Hi all! I’m applying to Brown as a transfer from a state school. Good luck to all applying.
I have a general question. What do you all think about listing the names of current students on your Common App? Do you think it helps your chances if you know some current students?
Also, one current student has encouraged me greatly to apply. Should I include that in my “Why Brown” transfer essay? The student is not my reason for transferring, but they certainly did get me looking at the school more closely.
I applied last year and am applying again to transfer for my sophomore year…Does Brown look at your high school app again, or do they not save apps??? Is it okay that I recycled bits and pieces of my supplements from last year?
Applied to Brown as a transfer student for Fall of 2017. Posting this on all the transfer forums I applied to (that exist) for reference. Will report back come decision day, maybe even live in the suspense as it approaches.
22YO white male from Michigan
Also applied: Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, NYU, Vanderbilt
Program (1st/2nd choice): Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology
Objective
Currently Attending: Community College in Michigan
Credits: will finish with 88, which includes 12 from APs… I expect somewhere around 50 to transfer due a semi-difficult social work program I am completing that is nontransferable, as well as the APs being taken out.
College GPA: 3.95 (UW), 1 W in Fall of 2013
College course load: Sporadic courses from fall of '13 to winter '15. 17 CH’s in fall '15, 21 CH’s in fall '16, 22 this semester (never received lower than an A-, haven’t received A- since winter of '14)
Two gap semesters in winter '15 and winter '16
HS: Meh Public School in MI, ~1500 students, sends 2-3 students to Michigan every year and a student to an Ivy once or twice in a decade
HS GPA: 3.2ish
ACT: 28 (one and only sitting in March 2011)
Subjective
EC’s: Work as a “full time” school bus driver in addition to the 22 CH’s I’m taking, internship at residential juvenile delinquency rehabilitation program, another job in leadership role, the gap semester jobs and travel, serve on board of directors of local youth baseball league, run umpires program for the league for last three years. Passionate about them all.
LOR’s: I doubt they get any better than what they may have wrote. I didn’t see them, but the two professors absolutely loved me. Both hold PhD’s for whatever that’s worth.
Gap explanation: Really good. Solid reason, involved travel and learning
Why Transfer: Liked this essay the most, but it’s kind of supposed to be a lay-up for a CC transfer lol
Supplemental Essays: I’m a perfectionist, and I felt like there was something still to be said, but I know I’m a really good writer, so shrug
@mjr2013 Your application seems very impressive and competitive. How hard were the courses you took at college? Do most of them relate to your major, and have you taken any junior/senior level courses?
@IglooLover Thank you for your compliment. Most of them have to do with psychology. No junior/senior level courses are offered at my CC, but I have taken almost exclusively 200-level courses.
@deller123 don’t be afraid to send a kind reminder… My school’s computer system would NOT allow my professors to upload their letter of recommendation, and it became like a two month ordeal for me to find them a computer that would allow them to upload their letter on Common App. Annoying for sure.
International student from developing country. (underrepresented)
major: social analysis and research
College GPA: 3.69 (from Community college)
HS GPA: mediocre, worse than you’ve ever imagined
I wrote about my heavy addiction in my HS (not drugs), bad family situation
SAT Predicted : 1400ish
achievement:
earth science olympiad state level finalist
played in national level floorball competition and active in a floorball club also varsity
earth science quiz 4th place nationwide
contributed as a helping hand and supporter for earth science subject and the team won 3rd place nationwide
world robo master cup (semi finalist 5th grade)
1st place internal arts and cultural competition
involvement:
class president (3rd grade - 12th grade)
sophomore rep & senate (student govt)
PTK VP of Leadership
co-founder of chess club
event organizer for my country club
research:
1 from HS 1 from comm college
Work experience:
math tutor (calculus, linear algebra, stat) (current)
student ambassador (current)
student assistant for various college project (past)
worked in a small local magazine company as a member of their data team
essay:
i know few students and also I’ve included the research paper of one of the faculty at brown as my refrence of why am i applying to brown.
Has anyone receieved an email from Brown about login to the portal to view what materials they have received? The email I got right after applying said I would be receiving login information by the Wednesday after the due date, which is today.
@aftfl12 I received mine! It was oddly placed in the “promotions” tab of my gmail: I rarely check this tab. You might want to check your spam and all your tabs…
In regards to my previous comment, do you think they will consider my final college transcript then? My final exam is May 5th and they probably will post grade within the following week…
@RickMedeiros thank you so much it was under my promotions tab too!
I was also wondering if you or anyone who has checked the portal has any of their items besides the application, fee, and recommendations checked as received? I’ve sent everything but it says only these things have been received. Is this because the portal just opened up and they have not updated it yet? or does anyone actually have items marked as received?
I don’t know @aftfl12. I corresponded with an admissions officer and thinks that everything’s fine… while my portal is still missing documents as well (even though they have been submitted half a month ago).
Good luck to you all. This fool managed to send an application out without ever taking a SAT/ACT, so maybe while the application reviewers laugh at my incomplete transfer app they’ll end up letting one of you guys in instead.
