How to Apply to Mathematics at Brown: Not Admitted by Major, Declare a Concentration by Mid-Sophomore Year and Choose an A.B. or Sc.B., with Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Brown University is in Providence, Rhode Island. Mathematics at Brown is a concentration (Brown’s word for major) offered by the Department of Mathematics in The College. You apply to the university, not to a concentration. Computer science has its own article on this site and is mentioned here only where it overlaps. Below is what the university’s website says, for domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students.

1. Degrees and options in mathematics

• Degrees: the concentration leads to either the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) or the Bachelor of Science (Sc.B.); the department strongly recommends the Sc.B. for students interested in graduate study in mathematics or related fields.
• A.B. requirements (2026-27 Bulletin): two prerequisite courses in multivariable calculus and linear algebra (one of several sequences listed), then Abstract Algebra 1 (MATH 1530) and five other 1000- or 2000-level mathematics courses, 8 courses in all; the year-long MATH 0750/0760 sequence may substitute for one.
• Sc.B. requirements: the same two prerequisites; Real Analysis I and II (MATH 1630, 1640), Abstract Algebra 1 (MATH 1530) and either Topics in Abstract Algebra (MATH 1540) or Number Theory (MATH 1560); four other 1000- or 2000-level mathematics courses; and four additional courses in mathematics, science, economics or applied mathematics approved by the concentration advisor, 14 courses in all.
• Pacing: the Bulletin says to finish the prerequisites by the end of sophomore year and strongly recommends MATH 1010 before MATH 1630. After sufficient preparation and with the instructor’s permission, students may take 2000-level courses.
• Thesis: a thesis project is optional. Honors are described below.
• Related concentrations: the Bulletin’s concentration list also includes Applied Mathematics (and combinations with Biology, Computer Science and Economics), Mathematics-Computer Science, Mathematics-Economics and Statistics. They have their own requirements and are not covered here; see the Bulletin.

2. How admission works: not by major, declare after enrolling

• At application: the Brown Questions section of the Common App asks for your top concentration choices as far as you know. Admissions says there are no quotas among concentrations and it does not admit students by academic interest; the answer only helps it understand your current preferences.
• When to declare: no later than the middle of the fourth semester, before pre-registering for semester five (usually spring of sophomore year). Transfer students arriving with fourth- or fifth-semester standing must declare in their first term.
• Process: list courses taken and intended, talk to a concentration advisor, then submit the declaration in the ASK system for the department’s approval.
• Conditions for mathematics: the declaration page and the pages read do not give grade requirements or caps for mathematics; this is not published, so ask the department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies. The College says students can change their primary concentration at any time as long as they can meet the new requirements by the end of their time at Brown.
• Recommendations for the Sc.B.: the application checklist says that if you are considering a Bachelor of Science degree or the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME), at least one recommendation should come from a math or science teacher.

3. Preparation

• High school mathematics: the admissions pages read do not list high school courses needed for mathematics; this is not published. The department says most entering students fit somewhere in its calculus sequence, offers a self-graded online placement exam, an interactive recommendation page and a placement advising session at orientation, and invites questions at calcplacement@brown.edu.
• AP calculus: a 4 or 5 on AP Calculus AB, or a 3 on BC, earns AP credit in MATH 0090; a 4 or 5 on BC earns credit in MATH 0090 and MATH 0100. The department notes this “credit” does not count toward the total credits required at Brown, and students who might retake a course can request “no notation” by the August deadline. IB credit is not described on the pages read and is not published.
• Calculus and linear algebra at Brown: the prerequisites can be met with combinations such as MATH 0180 (or 0190, 0200, 0350) with MATH 0520 (or 0530, 0540).
• Honors: requires at least eight 1000- or 2000-level mathematics courses with sufficiently good grades and an honors thesis under a faculty advisor, usually written while enrolled in MATH 1970; ask the concentration advisor for the grade requirements. The department describes a thesis as a single-authored document, usually 10 to 80 pages, and the plan is proposed to the Directors of Undergraduate Studies team or a faculty advisor.

4. Dates and materials (fall 2027)

• Deadlines: Early Decision November 1 with decisions in mid-December; Regular Decision January 5 with decisions in early April (the Regular Decision page) or late March (the checklist page), two statements that differ; reply by May 1. The pages do not print the year, so check that these apply to fall 2027 entry. Early Decision applicants may not apply to other early decision, single-choice early action or restrictive early action plans.
• Application: the Common App; Brown’s supplemental essays are also submitted there. The fee is USD 80, and a fee waiver can be requested.
• Testing: Brown has required the SAT or ACT since the 2024-25 cycle and superscores them; there are no minimum scores; the SAT Essay and ACT Writing are optional.
• Recommendations: two teacher recommendations from major academic subjects (science, social studies, mathematics, a world language or English), plus the counselor recommendation and School Report; at least one from a math or science teacher if you are considering the Sc.B. or PLME.
• Transcripts: sent by your counselor or school, with midyear and final reports; Early Decision applicants also need first-quarter or trimester grades.
• Math competitions: the pages read do not say how competitions such as AMC, USAMO or IMO are viewed; not published.

5. Domestic students

• In-state and out-of-state: the pages read do not distinguish tuition by state of residence.
• Costs: the financial aid office’s cost page lists tuition USD 74,568, fees USD 3,084 (including a USD 100 academic record fee for first-time students), housing USD 10,710 and food USD 8,754, direct charges of USD 97,116, plus USD 2,878 in personal expenses, for USD 99,994 in total. The page does not print the academic year, so check whether it is 2026-27. The page does not list costs by concentration.
• Aid: US citizens and permanent residents file the CSS Profile and FAFSA: November 2, 2026 for Early Decision and February 1, 2027 for Regular Decision. The CSS Profile opens October 1, 2026; Brown does not provide CSS Profile fee waivers, and the College Board decides automatic waivers when you pay.
• Scholarships: the international aid page says Brown does not offer any merit awards and that aid is need-based. Mathematics department scholarships are not on the pages read; not published.
• Resident preference: not published.

6. International students

• Admission criteria: international applicants are expected to complete secondary school; first-year students will have completed 12 to 13 years of primary and secondary schooling, and there is no preference for any system or country. Plan to sit national and international examinations (GCE A-levels, Abitur, Baccalauréat, IB) and submit predicted or actual scores; actual scores are expected before matriculation. Applicants in a national curriculum who will not take the external exams should submit a written request at the time of application.
• English: strongly recommended if English is not your first language, a primary home language or the main language of instruction at secondary school. Minimum scores expected in most cases: TOEFL iBT taken before January 2026: 105; TOEFL taken January 2026 or later: 5.5; IELTS 8.0; Duolingo 130; PTE 75; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 191. MyBest scores are not accepted. For fall 2027, official score reports are due in May 2027.
• Financial aid: international students can apply for institutional aid, and Brown says it meets full demonstrated need for admitted students who apply for aid when they apply for admission. The admissions page says Brown will be need-blind for international students beginning with the Class of 2029; the aid page says it is need-blind for international first years applying to enter in fall 2025, with earlier admits under the earlier policy. For the policy that applies to fall 2027 applicants, check with the Office of Financial Aid. The electronic CSS Profile (code 3189) is required, due November 2, 2026 (Early Decision) or February 1, 2027 (Regular Decision); the ISFAA form is not accepted.
• Proof of funds: not on the pages read; not published.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how Gaokao results are used. This is not published; ask admissions.
• Transcripts and exams: the site only asks for predicted or actual scores in national and international exams (naming A-levels, Abitur, Baccalauréat and IB) and has no China-specific instructions on the pages read; confirm with admissions.
• English: see above; no China-specific exemption was seen.
• Testing: the SAT or ACT is required.

8. Research, honors and outcomes

• Research and reading: the department has an undergraduate research page, a Directed Reading Program (undergraduates paired with graduate mentors for a semester-long independent reading project), a Math Resource Center for introductory course tutoring and a Departmental Undergraduate Group (DUG).
• Fifth-Year Master’s: the department says its Fifth-Year Master’s Program is open to current Brown undergraduates; details were not read here.
• Career data: the pages read do not print graduate outcomes for mathematics; not published.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: you must meet the criteria for your entry term, including citizenship and completed semesters. For fall 2027 entry, you must have completed two or four semesters (or three, four or six quarters) of full-time college enrollment before September 2027; candidates with three semesters or five quarters are eligible only for spring entry. Summer terms generally do not count.
• Dates: fall 2027 entry closes March 1, 2027, with decisions by mid-May, two weeks to commit after admission and the final transcript due June 15, 2027. Spring 2027 entry closed October 1, 2026 with decisions in late November.
• Testing: the SAT/ACT is optional for transfers; the transfer testing page also requires English proficiency and lists TOEFL, IELTS and other tests, so see that page for scores.
• Credit: most liberal arts courses transfer, but whether a course counts toward the concentration is decided by the department after you arrive; the site warns not to assume specific classes will count and to plan against the Bulletin. AP scores are not awarded transfer credit.
• Aid: transfer applicants submit both the FAFSA and CSS Profile by March 1, 2027 for fall entry.
• Application fee: not on the pages read; not published.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Common App by November 1 (ED) or January 5 (RD); USD 80 fee; SAT or ACT required
• Two teacher recommendations; at least one from a math or science teacher if considering the Sc.B.
• CSS Profile and FAFSA by November 2 (ED) or February 1 (RD)

International students (including those from China):

• Predicted or actual national exam scores; English scores at the minimums listed
• Ask admissions whether Gaokao results can be used; file the electronic CSS Profile

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline March 1; confirm your completed semesters meet eligibility; plan mathematics courses against the Bulletin because concentration credit is decided after enrollment

Sources: Brown University, Early Decision; Regular Decision; First-year application checklist; Standardized tests; Selecting academic interests; International admission criteria; English proficiency; International financial aid; Applying for aid as an international first-year; Aid for US citizens and permanent residents; Transfer eligibility; Transfer credit; Transfer calendar; Transfer testing; 2026-27 Bulletin: Mathematics; Undergraduate concentrations list; Mathematics undergraduate program; Mathematics degree requirements; Calculus placement and AP; Mathematics honors; Declaring a concentration; Cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check Brown’s website for the latest.