Brown University is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States… It is actually older than the US. It was founded in 1764. This private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, has around 7k undergrads and is internationally renowned. It feels kind of silly to introduce Brown. Most students applying to Brown have been dreaming about going there for years. We talk to students every year who have wanted to go to Brown since elementary school.
Brown is extremely competitive. Last year, their acceptance rate was just 5%. This means you have to be the best candidate you can be if you are serious about Brown. But what makes a good Brown candidate? How can you be it? We are so glad you asked.
What is Brown looking for?
Brown uses a holistic admissions process. This means that they assess your application as a full package based on many different factors… and with a 5% acceptance rate, you have to shine in every category they look at. They publish these factors as part of a report called the Common Data set. It’s a yearly report that breaks down admissions statistics, so pretty much catnip to admissions nerds like ourselves.
You can't control some of these factors. Like you can’t magically become a legacy or (probably) choose what state you live in. That’s fine. You should really pay more attention to the factors labeled “very important” and “important.” Most of these you can control.
Academics Come First
The first category you have to slay in is academics. Brown tracks academics in a couple of ways. The first is rigor, or how challenging your classes are. Some schools are more rigorous than others. Going to a rigorous school will help your chances, but what really matters is your class choices. You should stack your transcript with APs, IBs, Honors, and/or dual enrollment classes. If your school doesn’t have many accelerated courses, you might even want to look into summer classes, local colleges, or other academic opportunities. You also want to ensure you have enough credits to apply. Brown has 17 required and 22 recommended classes. Do the 22 route… and ideally, many at an advanced level.
The next factor Brown uses is class rank. Don’t freak out if your school doesn’t rank its students. Most these days don’t.
However, if yours does, you should be shooting for being in the top 10% of your graduating class. Even if yours doesn’t, do you feel like you are at the top of your class? If not, you might want to push yourself harder. Brown is looking for top students. You want to be one if you apply.
The last academic category is GPA. If you google “Brown accepted GPA,” you will probably see 4.1. We don’t use this metric. Not because it’s necessarily wrong… though, honestly, it feels a little low… We don’t use average GPA because not all GPAs are made the same, and Brown agrees. They don’t even track average accepted GPA. You want to take challenging classes and do well in them. There is no trick or magic number (unfortunately.)
Write a Great Essay
Writing a great common app essay (and supplement) is vital for applying to Brown. Not only do they call the application essay “very important,” but it is also a time to showcase your Personal Qualities/Characteristics.
Ideally, your essay should do a couple of things. First, it should showcase some of your positive qualities. It should tell a good story. And finally, it should be engaging and creative. You really want to stand out here. We have a ton of blogs that can help you if you need it. We especially would start with this one.
Brown also has a long supplement. We have a guide all about how to approach it, but make sure you give yourself enough time to tackle it… it will take you some time.
You are also gonna need great extracurriculars
Ok, so you are probably sick of hearing it, but… we have a blog all about this. However, the TLDR is extracurriculars are essential because they also should showcase your Talent/Abilities. There are a couple of things you should do to craft a Brown-worthy activities list.
Follow your academic passions outside of class. Whatever you want to study, it should be obvious by looking at your activities. It can come through with related clubs, research, internships, or even summer classes, but we need to see that drive.
Leadership and commitment. Brown isn’t going to be impressed with one-hour-a-week commitments. They want you to invest your time in activities you care about, a.k.a. commitment. With commitment comes the opportunity to show leadership and take on responsibilities.
Your drive and talent need to be palpable. Show us what you are capable of.
Plus, if some of this comes through as volunteer or work experience, that will also help you. Just make sure you show the same commitment to volunteering or work that you would to other important activities if you hope to check that box.
One note about test scores
Brown is currently test optional. That being said, around 80% of matriculated students submitted test scores. That is a pretty high number. Ideally, you want to submit some kick-ass scores. Of admitted first-year students who submitted SAT scores, 87% got between 750-800 on Math, and 70% got within the same range for EBRW. 66.4% earned between 35-36 on the ACT, and 30.4% earned between 32-34. These are impressive scores. You should push yourself to get within a similar range.
Consider applying early
If you are serious about Brown, you should consider applying Early Decision. While their overall acceptance rate is 5%, their ED rate is higher. You still need to be a great candidate, but the rate will probably be closer to around 14.5% if you apply ED. Or at least that is what it was for the class of 2026.
There is a lot to think about when it comes to being a strong candidate at Brown. You really want to strive to be the whole package. It’s a lot to balance between academics, extracurriculars, test scores, and even essays. Take a deep breath. It takes commitment and planning, but you can do it if you are serious about getting into Brown.
And if you need help, we can do that. Reach out to us here!