Could I Get into Brown?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

Hi all! I’m a current junior that is planning on applying ED to Brown in the coming fall.

My SAT score is a 1480. Right now I’m trying to decide if it’s worth taking it once again, or should I try taking the ACT? I just really wish it was in the 1500s.

Throughout high school I’ve taken all honors and AP classes, and I maintain a 4.0 GPA.

AP scores: APUSH (4)

This year I will be taking the AP american government test, the AP Spanish test, and the AP Lang test.
I think right now it seems reasonable to assume I’ll get a 4 or 5 on each.

I do online high school in order to pursue ballet pre-professionally at one of the world’s best/most reputable ballet schools/companies. I think I am going to go to college instead of becoming a trainee with the company.

Likely majors:
internation relations or public policy.

Extracurriculars:
-Ballet Training 24+ hours weekly
-Five week summer courses (some on full scholarship) at places like the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San francisco Ballet, and Boston Ballet.
-I’ve founded and run a website that has readership from more than 50 countries. We also have 25,000 social media followers. I don’t want to delve into the details for privacy reasons. The main premise is based on service and education.

  • Other local service projects about racism, sexism, etc.

Hooks(?) Lol I don’t really want to call it a hook, but I guess my experiences set me apart from other applicants.
I’ve had some pretty horrific stuff happen to immediate family members. My main essay will probably discuss the impact it has had on my goals for the future. I’ll also discuss how, for a large portion of my childhood and early adolescence, I was fully consumed with guilt and struggled with wondering why I was spared.

I’m also likely applying to BC, UNC chapel hill, Vandy, Georgetown, Wesleyan, and maybe Stanford (LOL). This is of course dependent on my Brown results.

Any thoughts on Safety schools would be great.

2

I’m so sorry about the horrific things that have happened to your family and I wish the best for your future!

You have a really fascinating and unique story to tell, so that will automatically give you a boost! If possible it would be good to get in the low-mid 1500s but a 1480 is definitely good enough for Ivies anyways. I’d say you have a great chance at Georgetown, Vandy, Wesleyan, and UNC (as in, a better than average chance but of course not guaranteed). BC is going to be a safety for you probably. Another good safety could be Brandeis University.

Definitely apply to some reaches because I am pretty sure you will get into at least one, depending on how good your essays are. Make sure that they reflect on how your experiences impacted you (always focus on the effect on you in essays, never just explain a story, especially about someone else). And don’t forget to talk about dance and your website to show off your ECs! Your application has some real potential to be very moving and impressive to Brown and Stanford, so make sure you start early and put a lot of effort into it.

Just wondering, Brown and Wesleyan are pretty different from BC, UNC, Vandy, and Georgetown. Have you visited and know for sure you like them all and would fit in?

3

Thank you! I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I’ve decided I’ll take the SAT once more because the 1480 was coming from the first time I took the test. Now, I’m consistently scoring around 1560 on practice tests.

I have actually had the opportunity to visit all the campuses of the schools I mentioned, and, while they are very different, I like specific aspects of each one.

4

Sure, anytime! If you get around a 1560 that will be really good and will definitely boost your chances if you’re competing with other special circumstances/hooked applicants with slightly lower than average scores. I hope you get in to Brown!

I also applied ED and was deferred so I’m waiting now, but if you have any questions about applying/admissions in general or about Brown (I did an overnight and know a fair amount about the school), feel free to ask me!