International Students at Brown

How Does An International Student Get Into Brown?

If you are considering studying abroad in the US as an international student, you will be joining more than 1.25 million other people who are attending universities and colleges in the US. Even though this number recently decreased slightly as a result of border restrictions and decreased travel brought on by the global pandemic, applications for programs are steadily rising again. The number of international students at Brown continues to rise as the university started increasing its undergraduate financial aid fund to fully need-blind for the graduating Class of 2029.

International applicants do not need to complete a separate application at Dartmouth. However, you need to make sure that all written materials included in your application file must be in English or be translated into English and submitted along with the original materials.

Admissions officers at Brown are familiar with many academic credentials, tests, and educational systems used around the world. They shall examine any unfamiliar foreign systems to better comprehend them. Even though certain qualifications may be very different from those that are frequently used in the United States, Brown looks for students who can demonstrate academic prowess and a genuine desire to learn.

While the admissions officers frequently accept students who have excelled in their educational systems, they place a strong emphasis on the whole person and consider beyond test scores and exam predictions.

So, how does an international student get into Brown? To start your application, fill out the Common App and Brown Member section online. Here are the application options and important dates to take note of:

Early Decision – Deadline: November 1

Choose the Early Decision option if Brown is your top choice and you would unquestionably accept an offer of admission if selected.

Regular Decision – Deadline: January 5

Most first-year students select the Regular Decision application process. Regular Decision candidates will receive admissions decisions by the beginning of April.

Your Common Application account will be used to submit all your college applications. You must add Brown University to your list of colleges after creating your account.

The Common Application is divided into three sections:

• Personal details (shown to all the schools you are applying to)
• Brown-specific questions
• Forms provided by your academic instructors and school counselor

The “questions” sections are where you will find the Brown-specific questions. You must also complete program-specific essays if you are applying to the Brown-Rhode Island School of Design Dual Degree Program or the Liberal Medical Education Program.

You will be given options to request documents and references from teachers and school officials either online or on paper. The earlier you start, the more time there will be for them to respond and write recommendations before the deadline. In addition, the following documents are required for admission:

• Transcript: Your school counselor or another official must send an official copy.
• School report: Your school counselor or another official must complete and submit the school report form, which can be found on the Common Application website.
• Midyear school report: This can be filed online and should include your final fall course grades as well as a list of your upcoming spring courses. Typically, the deadline falls in late February.
• Counselor recommendation: You must ask your school counselor to fill out this form. Both the school report form and the counselor recommendation must be completed.
• Two instructor evaluations or recommendations: Two letters of recommendation from two different teachers must be submitted through the Common Application or sent by email or fax. Choose teachers who have instructed you in your major subjects, such as science, social studies, math, a foreign language, or English.
• Bachelor of Science and PLME recommendations: If you are considering a concentration in a STEM discipline or the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), at least one of your recommendations should be from a math or science teacher.
• Grades for the first quarter or trimester: As soon as the first quarter or trimester grades are available, you must request your counselor to submit them if you are applying through the Early Decision program. All candidates must submit midyear or second-trimester as soon as they are available.
• Supplemental essays: Brown supplemental essays are submitted through the Common App.
• Video introduction (optional): Brown has stopped offering its alumni interviewing program in recent years and now asks applicants to submit a two-minute video introduction as an additional component of their application. You have the chance to tell more about yourself and go beyond what is included in your application.

You must provide a $75 non-refundable application fee or a fee waiver to complete your application.

Standardized Tests

In the 2022–2023 admissions cycle, Brown will expand its test-optional policy for all first-year, transfer, and resumed undergraduate education applicants. Students who do not submit test scores can be assured that they will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process. Instead, Brown will evaluate applicants’ college preparation based on other application components, such as course grades, the difficulty of the curriculum, and recommendations from counselors and teachers.

When taken, the SAT or ACT will still be considered alongside all other information provided by the candidate. Standardized testing is informative, but it has never been the only factor considered in Brown’s holistic admissions process.

Because English is the language of instruction at school, international students at Brown must demonstrate they can:

• Understand English as it is used in the classroom
• Express ideas effectively and quickly in both spoken and written English
• Read English without difficulty

International applicants are advised to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo, and make sure that Brown receives the official results once available.

In most circumstances, a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL internet-based exam, 600 on the paper-based exam, 8.0 on the IELTS, or 130 on the Duolingo are required. Brown does not expect you to take any of these tests in person if doing so might put you at risk because your safety is the top priority. Currently, the IELTS Indicator Examination is not credited.

You must be proficient in the English language before being admitted. For undergraduates, Brown does not provide courses in English as a second language, and it does not accept students with English language deficiencies on a provisional basis.

What Percentage Of Brown Students Are International?

What percentage of Brown students are international? International students are always welcome at Brown. Around 15% of the student body is international. Brown University’s global community has more than 2,700 students, scholars, and families that represent more than 100 nations.

The Class of 2026 has students from 81 different countries who speak 100 distinctive languages. International students at Brown make up about 13% of the undergraduate population. Meanwhile, international students comprise 45% of incoming graduate school students. The countries China, the United Kingdom, India, Canada, Ukraine, and South Korea are the nations with the most representatives outside of the United States for the Class of 2026.

Do International Students Get Financial Aid At Brown?

Do international students get financial aid at Brown? International students at Brown can avail of the University financial aid. A student must apply for financial aid and application for admission at the same time. Once admitted, Brown University meets the student’s full demonstrated need. However, since there is limited funding currently, international students who did not apply for and receive financial aid upon admission will be ineligible for institutional aid in the subsequent years. Even if a student’s financial situation changes or if a sponsor stops supporting them, Brown would not be able to fund their education.

Starting with the Class of 2029, international students at Brown will be accepted regardless of financial need or what they call need-blind admissions. Here are some points to remember upon applying for financial aid at Brown:

• Currently, Brown’s financial aid is need-based.
• Brown does not present any merit awards.
• Most of the time, financial aid awards are credited directly to the student’s account for the cost of tuition, fees, housing, and meals. The financial aid award will assist with travel costs, books, and personal expenses, but not with summer and vacation expenses.
• International applicants must be aware of their options for funding (e.g., family resources, government grants, or savings) due to immigration laws and limitations on off-campus summer employment in the United States. All applicants should speak with their local educational authorities and make every effort to find outside financial aid options.

Additionally, it is highly encouraged to get in touch with your local EducationUSA office and explore resources online like eduPASS, Funding for U.S. Study, the College Board, or FinAid. NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, can also give you information and publications on how to finance your US education.

Brown can determine an international student’s eligibility for institutional financial aid based on their financial aid application materials. The student must submit all necessary materials within a specified time to get a provisional financial aid decision along with the admission decision. The following financial aid application materials are required for international students.

CSS Profile

Dates and Deadlines

CSS Profile Available (online): October 1, 2022

Early Decision: November 1, 2022

Regular Decision: February 1, 2023

• International students are required to complete this form to be evaluated for financial aid at Brown. This must be submitted by the deadline noted above.
• For the CSS Profile application, Brown does not offer fee exemptions. Instead, the school relies on the College Board to decide which applicants are eligible for a waiver upon submission of their applications electronically. Students may notice that costs are automatically waived after completing the payment process.
• If the student’s parents are divorced, separated, or never married, it must be indicated in the profile.
• The office does not accept the ISFAA form or a physical copy of the CSS Profile in place of the electronic CSS Profile.
• The CSS Profile is not available to applicants from Benin, Cameroon, Cuba, Ghana, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Sudan, or Togo. Send an email to financial [email protected] for other options.

The College Board may send a student with directions on how to submit any additional required documents through IDOC once the CSS Profile has been submitted. Additional IDOC requirements may include:

• For custodial parents:  2021 federal income tax return (or a non-tax filer)
• For students: 2021 federal income tax return (or a non-tax filer)
• For non-custodial parents: 2021 federal income tax return (or a non-tax filer )
• If a tax return is not submitted in the student’s country, a statement is required from the parents’ companies confirming their annual earnings for 2021.

College Board’s Institutional Documents Service (IDOC)

Brown does not demand an IDOC packet from every family. The Office of Financial Aid uses the College Board’s IDOC service to electronically collect tax and other financial documentation from families. If you do not receive a request from IDOC, it means that the Office of Financial Aid will be able to estimate your financial aid award using the information provided in your profile and documents.

Is Brown Good For International Students?

For underprivileged individuals, earning a degree from an Ivy League institution can be the winning lottery ticket that changes their lives, yet most people cannot afford the elitism and high costs associated with receiving the best education.  Even if they are admitted, international students must still overcome numerous obstacles to attend one of the Ivies, not to mention the additional expenses of visas, standardized exams, and airfare.

Additionally, the Ivies are infamous for having some of the lowest acceptance rates worldwide. Brown University only admitted 2,546 students out of 50,649 applicants for the Class of 2026.

You might wonder “Is Brown good for international students?” The university is dedicated to giving international students at Brown the tools they need to succeed on campus and in all facets of their lives during their stay at Brown. More than 1,800 of Brown’s students visit College Hill from nations outside the United States. From planning, arriving, and having a positive time as a student at Brown, the school is willing to assist you through programs, community-building activities, initiatives, and many other resources.

Office of International Student and Scholar Services

Academic departments, other administrative agencies on and off campus, instructors, researchers, and admitted foreign students can all turn to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISSS) for assistance.

Supporting the University’s internationalization and facilitating the integration of international students and scholars into the Brown community are the two main goals of the OISSS. The office offers advisory services regarding immigration and visa issues, job authorization, orientation, cultural acclimatization, and personal concerns. OISSS offers consulting services to hiring academic departments and takes care of the immigration-related components of the hiring process for nonimmigrant faculty, researchers, and staff.

Global Brown Center for International Students

The goal of the Global Brown Center for International Students is to serve and assist the international community at Brown. International students at Brown can embrace and celebrate their foreign identities while also acknowledging and valuing the diversity of their experiences through the orientations, programming, and resources that GBC offers.

The center aims to cultivate a welcoming community and provide a home away from home for international students. Additionally, GBC seeks to advance a more equitable campus community by boosting awareness of Brown’s diverse student body, teaching students about self-advocacy, and encouraging intercultural discourse. GBC promotes the university’s mission by empowering and facilitating international students’ success in all aspects of their lives at Brown.

Brown University is a highly selective university. Brown University’s admittance rate for undergraduates is 5.0% for the Class of 2026. To increase your chances, you should submit the best application you can. The outcome of your admissions will depend on your entire application. You should concentrate on attaining a high GPA in secondary school and take rigorous coursework. Make sure to carefully review the Brown application requirements and comply as early as you can.

At AdmissionSight, we have over 10 years of experience guiding students through the competitive admissions process to get accepted to the top universities in the world. On average, 75% of AdmissionSight students are admitted to an Ivy League university, Stanford, MIT, UChicago, and Caltech, one of the highest track records in the industry. Feel free to set up an appointment today to book your initial consultation.