Update:
I found out that historically my school has gotten about 2 people into Brown out of generally around 18 applicants. None of these applicants were ED.
One of the people who got in last year had a very similar demographic profile to me, but I think that my profile is slightly stronger than his (better gpa, test scores, ec’s, arts supplement)
No one else that I know of at my school is applying ED to Brown.
My college counselor told me to keep the common app essay regarding Brown (but I will of course change it for other schools). To answer the question regarding whether or not I’m overestimating the significance of my time there, I could see how I could come off like that but I, as well as those around me, noticed a somewhat drastic personality shift after my time there.
I changed my video portfolio to focus more on myself rather than my time at Brown because I didn’t want to seem like I was milking Brown. The premise of the video is that I describe how my application seems like the typical “high-achieving student’s” application, but then I talk about my favorite books, my unorthodox study habits, and what kind of music I listen to. I feel like how I describe it somewhat undersells my video, but if you want to get a decent idea of what my video’s like, check out Jeremy Lin’s “How to Get Into Harvard” video (mine is not racially charged, of course).
To those suggesting I change my “Why Brown” essay into something the admissions officers don’t know, here is the prompt for that essay: “Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might use the Open Curriculum to pursue them while also embracing topics with which you are unfamiliar. (200-250 words)”.
As for recommendations, here is where I would rank them:
Math teacher: 9/10
English teacher: 7/10
Orchestra conductor: 9/10
As for my arts supplement: to those who feel they can judge/rate my arts supplement, PM me and I can send you an MP3 of my supplements (I recorded a video but am not comfortable sharing my face)
You are a very impressive candidate with a very compelling application! Good luck and hope you have a chance to join the Brown community!! I like your chances in spite of stacked odd against all who apply😀
I recommended avoiding “Brown” if the essay topic is open-ended (vs here). BTW, individual Brown AO’s have from time to time gone on record as to topics/themes they find boring and/or unenlightening. Anyone who wants to can research for particulars.
I can see we’re not going to shake the “game theorist” out of you – reminds me of me.
I will simply provide a few anecdotes which some might find useful in how they go about trying to predict their chances (i.e. stop trying to predict their chances ; ) Veterans of previous years can skip what follows – I’ve related these before.
A local powerhouse public HS had forty applicants to Brown one season, and none were admitted. Meanwhile in the same year, Brown took two people from a nondescript HS relatively out in the middle of nowhere. Siblings, as it happened, and the first applicants from that HS I know of.
A celebrated private magnet HS usually has 13-15 applicants and averages 2-3 admits. That’s very high, since this area has a lower admit rate than Brown’s aggregate number (and yet their guidance counselor still asks me ‘what went wrong?’). But some years it’s zero.
Admissions wants whomever they happen to want, with any apparent predictability or pattern not likely to withstand statistical scrutiny. Part of the reason is because they admit individuals in the context of an entering class’s composition. Someone who’s gets the nod one year wouldn’t make the cut another year, based on the overall applicant pool. “Musicophila” is published, and suddenly every other applicant [hyperbole] wants to do Neuro or Psych… for a few years, then it’s something else. In some years there’s been a relative shortage of applicants listing an intended Engin concentration (though not recently, AFAIK); other years a surplus.
FWIW from someone who’s been at this a long time, the closest thing there is to an accurate admission prediction (other than for Recruited athletes) is “If you are a really strong candidate you probably won’t get into Brown, and if you aren’t a strong candidate you definitely probably won’t get into Brown.” It was somewhat hard to get in way back when I did (14% admit rate), but has become increasingly crazy over the last several years.
I’ll be rooting for you also OP! I spent a couple of years working in a lab with a Brown engineer and she was one of the kindest, smartest, loveliest human beings I have ever met. If the Brown engineering students are even remotely like her you are in for a great four years if you get in. And that is all I know about Brown. Good luck!
ABET accreditation specifically matters mostly in terms of PE licensing (most common in civil engineering, but could be sought by those in other engineering areas who design infrastructure used by the general public) and the patent exam. Otherwise, it is mostly a mark of meeting a fairly high minimum standard of quality of the major program. Less well known (for engineering) schools often seek it to assure students and employers that their engineering major programs are worth something.
I get the impression that WLU tries to be a pipeline to finance and consulting, rather than traditional types of engineering employment. For such placement (as opposed to working as an engineer), the full breadth and depth of curriculum as indicated by meeting ABET accreditation may not be as important.
Update:
From what I’ve seen in the replies I am not exactly too hopeful for my chances at Brown which is perfectly fine because I want to be as realistic as possible. As long as I get into a college on my list, I’ll be fine.
Please chance me on the chance that I get into at least one university on this list (does not include safeties/matches):
Brown
Dartmouth
Columbia (sibling)
Cornell
Duke
Carnegie
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Rice
Stanford
Tufts
UMich
Notre Dame
USC
Vanderbilt
WashU
Princeton
Yale
Harvard
UPenn
UCLA
UCB
Very few of these have EDII, Carnegie Mellon or maybe Johns Hopkins could be alright, but as you know most of these are reaches for everyone.
EA anywhere Brown allows - looks like any EAs that are non-restrictive is ok.
This year is shaping up to be another round of record breaking admissions applications numbers. You will get into at least a couple on your list, but you may not be in love with the engineering program as you have overlooked for recs not on your list that were less prestigious. Maybe you just did not share those safeties and matches. I hope you have a few.
I would give you odds at Vandy and at WUSTL - ED would be better.
You’re a great candidate - however, there are more great candidates than they can take - that’s the rub.
If I were a betting person I’d bet you get into 3 -4 on the list - maybe Tufts, Vandy, WUSTL, Michigan. Notre Dame…but it wouldn’t shock me for you to get in anywhere.
That being said it would not surprise me if you get blanked…ok, it would surprise me.
But you still need a Purdue (others would say not a guarantee), Florida, Case Western type school and one underneath - like a Pitt - just to be safe.
Vanderbilt has ED2 option, as does Tufts. I would put Vandy over Tufts and perhaps consider USC a match, then throw in Purdue, UIUC and Wisconsin-Madison. I know the last 3 are public, but since you’re considering UCs and UMich, they might bring you a lot of added comfort in the process.
The only common thread running through this list is rankings or the perception of prestige. The schools listed are so different and varied.
I recommend assessing what you want from a school in terms of size, location, open or core curriculum, academic culture (e.g. pre-professional or more liberal arts focused), and more. Pursue fit, not brand, though once you find your fit, reach as far up the selectively scale as reason permits as part of a balanced approach to your list.
Just remember a few of the matches you have listed will be protecting their yield just like your reaches. You are playing the game and they are, too.
They will see your stats and figure you applied higher tier for prestige and possibly assume you are looking at a high merit state flagship, too.
I think you will see some waitlists in your reaches and matches that you are not fully anticipating. You will then get emails asking you to share updates and demonstrate interest in attending if offered.
Will you be interested in going to Santa Clara, UCSD, or University of Washington if those are some of your choices in April?
I don’t want to answer for @Pathnottaken but it seems like, against all logic, the harder admissions to desirable colleges becomes the more desirable the colleges become. No data to support this, just the climate in our community. At my son’s high school a cross country athlete got a spot at a super selective school last year (he was a once in 50 years type of athlete), and the cross country team instantly saw their membership skyrocket. It’s not a tryout team. Anyone can join. The coach, which is a family friend, is happy because the kids are getting some well needed exercise after the Covid closures. My son, unfortunately, is not interested.
Hi - As I said this is what is seems to be “shaping up” to be. I work at a school with seniors, I am on some professional committees that discuss this, and the lists these kids and parents are posting on here are even longer than last year. They are widening the net.
We have seen that at area schools as well. The realities of many kids getting in test optional last year has inflated the false sense of possibilities. Even more seem to be applying to multiple high, high reaches instead of looking for great matches and safeties.
This is pushing those with all the stats and test scores to apply to twice as many statistically mind-numbing high reaches instead of researching great matches and safeties. These students may only know superficial info about the colleges they are applying to.
In a possible future scenario of all of this - the Questbridge model of semi-controlled matching will become more intriguing for colleges inundated with applications and that model will broaden to other groups of applicants.
I am glad that you’re looking at Santa Clara as well. I think you have a solid chance with other (more recognized) schools, but in case they do not work out, SCU is a decent choice. It is small and cozy, undergrad focused, and offers a nice campus with proximity to engineering opportunities in the valley.