Brown admitted 567 early decision applicants for Class of 2014

http://www.browndailyherald.com/early-decision-applicants-hear-back-1.2125616

Brown admitted 567 early decision applicants this year — just under 20 percent of the pool of 2,847 — according to Jim Miller ’73, dean of admission. The applicant pool was more diverse than ever before, and about 80 percent more black students were admitted early decision than were last year. Decisions were released online the afternoon of Dec. 14.

The “vast majority” of early applicants were deferred to the regular decision pool, Miller said, while about 400 were denied admission. The process was slightly more selective than last year, when 23 percent of early decision applicants were accepted, he said. “The academic credentials of the early decision pool are up,” he added.

There was a 21 percent increase in the number of early decision applicants for the class of 2014, The Herald reported earlier this month.

The early decision admits group is a “handful” fewer than last year’s, Miller said, to save space for the anticipated larger pool of regular decision applications, though he added that the application patterns have changed somewhat as a result of Brown’s switch to the Common Application.

Miller said this early decision pool is the “most diverse” Brown has ever seen, partially because of recruitment efforts on the part of the University. About 80 percent more black students and about 37 percent more Latinos were admitted early decision this year than last year, he said.

Overall, there were about 20 percent more students of color accepted than last year, Miller said, noting that the admissions office was “really pleased” to see the increase in minority students. International admits were also “up a bit” from last year, he added.

Brown participated for the first time this year in the QuestBridge program, a non-profit initiative that targets low-income, first-generation college students from across the country and helps them find schools like Brown. Miller said he was “very impressed” by the program and the caliber of students they found, he said. Ten students were accepted early through this program.

Steven Arroyo ’14, a student at Stuyvesant High School in New York City, was recruited through the QuestBridge program. Being matched with Brown not only meant that he was accepted to his “top choice” university, but that he would also receive a full scholarship, he wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

“I’m really overwhelmed by the way everything fell together,” he added.

Early decision admits contacted by The Herald were generally excited about the news, and the unofficial Facebook group for the class of 2014 already has over 200 members.

Adrienne Tran ’14, a student at George Washington High School in San Francisco, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that she is “completely psyched.” Although she was worried Brown was a big reach, “I decided last minute that I didn’t want to regret not applying to my dream school, and now I couldn’t be happier,” she wrote.

Amelia Friedman ’14, a student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Fairfax County, Va., wrote in an e-mail to The Herald she is “excited” and “way relieved.” She wrote that she had decided to apply early to get the process over with and enjoy senior year. Brown was her top choice, she wrote, and the fact that some peer institutions no longer have early decision programs reinforced her choice to apply early.

Dan Duhaime ’14, of Moses Brown School in Providence, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that he looked at other schools, but he has “always been ever true to Brown.” He added, “Sure I wanted to see what was out there, but knew Brown was the only place I wanted to be.”