Brown SAT: Average Scores, Ranges, and What You Need to Know

Brown University's SAT scores reflect an extraordinarily competitive applicant pool that ranks among the most selective in the country. With an average of 1540 and a middle 50% range spanning 1510 to 1560, you are looking at a school where nearly all successful applicants score in the 99th percentile nationally. The relatively tight scoring band demonstrates that Brown admits students with consistently exceptional test performance, indicating just how stratospheric the academic bar is set. Yet this extraordinarily competitive environment does not mean your score alone will determine your admission outcome at this Ivy League institution.

When thinking about what makes an SAT score "good" for Brown, you should understand that at such an intensely selective school, a strong test score functions as an academic foundation rather than a guarantee of acceptance. Scoring within the middle 50% range of 1510 to 1560 positions you in the academically competitive tier, but you need to recognize that thousands of applicants submit scores in this exact range every year, yet only about 5.4% of all applicants gain admission. A score near 1510 places you at the lower boundary of admitted students, while a 1560 positions you in the upper half. However, even a perfect 1600 does not secure your acceptance because the admissions committee evaluates far more than test scores when reviewing your complete application.

Regarding what score you should strive to avoid falling below at Brown, you should aim not to score significantly below 1440, which represents roughly the 10th percentile of admitted students. While a small number of students have been admitted with scores below 1440, these admissions are exceptions that typically involved extraordinary strengths in other areas of the application, such as exceptional essays, award-winning extracurriculars, compelling personal circumstances, or unique talents that Brown values highly. Any score substantially below 1440 would make acceptance unlikely unless you possess truly remarkable credentials elsewhere. The higher you can push your score toward the 75th percentile of 1560 and beyond, the stronger your academic profile appears, but this does not automatically overcome weaknesses in high school grades, course rigor, or other important application components.

Brown University requires all applicants to submit either an SAT or ACT score as of the 2024-2025 application cycle, returning to a test-required policy after a period of being test-optional. You must include standardized test scores in your application with limited exceptions only for students who experience genuine hardship in accessing standardized testing. If you believe you qualify for a testing waiver based on documented hardship, you may request one through the admissions office, but this exception is designed only for exceptional circumstances. The university encourages transparency about your testing history rather than selective score submission, so they want you to submit all of your test dates and scores.

Brown employs a superscoring policy for the SAT that works significantly in your favor as you prepare your application. This means that when you take the SAT multiple times, Brown will combine your highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score with your highest Math section score, even if these top scores came from different test dates. For example, if you score 750 on Reading and Writing in March, then 800 on Math in May, Brown will use 1550 as your superscore by combining the 750 EBRW with the 800 Math. This policy gives you a real advantage because you do not need to have your strongest performance across all sections on the same test day, allowing you to target weak sections on future attempts without worrying that previous lower scores will hurt you.

Your SAT score functions as one component among many in Brown's holistic admissions review, which evaluates students based on a comprehensive understanding of who you are as a person. While your test score provides valuable evidence of academic preparation and your ability to handle rigorous coursework, the admissions committee simultaneously evaluates your high school transcript, the rigor and challenge level of courses you took, your GPA (typically ranging from 3.9 to 4.1 for admitted students), teacher recommendations, personal essays that reveal your character and future aspirations, extracurricular involvement and demonstrated leadership, and your overall contributions to your school and community. A strong SAT score cannot compensate for weak academics, limited course rigor, or a thin extracurricular profile, nor can it overcome inconsistent effort throughout your high school years. Instead, your test score works alongside these other elements to create a complete picture of you as a student and person.

At a school as selective as Brown, where nearly all admitted students have near-perfect test scores and GPAs, your SAT score alone becomes a necessary but not sufficient credential for admission. The admissions officers use your test score to confirm your academic readiness for Brown's intellectual demands and rigorous coursework, but they ultimately seek students who demonstrate authentic leadership, unique talents, meaningful contributions to their communities, or compelling personal narratives that show how you will enrich the Brown community. You could have a 1600 SAT and still face rejection if your overall application lacks depth, authenticity, or evidence of genuine intellectual curiosity and growth. Conversely, a slightly lower score might not disqualify you if the rest of your profile is exceptionally strong and tells a compelling story about your potential to thrive and make an impact at Brown.

AdmitStudio users who have found success at top colleges often approach their applications as a single, cohesive story, not a checklist of impressive achievements. Rather than treating essays, activities, and recommendations as separate pieces, they focus on presenting themselves as a clear, memorable individual with defined values, motivations, and strengths. Their essays help admissions officers understand why they pursued certain activities, how their experiences shaped them, and what kind of person they would be on campus. This clarity makes it easier for readers to grasp who the applicant is within just a few minutes of review.

AdmitStudio users who are successful also tend to use their essays to connect and reinforce the rest of their application, not repeat it. The essay highlights a few core traits, such as curiosity, leadership, resilience, or initiative, while the activities list and recommendations quietly support those same traits with evidence. By aligning every part of the application around a consistent narrative, these students stand out not because they try to be extraordinary, but because they are specific, authentic, and intentional. Admissions officers come away with a strong sense of the applicant's identity and how they would uniquely contribute to the university community.