Thinking of Applying to Brown University?
Brown is one of the top universities in the world, with a distinct academic curriculum and a strong sense of community.
Find out the admissions requirements needed to get into Brown!
Your Supplemental Essays should show your creativity and values!
Which is better when applying to Brown: Early or Regular decision
Read more college admissions tips on our blog!
Interested in attending Brown University?
Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University is considered one of the most competitive and difficult universities to gain admission to. The prestige of Ivy League institutions like Brown creates more competition and makes it more difficult for applicants to determine if they have a strong application to gain admission.
For the admitted applicants for the class of 2025, the acceptance rate was 5.4%. Out of the 46,568 applicants to Brown University, 2,537 were admitted. The incoming class of 2026 had the largest applicant pool in Brown University’s history, with 50,608 applicants from early and regular admissions pools.
Having this figure as a reminder of the selective nature of these prestigious schools can be discouraging for many prospective students trying to gain admissions. It is difficult to navigate the admissions process and to determine whether you are a competitive applicant with the right credentials and application.
It is difficult to determine what makes the “perfect” candidate for any institution, including Brown University. Colleges look at different factors in the college applications they receive and choose students that have the potential to thrive and contribute to their school environment.
What is Brown University known for?
Brown University is known as a leading research university, with an academic curriculum that differs from the other Ivies and works to “foster and promote students’ curiosity, creativity and intellect to drive academic excellence.” The open curriculum structure at Brown University, provides students with the option for academic freedom. It does away with traditional academic formats, adding a credit/no credit grading option, and encourages maximum flexibility in each student's course of study. With this curriculum, students are not required to take General Education courses; however, there are course requirements to ensure that you get vital knowledge and to stay on track with your degree. Instead of having a regimented set of requirements for programs they offer, the open curriculum allows students to make their own decisions.
Students who are interested in Brown or who gained admissions to Brown have to be self-motivated in order to succeed in the open curriculum program. Students who have already demonstrated their ability to take charge of their own intellectual and creative development will contribute significantly to Brown's academic atmosphere. Since Brown's philosophy is centered in intellectual and individual growth, it is important for you to know about this curriculum to determine if it aligns with your learning style and if you will thrive with this curriculum.
Academics are an important part of the Brown University community and the intellectual curiosity of its students extends beyond the classroom. The open curriculum program encourages Brown students to pursue their own interests, in the form of extracurricular activities. As a result, students are involved in campus politics and community events, which creates a rich culture of engagement and creativity.
"Serve the community, the nation, and the globe by discovering, disseminating, and preserving knowledge," is Brown University's mission statement. This institution is a progressive university that values diversity and new perspectives. Among the Ivy League colleges, Brown's ethnic diversity is among the highest in the country and has a long history of attracting international students from all over the world, and the country. Brown University encourages a spirit of curiosity and knowledge, allows students to discover who they are and what disciplines are relevant to their studies and prepares its students adequately for life after graduation.
Brown University Class of 2025 Application Cycle Statistics:
46,568 applications for undergraduate admissions
2,569 admitted to the undergraduate Class of 2025
5.5% acceptance rate for the undergraduate Class of 2025
885 admitted Early Decision
1,724 total number of first year students
94% in the top 10% of their graduating class
Brown Admissions Requirements
The undergraduate admissions requirements for Brown University includes:
The Common Application and the Common App Essay
Supplemental essays
Letters of recommendation: Two teacher letters of recommendations and one counselor letter of recommendation.
Bachelor of Science and PLME Recommendations: If you are considering a concentration in a STEM field, or the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), at least one of your recommendations should come from a math or science teacher.
School report, transcript, and midyear school report
$75 application fee or a fee waiver.
Optional: SAT or ACT
Optional: If you excel in music or visual art, you are encouraged to include a supplemental portfolio in their Common App
Test Scores
In the Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections of the SAT, students who are admitted to Brown have average SAT scores 1480 and 1560. These are the sections of the exam that are most important. Although Brown has the test-optional policy in place, it is still encouraged for future applicants who have the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT, to submit their scores. In fact, students who submit their scores have a better chance of being admitted than those who do not. For more information on the benefits of submitting your SAT or ACT scores, check out this blog!
To be most competitive at Brown, you should aim for an ACT score of 33 to 35. The average ACT score for admitted students is between 33 and 35, which is where the middle 50% of students fall.
For international students seeking admissions to Brown University or students who finished high school in a language other than English, you'll need to take the TOEFL or IELTS to demonstrate your English competence.
GPA
Brown does not specify any GPA criteria, yet their admissions office states that students with high GPAs stand out among candidates. Brown University requires its applicants to be at the top of their class and to have outstanding marks. Admitted students usually have an average GPA of 3.94 on a 4.0 scale and 4.08 for the average unweighted GPA. As a result, you should keep track of your course load and grades, particularly during your senior year of high school.
Supplemental Essays
After completing the Common Application personal statements, there are three brief additional essays required by Brown University. Admissions officers have to analyze these supplemental essays to assess how well you will do academically, with the open academic curriculum, and socially. These essays show a strong emphasis of community in Brown. When crafting your essays, show your creativity and how you connect with the school's culture.
These essays also give you a chance to show that you are a well-rounded candidate. It allows you to discuss your achievements, interests or life experiences that would not appear on your academic transcript, and how these things are important to your Brown education.
Brown’s short supplemental essays includes:
Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might use the Open Curriculum to pursue them while also embracing topics with which you are unfamiliar. (200-250 words)
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)
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)
Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities allow the admissions process at Brown to gain insight into what you are interested in and your values. The time you spend outside of the classroom, says a lot about your character and talents, which universities value highly. For more information on extracurricular activities and how to enhance your college application, check out this blog!
Early vs. Regular Decision
Early Decision (not early action) and Regular Decision are the two application types offered by Brown University. Early Decision applications are due on November 1st, and admissions decisions are sent out in mid-December. This decision type is binding, and if you are accepted into the Early Decision program, you must withdraw all pending and submitted applications to the universities and colleges you have already applied to. If your application is deferred, you will be reevaluated in the larger pool with regular choice applicants. However, if you are denied admissions, you cannot apply as a Regular Decision applicant.
The deadline for Regular Decision applications is January 1st, and applicants will hear back in late March or early April. Good luck to all applicants!
For more college application tips, check out our article on how to get into Harvard and Stanford!
