Brown University Admissions and Native Narrative Study Guide

Speaker Profile: Tiffany George

• Background and Role:

  • Tiffany George serves as an Associate Director of Admission for Brown University.
  • Her reading territories include Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Oklahoma.
  • She also manages international admissions and reads for the majority of East Asia.
  • She is from the Navajo Nation and grew up in Utah.
  • She was a first-generation college student and the oldest of five siblings.
  • She has worked in the Brown admissions office for the past $15$ years and has led the majority of Native American outreach for the office during that time including work with College Horizons.

• Educational Journey at Brown:

  • She initially entered Brown University with the intention of being a pre-med student.
  • She changed her major/concentration seven or eight times before finally settling on Public Health and Anthropology.
  • Her focus within those fields was Native American Studies.
  • If she could redo her education today, she states she would pursue Critical Native and Indigenous Studies with a focus on Public Health.

Institutional Context and Geographic Setting

• History and Land Acknowledgment:

  • Brown University was founded in $1764$.
  • The institution is located on the ancestral homelands of the Narragansett Indians.
  • Brown has maintained a partnership with local indigenous tribes since its founding.

• Location and Accessibility:

  • Located on College Hill in Downtown Providence, the capital of Rhode Island.
  • Proximity to major cities: Approximately $1$ hour south of Boston and $3$ hours east of New York City.

• The City of Providence:

  • Described as an artistic city and a hub for entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation.
  • Recognized as a center for the health sciences; Brown houses the only medical school in Rhode Island.
  • Ranked previously as the "best food city in America."
  • Diverse sub-communities include Senegalese, Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese, and Cape Verdean populations.

Academic Philosophy: The Open Curriculum

• The Open Curriculum Definition:

  • Brown is defined by its individualized, open curriculum.
  • Outside of the requirements for a specific major (concentration), the only classes students take are the ones they choose.
  • The goal is to allow students to take ownership of their own education.

• Major Declaration and Advising:

  • All students enter Brown as "undecided."
  • Students do not officially declare a major until the end of their sophomore year.
  • Students focused on specific tracks, like engineering, can begin major-specific classes immediately if desired.
  • Advising at Brown is not based on "checking boxes" (like state requirements), but on questions regarding the student's interests, the problems they want to solve, and their career goals (e.g., study abroad, internships, research).

• Interdisciplinary Nature:

  • Brown encourages students to view the world as interconnected rather than strictly separated into categories like Humanities, Social Sciences, and STEM.
  • Partnership with RISD (Rhode Island School of Design):
    • Brown students can take classes at RISD, and RISD students can take classes at Brown.
    • Useful for students interested in creative design, graphic design, animation, sculpture, photography, etc.
    • Brown also has its own Visual Arts department, but RISD provides deeper technical specialization.

Native and Indigenous Initiatives

• Engagement and Representation:

  • There are approximately $125$ native students on campus representing over $75$ different native nations.
  • Geographic representation is heavy from the Southwest (Navajo, Pueblo, Apache), with growing representation from the Pacific Northwest (Alaska Native to Washington), the Plains (South Dakota, Montana), Oklahoma, and the East Coast (Narragansett and Wampanoag).
  • Natives at Brown Student Club: Includes approximately $35$ active members, with a core committee of $15$ to $20$ members participating in weekly meetings and planning.

• Five Commitments of Land Acknowledgment:

  • Following a period of "reckoning and reconvening" with local tribes, Brown made five specific commitments:
    • $1$. Support for Native and Indigenous students.
    • $2$. Installation of a Tribal Community Member in Residence: A local tribal member who offers wellness workshops, hosts guest speakers, and provides support as an elder.
    • $3$. Increased scholarship through the Critical Native and Indigenous Studies concentration.
    • $4$. Indigenous Peoples' Day: Brown was the first Ivy League school to celebrate and honor this day.
    • $5$. Incorporation of Native faculty across all disciplines, including an Osage faculty member in Chemistry and a Native storyteller in Theater.

• Language Support:

  • Students receive institutional support to continue or begin learning indigenous languages, including Dine Bizad (Navajo), Cherokee, Choctaw, Narragansett, and Native Hawaiian.

Admissions and Financial Aid

• Application Requirements:

  • Brown uses the Common Application and the Brown Supplement.
  • Emphasis is placed on academic excellence.
  • Video Introduction: An optional but helpful component. It is a $2$-minute (specifically noted as $1.5$ minutes) open-ended video that serves as a supplement to let the admissions office know more about the applicant personally.

• Financial Aid: The Brown Promise:

  • Brown is a need-blind institution for all first-year students.
  • The university meets $100\%$ of demonstrated financial need.
  • Financial aid packages are loan-free.
  • Income Thresholds:
    • Families making below $\$120,000$: Tuition is guaranteed to be fully covered.
    • Families making below $\$60,000$: Full cost of attendance (tuition, room, and board) is fully covered.
  • Starter Grant: A $\$2,000$ grant is deposited into the student's checking account to assist with initial costs like a new laptop, winter coats, or boots (especially helpful for students from warmer climates like Hawaii).

Student Life and Quantitative Data

• Demographics:

  • Total student body: Approximately $10,000$ students.
  • Undergraduate population: Approximately $7,500$ students.
  • First-year enrollment: Approximately $1,700$ students.
  • Diversity: $50\%$ of students are students of color.
  • First-generation students: Approximately $15\%$ of students identify as first-gen.
  • International students: Approximately $18\%$ of the student body.

• Culture and Housing:

  • The campus vibe is described as "the chill Ivy" or a "culture of kindness."
  • The campus is located in a residential neighborhood on College Hill.
  • Housing: Guaranteed for all four years. First-year students are paired with a roommate.

• Athletics:

  • Brown is a Division I school in the Ivy League.
  • While athletic support is strong, the culture is not characterized by "Friday night lights."
  • Notable achievements: National championship in Rowing, Ivy League championship in Women’s Softball, number $2$ ranking in Ivy League Baseball, and a historically strong Equestrian team.

Research and Opportunities

• Participation Rates:

  • $80\%$ of undergraduate students participate in research.
  • Over $50\%$ (half) of students complete at least one internship during their time at Brown.

• Research Specifics:

  • Funding is available for summer research.
  • Research can be taken as a class for credit toward graduation.
  • Group Independent Study Projects (GISP): Students can create their own research units with professors. Example: Analyzing Native representation in the Ivy League over the past $30$ years.
  • The university environment ensures undergrads do not focus on competing with graduate students for opportunities, as undergraduate education remains a core focus with ample funding for both.

Questions & Discussion

• Q: Out of all the tribes of Imperial Ireland [sic - possibly intended as Indian Island or regional reference], which one makes up the biggest population in the European [sic] community?

  • A: It is a balancing act. While over $75$ nations are represented, often there is only one representative for some nations. The Southwest is heavily represented (Navajo, Pueblo, Apache). There is growth in the Pacific Northwest and existing strength in Oklahoma and East Coast tribes like the Narragansett and Wampanoag.

• Q: Do you have Native [Hawaiian] in your class?

  • A: Yes, the Native Hawaiian language is supported through the university.

• Q: What would you say is the population?

  • A: The breakdown is approximately $50\%$ students of color, $15\%$ first-generation, and $18\%$ international students. The total population is $10,000$ with $7,500$ undergraduates.

• Q: How long do you have to declare your major?

  • A: Students declare at the end of their sophomore year.

• Q: Are you competing with grad students for research and internships?

  • A: Not really. Because undergraduate research is well-funded and part of the institutional identity, virtually every student who wants to do research has the ability to do so, including during the summer or as a credit-bearing course.