PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The Brown University Class of 2018 will form the second-largest applicant pool in University history — 30,291 applications, according to the Office of College Admission. That number represents a slight increase from last year’s total of 28,919 applications.
Applicants hail from all 50 states, with California, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Florida being the top states represented. About 71 percent of applicants come from public schools, 20 percent from private schools, and 9 percent from parochial schools. The applicants intend to study physical sciences (28 percent), social sciences (27 percent), life or medical sciences (26 percent), and arts and humanities (13 percent), with 6 percent undecided. The most popular intended concentrations include biology, engineering, biochemistry and molecular biology, business, entrepreneurship and organizations, and international relations.
Sixty-seven percent of applicants are seeking financial aid, a number that has remained unchanged for the last three years. Brown is committed to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need for admitted undergraduates. Since the matriculation of the Class of 2007, all domestic undergraduates admitted as freshmen have been admitted under the University’s need-blind admission policy.
This year’s pool is the University’s most diverse, with 40 percent of applications submitted by students who self-identify as African American, Latino, Native American, or Asian.
The University also received its largest number of international applications (4,999) from its largest number of nations (152). Among international applicants, the University received a record number of applications from China, India, and Turkey, with China and India being the top countries in the pool after the United States. Other countries with high numbers of applicants included Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
“The deep, talented, and diverse applicant pool for the Class of 2018 is evidence of Brown’s global influence and continuing appeal to students of all backgrounds from across the nation and around the world,” said James Miller, dean of admission. ”In the coming months we face the exciting and often humbling challenge of selecting a first-year class from this remarkable group of students that reflects the values and aspirations of the Brown community.”
Brown also received a record number of applications for the eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (2,915, a 22-percent increase over last year) and for the Brown/Rhode Island School of Design dual degree program (716, a 40-percent increase over last year).
Included in the applicant pool are 583 students who were chosen for early decision admission in December.
Admission offers will be made at the end of March.