<p>I attend a public high school with a graduating class of about 975. I have average grades and test scores - not bad, but certainly not stellar - and I should scrape by in the top 10%. I’m not asking for anyone to chance me here, just wondering how much other things will be considered in admissions. Brown is my top choice, but I’ll be applying to Dartmouth and Yale as well (among a slew of safeties) so if anyone knows how they view these sorts of things, I’d appreciate it.</p>
<p>How much do unique and well-written essays really sway the admissions office? Writing is one of my strong points, so I should be able to whip up something decent.</p>
<p>As for diversity, I’m not asking in an ethnic sense - I’m white, so no advantage there - but as far as politics go I’m conservative, a member of the Young Republicans club, etc., and desire a career in the military. I’ve heard that Brown tries to sprinkle in conservatives to keep the campus diverse - does this really end up helping me anywhere down the line?</p>
<p>ECs are something I’m a bit worried about. I’m an all-state player in band, a section leader, and I’m a member of my school’s Academic Decathlon team, which I’ve won a ton of awards for. (Particularly for speech and essay.) It’s possible that by the time I apply that I’ll have a few essays published, would that be a helping factor?</p>
<p>I’ve been freaked out about my grades and test scores, so if anyone could give me any insight on how much everything else comes in to play, I’d be grateful. </p>
<p>Also - does being a first generation college student help?</p>
<p>EDIT: and, sorry about the ‘to’ in the title - it should be ‘do’</p>
<p>Essays are definitely a major factor in admissions. There are so many applicants with similar stats that essays are the only way they can stand out. So yeah, make sure you work hard on those essays. :)</p>
<p>Grades and test scores do matter though…if you’re barely in the top 10% in a class of 975, you’ll probably want to work hard and get your grades up. </p>
<p>Not particularly sure how to answer your other questions…good luck!</p>
<p>Hi! I am in the same boat as you. I applied to Brown early decision this year and was deferred. I have a 26 ACT (I HATED this test!) and my rank is currently 11%…should be 10% by the time i graduate, but it won’t matter then really. This is b/c I had mostly B’s my freshman year, but I have showed consistent improvement since then and have been getting straight A’s since junior year, i have taken a broad range of college courses and have done well in them, I worked my butt off on my essay and wrote about how I was different and unique, and I have very good community service…and I think my character really showed through in my application. Since i was deferred, I sent in an updated letter restating why I love Brown so much and updated extracurriculars…i have taken up some more volunteer activities since then. I also had a few other things to help make my application stand out since I am definitely not the typical “perfect scores” applicant. One of these things was writing a Legislative Bill last semester and sending it to a state senator (who is also my cousin) for review…and I also sent in a thesis paper that i did on Open Curriculum and received a perfect grade on in my AP English class. I was very apprehensive about doing this as I don’t want to annoy admissions, but the paper, I think, will portray my interest in the open curriculum at Brown, plus a good paper. And so I decided to take that chance. Sorry I am being so loquacious…</p>
<p>Anyway…the point is - I got deferred ED with a less than average academic record for a typical Brown applicant, but I had to work harder and make my app stand out in other ways. So now, I am hoping for the best and will get a decision at the beginning of april. Oh, and I am also a first generation college student…I read on collegeboard that Brown will sometimes consider this. </p>
<p>BTW…when it comes application time for you, keep in mind that Brown LOVES diverse and creative applicants with genuine interest for learning…and people that are going to contribute to the community over there. And yes - revise and revise again on your essay…that is one thing that could make adcoms choose you over an applicant with similar stats!</p>
<p>"I read on collegeboard that Brown will sometimes consider this. "</p>
<p>I’m sure they consider this every time, as they consider everything…every time.</p>