
