Recruited athletes were less likely to submit video introductions as part of their applications and more likely to select economics as their intended concentration than other students, data from The Herald’s First-Year Poll shows.
Recruited athletes are required to complete Brown’s standard application process to be admitted. But many are given exclusive benefits, including official campus visits and formal support during the application process, The Herald previously reported.
Rahul Ramakrishnan ’29, a recruit to the men’s crew team, said the admissions office conducted a pre-read of his application, providing him with insight into his potential admission outcome. Ramakrishnan tentatively committed to Brown in September 2024, before being officially accepted to the University in December.
The Herald’s polling found subtle differences between the applications for athletes and non-athletes.
While 84% of students not recruited for athletics submitted a short personal video as a part of their application to the University, only 67% of recruited athletes did.
The video introduction, which provides admission officers greater insight into a student’s personality, is a unique — and relatively recent — addition to the Brown application process. Video introductions were offered as an optional component of the University’s application starting in 2018.
Ramakrishnan, who submitted a video introduction, wrote in a message to The Herald that his coach “was clear that all rowers must submit a video so that admissions can gain a better understanding of them as people.”
Ramakrishnan wrote that recruited athletes may be less likely to submit video introductions because as applicants, they “know that it is extremely likely that they will be accepted” — regardless of whether they submit a video.
“The principles that govern the admission of prospective student-athletes to Brown are the same as for all other applicants — we admit candidates on the basis of academic achievements as well as personal strengths and accomplishments,” University Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.
“In addition to competing at the highest level, our student-athletes achieve academic excellence in classrooms and laboratories across campus” Clark added. He also emphasized that Brown regularly ranks highly in NCAA academic achievement honors, recognizing the academic accomplishments of student athletes.
Beyond the admissions process, The Herald’s poll also found differences in athletes’ political affiliations and intended fields of study compared to their peers.
While 1.8% of students who were not recruited for athletics expressed approval of the Trump administration, 11% of recruited athletes did. At the same time, the poll found that 14.3% of recruited athletes do not have a political ideology, compared to just 6.9% of students who were not recruited as athletes.
When it came to academics, 18.4% of recruited athletes indicated that they were unsure about their intended field of study at Brown, compared to 6.2% of other students, poll data shows.
Of the recruited athletes who have an intended concentration in mind, though, economics is a clear favorite with 16% of recruited athletes saying they plan to concentrate in the department, versus 6.6% of students overall. Nearly a quarter of recruited athletes plan to pursue a career in finance compared to just 10.8% of the total class.
Miya Wu ’29, a recruited athlete who plans to concentrate in economics, offered a possible explanation.
From Wu’s perspective, economics “is the equivalent of the ‘language’ of all trades,” given its broad applicability in the post-graduate environment. Studying economics can also help athletes monetize existing skills, she added.
Given her “rigorous training and competition schedule” for her sport, Wu landed on the concentration in part because of its “relatively light workload.”
Along with many of his teammates, Ramakrishnan told The Herald that he also plans to concentrate in economics, but many of his teammates also have a second concentration in another discipline.
During the recruiting process, some athletes may also seek to work with an admissions advisor.
For Chris Lanser, an admissions counselor from IvyWise, counseling recruited athletes “adds another layer” of work, as he advises these students on various “ways to raise their athletic profile.”
Judy Rasetti, also an admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote that her work with athletes is largely “the same as with any other student.” Although a recruited athlete may work with a specialized athletic recruiting counselor, her role involves “helping the student balance their athletic goals with academic fit, campus culture and long-term aspirations,” she wrote.
Teddy Fisher is a senior staff writer who studies International and Public Affairs and is passionate about law, national security and sports. He enjoys playing basketball, running and reading in his free time.
