Applications which are missing materials will be considered, but may be at a disadvantage in regards to admission decisions.    

Admission to our programs depends on many factors. We cannot assess your chances of admission prior to reviewing your entire application. 

The Admission Committee reviews all aspects of your application, including personal statement, recommendation letters, grades, GRE scores, research experience and related original publications, etc. There is no precise formula followed to make an admission decision, but a strong showing in the above components is likely to increase your chances of admission. 

The Admission Committee reviews all aspects of your application when making decisions. The fact that a candidate attended a particular University X (whether X is Brown or any other institution) does not mean that an application will be treated any differently from other applications.

We expect to send the results to you before March 1. Our Student Affairs Manager, Candida Hall, can be contacted if you need information prior to that date.

Yes, we will organize a common Visiting Day for all admitted students sometime in March, and make arrangements for a visit on another day, if needed, to accommodate any schedule conflicts.  

Students are admitted to the Division of Applied Mathematics as a whole, and not to a particular professor or group. 

Over recent years, the incoming PhD class has averaged about 12-15 students per year. The target and actual enrollment for our program varies each year based on a number of factors.  GRE scores are required, and the deadline of application is December 8, 2025.

Each year, roughly half of the intake consists of international students. However, we do not have set quotas and decisions are made depending on the quality of the applicant. We are strongly committed to maintaining a fair and equitable admission process and to cultivating diversity in our student body. 

Your chances of admission depend on many factors including test scores (both the TOEFL score and the regular and subject GRE scores), transcripts, recommendation letters, research experience, statement of purpose and research interests, as well as the general background of the students. Improving any or all of these would improve your chances of admission.  
 

Information about the research conducted in the Division can be found on the Division's webpages. If you have specific questions regarding a particular professor's research, you may e-mail that professor directly. 

If you have any technical difficulties with your applications or any other administrative questions related to your application, contact our Student Affairs Manager, Candida_Hall@Brown.edu.

A Bachelors' degree is required, but the area does not have to be in mathematics.  Applicants are expected to have a strong background in mathematics. 

No, you only need to have a Bachelors' degree to apply for the PhD degree. However, you may also apply for a PhD degree after having completed the Masters' degree. 

A $75 application fee must be paid when an application is submitted. Applicants who want to be evaluated by more than one graduate program must submit a separate application and a separate fee for each additional program.

Applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may be eligible for fee waivers. (Please note that your completed application must be submitted 14 days in advance of the program’s application deadline in order to be considered for a fee waiver. Please choose the “Request a fee waiver” option as your method of payment on the payment information page.) Application fee waivers are not available for international applicants. 

Admission to our PhD program includes at least five years of guaranteed funding, including stipend, tuition, health services fee, and health insurance, for students who maintain good standing in the program.  

For the PhD program, the GRE general test is required and the GRE (mathematics) subject test is highly recommended.  Please note that although the subject test is not required, the absence of a subject score makes determining the quality of your application more challenging.  Nevertheless, it is possible that other portions of your application, such as general GRE scores, grades, letters of recommendation, etc. may provide enough information for a decision to be made. GRE scores are required.

Yes, it is in your own interests to provide as much information as you can.  The more information we have, the more likely that we will be able to assess your application accurately.

Yes. The TOEFL cannot be waived unless you have completed an undergraduate or Masters degree at an accredited institution in which the medium of instruction is English in a predominantly English-speaking country (e.g., the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand). The IELTS exam can be substituted for TOEFL. 

The minimum score for admission consideration is 577 on the paper-based test and 90 on the Internet-based test. For IELTS, the recommended minimum overall band score is 7. These exams should be taken early enough to allow the scores to reach the Graduate School by your program's deadline. Performance on the tests is one of many factors considered in making admission decisions. 

Admissions decisions are based on many factors of which test scores are just one (see Q11).  It is your overall performance which will be considered, so your performance in any particular area need not preclude your application being successful.  

We do not track and share average GRE or TOEFL scores. 

Brown University requires official and original test scores sent by ETS.  You may self-report your test scores and upload copies of your score report(s) into your application, prior to the reception of original test scores. 

All international applicants whose native language is not English must submit an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score.  Language proficiency exams are not required of those students who have earned a degree from a non-U.S. university where the primary language of instruction is English, or from a college or university in the United States, or in any of a number of countries.

We really cannot advise you on this or similar matters since we are not familiar with you or your history, and suggest that you contact an advisor at University X for advice about what choice of courses would be best for your specific circumstances. 

Transferring to the PhD program from the PhD program at another university happens only in very rare circumstances, and depends on many factors. It is unusual for a student's mathematical preparation to be sufficient to merit a transfer and in most cases, the student would need to start the program afresh as a new student. This is best accomplished by applying to the program as a regular applicant for admission in the following Fall.