We’re sorry to see you’ve been deferred from Brown. We know this has to be tough -- but if you’re here you probably are trying to do something about it. Take a beat to feel your feelings and give yourself a pep talk, then come right back here for our guide on how to get through these next few weeks.
Last year, Brown accepted 15.9% of their Early Decision applicants, their lowest ED rate ever. According to The Brown Daily Herald, 5,540 students applied early and about 30% of those were deferred. For those of you not studying math, that’s 1,662 deferred applicants. Brown does not reveal whether or not deferred applicants see an advantage in regular decision. However, we know they care about their yield rate (more on that later), so it could give you a slight edge.
Don’t fret too much though, because we have a strategy that will help you pitch yourself to Brown again and will help you readily prepare for any plan B.
College List
If you haven’t already, you need to apply to at least ten other schools. Yes, at least. We understand you may have gotten really excited and were banking on Brown 100%, or only applied to a few other equally as challenging schools, but it’s time to round out your applications.
A good college list will be balanced and realistic. We’re talking three reach schools, four target schools, and three safety schools. If you’re not sure how to determine which is which, check here. Start by brainstorming what you want to get out of your college experience. If that’s too broad, look at what drew you to Brown specifically. Was it the location? The campus? The size? The academics? The culture? Begin narrowing down these elements and start looking at colleges that compare. Most importantly, do research to see if this is somewhere you could really see yourself going to school -- we want you to have an ideal college experience! Once you have your ten, we’re off to the next step.
Supplements
If you were tired of research from the first step, you’re going to hate this one. College supplements are just as much research essay as they are story. Start by looking at each supplement from each school -- you’ll probably notice that there are a lot of repeating themes. Colleges love asking why you want to go to their school and they love asking about community. We have posts on tons of different schools and their supplements on our blog.
If you’re stuck brainstorming, start by just getting your ideas out on paper. It’s better to have an extremely rough draft than nothing at all. Once you have a vague idea of what you want to write about, it’s time to start shaping the essay down to the word count, while checking to make sure it sounds good and makes sense with the story you’re telling about yourself with your application. Have friends, family, teachers, etc. edit your supplements to make sure you didn’t do any their/there/they’re type errors.
Before sending everything off, check in with your guidance counselors to notify them of your plans. Follow up with the teachers who wrote your first round of rec letters to see if they’re still willing to do your next round. Send off those test scores. Now you’re ready to submit.
Deferral Letter
Now that you’ve squared away your other applications, it’s time to go back to Brown. You’re going to draft an email that you’ll eventually send to their admissions office. This email will contain two parts -- 1) update Brown on all the cool things you’ve done since applying, and 2) convince them that if you get in, you absolutely WILL attend. Brown, like most elite schools, cares deeply about their yield rate. Basically, how many people they accept that end up enrolling.
Start by updating them on your most recent accomplishments. Pick one or two really interesting ones, don’t list every little thing you’ve worked on. If you got captain of a team, got a new job, accepted a summer internship, all of those could be good updates. Stay away from being too braggy, but don’t downplay what you’ve done. Next, you’ll expand on how excited you are to attend Brown if accepted. You can’t wait to be in Rhode Island. You can’t wait to dive into the culture. You’re a Bear at heart! Try to keep the email around 300-350 words, and make sure to be polite and professional with your tone.
Have a few people look over your letter for clarity and grammar and then you’ll send it off to the Brown Admissions office. Now, sit back and take a beat. You’ve done everything you can!
Whether you’re struggling with your college list or need help with the whole process, TKG is here to help. Reach out to us today to get connected with one of our counselors.