You have a 4.3 and 1590 on the SAT. You might be asking yourself, can I get into Brown? We hear this question all the time and the answer is… maybe? Having great grades and scores is only the first step for elite colleges like Brown. You need more than that. One of the most important things you will need is great extracurriculars
Why does Brown care about what you do after school?
Well, it’s not just after school. It’s weekends. Summers. They care about how you spend your time. And they can afford to be picky since they have a 5% acceptance rate.
You hear the buzzwords of leadership and community service thrown around all the time so we want to take a step back and really explain why Brown, and every other school, really care about how you spend your time. Simply put: they want to create an interesting and diverse class, and the best way for them to predict what you will do on campus is by seeing what you do now. What they don’t want are students who go from class to the library to their dorm room. They want vibrancy and passion.
60% of admitted students to Brown scored a 35 or 36 on the ACT. But that doesn’t mean that every top student with a 36 score got in. How do they choose between two great candidates? Well, they employ a holistic admissions model. How you spend your time is a huge differentiator.
So what should your extracurriculars look like?
There isn’t one right answer. However, generally, they are looking for kids who have defined what they are passionate about and have pursued their passion at the highest possible level. Ok, you might be saying, “but what does that look like?” We thought it might be helpful to look at a student we worked with who went to Brown and what his extracurriculars looked like. Think of it almost as a case study. Each student is different, but this is the level of involvement you should be striving for if you want a shot at Brown.
Follow your academic passions (outside of class!)
Brown says they “review the depth and breadth of the academic learning you have undertaken thus far” and that includes “whether you have stretched yourself with outside-of-school educational opportunities.” Pursuing similar topics to your intended major outside of class will show Brown's intellectual curiosity and academic passion. Our student wanted to major in the Classics and minor in Chemistry and pursued those passions outside of class.
When it came to Classical History, he took a summer course at Brown: Intro to Hieroglyphics. He also pushed himself after the course to practice so that he could read hieroglyphics. He had previously taught himself how to read Middle English so that he could read Beowulf in its original language. He loved languages generally (he had also won awards for German oration), but pushing himself in classical languages showed a commitment to the major. He also took two online summer immersion courses at Columbia in Modern Chemistry and Materials Science and Nanotechnology to pursue his interest in chemistry.
Outside of summer classes, he volunteered on weekends to teach kids science at a program through Columbia University.
Be genuine in your interests
Some students think they have to do a certain thing to get into college. Usually, this has something to do with community service or a debate team. This isn’t true. If you are passionate about helping your community and debate, that is wonderful. But if you aren’t, don’t force yourself into doing them.
Instead, follow your unique passions. Our student loved glass blowing. He trained at a glass-blowing studio and even did outreach events and workshops for them. He also dabbled in metalworking and took metalworking and jewelry-making classes at the Y. He also loved board games and designed his own game which he launched on Kickstarter.
Get involved as much as you can
Brown knows some high schools have more opportunities than others. It’s something they consider. Maybe your school offers a million clubs. Maybe they don’t. Either way, they are looking for involved students. This might look different at different high schools, but the drive is the same. This student went to a well-funded and elite public high school. There were many opportunities for him to do on-campus clubs and he took them.
He cared about nature and sustainability. On the weekends and in the summer he would take long alpine hikes, but at school, he started a Naturalist Club at the school. As its Co-President, he led talks on environmental issues and organized trips to local parks to learn about plant life. He was also an active member of his high school’s Green Team.
Everything else
We help our students craft a narrative with their applications. But every student is multifaceted. This student loved the classics, science, nature, and art. While this was the focus of his application, he did other things as well. He was the president of his high school’s Tech Club. He played the clarinet in the orchestra. He tutored on the side and loved the work of Tolkien. All of these things were also a part of him and that’s wonderful. Brown wants to see exciting and skilled students.
This all sounds like a lot. Honestly, this student did a lot. But that’s what Brown is looking for. They want students that can seemingly do it all and do it with grace. They seek passionate students who follow their unique interests and show strong leadership skills. You don’t have to do everything this student did to get into Brown, but you should be as involved and committed to your own passions.
Need help making a resume that will impress Brown? We can do that! Reach out here.