Anonymous
01/11/2026 16:29
Subject: Re:Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:It's a shame that the design of Brown's website doesn't make video option readily apparent: The video intro does not appear in the "application checklist" -- only in the sidebar. So I would assume that many, many applicants (and parents or counselors) missed it altogether.
My daughter noticed that she could submit a video intro only at the very last minute. She used a Glimpse that she'd used for other schools -- nothing Brown-specific or earth-shattering. So we shall see.
I have no inside info, but my hunch is that it's kind of like seeing an application in color vs black and white. Black and white can be very compelling! But in general, color brings things to life. Similarly, I'd guess that putting a face and voice to an application tends to strengthen it -- but it's one of many factors that can make an application powerful or memorable.
OP, Brown is a reach for everyone -- but I hope that even without the video, you get to come back here in March to tell us your kid got in! Good luck!
After you submit, it tells you what was checked off ans what wasnt. The video is listed there. Did the kid not attend a single Brown admissions presentation?
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:45
Subject: Re:Brown personal video- is it really optional?
It's a shame that the design of Brown's website doesn't make video option readily apparent: The video intro does not appear in the "application checklist" -- only in the sidebar. So I would assume that many, many applicants (and parents or counselors) missed it altogether.
My daughter noticed that she could submit a video intro only at the very last minute. She used a Glimpse that she'd used for other schools -- nothing Brown-specific or earth-shattering. So we shall see.
I have no inside info, but my hunch is that it's kind of like seeing an application in color vs black and white. Black and white can be very compelling! But in general, color brings things to life. Similarly, I'd guess that putting a face and voice to an application tends to strengthen it -- but it's one of many factors that can make an application powerful or memorable.
OP, Brown is a reach for everyone -- but I hope that even without the video, you get to come back here in March to tell us your kid got in! Good luck!
My daughter noticed that she could submit a video intro only at the very last minute. She used a Glimpse that she'd used for other schools -- nothing Brown-specific or earth-shattering. So we shall see.
I have no inside info, but my hunch is that it's kind of like seeing an application in color vs black and white. Black and white can be very compelling! But in general, color brings things to life. Similarly, I'd guess that putting a face and voice to an application tends to strengthen it -- but it's one of many factors that can make an application powerful or memorable.
OP, Brown is a reach for everyone -- but I hope that even without the video, you get to come back here in March to tell us your kid got in! Good luck!
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:29
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:So it doesn’t matter. Sucks because she liked the school and took the optional part literally
. Why say something is optional if it really isn’t? She really liked the school as well.
Your original post said had she known about it, it would have affected her decision to apply. She couldn’t have liked it that much. Also, why are you letting her off the hook by blaming the school with saying it is optional? Kid is 17/18…time to start being more careful.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:27
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:My dc said the video instructions weren’t on the portal only on the website. She just found out about it from a friend who also applied. Two CC didn’t flag it . I looked on the website and only saw info about essays.
The Common App was very clear about the video and what was missing. This was not something she was unaware of.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:21
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
It was due a while ago
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:20
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
My dc said the video instructions weren’t on the portal only on the website. She just found out about it from a friend who also applied. Two CC didn’t flag it . I looked on the website and only saw info about essays.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:16
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
So it doesn’t matter. Sucks because she liked the school and took the optional part literally
. Why say something is optional if it really isn’t? She really liked the school as well.
. Why say something is optional if it really isn’t? She really liked the school as well.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 15:14
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Okay she missed the deadline
Anonymous
01/11/2026 14:32
Subject: Re:Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:This is mind boggling. These test-optional schools admit a huge % of students w/o SAT/ACT scores. Now they don’t really mean it when it comes to the “optional video”?
This is a test required school.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 14:14
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:Hi,
DC is applying to Brown. Didn't realize that there is a video part of the application which is optional. Is it really optional or not? At once college visit to another school, AO said the optional essay was not really optional. Is that the case with Brown. Wish DC had known about this earlier. Definitely would have affected decision to apply, but now feel stuck.
Do you mean kid wld not have applied?
Anonymous
01/11/2026 14:10
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
^sorry, video, not essay — although same hold true for schools with optional essays.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 14:09
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It absolutely does NOT disadvantage the application if you don't submit! Absolutely not.
But it gives you a leg up (sometimes determinative) when you submit one.
If that makes sense.
How can that not disadvantage you if those who submitted get a leg up? Are people all this stupid these days or just Americans?
There’s positive, negative, and neutral. Doing the video is a positive. *Not* doing the essay is *not* a negative, it’s neutral. That’s what pp means by it not being a disadvantage — in a vacuum, not doing the essay does not “take points away.” But overall, yes, it’s a disadvantage in that the student did not do the positive action — “gain more points” by doing the essay. So in comparison to students who did do the essay, they have fewer points, as it were.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 14:00
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
My daughter is a freshman and did the video. She actually thought it was a lot of fun and a way to show her personality, as well as to bring together different threads from her app to show why she was a great fit for Brown. I think that helped her make her case. It was very lo fi. It's not about production value; it's about authentically showing who you are.
From the perspective of Brown, it's a way to differentiate kids. Think of all the kids who apply blindly to every top 20, whether or not they are a good fit for each school. The video shows the kid took the extra time to follow this request, which is unique to Brown, and shows if they are the sort of kid who will thrive at Brown. The video also shows if the kid actually has a spark or personality, weeding out some college-counselor-Frankenkids who had everything written for them by adults. You can't fake that as much on camera.
From the perspective of Brown, it's a way to differentiate kids. Think of all the kids who apply blindly to every top 20, whether or not they are a good fit for each school. The video shows the kid took the extra time to follow this request, which is unique to Brown, and shows if they are the sort of kid who will thrive at Brown. The video also shows if the kid actually has a spark or personality, weeding out some college-counselor-Frankenkids who had everything written for them by adults. You can't fake that as much on camera.
Anonymous
01/11/2026 13:50
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
Anonymous wrote:It absolutely does NOT disadvantage the application if you don't submit! Absolutely not.
But it gives you a leg up (sometimes determinative) when you submit one.
If that makes sense.
How can that not disadvantage you if those who submitted get a leg up? Are people all this stupid these days or just Americans?
Anonymous
01/11/2026 13:40
Subject: Brown personal video- is it really optional?
It's 2026 -- you can do this with your phone. It needn't be directed by Spike Jonze. Just do it and get it sent in, and don't let worry over perfect be the enemy of the good.