How do New York University and Brown University differ in admissions selectivity?

Brown is considered substantially more selective overall than New York University.

A student applying to Brown should treat it as a high reach even with top grades and strong testing, where submitted, because many applicants meet or exceed the academic baseline. Brown’s open curriculum can make evidence of genuine academic curiosity particularly valuable: sustained independent inquiry, unusual interdisciplinary interests, research, creative work, or a clear pattern of pursuing ideas beyond assigned coursework. The application needs to show not only achievement but also how the student would use Brown’s unusually flexible academic environment.

NYU is highly competitive, especially for certain programs and schools, but its admissions selectivity is more varied.

For planning purposes, neither school should be treated as a likely admission based on strong grades alone. Brown belongs in the most ambitious reach category for nearly every applicant; NYU is still often a reach or high target depending on the applicant’s record and intended program.