Brown Regular Decision

July 25, 2022
By AdmissionSight

Brown Regular Decision

They all graduated from Brown University, including Emma Watson, Janet Yellen, and Ira Glass.

The Ivy League university in Rhode Island has produced leaders in a wide range of industries, including politics, technology, the performing arts, journalism, and many others.

Academically, Brown is perhaps best known for its open curriculum, which gives students the freedom to pursue their interests without being constrained by requirements. Why does this matter? What else has Brown gained popularity for?

Brown university building with pillars surrounded by trees.

Brown is consistently rated among the top 20 universities in the country.

Despite being an Ivy League institution, Brown’s admissions are, with the exception of Cornell, a little less rigorous academically than those of the other Ivies. Brown really values students with distinctive and varied academic interests who could benefit the most from the open curriculum once they have reached a certain academic threshold. Strong students might, for instance, try to combine computer science and classics to use digital modeling to recreate historic artifacts.

Essays and extracurricular activities are also given a lot of weight by Brown; they are looking for students who are passionate about what they do and are dynamic.

The university values the arts and is interested in applications that include an artistic component, such as a portfolio of visual arts or creative writing. Students who participate in the liberal arts are valued by Brown, even those who plan to major in STEM.

When Is Brown’s Regular Decision Due?

A lot may ask “When is Brown’s regular decision due?” For Brown Regular Decision, the majority of first-year students opt to submit their applications through the Brown Regular Decision process, which has a deadline of January 5 (11:59 p.m. applicant’s local time). Applications submitted under the Brown Regular Decision plan will hear back by the beginning of April.

If you apply under the Regular Decision plan, you can think about other colleges before deciding on one by May 2. Admitted students must inform Brown of their enrollment decision by May 2, which is the standard reply date for many colleges.

How Selective Is Brown?

If you plan to apply to Brown University, the acceptance rate is the most important factor to take into account. With an 8% acceptance rate, Brown University is extremely selective.

Female student smiling at the camera while holding her notebook.

As a result, only eight applications out of every hundred are approved. This demonstrates how selective is Brown, seeing the thorough screening process used by the school. By meeting the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores for Brown University, you can demonstrate your academic readiness at the first stage of the admissions process.

Additionally, Brown University considers a student’s high school class rank and letters of recommendation to be very important components of the requirements.

What Are the GPA Requirements at Brown University?

Brown University admissions are extremely competitive, and a high-grade point average is required (GPA).

The average GPA at Brown University is 3.94. Even for applicants with the highest GPAs and test scores at Brown, only 2,822 of the 36,793 applicants were accepted into the university last year. Your test scores must rank in the top 2% of all test takers in order for you to be admitted.

Brown University typically accepts and draws high school students with “A+” grades.

Students who were accepted attended school in 62 percent of cases. More than half of those admitted enroll, indicating that admission to Brown University is a highly desired outcome for many students. The majority of graduating high school seniors rank among the top students in their class.

If a student’s average GPA falls short of Brown’s requirements, they can try raising their SAT/ACT scores.

What Is the Typical SAT Requirement for Brown?

The minimum GPA requirements at Brown University are evidence enough of the school’s high level of competition.

Female student answering a test while smiling.

For this university, the SAT 25th percentile is 1440. Only about 25 percent of applicants have a GPA below 1440. The average SAT score for Brown students is below the 75th percentile, or 1570.

The average SAT for Brown is broken down into the following sections:

New SAT 25th Percentile Average Score 75th  Percentile
Math 740 770 800
Reading+Writing Score 700 735 770
Cumulative SAT Score 1440 1505 1570

Focus on raising your score in the other test section if one is weak. In other words, you may still achieve the required composite score even if you receive a higher score in one section but a lower score in another.

Each college has a different SAT score policy, so you should be aware of that. All SAT scores may be submitted under this policy.

Additionally, Brown University provides SAT super scoring. The institution will only take into account your highest SAT section score as a result. It is therefore best to retake the SAT. It’s a great chance to improve your grade.

What ACT Requirements Apply to Brown University?

The sum of the four sections’ scores is the ACT composite score.

You must score nearly the same in each section for the required composite score. For students taking the ACT, there are two percentiles for each school: 25 and 75. The 25th and 75th percentiles, respectively, are reached by Brown’s total scores. Brown’s ACT score is therefore a 34.

Female student writing in a paper in a desk.

Brown does not have a minimum score requirement, but submitting an application with a score that is significantly below the minimum will complicate the admissions process.

Meeting the SAT/ACT requirements and Brown University’s GPA requirements does not guarantee your selection. You still have a lot of work to do.

What Other Conditions Must I Meet to Attend Brown University?

In addition to a student’s GPA, Brown University looks for a number of other characteristics.

Some of the most crucial requirements are included in the list below.

  • Social Service: Serving the American and global communities is a key component of Brown University’s mission. As a result, they are looking for students who are motivated to use their education to make the world a better place in addition to advancing their careers. The committee may take the applicant’s willingness and capacity to contribute to the community into account when reviewing their application. Also, teachers will give priority in class to students who want to give back to the community.
  • Having a cohesive community: Students and teachers must work together in accordance with the mission of the school. The united neighborhood will cooperate to benefit the entire world. Brown encourages teachers and students to work together. They will therefore evaluate how well you cooperate with others. Show off your skills in both areas when you apply for admission as a result. You will stand a better chance of being accepted if you have both of these qualities.
  • Essays/Personal Statements: Brown advises that your essays should demonstrate your ability and character because these qualities will be considered when evaluating your application. Make sure your essays show how well you fit in because Brown places a lot of emphasis on community. Be creative in your writing because Brown is an artistic and imaginative institution.
  • Recommendation letters: When making an application to Brown University, be sure to select a counselor and two professors from the main academic disciplines who can evaluate both your academic performance and your abilities.
  • Extracurricular activities: Brown University places a high value on extracurricular activities because they give potential students a glimpse into your character and skills while they are not in class.

What Is Brown’s Acceptance Rate for Regular Admission?

Only 5% of applicants were accepted by Brown University in a record-breaking admissions year despite receiving the most applications ever. Just 2,546 students were accepted by the prestigious Ivy League university out of the 50,649 applicants.

Comparing the applicant pool to last year’s record of 46,568 applicants, it increased by an astounding 9 percent. The 896 students admitted during the early decision round in December 2021 joined the 1,651 Brown regular decision round admits. Let’s see what is Brown’s acceptance rate for regular admission for the Class of 2026.

Applications Received Admitted Students Acceptance Rate
Brown Regular Decision 44,503 1,651 3.60%
Early Admission 6,146 896 14.60%

What Are the Odds of Getting Off the Waitlist?

Logan Powell, the dean of admission, told The Herald in April that the university extends offers to those on its waitlist with the hope that 900 to 1,000 students will accept a spot. This year, the University extended enough offers for 1,000 to 1,200 students to accept a place on the list due to an unprecedented increase in applications and a greater sense of uncertainty among high school seniors, which in turn led to admissions offices.

According to a previous article in The Herald, the University has recently accepted anywhere between two and 300 waitlisted students. If you’re curious what are the odds of getting off the waitlist, one hundred ninety-four students from the class of 2024 and 127 students from the class of 2023 were taken off the waitlist, according to the University’s Common Data Set. Only 34 students on the waitlist were accepted by the university this year.

How Do You Increase Your Chances of Getting into Brown?

How Brown Judges Candidates

Students who “possess an intense curiosity and aspire to make an impact” are what Brown is looking for.

The university forgoes any kind of formulaic evaluation and plunges headfirst into a full-blown holistic admissions process to determine which 5.4 percent of the extremely talented and accomplished applicant pool best meets this standard. This process “challenges us to discover how each applicant would contribute to — and benefit from — the lively academic, social, and extracurricular activity here at Brown,” according to the Brown admissions office.

Male student looking up at the camera while taking a test.

We will take into account how your special abilities, successes, vigor, curiosity, perspective, and identity might be woven into the dynamic fabric of Brown University.

The rigor of secondary school records, class rank, GPA, test scores, application essays, recommendations, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities are among the eight factors that Brown cites as being “very important” to the admissions process.

Brown University is looking for genuine excellence in one or more extracurricular activities, not just that you filled the ten spaces on the Common App Activity List.

For instance, you may have coauthored or published a scholarly study, article, or work of fiction, won a prestigious international science competition, are an accomplished pianist or started a charitable organization that had a significant impact. Being an athletic recruit can also significantly improve your chances of getting accepted. Nine hundred undergraduates participate in the 38 varsity sports at Brown each year.

Application Tips for Brown Admission

If you want to be one of the more than 50,000 applicants to Brown for the upcoming admissions cycle, let’s look over how do you increase your chances of getting into Brown:

1) Brown offers applicants the choice of submitting a two-minute video portfolio, an alumni interview that can be conducted in person, over the phone, or via Skype. Those who choose the latter option are free to upload any kind of video into their applicant portal.

Popular topics include: Your academic interests, why you chose Brown, someone who has influenced you, and your community.

2) The university reports that 10–12 percent of students in a typical class are “legacies,” which means that they have a close relative who attended the institution (typically a parent). Those with Brown ancestry will have an advantage when applying.

3) You don’t need to worry about visiting campus or connecting on social media just to show Brown that they are your top choice because the university does not take “demonstrated interest” into account.

4) Brown carefully considers teacher recommendations. You should approach teachers in important subjects you think will be willing to speak highly of you as a student, as suggested in our previous blog post on asking for teacher recommendations.

Do you think any of my teachers would say something like, “He is one of the very best, if not the very best American Literature students I have encountered in my 20 years,” or “She is in the top 1% of math students I have taught in my career”? These kinds of audacious claims are what Brown admissions officers are looking for.

5) Ensure that you invest enough time and energy into the additional essays and brief responses that Brown requires:

a) Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about an academic interest (or interests) that excites you, and how you might use the Open Curriculum to pursue it. (250 words)

b) Brown’s culture fosters a community in which students challenge the ideas of others and have their ideas challenged in return, promoting a deeper and clearer understanding of the complex issues confronting society. This active engagement in dialogue is as present outside the classroom as it is in academic spaces. Tell us about a time you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond? (200-250 words)

c) Brown students care deeply about their work and the world around them. Students find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning in daily interactions and major discoveries. Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy. (200-250 words)

These essays are of utmost importance in the admissions process. Brown genuinely wants to learn a lot about each applicant granted a spot in their freshman class. Do your research, be sincere in what you say, and persuade the admissions committee members that you will be an engaged community member who makes the most of the Open Curriculum.

The process of applying to a college with a high level of competition, such as Brown, is difficult; however, the benefits of attending an exciting college that is a good match for your personality and requirements can completely transform your life.  It is important to make the effort to gather as much information as possible about this and other colleges that can provide you with exceptional opportunities.

Did Brown pique your interest? Are you planning to admit to the Brown Regular Decision round? AdmissionSight is committed to be with you in every step of your Brown admissions process. We have more than ten years of experience helping students get accepted into the best universities in the world by guiding them through the difficult admissions process. One of the best records in the industry is that, on average, 75% of our students are accepted into an Ivy League institution, including Stanford, MIT, UChicago, and Caltech. Make your initial consultation with AdmissionSight now.

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