This week, the STARS@Brown Senior Fly-in program hosted 30 high school seniors from rural communities spanning over 20 U.S. states, Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Undergraduate Admission Logan Powell and Senior Assistant Director of Admission Jason Mogen told The Herald.
The program, which took place from Oct. 5 to 7 this year, provides students with lodging, food and a variety of activities to teach them about Brown and the college admissions process.
When the University unveiled the program in 2019, it was the first school in the country to offer a no-cost fly-in opportunity specifically for high school seniors from rural areas. Over the past three years — after a hiatus during the pandemic — the fly-in program has invited high school sophomores and juniors to campus. But this year, for the first time since its inaugural session, the University invited high school seniors to apply and participate.
Mogen said the program is more effective for students that are in the midst of the application cycle, as some students do not start their college search until their junior spring.
Powell emphasized that while the University hopes students in this year’s cohort apply to and choose to attend Brown, “if they don’t, they’re still part of this network of students who can support each other across the country.”
Exposing students to the application process and helping them choose the right school is a “great win,” even if they don’t end up at Brown, Powell added.
In 2023, the University began a partnership with the Small Town and Rural Students College Network, which provides rural students with resources to support them during the college application process. STARS also advertises and helps students apply to fly-in opportunities like Brown’s, according to Mogen.
Powell said the program has increased the total number of applicants and enrolled students from rural areas. Although this demographic is often overlooked by colleges and universities, Powell believes that rural students contribute an “invaluable perspective to the Brown community.”
This year’s fly-in program included class visits, informational sessions about the college application and financial aid process and a panel of rural alums. Attendees also participated in shared meals and tours with the student organization Rural Students at Brown.
Some rural students come from “areas where applying to institutions such as Brown is discouraged, which leaves little guidance for the crazy admissions process,” wrote J.R. Ash ’28, co-chair of community and connections for RSB, in a message to The Herald. Brown’s fly-in program offers high schoolers with a much-needed opportunity to ask questions and receive advice, he added.
Throughout the program, attendees expressed increased excitement about applying to Brown.
High school senior Rylen Hinckley from Luxemburg, Wisconsin said he previously “wasn’t really thinking about applying to Brown” due to the high cost of attendance. But through attending the program and learning more about the University’s financial aid resources, Hinckley now wants to attend the University.
Brown’s campus, he said, seems like something “out of a movie.”
Sadie Fent from Massena, New York noted that Brown students seem “genuinely happy to be here” and are “very excited to learn.” These two observations, she said, made her more likely to apply to Brown.
“Everyone says that Brown is the happiest Ivy,” said Avery Dennis from Harrison, Ohio. “Being able to see why firsthand has been extremely helpful” in deciding where to apply.
“It has definitely moved Brown closer to the top of my list,” Dennis said.
“My experience has been breathtaking,” said Ewan Poole from De Kalb, Texas. He now plans to rank Brown higher when applying to college through QuestBridge, a program that matches talented low-income students with undergraduate institutions.
“It’s so insane that places like this are real,” Poole said. “You only hear about them in the name, but it’s a real place people go to. It’s insane.”
