Brown School Student Experiences

​​It is both thrilling and challenging for international students to study in a different country with different cultures.  As an international student myself, I understand that prospective international students may have some worries or uncertainties about how to make a positive transition to the United States. I hope these following tips can help you gain an insight into the supportive atmosphere in the Brown School and feel more prepared and relieved. 1. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN THE BROWN SCHOOL To help us have a positive transition at the beginning semester, the Brown School provides a lot of support programs, ranging from language proficiency class, professional development workshops, and academic writing workshops. These can quickly make international students feel comfortable...

​As I remember opening my acceptance letter to the Brown School, I remember feeling a sense of relief. I got in. Wide-eyed and full of elation, I thought of all the possibilities awaiting me in St. Louis. The relief and excitement of getting into graduate school settled once I arrived on campus. As I unpacked my belongings; settling into this new chapter of my life, I began to think about the reality of my future here. And the longer I did that, the overwhelming feeling of self-doubt began to plague my mind.  I began to question if I deserved to be here, if I worked hard enough to get here, and if I was taking up space.  DEFINING IT I couldn’t...

​Okay, so my title is a little bit of false advertising. There’s not a secret to getting in (at least as far as I can tell – and trust me – I asked).  But, with the Brown School’s commitment to a holistic review process, it’s nearly impossible not to wonder: what are they really looking for in applicants? It feels like surely there’s some trick to gaming a holistic review – that one aspect of the application must outweigh the rest.   I remember working on my application and trying to decide how to prioritize. Would they care more about my personal statement or my analytical essay? Who should I ask to write my letters of recommendation? Does my undergraduate GPA even matter or should I focus...