Chance me for Brown ED?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hey all, I would really appreciate any thoughts you guys have/words of encouragement/anything really. I’ll be applying to Brown ED this fall and have pretty much already taken myself out of the running.

Classes:
Frosh: Computer Class (required) Regular Biology, Tech Theatre (required) Pre-Ap World Geo, Pre-Ap Geometry, Pre-Ap Spanish 2, Regular English
Soph: Pre-Ap Algebra 2, Psychology, Speech (required) Dual Credit Spanish 3, Pre-Ap English 2, Regular Chemistry, Pre-Ap World History, Culinary Arts (I like to cook, okay?)
Junior: DC Spanish 4, DC Pre-Calculus, DC US History, AP Physics 1, Health Science, AP English Language
Senior: AP Calc, AP Lit, AP Stats, AP Bio, DC Spanish 5, DC Government (required) DC Economics (required)
So by the time I graduate: 6 pre-AP, 7/8 Dual Credit, 6 AP

ACT: 34 ( C) 36 ( E ) 31 ( M ) 34 ( R ) 33 ( S ) 10 (Essay)
SAT: I only got a 2060, but I was told Brown takes the higher score so they should focus on my ACT
UW GPA: 4.0/4.0
W GPA: We weight weirdly, so it’s 102.4/105
Rank: 7/538 so top 1%
AP: AP Lang (5) AP Physics (Let’s just say I won’t be listing this one)
Awards: Nothing really. Advanced to state for HOSA competition, advanced to regionals for UIL ready writing, 2nd in district. An award since freshman year for being one of the top 10 people in my class. Published writer – published by Teen Ink, Editor’s Choice Awards. Four articles published by The Huffington Post as of now - not HuffPost Teen, but the regular HuffPost.

Extracurriculars: JV Tennis (9-10) Varsity Tennis (11-12) HOSA competitor and Treasurer for 2 years (10-12) NHS (11-12) Compete in UIL Ready writing and literary criticism/ team leader for lit crit team (11-12) Writer for The Huffington Post (11-12)

Job/Work Experience: Honestly nothing amazing. I worked the summer and part way through the school year at a smoothie place but had to quit because junior year is killer. This year I started a landscaping service and have been working since April. I imagine admissions officers will take one look at these glamorous jobs and just start laughing.

Essays: My Common App essay is about my passion for writing. I’ve written two books (one at 13, the other at 16) and have pursued traditional publication for both (not self-publishing) and have gotten a lot of positive responses and am still querying. The essay is based around why I love the smell of crayons. Basically, I tie it back to how the thing I let drive me is my childlike passion for writing and not the obstacles I face and how I take pride in my wonderstruck, youthful mindset. The crayon thing makes sense in the essay, I swear. I think it’s strong. In my supplements I focused on the discrimination I face as a liberal black male living in one of the most conservative places in the nation, but I made sure to highlight how this allowed me to become interested in the cultures and viewpoints outside of mine.

Recommendations from AP Lang and AP Physics 1 teacher should both be strong.

Intended Major: Literary Arts and Ethnic Studies
State: Texas
School Type: Moderately competitive public school with ~2000 people. Good school, just not ultra-perfect.
Ethnicity: Black
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: Single mom, but still middle class

I just already feel defeated. I have no problem looking at other chance threads and being able to find the good in other people, but I see nothing in me. All these other amazing applicants have been striving for Brown since freshmen year and have taken all the right steps. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to college until sophomore year. But when I visited campus and got the opportunity to speak to graduates, I knew Brown was where I wanted to be. The atmosphere and approach that Brown has just resonated with me and made it my absolute first choice. I know it sounds hokey.

I appreciate any thoughts!

2

Wouldn’t 7/538 be top 2%?

3

@bwulv24

A few suggestions:

Complete your ED application as soon as it’s available and review,edit, set aside, repeat about once a week until the due date. The more time you spend with your application the more it will evolve and improve. A rushed application can sink your ship.

If not published yet, submit your novels to http://www.youngarts.org/apply and http://www.artandwriting.org/about-us/ to possibly get some national validation for your work. You’re too late to get an award for your ED application. But if you’re deferred, it might help to have the award included in a spring up date to Brown.

If possible try to meet and discuss Brown with Brown’s regional Texas addmissions officer. She’ll likely be the one doing the initial read of your application. Watch Brown’s web site for her fall travel schedule. http://www.brown.edu/admission/undergraduate/visit/brown-near-you?states_and_territories=44&field_info_session_country_ref_nid=All If she’s at a big event go early and seek her out and talk to her about Brown. At any event go early and seek her out.

Find a good writer (your English teacher?) to read your essays. Don’t seek advice from a lot of people - it might water down your essays.

Research, visit and fall in love with some match/safety schools. It will help you understand yourself and Brown better; hence helping you write a better application to Brown.

Brown will not laugh at your work experience, they’ll appreciate it.

You need more confidence in yourself! Here’s some advice from a Brown student:

https://thebruinclub.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2011/12/04/stage-write-what-auditions-taught-me-about-admissions/

Best of luck!

4

@unikunjerry It’s like 1.3%. But we just round up or down to the closest number.

@arwarw Thank you so much! Yeah, I really do need to be more confident, but seeing all these other students doing these amazing things is definitely intimidating. I am trying to accept that I do have some strong points (I studied my butt off to get that 34 ACT). I am wondering though, on my first novel I had a few offers of representation/publication but ultimately turned them down because I knew I could do better, leading me to write my second book. Do you think that would be worth mentioning?

5

My first reaction is that for a teenager to land a book deal with a traditional publishing house is an extraordinary event. To pass on such an opportunity doesn’t really make sense to me. Why would he do that? Is the applicant exaggerating?

Any chance to quickly rekindle that deal? It would be much better to include in the additional info section of your application:

Signed a book deal with ______ Publishing House for my novel ______ about . Here is the link to the press release:_______

That would be impressive and raise no questions. IMO

6

Do not discount your chances at all! Being published in HuffPo is a very big deal, and you should be really proud of yourself. Your essay ideas sound great, and you are clearly a writer so I would guess they’ll be executed well too. Your scores are a tad bit low but overall just fine. You have no lower of a chance than any one else. Don’t discount the jobs either-- work experience is nothing to laugh at.

7

@arwarw Alright, makes sense! I probably should’ve elaborated a bit more on why I decided to shelve the book, because reading it again now makes it sounds like I was way too cocky. The publication offers were just a couple of very small publishing houses that weren’t very career-oriented, and I wasn’t sure if they were what I needed. The offer of representation was from an agent that I just wasn’t really a good fit for. So, coupled with the fact that I knew I could do better, I started my second.

While I know simply writing books as opposed to publishing them isn’t as impressive, will the fact that I’ve written two novels score any points in my favor? Or will admissions officers only “count” it as impressive if I’ve published them? These books are just such a huge accomplishment of mine that I would hate for them to be counted off as nothing. :-S

8

@bwulv24 I’m a teenage author too (unpublished, though trying hard!) and trust me, there’s nothing unimpressive about having written two novels at such a young age. You just have to make sure the admissions committee knows, through one form or another, how much your writing means to you.

Remember: anyone can write a novel. But not many people can write a good novel. Unfortunately most places won’t let you submit excerpts of writing in the same way you can submit an art portfolio, for example, so your best bet is making your essays absolutely top notch. The admissions committee can see you “wrote a novel” and be unimpressed; but if they see you wrote a novel and your essays are amazingly written as well? That lends credit to the idea that your novels aren’t just 100,000 words of fluff. It shows that you’re dedicated, and that you didn’t just write something to appear good on an application.

Writing is an art form despite what others may say. Own it and be passionate about it (which I’m sure you already are) and an admissions officer will see that. Good luck!

9

@bwulv24 On your common application I would list writing as one of your activities with a note: see additional information for a list of published work. In the additional info section, I would list the Novels last in your list as follows.

Novel 1 - a brief description. Company X and Company B have made offers to publish.
Novel 2 - a brief description. Under Development

10

bump

11

any more help?

12

You have great scores and and GPA. Also being published at such a young age is great too. You definitely have a strong chance.

13

@jman457 thanks for your kind words!

14

Hi all, because of financial reasons, I no longer will be applying ED and will instead apply in the RD round. How much do you think this will affect my chances, if any?

15

Just an update in case anyone was curious: I’ve been published 3 more times by another magazine (1 in print!) and have been promoted to staff writer! While I am sad applying ED didn’t work out, RD just made more sense financially. Also, I’ve had the opportunity to apply - and be accepted - to UT Austin, a school I would be more than happy to attend. So in the end, allowing myself to focus on more than Brown seems to be working out! I will still apply, just won’t be as heartbroken if it ends up not working out. :stuck_out_tongue: