Brown University Video Introduction Complete Guide
This guide is for first-year undergraduate applicants applying to Brown University. The Brown Video Introduction is an optional 90-second video, submitted after your Common Application through the Brown Applicant Portal, Glimpse, or InitialView, that gives the admissions committee a sense of who you are beyond your transcript and essays.
Brown University no longer conducts alumni interviews as part of its undergraduate admission process. In their place, Brown offers applicants the option to submit a Video Introduction.
Brown eliminated its alumni interviewing program after the 2019-20 cycle. The change was made partly for equity reasons: alumni availability varied so much by region that thousands of applicants who requested interviews never received one, while others had easy access simply because of where they lived. Brown video introduction replaced that uneven system with something every applicant can complete on the same terms.
This Brown Video Introduction complete guide covers the video introduction format, submission options, deadlines, what Brown is actually looking for, how it compares to alumni interview formats at other selective schools, and how to prepare a submission that feels genuine rather than rehearsed.
What Is the Brown Video Introduction?
The Brown video introduction is an optional recorded submission, no more than 90 seconds long, that lets applicants introduce themselves in their own voice. According to Brown's admission office video introduction page, the video is not evaluated for production quality or editing skill. The point is simply to hear directly from you, in a format that a transcript or essay cannot capture.
Every submission must begin the same way.
"Hi, my name is [your name] from [your high school]."
After that opening line, the content is entirely up to you. There is no required topic, no script, and no formal structure. Brown's own admission page suggests optional prompts such as:
- What you love about your neighborhood or hometown?
- A time you were moved by music or art
- A book that changed how you see something
- A meaningful family activity or tradition
- How you are similar to or different from your siblings or friend group
These are suggestions, not requirements. Some applicants talk through a typical day, others connect a personal story to something they care about, and some simply speak candidly to the camera about what makes them who they are.
It is worth being precise about what "optional" actually means here. Brown University does not require the video, and your undergraduate application is fully and fairly considered without one. At the same time, Brown's own admission office actively encourages every applicant to submit one when possible, since it is one of the few places in the application where the committee hears directly from you rather than about you. Treat it as optional in the sense that skipping it will not count against you, not as a component Brown is indifferent to.
How to Submit Your Brown Video Introduction
Brown offers three submission paths, and the admission office has no preference among them.
Brown Applicant Portal
Once you have applied and received access to your Brown Applicant Portal, you can record and upload your video introduction directly through the portal. This is the most common route and requires no additional platform or fee.
Glimpse
Glimpse lets students record a single video introduction and send it to multiple institutions on their application list. It is currently limited to students attending high school in the United States, carries a fee, and offers fee waivers for eligible applicants.
InitialView
InitialView is designed primarily for international applicants and students from non-traditional educational backgrounds. A certified InitialView interviewer conducts an unscripted video interview, which is then made available to any college you are applying to. This option also carries a fee.
Whichever path you choose, the deadline is the same: November 4 for QuestBridge and Early Decision applicants, and January 7 for Regular Decision applicants. You do not need to wait for your portal access to start preparing; you can record your introduction in advance and upload it as soon as your login credentials arrive.
Key Application Dates for Brown
| Round | Application Deadline | Video Introduction Deadline | Decision Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision / QuestBridge | November 1 | November 4 | Mid-December |
| Regular Decision | January 5 | January 7 | Early April |
Notice that the Brown video introduction deadline sits a few days after the actual application deadline in both rounds. That gap is intentional. It gives you a short buffer to record and upload your video once you have portal access, without needing to have it ready the same day you submit the rest of your application. Admitted students in either round have until May 1 to confirm their decision to enroll.
How Brown's Format Differs From Other Selective Schools
Brown's video introduction is unusual among highly selective schools in one specific way. It is the only format in this guide that is entirely one-directional and asynchronous. There is no interviewer on the other end, no live back-and-forth, and no opportunity to ask questions or read a reaction in real time.
Schools like Princeton, Yale, Harvard, and Stanford all rely on live conversations with alumni volunteers, where the applicant can adjust based on what the interviewer responds to. Brown's video introduction format removes that dynamic entirely, which means the full weight of the impression rests on what you choose to say and how clearly you say it in a single, uninterrupted take.
That difference also means Brown's video introduction format rewards a different kind of preparation. Where an alumni interview benefits from being ready to think on your feet, the video introduction benefits from knowing precisely what you want to communicate before you press record, since there is no interviewer to redirect a rambling answer back on track.
What Brown Is Actually Looking For
Brown's associate provost for enrollment has described the video introduction as a way to understand an applicant's "voices and their stories," including their journeys, goals, and dreams. In practice, that means Brown is listening for authenticity and fit, not performance.
A useful way to think about it: the video should give the admissions committee a reason to picture you on Brown's campus. That might mean naming a specific club, research area, or aspect of Brown's Open Curriculum that genuinely interests you, or it might mean simply letting your personality come through clearly enough that a reader of your written application recognizes you when they watch.
Brown's culture tends to reward a specific set of qualities, and connecting your video to one of them, even loosely, can help it land. These include:
- Intellectual independence: A willingness to pursue a question or interest on your own terms, without waiting for a class to assign it.
- Interdisciplinary curiosity: Genuine interest in how two unrelated subjects connect, which mirrors how Brown's Open Curriculum lets students design their own path.
- Community contribution: A track record of showing up for the people around you, whether that is a club, a team, a family, or a neighborhood.
- Self-directed learning: Evidence that you go looking for answers rather than waiting to be taught something.
You do not need to name these traits explicitly or check them off like a list. A video introduction that simply shows one of them in action, through a real story rather than a claim, usually does more work than a video that states "I am intellectually curious" outright.
What Brown is not looking for is a highly produced short film. Elaborate editing, background music, or visual effects will not help your case and can distract from the thing that actually matters, hearing you speak, unscripted enough to sound like yourself.
Sample Video Introduction Approaches
Since Brown does not require you to use any specific prompt, it helps to see how a weak approach and a stronger approach might handle the same suggested topic.
Prompt: What do you love about your neighborhood or hometown?
A weak approach stays general: "I love my hometown because it's quiet and has nice parks."
A stronger approach gets specific and personal:
My hometown has one traffic light, and everyone knows exactly which stores close early on Sundays. I used to find that boring, but now I realize it's why I know my neighbors by name instead of just by face."
The second version reveals something about how you actually think, not just a fact about your town.
Prompt: A time you were moved by music or art
A weak approach just names a favorite: "I love listening to jazz, especially Miles Davis."
A stronger approach connects it to something personal
"I started learning trumpet specifically because of one Miles Davis solo that made me want to understand how a single note held for that long could feel like it was saying something. I'm still working on it."
This gives the admissions committee a sense of your curiosity and follow-through, not just your taste.
Prompt: How you are similar to or different from your siblings
A weak approach lists traits: "My sister is more outgoing than me and I'm more studious."
A stronger approach tells a small story:
"My younger brother and I share a room, and we've spent years arguing about whether the window should be open or closed at night. It's a small thing, but it's taught me more about compromise than any group project has."
Specific, small, true details tend to land better in 90 seconds than broad generalizations.
Technical Recording Tips
Since Brown video introduction does not evaluate production quality, you do not need professional equipment. You do need the video to be watchable, which comes down to a few basics:
- Lighting: Face a window or a light source rather than sitting with your back to one, so your face is not a silhouette.
- Audio: Record somewhere quiet, without a fan, TV, or background conversation competing with your voice.
- Background: A plain, tidy background keeps the focus on you rather than on what is behind you.
- Framing: Position the camera at eye level, in landscape orientation, with your face and shoulders clearly visible.
- Preview before you submit: Brown specifically reminds applicants to preview the uploaded video in the Applicant Portal to confirm it plays correctly before finalizing your submission.
None of this requires special equipment. A phone camera in a quiet, well-lit room is enough.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is overproducing the video at the expense of substance. Spending weeks on editing while under-preparing what you actually want to say tends to produce something polished but forgettable.
A second mistake is treating the suggested prompts as a checklist. You do not need to hit every prompt or even use one at all. Trying to cover too much in 90 seconds usually means nothing gets enough depth to be memorable.
A third mistake is skipping practice entirely because the format feels informal. Even an unscripted, personal video benefits from a few practice runs, both to get comfortable on camera and to make sure your 90 seconds are used well rather than trailing off or running out of time mid-thought.
How to Prepare a Strong Video Introduction
Start by identifying two or three things about yourself that you actually want the admissions committee to know, rather than trying to summarize your entire life in 90 seconds. Write out a rough outline, not a word-for-word script, so your delivery still sounds natural rather than recited.
Record a few video introduction practice takes before your real submission. Watching your own playback is one of the fastest ways to notice habits you would not otherwise catch, filler words, a flat tone, or an ending that trails off instead of landing cleanly. Since you get only one real submission per application, treating your practice takes as genuine rehearsal, not just a formality, makes a meaningful difference in how the final version comes across.
Submission Checklist
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Apply to Brown through the Common Application. |
| 2 | Receive your Brown Applicant Portal login credentials by email. |
| 3 | Choose your submission method: Applicant Portal, Glimpse, or InitialView. |
| 4 | Record your video, opening with "Hi, my name is [your name] from [your high school]." |
| 5 | Keep the video at 90 seconds or under, in landscape orientation. |
| 6 | Upload your video before the deadline for your round. |
| 7 | Preview the uploaded video in the portal to confirm it plays correctly. |
| 8 | Submit, and avoid re-recording once you have confirmed the preview looks right. |
A One-Week Practice Timeline
Because the video introduction is only 90 seconds, it is tempting to leave it until the last few days before your deadline. A short, structured runway tends to produce a stronger result than a single last-minute attempt.
- One week before: Decide on your two or three key points and write a rough outline, not a script.
- Five days before: Record two or three practice takes and watch them back for pacing, filler words, and clarity.
- Three days before: Get feedback from someone else, or from a mock practice tool, and adjust based on what is unclear.
- One day before: Record your final take in a quiet, well-lit space, then preview it before submitting.
- Submission day: Upload through your chosen platform and confirm the preview plays correctly.
How MYLS Interview Helps You Record a Stronger Brown Video Introduction
The Brown video introduction is unscripted by design, which is exactly why it rewards video interview preparation. Speaking naturally and confidently on camera for a fixed amount of time is a skill, and most applicants get very little practice with it before the moment that actually counts.
MYLS Interview gives you a space to rehearse that skill before you record your real submission:
- Timed practice sessions: Record yourself under a real time limit so you get a feel for how much you can genuinely say in 90 seconds without rushing or running out of time.
- AI-powered feedback: Receive detailed feedback across speaking clarity, timing, confidence, content structure, relevance, examples, eye contact, and on-camera presence, so you can refine both what you say and how you deliver it.
- Recording playback: Watch your own practice recordings back to catch filler words, awkward pauses, or moments where your energy drops.
- A judgment-free space to iterate: Record as many video introduction practices as you need before committing to the version you actually upload to Brown.
Practice Brown video introduction before recording your final submission, so your real take is your best one, not your first one!
Try MYLS Interview for FREE
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Brown University still offer alumni interviews?
No. Brown eliminated its alumni interviewing program after the 2019-20 admission cycle and now offers an optional video introduction instead.
Is the Brown video introduction required?
No, it is optional. Your application is still considered complete without one, but many applicants choose to submit one because it gives Brown another way to hear directly from them.
How long can the Brown video introduction be?
No more than 90 seconds, according to Brown's current admission guidance.
What should I say in my Brown video introduction?
There is no required topic. Brown suggests optional prompts around your hometown, a meaningful book or piece of art, or a family tradition, but you are free to speak about anything that helps the admissions committee understand who you are.
When is the Brown video introduction due?
November 4 for QuestBridge and Early Decision applicants, and January 7 for Regular Decision applicants.