How important are test scores?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

<p>I have always planned to go to University in the UK and I switched from my local public high school to an international/French school after 10th grade grade to complete the International Baccalaureate.</p>

<p>I never planned on applying in the US but recently I have been thinking more and more about Brown university. I took the ACTs this past September without studying, just as practice in taking tests and got a 27- 29 English, 24 Math, 29 Reading, 25 Science, 7 Writing (???). I know it’s low score, but the Brown website puts the ACT range 26-28 at 7.7% accepted and the range 29-32 at 8.2%, really not that big of a difference.</p>

<p>I am an IB student taking 4 HL classes (the IB requires only 3) and I have a predicted grade of 40. I have a junior year unweighed GPA of 3.73 in the most challenging high school course load. I made the decision to leave my high school for this program and because of my love of French, which I now speak fluently after learning it for 5 years. (at public school I won 2 medals in the national french exam at top 95%)</p>

<p>I have lots of extracurriculars;
-4 years of model UN and 2 best delegate awards from the Northeastern University Conference.
-Rugby at my old school
-Student council in 11th grade
-French theater at my school
-I started a video program at my new school in 11th grade
-I started a journalism club at my new school for 12th grade and am the president
-And during last year’s presidential election I got involved as a volunteer and this September I got chosen as the only high school student to intern with his grass roots organization OFA, and due to my hard work I was invited to meet the President this past October.</p>

<p>Is it worth applying to Brown?</p>

2

<p>If you love the school, then you should apply regardless. The worst that happens is you don’t get in, and if you don’t apply then you can’t get in anyways…
Obviously scores do matter, but Brown seems to take a more holistic approach when reading applications. So who knows? You may as well try and see what happens.</p>

3

<p>Scores matter but they’re not the end all. I know people who have gotten in with below 2000s on the SATs without a minority affiliation or an athletic hook.</p>

4

<p>Their leniency towards test scores and the fact that they care more about getting the to know the applicant on a more personal level, not only gives me hope for Brown, but it attracts me to them so much more than say HYP.</p>