What are my chances to get into Brown?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

These are the things I will have done by senior year.
Do you think I have a chance to get into Brown? Possibly ED?

School: top 15 private prep boarding school in US (very rigorous, competitive)

  • Asian (international)

GPA 4.05W/3.95 UW

AP

  • Microeconomics (5)
  • Macroeconomics (4)
  • AP Chemistry
  • AP Calc AB
  • AP US History
  • AP Calc BC
  • AP Statistics
  • AP Physics C or mechanics idk yet

Honors

  • Algebra 2H
  • Chem H
  • Spanish 5H

Extracurriculars (most of this I’m going to do all 4 years)

  • Tour guide volunteering from 3rd grade (received gov admin award as ambassador)
  • Freshman Secretary Treasurer
  • Sophomore Vice President
  • mental health club student leader (first soph leader elected)
  • newspaper section editor (only one in my grade to be promoted freshman year)
  • school seminar student presenter
  • conference school representative (one of two from my grade)
  • local state non-profit program school representative
  • Varsity rowing coxswain (selected as states representative, stopped b/c corona)
  • culture club president (smth like Chinese club or Jewish club)
  • clarinet (advanced band)

Awards

  • gov admin ambassador award
  • 2020 dean’s list
  • 2020 honors list
  • 2020 solo and ensemble 1st division

I applied for the Yale Young Global Scholars program. Waiting for the results.

I’m expecting a 1530-1550 from the SAT. If not, I’ll at least get 1500+.

What are my chances?

2

The Brown Bulletin (university catalog: includes concentration requirements, course descriptions etc.) provides some helpful information on the coursework Brown strongly recommends: https://bulletin.brown.edu/the-college/

Brown and other T20s are looking for both breadth AND depth in your coursework—especially with the freedom that the Open Curriculum poses, Admissions wants to be certain you have multiple interests and that you have spent time and energy studying what you love.

If you attend a prestigious prep school, one I assume that likely has sent students to Brown and other T20s in the past, I’d recommend asking your counselor (or the counselor in charge of college advising) about the profiles of students (especially international students, at most T20s limit the % of the class that is international to ~10-20%) who have been accepted (make sure to note if they had hooks such as legacy, being a recruited athlete etc.)

Are you applying for FA? Keep in mind that Brown, while meeting full need (as the Financial Aid Office calculates it----NPC calculators are estimates, not guarantees, and tend to break down for unusual financial situations or non-US Citizens,) is need-AWARE: your level of need will be considered during the Admissions process, though to what extent, none but Admissions knows for certain.

Definitely shoot for a 1500+/34+ on the SAT/ACT, especially as an international student, given that you’re competing for fewer seats. If you’re a potential STEM concentrator, I’d recommend on working towards a test score at or above the 75th percentile. It’s common (at least pre-COVID) to take SAT Subject Tests in your potential field: Math Level 2 is a no-brainer for STEM concentrators; and then Biology, Physics, or Chem based on your interests.

I’d recommend taking both AP Physics C E&M and Mechanics if interested in Engineering, given that the introductory Engineering courses (ENGN 0030 & 0040) “highly recommend” at least Calculus AB, according to the course descriptions in Courses @ Brown, which is our course registration system: cab.brown.edu.

I am unfamiliar with athletics and band, so I cannot comment on both of those. Brown does provide students the opportunity to submit a music portfolio, which may be something to consider if you’re extremely skilled. Same goes for YYGS----I’ll note that college admissions office don’t appear to necessarily value paid opportunities over free opportunities----what’s more important is that you can discuss what you learnt from the opportunity that you were provided.

3

I totally agree with you that paid opportunities are often not that important. That’s why I’m applying to YYGS with financial aid and also applying for the Brown Leadership Institute through a prestigious foundation that gives out aid for students to attend summer programs. I currently receive FA from my high school and also received a $4,000 scholarship to attend an out of state conference. Our school only lets me take one physics AP at a time so I’m planning to double math instead (AP Stats and AP Calc BC). I hope this will help since my prospective major is information sciences and general chemistry.

Also, my family needs FA but definitely not that much since I’m not from a low-income family. I would say our family is on the verge of middle and high class.

Thanks for your advice!

4

What possible major and what ECs relate to that?
Pikachu is right that you need to take a deeper look at what B expects. This includes the sort of ECs with some impact, even small, but also outside the hs. You could climb a bit out of your current comfort zone. Show you can stretch, by their definitions. Aim for 5s in the remaining AP tests, too.

5

Just curious, why are you applying to Brown specifically?

Admissions can be quirky, and financial aid is not as generous as some of the other Ivies.

If you are at a private prep school and boarding there, you might be limited to activities on campus, and I am sure the rigor of the academics as well as your many activities keep you busy.

Make good use of summers (if COVID allows) to stretch, as someone suggested.

Any chance that your rowing could help you with admissions?

6

Your guidance counselor at your top 15 prep school will have by far the best information about how similar applicants from your school have fared in terms of admissions at at Brown (and other colleges). Take advantage of the resources available at your school.

7

Talk with your parents about what they can afford for college.

Then, run Brown’s net price calculator to see if it is likely to be affordable.

https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/brown

8

My prospective major is information science along with an interest for chemistry and creative publication. It is true that a lot of the activities I do are on campus except for volunteering and the school rep for the NGO.

Though I wrote before that I’m interested in information science, it wouldn’t be something that I’m super sure about. I thought it would potentially be a great fit for me because it matches with the overarching themes that my ECs have and what I want to achieve in the future.

I’m worried about my college counselor b/c though he is a very smart and talented guy he is one of the newest counselors. I hope he helps me out a lot.

Thanks!

9

On average, there are about 200-230 students in each class. At least 2-3 students go to Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. I’ve noticed that Harvard and Yale always took students from my school. 2-3 from Columbia, 2-3 from UPenn, 2-3 from Cornell, and 1-2 from Dartmouth or Duke. I’m not sure about Brown b/c only one student got in last year.

Overall, my friends who went to college told me to not expect much from college counseling. Hopefully, I got the new counselor so things will work out well.

Thanks for your advice!

10

Brown does not have an information science concentration (what we call majors.) You can create your own via the Independent Concentration program, however. Here’s the list: https://bulletin.brown.edu/the-college/concentrations/

11

Those ECs don’t relate to IS, nor chem or communications.

School newspaper is always good, but a typical applicant interested in data or chem would have stem sorts of activities.