Updated for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.
Brown University is a storied Ivy League university based in Providence, Rhode Island with a reputation for cutting-edge scholarship and groundbreaking academic programs. Founded in 1764, Brown is one of the nation's oldest colleges and places a premium on studying subjects from several disciplines. Students at this progressive school are encouraged to think beyond the box and pursue academic rigor and breadth. As such, unlike other schools, Brown has an Open Curriculum, which empowers students to choose the courses they want, rather than having to fulfill general education requirements. This tight-knight, politically active campus is a great fit for free thinkers and free spirits hoping to make the world a better place.
Acceptance Rate
7%
Tuition
$60,696
Average Cost
$29,544
Average SAT
1508
Average ACT
34
Location
Providence, RI
As far back as I can remember, I have had a deep-rooted interest in history. Captivated by each story, I watch every documentary on King Henry VIII, read every book on the Cambodian Genocide, and listen to the stories of my family's struggle during the Nicaraguan Proxy Wars. My passion for history intertwines with my love for International Affairs. While exteriorly different, international affairs have been the leading causes of several historical events. To this day, the history and legacy of World War II have continued the United Nations purpose in maintaining global peace. The United Nations saved my family in the Nicaraguan Proxy War, and as such, history upholds peace in intersection with international affairs. The Engaged Scholars Program at Brown takes on this approach. Providing me with the hands-on experience to serve humanitarian efforts and public service, the program takes history onto theoretical and analytical levels of community engagement. Furthermore, I could discover new passions and interests at Brown, such as Greek Mythology, by contributing to the Brown Classical Journal. While also studying at the Brown Center for Language Studies to learn the mother tongue of my Aztec ancestors: Nahuatl. My passions are a necessity rather than an option. While studying at the Brown Open Curriculum, I can be free to become a changemaker in my education in serving the world. To have the possibility of studying multiple pursuits while continuing International Affairs, I see that my place fits Brown as a member of its diverse community.
Essay by Indiana Vargas
Freshman at Harvard majoring in Government and History
Sitting around the 13-inch laptop, my rookie robotics team was watching the live stream for our new challenge: placing cones and cubes from the ground onto pegs of various heights.
After watching the video three more times, we decided to create an efficient makeshift virtual 4- bar mechanism, a mechanical system containing four connected bars and joints. However, my
blank VSCode terminal and I realized that my usual method of moving each motor independently
wouldn’t work for this design. As the only programmer on the team, I was stuck with little guidance.
I zealously made a post on Chief-Delphi—a robotics forum. From one post, my solo journey turned into a worldwide team. Through numerous replies, I found a solution: inverse kinematics.
2 Using inverse kinematics, I could predict the angle of each joint on an imaginary x-y graph,
allowing the claw to have different actions for each position on the field. Not only was this solution
time efficient, it allowed me to make friends from robotics teams around the globe.
My team was awarded the Controls Award at the State Championship and qualified for the World’s
Championship for the first time in team history.
This sense of community that arose from one simple problem has changed how I approach many
obstacles, leaning towards working with others rather than working alone on tough problems. Having the ability to find friends, especially during a challenge, gives me joy.
Essay by Harvard Student
CS @ Harvard '28
I lead my youth group by reviewing lectures sent to us by the youth ministry organization, LifeTeen, and I make sure that they are engaging enough for our members to stay focused. Occasionally, we’ll encounter a more controversial topic that we have to be more cautious about presenting. One day, our adult leaders planned to discuss how the Church views the exploration of gender identity. However, as they taught, I realized that what they were stating about the transgender community could turn some of our members away from Christianity instead of bringing them closer to God. My main issue was that the lesson plan inaccurately depicted the transgender experience by assuming that they view gender and sex as “customizable” without allowing a transgender person to explain the issues that they face within our society.
I crafted an email expressing our concerns, and I sent it to the leader of the LifeTeen organization. Weeks later, they responded with no indication of them changing the original lesson plan to a more accurate depiction of gender identity, so we stopped using their lesson plans to discuss social issues within our youth group. Thankfully, at our next meeting, we conducted a more in-depth discussion about gender identity so that the kids could express their feelings about gender identity as well. I was proud that they also recognized that all humans, including transgender people, have a place within the Church and that they realized that God cares more about our character than our physical appearance.
Essay by Sage Hanks
Hello! I am a prospective neuroscience major at Princeton, and I'm interested in the intersections between neuroscience, race, and gender!
Someone with the same interests, stats, and background as you