FAQs for the online application:
Q: How do I apply to more than one program?
A: The online application allows three applications per login. After logging into the system, click on the Instructions button on the top left side of the screen. There you will find a link to information about starting another application and navigating among your applications.
Q: I've been out of school for several years and am not able to easily secure academic references for my doctoral application. Can letters be from professional sources?
A: Letters of recommendation for doctoral-program applications may be from non-academic sources, but these are generally less effective as supporting documents. Applicants should make every effort to contact their former professors.
Q: I can not submit my application because Application Inspector "Program of Interest - Choice 1 (or Choice 2) Your choice is not valid based upon your Proposed Program of Study".
A: Under each of the two interests field is a link that says "Clear Field." Clicking on both of those links should remove the error from Application Inspector.
Q: My recommenders have not received the email asking them for recommendations for me.
A: The most common solution to this problem is that the invite email from our online application is being stopped by spam filters that your recommender is running. Please ask them to check where ever their spam mail goes. From the online application you can also check the email address you provided to verify it is correct.
Q: Application Inspector won't let me submit because I have not selected a valid start term. However when I click on the link to pull up valid terms the popup window is empty and it says there are no valid terms. How do I submit?
A: Our vendor has reported that this problem is occuring with users who are using the FireFox web browser. The first thing to try is completely exiting FireFox and then logging back in to your on-line application. In most cases this will fix the problem. If you are still having difficulties your only option at that point is to finish submitting your application using Internet Explorer. The vendor is aware of this problem and is taking steps to resolve it.
Q. Can I submit more than three letters of recommendation??
A. Yes, but only three can be submitted electronically and the others would have to be sent via postal mail.
Q: If my recommenders are submitting a paper reference via postal mail do I still need to register them on the online application?
A: No
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As you prepare to apply for graduate school, please read these pages carefully. This website is the most comprehensive source of information about the Graduate School and its requirements. Applicants also are strongly urged to visit the websites of the departments to which they are applying, as those sites offer detailed information about those departments' graduate programs.
REQUESTING INFORMATION
Requests for information about the Brown Graduate School may be submitted at http://inquiry.embark.com/brown/grad. Information will be sent electronically, beginning in September.
THE APPLICATION
Please apply using our online application. (Those who cannot complete the online application, due to insufficient or unstable access to the Internet, may submit a paper application. The form can be downloaded here, beginning in September.) The online application offers tools for collecting and submitting some, but not all, of the documents and information required for application. Departments may require additional information, so please check their listings. In general, though, applicants are responsible for submitting the following:
Personal Statement
All applicants are required to submit a personal statement regarding their interests and/or intended areas of study. Some programs ask applicants to address specific questions in their personal statements. Please review the listings for details.
Transcripts
Applicants must provide original, official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended or in which they are currently enrolled. Applicants who have attended international institutions must submit transcripts or certified attestations of study, with certified English translations, which requires that the transcript envelope be opened. Once translated, the original transcript and the certified translations are to be sent to the Graduate School admission office. College seniors should submit current transcripts followed by later grade reports as soon as possible; an official transcript showing the award of the baccalaureate degree is required prior to matriculation.
Letters of Recommendation
Required also are three letters of recommendation by persons well qualified to speak from first-hand knowledge about the applicant's potential for graduate study. All letters should comment on an applicant’s ability to do research and perform in the program’s required coursework. At least two of these letters should be from faculty at the institution of current study or, if the applicant is not in school at the time of application, at the institution most recently attended. Letters of recommendation for applicants to master’s programs may be from academic or non-academic sources; please consult individual program listings for details. Letters of recommendation can be submitted online or on copies of the form provided with the application.
GRE
Applications to doctoral programs must include the official report of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Please check program requirements regarding subject tests or supplementary materials to be submitted by applicants. Please refer to our GRE page and individual program listings.
TOEFL/IELTS
All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score (see Language Proficiency).
Application Fee and Waivers
A non-refundable fee of $75 is charged for processing each application received by the Graduate School. This fee must be paid when the application is submitted. An application will not be processed unless the fee is paid. Applicants who want to be evaluated by more than one graduate program must submit separate applications to each program for which they would like to be considered. The Graduate School is not responsible for errors made by applicants during the application process. There are no application-fee refunds. Application-fee waivers are available under certain circumstances. Applicants to Brown's graduate programs who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and can demonstrate either financial need or participation in certain specialized programs listed on the fee-waiver application may apply for an application-fee waiver. Please note: application-fee waivers are not available for international applicants. Please see this page for detailed information about application-fee waivers.
PAPER CREDENTIALS AND OTHER DOCUMENTATION
All materials related to an application that are not submitted electronically as part of the online application should be mailed to the Graduate School admission office: 47 George St., Box 1867, Brown University, Providence, R.I. 02912. Do not send any application materials directly to the program you are applying to as this will only slow the progress of your application. Material submitted in support of the application, including transcripts and writing samples, will not be returned to the applicant.
CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION
Individual academic programs evaluate applications for admission. Matriculants are required to hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent by the time they matriculate in the Graduate School. Admission to Brown graduate programs is highly competitive and only those applicants whose previous records, test scores, and recommendations give clear evidence of their ability to do advanced work of the highest quality will be admitted. The suitability of an applicant's training and interests is also an influential criterion in determining which applicants shall be admitted. Admission decisions are made after a full review of the materials in the application.
NOTIFICATION
Applicants should expect to be notified within four to eight weeks of the application deadline for their programs (February or March for a January 1 deadline). Whether or not applications that are submitted after a program's stated deadline will be reviewed is at the discretion of each program. While individual academic programs evaluate applicants for admission, offers of admission are only binding only when made in writing by the Dean of the Graduate School. Admission may, in some cases, be deferred; aid offers cannot be deferred.
Brown University does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, disability, status as a veteran, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, or other school-administered programs.
