ICYMI, Brown is test-optional for the upcoming school year. We broke down their announcement here. Their statement is unnecessarily wordy and yet despite its length, it does not provide any groundbreaking information. Essentially, send in your scores if you’ve done well because Brown says, verbatim, “we will continue to review test scores that are submitted.”
But let’s consider a very possible reality: you’re reading this because you want to apply to Brown but you have not had the chance to take the SAT and/or the ACT, or you took the test in early 2020 and aren’t happy with your scores. What’s next?
The first thing that you should do is figure out why you want to go to Brown. Write it down. If your list includes “they just went test-optional” and/or “I just want to go to an Ivy League school,” stop there. It will not be any easier to get into Brown this year. In fact, it could be harder because more students will be applying. If you’re still with us, let’s take a look at how to make yourself stand out to Brown:
The essential thing to understand is that you must get really clear on what Brown needs to know about you – and find a way to get those points across during an application season that is constantly shapeshifting. Assuming that you are not submitting scores, here’s what you’ll hand over to Brown:
Grades
Letters of recommendation
A list of extracurricular activities
Your common app essay
It is fair to say that all of these things will be scrutinized by a team of professionals. But with second-semester junior year grades moving to pass/fail and most extracurricular activities being put on pause since March, this leaves your common app essay. Yes, there are letters of recommendation but those have never accounted for a majority of the pie chart used to determine admission viability. Luckily for you, your common app essay is something that you can take control of immediately. We cannot stress the importance of putting forth your best work for your common app essay. We have always firmly believed in the worth and merit of a common app essay, and we’ve been helping students craft meaningful essays for years. But this year, when so many of the usual benchmarks and achievements have been removed, your essay is truly your best chance of explaining your unique personality.
We have never suggested writing about academic achievements or extracurricular activities in your common app essay. And while we understand why students might want to flock to these topics, it’s an even worse idea this year because you truly won’t stand out. Keep in mind that your common app essay is a way for the admissions team to understand your personality or a soft skill such as being a good listener that you might have. It is not the place to write about anything that appears elsewhere on your application. A good place to start is by gathering the information that Brown will see about you, listed above in bullet form. Look at your grades and make sure that you’re within range – this is important! Then, write out your extracurricular activities and ask for your letters of recommendation.
While this won’t give you any hints as to what to write about, it will show you what to avoid. Never underestimate the importance of crossing ideas off of your list. Then, read this extremely comprehensive blog post about how to write a common app essay. Again, you should be starting this week! We’ll be publishing a how-to guide for Brown’s supplements in August, and your job is to have your common app essay done by then. Happy writing!
We help students write common app essays that stand out. Contact us here if you’d like to work with someone one on one.