ED: Columbia or Brown?

College Search & Selection
1

Hi there! I hope you are having a great day!
Columbia and Brown are my dream schools, and I am thinking of applying ED to one of them. Could you please give me some suggestions on which school I should apply ED to maximize my chance? Thank you so much! The information below is a combination of what I have already achieved and what I am planning to do this summer.

Background: International student from Asia, currently studying at a Canadian public high school
GPA: 3.7
*Explanation: I fast-tracked some classes, and as an international student, I skipped ESL and went on to English literature, which is pretty challenging for my level. My counselor will include the information above in her recommendation letter. Also, my school is pretty strict in terms of marking assignments/tests.
Courseload: the most challenging courses offered at my high school

Score 5 on: AP Human Geography, AP Language, AP Macro Economics, AP Statistics

SAT: 1550

SAT 2: Physics 800, World History (haven’t taken, aim for 750+)

Extracurricular:

Theme: I am very focused on education/providing educational resources for talented, but to some reason, underprivileged students.

  • Found a non-profit organization to help children/English learners develop literacy skill
  • Found a mental-health awareness project
  • Founder & President of the International Student Club at school
  • Founder & President of the Asian Culture Club at school
  • Co-Chair of the Youth Advisory Council at a local library
  • Editor of a local newspaper
  • Literacy Tutor at a local library
  • Private Tutor
  • Student Teacher at a rural high school for two weeks
  • Online teaching for students in rural areas

Recommendation (primary plan)

  • From my physics teacher (I took grade eleven enriched/honor physics in grade ten and grade twelve AP physics in grade eleven, at the beginning I am very behind, but eventually I achieve a high mark)
  • From the vice principal who helps me with starting the non-profit

OR

  • From the International student advisor, who is also the advisor of the International Student Club
2

What do you want from your college experience?
What is your current post-university plan?
What are the reasons for Columbia and Brown in particular?
Would your Counselor say that you are outstanding compared to your classmates?

3

Thank you so much for your reply!

In terms of the college experience, I really love New York City because of the internship opportunities, various shows, and museums it offers. However, Providence seems a beautiful college town with a strong sense of community.

I am planning to study International Relations/Political Science and Economics in college. Both schools have great IR/Poli Sci programs.

It sounds ironic, but I love both the core curriculum at Columbia and the Open Curriculum at Brown. I really enjoy learning classics, humanities, and arts, and that’s why I love the core curriculum; At the same time, I think Brown’s open curriculum ensures that only students who are interested in the subject will take the related courses, which could make the class discussion more enjoyable because everyone is passionate about the topic. And Brown also offers a lot of seminar-style classes on humanities and arts.

The main reason that makes me interested in Columbia is its location – New York City offers countless opportunities; however, I am not sure if I have a chance for Columbia since my GPA is a bit low. Will they take into consideration that I am an International student whose mother tongue is not English and the fact that I fast-tracked a lot of the courses?

My counselor always praises me as an outstanding, hardworking, and passionate student. I’m sure she will write me a great letter of recommendation.