In recent years, Brown has transitioned away from our previously-offered alumni interviewing program and instead encourages applicants to submit a brief personal video introduction (no more than 2 minutes) as an additional component of their application. We believe this approach ensures equity across our applicant pool. The video introduction gives you an opportunity to tell us more about yourself, in your voice, beyond the information you provided in your application. This personal video is a helpful way to show us who you are and why you are interested in attending Brown.
Undergraduate Admission
Video Introduction
The video introduction provides a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about you, directly from you.
Video Introduction
The video introduction provides a wonderful opportunity for us to learn more about you, directly from you.
How to Submit your Video Introduction
There are three different ways to submit your video introduction. The Office of College Admission has no preference for the method in which you submit your optional video introduction.
Once logged in to your Brown Applicant Portal, you will be given the option to submit a brief personal video introduction (no more than 2 minutes). If you plan to submit a video introduction, please do so within one week of receiving your application acknowledgement email from Brown University that contains your Applicant Portal login credentials. While you will not be able to upload your video until you receive Brown Applicant Portal access, we encourage you to record your introduction in advance of the corresponding deadline. Once you have uploaded your video to your Applicant Portal, be sure to click preview to view your submitted video to ensure it appears correctly before hitting continue to submit. For consideration in the Brown admission process, videos must be uploaded by November 4 for QuestBridge and Early Decision applicants and January 6 for Regular Decision applicants.
Applicants are welcome to record a GLIMPSE video. Glimpse is an opportunity to share a 60-90 second video helping us to get to know you better. Glimpse is a platform that allows students to film and upload a singular video introduction to be sent to any institution on your application list. Currently, Glimpse is only available for US students attending high school in the United States. There is a fee associated with this product, however fee waivers may be available through Glimpse. For consideration in the Brown admission process, Glimpse videos must be submitted by November 4 for QuestBridge and Early Decision applicants and January 6 for Regular Decision applicants.
InitialView is an interview based video platform that allows students to record a video interview with a certified InitialView interviewer and have it uploaded and sent to any institution that you intend to apply to. These interviews are unscripted and will provide colleges with an authentic view into who you are as a student and a person. There is a fee associated with this product. For consideration in the Brown admission process, InitialView videos must be submitted by November 4 for QuestBridge and Early Decision applicants and January 6 for Regular Decision applicants.
Self-Submitted Video Support
As with any aspect of the admission process, there is no specific topic or format we are hoping to see in your video introduction. You may choose to use these suggested prompts:
- What do you love about your neighborhood or hometown?
- Share a time that you were moved by music or art.
- How would your friends describe you?
- Describe how you were influenced by a book that changed your perspective.
- Talk to us about a meaningful family activity or tradition.
- In what ways are you similar to or different from your siblings or friend group?
- Tell us about your favorite time of day.
- Highlight any topic of your choice that will allow us to get to know you better.
No two Brown students have the same story, and we don’t expect that any two video introductions will either.
Video introductions may be submitted by logging into your Applicant Portal and uploading your file directly through the link provided on the sidebar. Once you have uploaded your video to your Applicant Portal, be sure to click preview to view your submitted video to ensure it appears correctly before hitting continue to submit.
- Your video should begin with you in front of the camera saying, "Hi, my name is [insert name] from [high school]." After that, what you choose to say and how you choose to say it is up to you. Simple and unrehearsed is fine, and you are welcome to be creative.
- We recommend you dress casually as you would for a school day or school event.
- Videos will not be evaluated for production quality; we recommend sitting in front of your laptop/camera/tablet/phone and speaking directly to the audience. Make certain you are visible and audible during your video. Check the lighting and listen to your video after you have recorded it to ensure you are happy with the final product before submitting.
- Limit your video to no more than two minutes.
- Be sure your video is in landscape orientation so your finished product will not require viewers to turn their heads to the side when viewing on a desktop computer.
Please view the Video Introduction Do's & Don'ts for some helpful tips from current Brown students.