<p>As someone who has been interviewing students for about 30 years, I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about Brown admissions.</p>
<p>It is true that Brown does not track interest by keeping records on who visits the campus. So Uroogla is correct there. But it is true that in the common data form Brown completes, interest is highly rated.</p>
<p>By interest, I think Brown means two things. </p>
<p>First, it hopes to glean from your essays that your interest in going to Brown is sincere. So the more specific and personal your essays are, the better. If you talk to a professor, mention that in your essay (i.e., saying something like “I spoke to Kurt Teichert of the environmental studies department and learned that the way the department uses the local community for research fits the type of efforts I do now in HS and want to do when I get to Brown” – and be even more specific than that). In other words – do a lot of research, get to know about Brown more than just the superficial “I like the new curriculum because I never have to take French again” and convey that in your essays – that shows interest.</p>
<p>Second, Brown is looking for fit. For example, because there is no core curriculum or distribution requirements, students have to be self-reliant and active in pursuing academics. Brown isn’t for everyone, and part of your job is to convince them that you can succeed there – and contribute to and enrich the community.</p>
<p>While Brown does not track visits, if you live close by and don’t visit, and that comes up in your alumni interview – that’s not a good thing. If, in your alumni interview, you say that you don’t know what the new curriculum is – that’s not a good thing. </p>
<p>So, in addition to the essays, the alumni interview is another good way to demonstrate interest.</p>
<p>All this said – there will be plenty of students who express a lot of interest who will not get in, and some extraordinarily strong students who might have shown indifference and even told an alumni interviewer that Harvard is their first choice who will get in. With an 11% acceptance rate, Brown can afford to be pretty picky.</p>