<p>Brown sounds perfect in every way, except that I never ever thought of myself as Ivy League material. And I know I’m not, but Brown seems to be the most open-minded about student achievement and what that really means. I have a 93 GPA, not sure what that is on a 4.0 scale, I’ve always taken Honors classes, I’ll be up to 4 AP by the end of my senior year - not too remarkable, but not bad, right? I have participated in every school theatre production since I entered high school, won awards for sound design, acting performance, and original music at the One Act festival; I have also participated in Speech for all four years, won awards in categories like Humorous, Dramatic, Duo, Ensemble, and Original Works. I won a Regional Scholastic Writing Award for an original writing piece I did for speech, also. I have volunteered at our local library for nearly 9 years, assisting with the storytime program; this summer, I designed, ran, and directed a two-week summer theatre program for kids ages 6-9. I’m part of Natural Helpers, our school’s literary magazine, Theatre Council, and National Honor Society; I have also played guitar for 9 years, piano for 6, and I take private voice lessons. </p>
<p>My parents and friends say there is no harm in applying, and I should even consider going Early Decision. My target schools include Emerson, Sarah Lawrence, and Bard, so obviously this is the highest reach I could have. Is there any hope for me to be part of the 7% admitted who weren’t in the top 10% of their high school class?</p>
<p>Possibly, but not likely. My son had a 4.0 UW GPA (i.e. no grades below A in all four years) and will finish tied for 2nd out of over 200 kids in the school ranking and was waitlisted.</p>
<p>I understand that it’s not likely - it’s not likely for anyone applying to a school with an 8.7% acceptance rate, least of all one only in the top 20% of her class - I’m just wondering if it’s worth a shot. Is there anyone else in a similar position, maybe with the same question?</p>
<p>I’m not sure if you would be admitted or not because there is so much that is taken into account when applying to a school. I can tell you that I applied and didn’t get in. Sure, it still stings, but I’m truly glad I tried. I will never wonder what if I would have tried? I tried, didn’t get it, and kept on going I say go for it!!!</p>
<p>APPLY!!! You seem very similar to me. I almost didn’t apply to Brown (I took off Columbia at the last second just before I started writing essays) but I ended up getting in. Not applying to Yale was a huge mistake. I got wait-listed from Stanford, one of two kids from my school, and the other is going to Harvard.</p>
<p>Be more confident in yourself. Write essays that speak about you and highlight those traits that you think Brown values. Write about what makes you different. You seem like a really good candidate.</p>
<p>TRY!!! You will never know if you don’t try. Honestly, it’s really up in the air about admissions these days, so it’s definitely worth a shot! Personally, I would rather be able to say I tried and failed than to say I did not try at all. I think that former shows a lot about your character than the latter. Go for it ;)</p>
<p>You have some interesting ECs and should definitely apply. There’s more to getting in than just academic stats – although your stats need to be solid enough to prove you can handle the work. Lots of students with lesser stats and great ECs get in over higher-stat kids.</p>
<p>Take the chance. The worst that can happen is that you’ll be rejected ,but, if you don’t apply - you’ll always have that "what if… " in your mind. Consider EDing at Brown.</p>
<p>If Brown is where you really want to go, then absolutely apply. You have an impressive list of achievements outside the classroom that could swing the balance in your favor. While grades and test scores are important, Brown looks for more than just that.</p>
<p>You never know. I certainly am not perfect, but if you make every effort to get what you want, you will get it. Don’t let anyone deter you. Just make sure you put in WORK on that application (and in the classroom) to let the committee know that you want it, can handle it, and deserve your spot.</p>
<p>thanks so much for being so encouraging! update: just got my first SAT scores: 720 on reading, 660 on writing, 640 on math, total of 2020 (I plan on taking them again). I’ll be taking the SAT Subject tests in World History and Literature soon so hopefully those go well. I understand how horribly slim the chances are, but I feel a little more encouraged thanks to you all :)</p>
<p>Definitely apply!
With such fierce competition, schools like Brown have to look at other aspects of an application. SAT scores and GPA, while important, aren’t the only things Brown will look at. Do re-try the SAT. Perhaps take the ACT?</p>
<p>You have some unique ECs. Like developing a theater program. Or the library volunteering. Good luck!</p>
<p>You should definitely apply!
I chose to apply last minute last October. Brown had always been my dream school, but towards the end of my junior year I thought I wasn’t going to apply because I didn’t have a 2400 SAT and I wasn’t valedictorian. (My standardized test scores were within their ranges, but not at the top. And I am top 10 in my class, but surely not #1.)
If you really want it, go forth with all of your heart.
Attend Brown info seshes in your area and email your admissions counselor with questions. (Hopefully you’ll meet them at the local info sesh, like I did last year.)
Visit campus if you can and try to meet other admissions people who might remember your name and pass it on back to your area’s admissions counselor.
And if you really really want it, apply Early Decision.
One of the unique factors about admissions at Brown is that they take into account the “Level of the applicant’s interest” in the school. So make sure you show them that you want it! By applying Early Decision, you’re essentially telling them you want it more than anything else, so it’s worthy of consideration if you’re willing to commit yourself.
Also, in your essays, highlight your diverse upbringing and underline your unique talents. If you can, talk about your varied interests and (though only briefly) mention how you would benefit from the Open-Curric. (Don’t make that part very long, just make sure to connect the fact that you have varied interests and the Open-Curric would allow you to explore them.)
This is really long, so I’ll stop here.
Moral of the story is that I almost didn’t apply to Brown because I was intimidated by the numbers.
After being deferred ED and accepted RD, I can happily say that all my efforts put forth in applying have paid off. Brown 2015 here I come!
So don’t let the statistics stop you from applying. Best of luck!</p>
<p>No one is perfect! If you love Brown and think you’d be happy there, APPLY! My teacher said this once and it applies here too: if you ask (apply in this case) the worst thing they can do is say no, but if you don’t ask the boy to the dance (or apply to the school) there’s no way he’ll say yes!</p>
<p>another update: scored a 5 on the AP English Comp. exam! I know Brown doesnt accept AP credit for English, but itll still look good…right? Should i even give them that info if they dont accept the credit?</p>
<p>another update: scored a 5 on the AP English Lang. and Comp. exam - I know Brown doesnt accept credit for that class, but should I still send it to them anyway?</p>
I say go for it!!!</p>