I mean, do I even have a chance?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

<p>Hey guys, I was rejected from Cornell ED (picked the WRONG major) I am applying to UPENN, Colgate, Northeastern, BC, BU, and Notre Dame. I was accepted to the honors program at Tulane with almost full ride. I would be pretty darn happy going there but alas, my parents want me close to home. My parents have really been stressing that I give Brown a shot. It really is crunch time for essays and I want to prioritize. I know I won’t know unless I try, but, do I even have a shot?</p>

<p>NYS Resident
Top 10% - Competitive Public School</p>

<p>WEIGHTED GPA - 105
SS ACT: 32 (R:34, E:32,M:33,S:30,W: 11/12)</p>

<p>My schedule has been extremely rigorous all 4 years. Had a full schedule all four years with all honors and ap classes.
(Science) AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Biology, Honors Bio, Honors Chem, Honors Physics, Science Research, Forensics
(Math) Honors Algebra, Honors Geo., Honors Trig, Honors Precalc, AP Calculas A/B (Spanish) 3 years honors, AP Spanish
(English) 4 years honors
(SS) AP Gov/Eco, AP US, AP Euro, Honors Global</p>

<p>Athletics</p>

<ul>
<li>9 years experience as an equestrian and working with horses. I am a working student for a riding instructor. I have a few regional awards in Dressage (Brown actually has a Dressage team!!)</li>
<li>4 years on the Varsity Soccer team, Captain</li>
<li>2 years on the Varsity Winter Track and Varsity Track team, Captain</li>
<li>4 time recipient of the scholar athlete award</li>
<li>Member of Student Athletic Leadership Partnership</li>
</ul>

<p>ECs

  • 4 years on Student Council-
    Student Council President 12
    Publicity Officer 11
    Secretary 10
    and Class Officer 9
  • National Honor Society
  • National Science Honor Society
  • National Junior Honor Society
  • Mock Trial - 2 years, Captain.
  • Competed on News 12 the Challenge (Academic Game Show for HS Juniors/Seniors)
  • Competed at the Science Bowl (Another academic game show)
  • Competed at the Long Island Science Congress and in the Dupont Essay competition for my work with blood typing. I am not really sure how to word this correctly
  • Attended National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine
  • Volunteered at a Local Hospital, organized yearly food drive and toy drive in the community.</p>

<p>I forgot to mention, I am interested in pursing medicine. My love is in science but I do not know if I am going to enter a science major. Thank you alllll in advanced :)</p>

2

<p>You have some pretty solid stats but there is nothing about you that really catches the eye, as in, you don't really stand out from the pool of other applicants. Do you have anything really unique that you'll write about in your essay? That could help you a lot.</p>

3

<p>I would like to shed some light on your situation. Brown, (I am a little biased), is different and the most atypical of the Ivies. Brown doesn't just look at your SAT score or curriculum rigor, but also your personality. It looks for creativity, maturity, intellect, open-mindedness, a willingness to defy conventionality, and genuine compassion. Brown needs to be convinced that you belong there and so you must present that "IT" factor. You have taken a rigorous courseload, have great test scores, and a decent rank. However, you must captivate the adcoms with your eccentricity, with your "IT" factor.</p>

4

<p>Thank you for the responses. Ballin - I agree with you on all of that. I admire the fact that Brown looks beyond the seemingly superficial layer of an applicant's test scores. I believe that with enough work ethic, anyone (yes, anyone) can do reasonably well on the SATS/ACTS. Correct me if I am wrong, but Brown is looking for someone who is much more than that. They are looking for a genuine love of learning.</p>

<p>That being said, I have the compassion, I have the intellectual curiosity but what I lack is the ability to convey this in my essays. I find that I am not accurately getting this across to the full extent. Anyone have any tips with the essays?</p>

<p>In the 'academic experience that has shaped' me essay, I am writing about the research I am doing with blood typing (I am converting Type B blood to Type- O Blood). Its not particularly eye catching, or even all that interesting to be quite honest. I have been regarded as exceptionally well rounded, but so are thousands of high school seniors across the country. Personality wise, I am very unique but I cannot pinpoint that something about me that sets me apart from everyone else.</p>

5

<p>thats the impression i got from brown -that they're atypical and looking for something special.</p>

<p>suppose you manage to convey that something special, but your academics aren't ridiculously strong and your extracurriculars arent so plentiful?</p>

<p>specifically I'm a senior in IB, not doing extremely well but def. not failing. my predicted grade is probably around 40/45 in the IB system, but definitely lower percentage wise.</p>

<p>thoughts?</p>

6

<p>It is clear that you are an exceptional student. However - I admit I have a stereotypical perception of Brown - perhaps Brown may not be the best place for someone like you. The vibes I get from Brown are that it's very eccentric, very liberal-artsy, and often may pick, say, someone who shoots documentaries of hobos, or hosts food-eating contests in an exotic African country, rather than someone who's class president and participates in science fairs. Now, if that "oddness" of Brown appeals to you, go ahead and apply. You can PM me if you need someone to proofread your essays for the "IT" factor.</p>

7

<p>But despite this, Brown still has its PLME program made specially for medical programs, which means it still has its "science fair and leader-addicted" people, yes? But yeah, I still stand behind what phoenixtree says: PLME is still a "Liberal Medical Education" mix and more than half of the people on campus are pursuing liberal arts degrees.</p>

<p>Ah, hmm. This thread has put a seed of thought in my mind. I love what Brown has to offer to its students, but I am one of those people who went to science fairs and participated in competitions regularly. I did a bunch of community service and I love leadership, so maybe Brown isn't right for me? Sigh, but I still love Brown. Still gonna try RD anyhow...</p>

8

<p>disagreeing with phoenixtree on two counts: I would say that the dressage expertise stands out, for one. I know 8 or 9 students at Brown right now, and several are serious, serious scientists, and I know some pretty conservative kids there, too, and they are very happy. Phoenixtree's perception seems a little narrow to me. One of the most incredibly intelligent, serious doctors I know graduated from Brown. Sure, there is funkiness, but you can betcha there are plenty of science-fair applicants. Do you go to Brown, phoenixtree, or are you guessing?</p>

9

<p>I have the same question for phoenixtree: how do you know any of this? From reading guidebooks, visiting campus a couple times or actually attending Brown? From what I can tell, you are a HS senior applying to colleges this year, so your basis for commenting on someone else's chance thread is pretty weak.</p>

<p>Brown has a very diverse student body. There are jocks, preps, geeks, hippies -- and a lot of just plain smart normal kids. Based on my decades of volunteer work for Brown, I disagree that it is looking for eccentricity or kids who are odd. It looks for kids who are very smart and love to be involved. </p>

<p>I don't do chances, but I will say that the OP involvement in dressage and research is pretty impressive.</p>

10

<p>I'm a current applicant, so I'm not sure if my words mean anything, but I definitely disagree with phoenixtree. I've only visited Brown once, but I loved it, and I definitely don't believe there is a certain type of Brown kid, even if people try to spread the idea that it's only for liberal, artsy, hippie people. Yes, there are people like that at Brown, but I think the best part about Brown is that it's really for anyone. If you're passionate about anything, and willing to work hard towards your passion, then I think you can succeed at Brown. I think the common thread between students at Brown is that they love to learn for the sake of learning, are always curious, and enjoy service to the community, nation, and world.</p>

11

<p>Thanks everyone for replying. My thoughts are, for a school known partly for 'different' and 'diverse' people wouldn't that mean that there is not a 'cookie-cutter' Brown student?</p>

<p>I have been told my credentials are really good, but I am worrying I lack the certain Brown flair. It's a long shot, but I still am going to try.)</p>

<p>Ps, if this means anything (and I hope no one reads this from the Cornell board), IMO, I have found the Brown forum to be just so much more interesting. Not to mention the responses so much more thought out. So I am hoping thats a sign I am a little more of a better fit for Brown.</p>