<p>i am a junior who is IN LOVE with brown and i would basically describe myself as a quirky academic… my grades & test scores are high but i think i distinguish myself from the insane pack of smart people applying with my interests & extracurriculars.</p>
<p>as i’m fine tuning my resume i’m kind of curious, what is brown impressed by academics-wise since most people applying are qualified in the transcript department? i’m talking national awards, accolades, etc. for example… would stand out performance in the chem olympiad impress them? just curious-
thanks!</p>
<p>Chem Olympiad as in USNCO or just a local thing?</p>
<p>either, but i was thinking USNCO</p>
<p>I think Chem Olympiad on the national stage will be impressive but it wont distinguish you too much from “the insane pack of smart people applying with [your] interests & extracurriculars.”</p>
<p>I think all colleges want to put across this idea that they care about you being yourself, but I feel like Brown really walks the talk. If you really are passionate about academics and want to take a class because you are genuinely interested in it, even if it has nothing to do with your major, then Brown sounds like the place for you. </p>
<p>Just do what you want to do. The worst thing you can do is follow some formula about how to get in there. Obviously you need good tests scores and grades. But for EC’s…just do what you’re passionate about and tell them about it through your essays and short responses. The most important thing is to have a “Why Brown” essay that’s not just I am smart, I want to go to an Ivy League, and you have a higher acceptance rate than YPHS. Just convey why you want to go to Brown and not just a top school, and you’ll be good (assuming everything else in your application is in order/exemplary)</p>
<p>I agree with everything pandapals says. Be yourself and do your thang</p>
<p>i am DEFINITELY not considering brown because of the name or that it’s an ivy… i want to go there because i think it’s a place where i’ll get an amazing education but i won’t be bored and i’ll be able to be myself. basically, i asked this because i know there are a ton of other people who probably feel that same way, and i want to know what i’m up against… are there nobel prize-winning, published novel-writing, audience with the president-earning people applying? what’s the caliber of accolades a typical accepted student has?</p>
<p>You get the full range at Brown, just as you will at any top school. I’ve met published authors, kids who have won international math olympiads, and nationally-acclaimed musicians. Hundreds of them apply; some get in.</p>
<p>I’ve also met many more people who were great students at normal high schools and who did a handful of ECs, but nothing out of the ordinary. Some of them are from unusual backgrounds, and some are fairly standard applicants. The adcom knows that we typically apply to college when we’re seventeen or eighteen years old; most kids won’t have racked up life-changing experiences, landed jobs usually given to applicants five years out of grad school, or won the Nobel prize. Some people have, and that’s awesome, but no college is going to accept a class composed entirely of those applicants.</p>