What are my chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

Hi everyone, sorry this is so long and thank you if anyone responds! I’m just another stressed out student who plans on applying to Brown this november for Early Decision. I understand my stats are low for Brown, but I like this school so much that I decided to take a chance anyway. Please let me know your opinions or suggestions, thanks in advance!

I’m a Canadian asian girl studying at a pretty competitive American international school in China, I’m planning on applying for Education major.

3.65 GPA unweighted *I’m not sure if Brown takes in my first semester grades for senior year?
SAT: 2160 (CR: 720, M: 700, W: 740 Essay 11) since Brown takes superscore I’m retaking this October to get my math up so hopefully I can get it up to 2200+
SAT 2: Literature 680 Math level 2: 710

Took APUSH in sophomore year (got a 4)
Currently taking the full IB Diploma with a Bilingual Certificate for HL A English and Chinese
HL’s: English, Chinese, Economics
SL’s: Math, Biology, Psychology

Extra curriculars: (In school)
-National Honor Society member
-President of National Art Honor Society
-Secretary of SRT (teaches foreign staff and teachers Chinese)
-Group leader of English Service Project (teaches Chinese cafeteria workers English)
-Student Council Grade Senator
-WILL swimming (teaching children with some sort of disability how to swim)
-Eagle Ambassador (represents school to help visitors or new students)

(Out of school):
-I’ve taken ballet for the past 12 years and have a certificate for Grade 6 in the Royal Academy of Dance of UK and will be putting on a charity performance for an orphanage later this month *will be uploading a video of me dancing as a supplement
-piano grade 8 in the ABRSM
-certificate for the verification of authenticity of Chinese antiques
-interning at an international art auctioning company this summer

Rec Letters: English teacher, Biology teacher, and Ballet teacher as a supplement since she’s known me most of my life

Thank you so much!

2

If you apply ED, they won’t be able to take your first semester senior grades into account. If you apply RD, they will.

3

My D was invited to a Brown admissions presentation (along with Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Barnard and Bryn Mawr). It was intimate- about 12 students. My D asked the Brown admissions person about ED. She said that frankly ED is not an advantage unless you are an athlete. Their stats show that something like 26% of ED are athletes. She basically was very discouraging to applicants whose first choice is Brown but are not offering the school something that they really want- a strong hook I would imagine.

4

Not trying to discourage you OP but keep in mind that as an admit strategy to Brown, applying ED is probably a weak strategy.

5

You might ask your Brown regional admissions officer his/her thoughts on your sending a dance video.

From their web site, admissions seems to be just set up for reviewing visual arts and music supplements, not performing arts:

From admissions:

From the TAPS department:

I’ve heard that TAP’s used to review video supplements, but became so overwhelmed they off-loaded some of the review to undergrads; then, eventually just stopped doing it.

Instead, you might consider using the additional info section of the common application to highlight your dance accomplishments. And, you might explore dance opportunities at Brown, and if any appeal to you, discuss it in the ‘Why Brown’ supplementary essay.

If you do upload a video, I would make it VERY brief and appealing to a layman.

Best of luck with your application!

6

If Brown is your first choice, I would strongly encourage you to apply ED.