What separated Brown accepted vs. rejected applicants this cycle? A 4.0 and distinctive achievements, especially creative and academic ones. Brown University admitted 5.35% of applicants to the class of 2030, and in our sample admits were more likely to have a perfect GPA, a ranked competition result and arts or writing work, while their SAT scores were identical to everyone else's.
We compared 136 Brown applicants from self-reported 2026 r/collegeresults posts: 41 admitted, 83 rejected and 12 waitlisted. (Three admits came off the waitlist.) That's the most admits of any Ivy in our tally. This is part of a larger comparison of accepted vs. rejected applicants at top colleges, and Brown's decisions are also pooled with the other seven in Ivy League accepted vs. rejected applicants.
People who post results skew strong, so 30% of this sample got in, far above Brown's real rate. Compare the two groups with each other, not with your own odds. With 41 admits, a gap of a few people can be noise.
Brown admitted student GPA and SAT
| Admitted | Rejected or waitlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| Median unweighted GPA | 4.0 (29 stated) | 3.97 (71 stated) |
| Median weighted GPA | 4.60 (27 stated) | 4.50 (56 stated) |
| Median SAT (scores sent) | 1550 (31 people) | 1550 (73 people) |
| Median ACT (scores sent) | 36 (15 people) | 35 (27 people) |
| Median AP/IB courses | 11.5 | 10 |
| National-level award | 83% | 72% |
18 of the 29 admits who stated a GPA had a 4.0 (62%), versus 26 of 71 among everyone else (37%). The SAT medians were identical, and 131 of the 136 sent scores. Among ACT-takers, admits had a median 36 versus 35. That pattern, a perfect GPA mattering more than the SAT, matches Penn and Northwestern, and is the opposite of Cornell, where admits and non-admits had the same median GPA.
Which activities and awards Brown admits listed more often
- A competition placement award (a ranked finish in a math, science, engineering or other competition): 78% of admits versus 54% of everyone else, the biggest gap at Brown.
- A research publication or paper award: 22% versus 7%.
- Visual arts, theater or creative writing: 37% versus 22%.
- A selective summer program: 44% versus 31%.
- Science or general academic competitions: 39% versus 27%.
- Debate, speech or Model UN: 34% versus 22%.
- Journalism: 27% versus 16%.
- A music award: 24% versus 13%.
And some showed up more often among applicants who weren't admitted:
- A school award: 27% of admits versus 47%.
- Community service: 49% versus 67%.
- AP Scholar: 22% versus 39%.
- An internship: 34% versus 42%.
The pattern is consistent: awards that rank you against students from other schools (competition placements, research publications, music and writing awards) lined up with admission, while awards almost every strong student earns (school awards, AP Scholar) were more common among non-admits. That doesn't mean they hurt. They just didn't set anyone apart. Arts, writing and journalism showing up among admits fits Brown's reputation for students who follow their own interests, the idea behind its Open Curriculum, though this data can't prove that's the reason.
By the majors applicants listed, the humanities did best (10 admitted, 16 not) and business or economics worst (4 admitted, 15 not), with computer science in between (10 admitted, 23 not). These groups are small, so treat that as a hint. Applicants interested in art and design may also want to read about the Brown-RISD dual degree.
Early decision, deferrals and the waitlist
Brown uses binding Early Decision. Only 10 applicants in this sample named that round, and 3 were admitted, too few to compare. Brown's own numbers show a big early advantage: it admitted 16.5% of Early Decision applicants to the class of 2030, versus 3.94% in Regular Decision. We cover what that does and doesn't mean in Ivy League early vs. regular decision acceptance rates.
Five applicants said they were deferred, and 2 were admitted in the spring. Brown waitlisted only 12 of the 136 (9%), the lowest share of any Ivy in our tally along with Yale, and 3 more came off the waitlist. A reported 118 students were admitted off Brown's waitlist for Fall 2024; we compare every Ivy in Ivy League waitlist acceptance rates by school.
What Brown applicants can take from this
- A 4.0 mattered; the SAT didn't separate anyone. Both groups had a median 1550.
- Show achievements that compare you with students beyond your school. Competition placements, research publications and arts or writing awards stood out; school awards and AP Scholar didn't.
- Creative work counted. Arts, theater, writing and journalism showed up more among admits.
- If Brown is your first choice, the early round matters. Brown's own data shows Early Decision applicants admitted at four times the regular rate.
Brown's College Intel page carries the same applicant-profile comparison, updated as new posts are logged.
Sources
- College Intel's tally of self-reported r/collegeresults posts, 2026 admissions cycle (405 posts logged as of Oct 12, 2026; 136 with a Brown decision). Recruited athletes and transfer applicants excluded. Aggregates only; no individual post is reproduced, and no figure rests on fewer than 3 people.
- Brown admits 5.35% of applicants to class of 2030 -- Brown Daily Herald
- Brown admits 16.5% of early decision applicants to class of 2030 -- Brown Daily Herald
- Brown waitlist figure for Fall 2024, as cited in Ivy League waitlist acceptance rates by school