Mailing Address: Brown University, Box 1876, 45 Prospect Street, Providence, RI 02912
2008 Rank: 20
2006 Rank: 19
Matriculation Rate of African Americans: 84%
Average GPA: N/A
Total Enrollment: 5,750
African American Enrollment: 396
Number of Applications: 19,097
Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT Scores: Reading: 660-760; Math: 670-770; Writing 660-760
Black Student Group(s): ALANA Mentoring Program
Summer Program(s): Summer at Brown
Application Deadline(s): Regular Decision: Jan. 1; Early Decision: Nov. 1
Acceptance Letters Sent Out: Regular Decision: April; Early Decision: December
Financial Aid/Deadlines: CSS Profile: Nov. 1; FAFSA: Feb. 1
Costs: Tuition & Fees: $37,526; Room & Board: $5,958; Books & Supplies:$1,230
Greek Organizations: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta
ADMISSIONS Q&A
James Miller, Dean of Admissions
What do you look for in a student?
The Admission Committee at Brown University is looking for the student who is academically
motivated and engaged in their studies. We look for a broad secondary school curriculum with a challenging course load. The successful candidate needs to have taken the most challenging courses available to him/her, and to have earned top grades in these courses.We look at a student’s self-presentation to see how he/she expresses his/her thoughts, and we carefully read and assess the recommendations written by the guidance counselor and teachers to see if their evaluations support the Committee’s opinion and admission decision. Since we have an open, non-core curriculum at Brown, it is important for us to select candidates who will be able to succeed in their studies with the freedom and responsibility to chart their own academic course and without the structure of a core curriculum.
What advice do you have for students who might fall short of the minimum requirements but still want to attend?
Students who may not have the strength of a high school record but who very much want to attend Brown are advised to present the strongest application possible. They may have special talents and/or abilities that may be of interest to the admission committee even though they feel they fall short of the standard minimum requirements for admission.
What advice do you have for applicants?
Applicants should plan ahead and spend time complet
ing their application forms. When they write their personal essay(s), they should be honest and genuine, telling their thoughts from the heart rather than trying to please an anonymous admission committee.They should familiarize themselves with the particular schools they are applying to so that they can write their application directly to those schools; they should select the appropriate schools—ones that include the programs the student is interested in and ones where they will have a reasonable chance of acceptance—and then they need to write their applications in a positive manner. Referees should be chosen carefully, and they should be given sufficient time to write/mail the recommendation so that it is received in a timely fashion.
How does the university assist students in employment and internship opportunities?
Both our Career Development Center and Resource Center are departments that advise students and provide them with information regarding opportunities both locally and in other areas of the United States and in other countries. More than 400 recruiters visit the campus to speak with students each year through the Career Development Center, while the Resource Center is able to guide students in their search for internships during the school year, the summer months, and/or during a leave of absence year. In addition, the Dean’s Office offers professional counseling regarding opportunities on and off campus.
What is the student teacher ratio?
8:1
Does Brown offer opportunities for nontraditional students?
Brown has admission programs for not only freshman applicants (including international students), but also for transfer and resumed education students. We are need-blind for domestic students, but need-aware for international applicants. About 10% of our undergraduates applied from countries other than the United States, and 72 countries are represented in the student body. Students applying for transfer positions in the class may apply in the spring of their freshman year at another school and enter Brown with sophomore status; also, students may apply in the spring of their second year and enter Brown as juniors. A transfer student must attend Brown for 4 semesters and complete 15 courses successfully in order to earn the baccalaureate degree.