What Is the Average SAT Score at Brown?

When students are looking to get the incredible educational and career benefits of attending an Ivy League school but also want to learn in a style that is more similar to that of a liberal arts college, Brown University very often becomes a top choice.

But what is the average SAT score at Brown?

If you’re a high school student who has plans to apply to Brown with the hopes of getting in and attending, chances are good that you have asked yourself that very question. Of course, the SAT is one of two standardized tests that students in the United States have taken for decades to get into colleges and universities all over the country.

While any student who is thinking of applying to a school like Brown in this day and age knows that there are many more factors that go into a student ultimately getting in, or not getting into an undergraduate program, there is no doubt that the SAT and ACT can still play a highly crucial factor.

That remains true even right now, as schools across the United States have elected to adopt a standardized test optional policy in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

At AdmissionSight, we encourage all of the students that we work with who can take the SAT or ACT safely to do so, and there are some really convincing reasons why. But we will cover that stuff a little later on.

For now, let’s start off by breaking down the average score that high school students earn on the SAT who get into Brown University.

Brown’s average SAT

Before we actually discuss the average SAT score that students who get into Brown earn, it should be mentioned that no student who is looking to get into a top university like Brown should ever aim for the average. Even though the Brown University typical SAT score is very high, anyone who really wants to improve their chances of getting in as much as possible should aim for quite a bit higher than the average.

Just like any student looking to get into one of the Ivy League schools should aim to be at the top of their high school classes in terms of grade point average, so too should students aim for being in the top percentiles when it comes to standardized test scores.

So, now that we’ve got that covered, what is the average SAT score at Brown? Based on the information that the school itself publishes, the average SAT score that students earn who then go on to get into Brown is approximately a 1485 out of the perfect score of 1600. The 25th percentile score is 1420 while the 75th percentile score is 1550.

As you can see, the Brown University typical SAT scores are quite high indeed. In order to earn a score that is near, at, or above that average 1485, the vast majority of high school students will have to commit quite a bit of time and energy into studying and preparing for the test.

You now know the average SAT score for students that get into Brown. Up next, you are probably curious about how important the SAT and ACT actually are in today’s undergraduate application landscape. If you are paying attention to undergrad application news at all these days, chances are very good that you are aware of the fact that the standardized test section of the application has, in fact, been removed from the list of Brown requirements.

That means that over the last two application cycles, thousands of students have applied to schools like Brown, Harvard and Yale without having to take the ACT or SAT at all! That marks a pretty major shift from a few years ago, when the SAT and ACT remained two of the most important focuses of students looking to get into top undergrad programs. While a student’s GPA and standardized test score use to go hand-in-hand as the two most important factors, the test optional policy that has been adopted by the vast majority of schools in the United States has certainly shakin things up.

Here is what Brown has to say about its current policy regarding standardized tests”

“In light of the extraordinary circumstances that continue to face students this year, Brown has extended our test optional policy for first-year applicants in the current 2021-2022 admission cycle. Students who are unable to submit SAT or ACT scores this year due to COVID-19 will not be disadvantaged in our admission process.

While standardized testing has long been a component of our holistic admission process and can be informative, it has always been only one part of a much larger and more important story about an individual applicant. We recognize that the applications that students submit this year may look different, and we remain committed to a thoughtful and thorough holistic review process.”

Here is what Brown has to say about taking the ACT or SAT if the option is available to students:

“We hope applicants will have the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT and submit test scores as part of the admission process this year should they choose to do so. However, we recognize that many of our applicants will not be able to take a standardized test or submit scores due to COVID-19. Please know that your application will not be disadvantaged in our admission process if you do not submit standardized test scores. All applicants will receive full and holistic consideration by our admission committee.”

And finally, here is what Brown has to say about the future of the standardized test optional policy at the school:

“At this point, students applying in the 2022-2023 admission cycle or later should plan to submit an SAT or ACT score as part of the application process. Brown’s test optional policy has been extended through the 2021-2022 academic year only.”

Hopefully, these answers have helped clear up what is currently going on with the test optional policy at Brown. It may also offer you an indication of why AdmissionSight still encourages students to take the SAT or ACT if they are looking to get into some of the top schools in the country. But we’ll clear that up for you just in case it’s still not fully evident.

First off, it is important to consider the fact that at its core, the entire admissions process at undergraduate programs has to do with whether or not an applying student will be able to succeed if they are granted admission to the school. Too often, this process is seen as admissions officers trying to figure out which students are “worthy” of being accepted and which students are not. While there may be some of that at play, admissions officers are most focused on looking for proof that an applying student will be able to reach their fullest potential at the school.

The last thing an admissions officer wants to do is grant admission to a student who is not prepared for the rigorous nature and competitiveness that exists within the classroom at Ivy League schools and other top programs.

For students looking to prove that they have what it takes to excel at a school like Brown, getting a fantastic SAT or ACT score can surely do a lot of good. Without a doubt, the most important way to prove that is by earning great grades throughout high school that can be reflected through your four-year grade point average. Beyond that, though, a top SAT score can also do a lot of heavy lifting.

That may be most true right now, when lots of students are definitely sending in their completed applications without either an SAT or ACT score. Let’s pit that hypothetical student – who chooses not to send in a standardized test score – against another hypothetical student who sends in a great SAT score.

If both students have identical grade point averages, have taken the same amount of AP or IB courses, have glowing letters of recommendation, impressive extracurriculars and powerful personal essays, but one has a fantastic SAT score and the other has none, who do you think has the edge? Logic certainly points to the student who has the great SAT score.

So, while students who don’t send in a score may not be disadvantaged, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that students who do send in a score may have a bit of an advantage.

One last note before we move on from this entirely: It is important to keep in mind that Brown itself says that the SAT and ACT will likely become a mandatory aspect of the undergrad application process in the relatively near future. After all, Brown says that students applying as early as the 2022-23 application cycle should plan to take either the SAT or ACT. So, the school knows that the tests are highly important for admissions officers to make their final decisions. It can be reasonably assumed that once it is safe to require standardized tests to become a part of the application process again, many schools will elect to reinstate the original rule.

So, now that you officially know the answer to the question, “What is the average SAT score at Brown?” You may be curious to learn some important tips and strategies that any student can utilize in order to improve their chances of getting into Brown.

Tips to improve your chances of getting into Brown

When it comes to getting into a top school like Brown University, there is no doubt whatsoever that you are going to need quite a lot more than a good SAT or ACT score. That is especially true now that the tests themselves have been made an optional portion of the undergraduate application process.

So what are the well-known and lesser-known tips to keep in mind? Let’s break down some of the big ones together.

Earn fantastic grades in advanced courses throughout high school

This may not be much of a tip, in fact it is pretty dang obvious. But the truth is that your grades are going to be so crucial when you are applying to college that we really couldn’t go through these tips without mentioning them at all.

For students looking to get into Brown, it’s important for them to know that the average GPA for students who do get accepted into the school is a highly impressive 4.08. This average tells us some really important things.

First off, it tells us that students that get into Brown are essentially earning straight As throughout high school. After all, a perfect and straight-A GPA is a 4.0. The fact that the average at Brown is even higher than a 4.0 tells us another really crucial thing about the classes students should be taking in high school.

The 4.08 GPA means that students that get in are taking advanced courses, such as AP and IB classes. We know that because those kinds of courses are graded out of a 5.0 scale. Not only does taking advanced courses have the potential to improve your GPA, it also shows to admissions officers that you are the kind of student looking for a challenge. That way, they’ll know that you’re ready for the rigorous curriculum offered at Brown.

Craft unique personal essays

Every student that applies to Brown University has to answer a number of personal essay questions that are provided to them from the school. These essays have only gained importance as the years have gone on in the application cycle, and the primary reasons are because these personal essays:

• Helps the school’s admissions officers to get to know who the applying student is on a more personal level
• Allows the student to show off their creative side and their writing ability
• Gives the student a chance to dive more deeply into their history, their passions, their goals and more

Giving yourself the time that you need to craft the best essays possible is a really important aspect of making the most out of this opportunity. If you are not yet convinced that this aspect of the application process is important, you should consider the fact that these days, many experts within the admissions world believe that the short essay section has now been solidified as the second most important part of the entire application process.

The most important factor is a student’s grade point average. But remember, your GPA takes four years to compile, while you will likely be spending just a few weeks on your personal essays. That alone should prove just how important these essay answers can be!

If you are stumped on how to get started with the writing process, keep these important questions and tips in mind:

• What are the requirements?
• Talk to peers, teacher, or your admissions consultant
• Organize your thoughts before you start crafting your answers
• Ask yourself why you should be accepted
• Address and gaps or discrepancies that might be on your resume
• Have a peer, teacher, or your admissions consultant review and edit your work
• Seek notes and feedback to improve before you submit your application

Remember, your essays are your chance to show your unique and special point of view on the world. Take advantage of that opportunity and make it work for you!

Earn stellar teachers’ recommendation

Finally, for high school students who are looking to get into Brown University, they will need to get two separate letters of recommendation from two different members of their high school’s faculty. For students to try to get the most out of these teacher recommendations, they should make sure to speak to their teachers who they want to write the letters to early on.

At AdmissionSight, we encourage the students that we work with to ask the teachers that they want to write their letters at the end of their junior year at the earliest and at the very beginning of their senior year by the latest. Making sure that you are giving the teachers enough time will only help you in terms of giving the teachers enough time to write a truly special letter that will reflect on you as positively as possible.

We can help you beat the Brown University average ACT score

At AdmissionSight, we make it our top priority to help the students that we work with getting into the schools of their dreams. That is why we are so proud of the fact that 75 percent of the students that we work with get into Ivy League schools or other top 10 programs. Whether it’s learning how to improve your SAT score, crafting the strongest personal essays possible or even mapping out what kinds of courses to take in high school, we’d love to help.

If you are interested in learning more, contact us today to set up a consultation.