Guide To Applying To Brown: Components of the Application


You will find below the essential components of an application for admission to Brown. A brief description accompanies each item, but you should also refer to the Application Timeline and the Question and Answer sections of these instructions. We hope the Tips on Applying will help you with this work. If you are studying outside the United States or have been home-schooled, you should refer to the Questions and Answers prepared especially for you.


Brown First-Year Application: Supplement to the Common Application

This supplementary form provides information that we find helpful in considering your application to Brown in particular. It must be submitted before we can start an application file for you. We suggest that you read the entire form before beginning your work. Because the Supplement complements the Common Application, you would be wise to review that form, too. Please note that the Supplement includes special sections to be completed by students who have a primary academic interest in the fields of engineering or certain sciences, and those who wish to apply to the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) or the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program.

The Supplement can be submitted online, which is the preferred method, but you may also print out and mail the form if you wish.


Common Application – 2009-10 First-Year Application

This form must be submitted in addition to the Supplement. The Common Application can be submitted online, which is the preferred method, but you may also print out and mail the form if you wish.

The Common Application serves as a general application to a large number and range of colleges, so it contains questions and requests information that may not be applicable to all institutions. For instance, you will see in the Future Plans section of the form options for indicating “Entry Term” (freshmen may only enter Brown in the fall semester), intention to apply for merit-based scholarships (Brown’s financial aid is based entirely on need), and desire to live in college housing (Brown students must live in residence halls for the first six terms). Please be aware that the Common Application forms may contain items like these which are not directly relevant to Brown.


Common Application Secondary School Report and High School Transcript

This form must be completed by your counselor or other appropriate school official. It may be completed and submitted online using the Common App Online School Forms system. You will be required to enter some basic contact information for your counselor which will be used to create user accounts in the system for him or her. Your counselor will receive an email message with the information required for him or her to complete and submit the online school forms on your behalf. Submitting the form on paper via regular mail is also an option.

An official transcript of your complete high school academic record is also required and must be sent to the Admission Office directly from your school.

Note: if you have attended more than one high school, you must also request a Secondary School Report and official transcript from your previous school(s).


Common Application Teacher Evaluations (Two)

You should select two teachers who have taught you in major academic subjects (science, social studies, mathematics, foreign language, English) to complete recommendations for you. They may complete and submit these forms online using the Common App Online School Forms system. You will be required to enter some basic contact information for your teachers which will be used to create user accounts in the system for them. They will each receive an email with the information required for them to complete and submit the online school forms on your behalf. If they would prefer to submit the forms on paper via the regular mail, they may do so.

Note: if you are considering the Sc.B. degree or applying to the PLME program, at least one of your recommendations should come from a math or science teacher.


Common Application Midyear School Report

You should print out and give this form to your counselor or other school official. It should be sent—along with an updated official transcript—directly to the Brown Admission Office. Note: the transcript should include final grades for fall courses and a list of courses in which you are currently enrolled. This form can also be submitted online through the Common Application website.


Standardized Test Results

We require the following test results for a complete application to Brown:

SAT Reasoning Test and any two SAT Subject Tests

Or

ACT (with writing component). The ACT can be used as a substitute for both the SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests.

You must have official test results sent directly to Brown from either the College Board, which administers the SAT, or the American College Testing Program, which administers the ACT. Results from the November administration of the SAT may be submitted and will be considered with Early Decision applications.

A word about the College Board “Score Choice” for Regular Decision candidates: You are welcome to take advantage of the Score Choice option, but we strongly urge you to have completed all your required testing by the December 5th SAT test date, and that you have arranged for your results to be sent directly to Brown on or before our January 1st Regular Decision deadline. We will not be able to read your application until we receive a full set of official test scores, so it is to your advantage for us to have those test results in hand by the end of December. You may still submit scores from the January administration of the SAT, and they will be added to your file. Please see more information about this topic in the Question and Answer section of this Guide.

Early Decision applicants are strongly urged to complete the SAT Critical Reasoning and Subject Tests by the October 10th test date. The November administration of the SAT may submitted and will be considered as well.

Note: You should provide us with official test results by listing Brown as one of your college choices when you take the test or by contacting the testing agency and requesting that the results are sent directly to us. To have scores sent to Brown you will need our institutional code numbers:

For the SAT, Brown’s code number is 3094
For the ACT, Brown’s code number is 3800

International applicants or students whose first language is not English should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and arrange for Brown to receive official results. However, if your score on the SAT Reasoning test is 600 or above, it is not necessary to take the TOEFL.


Financial Aid Application

In order to apply for financial assistance, you must submit the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE form and the Free Application for Scholarship Aid (FAFSA) application. You must also check “yes” to the question on the Common Application that asks whether you intend to apply for financial aid.

For detailed information about financial aid at Brown, please visit the Office of Financial Aid Website..


Alumni Interview

Interviews with Brown alumni volunteers are coordinated by the Brown Alumni Association and are available to most of our applicants. Interviews are recommended but not required. After you have submitted an application, you will be contacted by a volunteer in your area to arrange a convenient time and place to have the conversation. If you happen to reside in one of the few regions where volunteers are unavailable, or if for any other reason an interview is not possible, please be assured that the lack of an interview will in no way affect the outcome of your application.


Application Fee

A processing fee of $75 is required at the time you submit your application. You may use a credit card for an online transaction, or you may send a check or money order to the Admission Office. If the fee will present a considerable financial hardship for you and your family, you may ask your guidance counselor to submit a Fee Waiver Request at the time you apply for admission.


Supplementary Materials

If you are exceptionally accomplished in a particular area, such as music, visual art, or creative writing, you may send us a sampling of your best work. Please click here to learn more about how to submit materials such as art portfolios and music recordings. Applicants are not expected to provide additional materials; it is an option only.


International Students

Although the application process is the same for students regardless of citizenship or the location of the schools from which they are applying, we do ask students who are attending schools outside of the United States to complete and submit the International School Supplement to the Secondary School Report form, which can be found at the Common Application site among its downloadable forms.

Also, please note that international applicants or students whose first language is not English should take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and arrange for Brown to receive official results. More information for international applicants can be found in the Questions You May Have section of these application instructions.


Home-Schooled Students

Students who have been home-schooled for all or part of their high school years should submit the Home School Supplement to the Secondary School Report form, which can befound at the Common Application site among its downloadable forms.

More information for home-schooled applicants can be found in the Questions You May Have section of these application instructions.



Admission Office
Brown University
Box 1876
45 Prospect Street
Providence, RI 02912