Applying to Brown

We devote as much attention to evaluating your application as you have given to preparing it.

All applications to Brown are read and rated, at the very least, twice. The first reading is assigned randomly, and the second is done by the admission officer responsible for the geographic region in which your school is located.

Every application is rated by each reader for potential academic performance at Brown and for non-academic impact on the Brown community. After applications have been reviewed for potential academic and personal impact on the Brown community, the selection process begins. Brown is one of the few colleges in the nation that is forced by its large number of applications to turn away over eighty percent of those seeking admission. Nonetheless, every application we receive is thoroughly examined and evaluated.

A Message from Jim Miller, Dean of Admission:

As you will learn, admission practices at colleges vary in terms of how test scores or interviews or courses are evaluated, which is to say that the relative weight applied to these factors does not follow some common formula. Thus, the probability of admission differs from college to college.

With so much variation in the educational opportunities among secondary schools, from state to state and country to country, we cannot possibly or fairly apply a uniform standard for achievement. Rather, we attempt to treat each applicant individually and educate ourselves about the variety of experiences that students bring with them.

Each year the Board of Admission is thoroughly inspired by the many dimensions of excellence that our applicants present; however, we can admit relatively few of these individuals. Thus, you should make an effort to be realistic in estimating your chances of admission. The most important actions that you may take on your own behalf are to research your colleges well and to produce a thoughtful application.