What is the acceptance rate for the Brown History Department?
A. “Acceptance Rate” is not a particularly useful concept with which to approach the application process. From a very diverse applicant pool of approximately 175 applicants, we carefully choose a class of about 10 students whose interests and strengths seem to fit particularly well with the intellectual configuration of the department. The Graduate Admissions Committee weighs a number of factors when considering candidates. Of primary interest are a candidate’s personal statement and writing sample. These pieces of writing must show, first of all, that the applicant would like to be a part of and is capable of succeeding at a graduate program whose goal is to train students to be professional historians. We look for applicants who are asking provocative historical questions and who are interested in exploring such questions in a rigorous intellectual environment. The personal statement and writing sample must also demonstrate that the candidate would fit in well with our program’s stre
