How to Get Into Brown PLME (Sample Essays Included)
/How hard is it to get into the Brown Program in Liberal Medical Education? Learn the PLME requirements and read sample PLME essays
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Part 1: Introduction
Does your child dream of becoming a doctor and studying more than the standard premed fare? Are they drawn towards the long-term assurance of a BS/MD program but hesitant to give up the academic freedom of a liberal arts education? If so, Brown University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) may be the perfect option.
PLME is an eight-year BS/MD program, meaning students simultaneously gain admission to both Brown’s undergraduate program and medical school. Unlike the majority of BS/MD programs, PLME allows its students to choose any major available at Brown, making it an attractive option for both traditional premeds and future doctors hoping to study in the humanities or arts.
In addition, as the only BS/MD program in the Ivy League, PLME is widely considered one of the best in the country, which is reflected in its extremely selective acceptance rate.
If your child hopes to gain acceptance to PLME, read on. In this guide, we’ll break down PLME’s admissions process, explain how your child can stand out in their application, and show you examples of successful secondary essays.
First, let’s go into more detail regarding PLME and why your child might want to apply.
Why PLME?
Students accepted to PLME spend four years as Brown undergraduates and then four years as MD students in Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School. PLME is a major route of entry into Alpert Medical School; 37 percent of students who matriculated in the class of 2025 were accepted to Alpert via PLME.
Like all BS/MD programs, PLME is only worth considering if your child is 100 percent certain that they want to attend medical school. Because PLME entails an eight-year commitment right out of high school, students who aren’t completely sure of their goals would be better served by applying to traditional four-year undergraduate programs instead.
If your child does have their heart set on a BS/MD program, PLME is an excellent choice for a couple of reasons. Not only does it offer the rigor, prestige, and resources of a Brown education, it’s also distinctive among BS/MD programs for its educational philosophy.
Flexibility is a key concept in both PLME’s curriculum and Brown’s self-directed Open Curriculum, which PLME students also participate in. While many BS/MD programs require students to adhere to a traditional premed pathway by majoring in the sciences, PLME allows its students to select from any of Brown’s nearly 100 concentrations (majors). So, whether your child wants to study biomedical engineering, anthropology, or theater, they may do so while still being assured a spot in medical school.
On top of this, PLME students are spared not only the stress of medical school applications but also the pressure of studying for the MCAT, which isn’t the case in every BS/MD program.
PLME notes on their website that the goal of the program “is enrichment, not acceleration.” This is evident in how it empowers future doctors to undertake a broad liberal arts education. If this appeals to your child, they should consider applying to PLME for the unique opportunity to follow their intellectual and creative passions—without jeopardizing their chances of medical school acceptances.
PLME tuition and scholarships
Tuition for PLME undergraduate students is the same as it is for other Brown undergrads. Similarly, all medical students face the same tuition, including those who gained entrance via PLME.
For the 2023–2024 academic year, the undergraduate cost of attendance at Brown runs $87,648 per year. The first-year cost of attendance at Alpert Medical School is higher, at $96,940.
Brown has need-blind undergraduate admissions and is committed to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated financial need without student loans. Accepted students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year and have assets under $100,000 can expect to have all of their tuition covered through a combination of scholarships and grants for the duration of their undergraduate years.
Alpert Medical School has its own financial aid process and works closely with students to secure funding according to each student’s need through a combination of institutional and external sources. 50 percent of Alpert aid recipients receive institutional scholarships; in 2018–2019, the average award was $33,730. Your child may also receive medical school financial aid in the form of loans and part-time employment.
How hard is it to get into PLME?
Let’s take a look at admissions statistics for PLME’s class of 2026:
Applicants: 4,192
Offers of admission: 74
Matriculants: 55
Acceptance rate: 1.77%
Admission into PLME is extremely competitive. In fact, it’s more than twice as competitive as acceptance into Brown’s general student body, already highly selective (in 2023, Brown accepted 5 percent of applicants, including PLME students).
This likely leaves you wondering what Brown looks for in PLME students. We’ll explain below.
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Part 2: Brown PLME admissions requirements
Brown PLME academic requirements
Neither PLME nor Brown have strict prerequisites that prospective applicants must fulfill. That said, PLME encourages applicants to complete honors or AP coursework, if available at their high school.
In addition, Brown’s Office of College Admission suggests that all applicants complete the following high school coursework:
English: 4 years of literature and academic writing
Math: 4 years, through calculus, especially for students bound for STEM programs
Science: 3-4 years (with 2 years of lab), focusing on biology, physics, and chemistry when possible
History: 3-4 years, with both history courses and courses that focus on government, economics, and politics
Foreign language: 3-4 years of consecutive language learning
Music and art: Encouraged though not officially recommended
Brown also states that, if your child plans to major in science, engineering, or math, they should take as many advanced courses in that area as possible.
Generally speaking, Brown favors students who have pushed themselves in a specific area of interest and who have proven that they’re academically inquisitive and ready to be challenged.
Brown PLME testing requirements
PLME matriculants between 2017 and 2019 averaged the following standardized test scores:
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 742
SAT Mathematics: 770
ACT: 34
2023–2024 admissions to Brown are test-optional due to the hardship of COVID-19. This means that, though your child is welcome to submit SAT or ACT scores, their application won’t be penalized for not doing so and will receive full consideration either way.
However, Brown states that if your child does have a test score available, they would like to consider it and will bear in mind that applicants may not have had the chance to test more than once.
If you’re planning ahead for a future PLME application, note that Brown’s test-optional policy will likely be reviewed each cycle, but for now, it remains optional.
Brown PLME application requirements
PLME applicants complete the same application that traditional applicants to Brown do. The only difference is that PLME applicants must also submit three supplemental PLME-specific essays—we’ll discuss how to tackle these in a bit.
Your child’s complete PLME application will consist of the following:
Common Application
Brown supplemental essays, including three that are PLME-specific
$75 application fee or fee waiver
Forms sent from your child’s school:
Transcript, school report, and midyear school report
Counselor recommendation
Two letters of recommendation from teachers (PLME applicants must submit at least one recommendation from a science or math teacher)
First quarter/trimester grades
Optional in 2023–2024: SAT or ACT results
Optional: Supplementary materials such as music, visual art, academic papers, research, or material that highlights other accomplishment
Optional: Video portfolio (we’ll discuss this further down)
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Part 3: PLME Early Decision vs. Regular Action
PLME applicants are able to apply either Early Decision or Regular Action. In order to decide which option best suits your child, it’s important to understand that a PLME application is also inherently an application to Brown. It’s not possible to apply to PLME only.
In other words, your child will complete an application to Brown in which they’ll indicate their interest in being considered for PLME. One possible outcome of this system is that your child could gain acceptance to Brown but be rejected by PLME.
That’s why applying Early Decision can be tricky. Because Early Decision at Brown is binding, if your child applies to PLME Early Decision, they must be okay with the possibility that they might end up committing to attending Brown as a traditional undergraduate rather than as a PLME student.
Early Decision applicants who are turned down by PLME but accepted to Brown are still considered for PLME at the Regular Action deadline. However, if your child would be unhappy committing to attending Brown outside of PLME, a Regular Action application would be the better choice.
(Suggested reading: Early Action vs. Early Decision: Pros and Cons and What Your Child Should Do)
2023–2024 PLME application timeline
Here are the important deadlines to keep in mind as your child applies to PLME:
Early Decision timeline
Application deadline: November 1
Video portfolio deadline: November 4
Decision notification: Mid-December
Regular Action timeline
Application deadline: January 3
Video portfolio deadline: January 9
Decision notification: Early April
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Part 4: 2023–2024 Brown PLME supplemental essays
In addition to a Common Application essay and three short, Brown-specific essays, your child will also need to complete three supplemental essays that address their interest in PLME. Let’s take a look at the essay prompts and some example responses.
Question 1: Committing to a future career as a physician while in high school requires careful consideration and self-reflection. Explain your personal motivation to pursue a career in medicine. (250 word limit)
An excellent response to this prompt will be two-pronged. Your child should discuss the experiences through which they’ve developed their interest in medicine, such as coursework, extracurriculars, shadowing, research, or relevant personal experiences. They should also take care to convey that they’ve thought through their decision to dedicate themselves to a challenging profession. Admissions officers will be looking to see both exposure to the field and mature, clear-eyed commitment.
Example:
I like helping others, but if that was my only motivation for becoming a doctor, there are a lot of career paths of less resistance I could have chosen instead.
In particular, I like helping others live more fulfilling, well-rounded lives, whether it be through spending time in nature, reading books, learning survival skills, or making art. But while these things are important pieces of the recipe for a good and happy life, they leave out a key component: physical wellbeing.
Luckily, I also happen to be passionate about STEM, which has opened my eyes to all the possibilities of what science can do to improve lives in the most tangible ways. My time volunteering with hospitals around Seattle has offered me a glimpse into what needs exist and how I could address them. I spend hours every week reading about new cancer treatments, and I can’t wait to contribute to developing more precise, less invasive treatments, like Professor Heinrich Elinzano’s DCVax-L cancer vaccine, which has been shown to extend the life expectancy of patients with glioblastoma.
As a doctor, I want to develop treatment plans that both benefit patients’ mental health and physical health by combining the wonders of modern medicine and technology with personalized mental health treatments to improve their quality of life both during and after treatment.
Question 2: Healthcare is constantly changing as it is affected by racial and social inequities, economics, politics, technology, and more. Imagine that you are a physician and describe one way in which you would seek to make a positive impact in today’s healthcare environment. (250 word limit)
Prompt 3: How do you envision the Program in Liberal Medical Education helping to meet your academic, personal and professional goals as a person and future physician? (250 word limit)
Gain instant access to essay examples for every supplemental essay prompt from the top universities and BS/MD programs in the United States.
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Part 5: Brown PLME interviews and video portfolios
Brown doesn’t offer on-campus interviews for prospective students, PLME applicants included. Instead, they typically offer the opportunity to either interview with an alum or submit a two-minute video portfolio. Due to COVID-19, no interviews are being offered during the 2023–2024 application cycle, currently leaving video portfolios as the only option to create a “face to face” impression.
Optional but strongly encouraged, video portfolios are a way to show the admissions committee the human behind the application. Your child may use their video to discuss their interests, experiences, why they’re applying to Brown/PLME, or anything else they’d like to convey. Production quality will not be evaluated, so your child should focus solely on the content of their video.
Your child should consider what they want Brown to know about them that isn’t well represented in the rest of their application. That could mean discussing, for example, something they do for fun or a relationship that’s meaningful to them. It could also mean speaking about a different facet of an academic interest or extracurricular. Whatever your child chooses to focus on, they should try to relate it to their interest in Brown and PLME.
Though creating a video portfolio might seem intimidating or unfamiliar, we suggest that your child approach it largely the same way they’d approach an interview. They should make use of the format to convey what’s sometimes invisible in written materials: human depth and personality. They should try to come across as polished, likable, comfortable, and, most importantly, like themselves.
Final thoughts
Great candidates for PLME are accomplished students who are set on a career in medicine but also value the breadth and flexibility of a liberal arts education. For the best chances of getting into this highly selective program, your child should focus on earning top grades in the most rigorous courses available, plus excellent standardized test scores if applicable.
Beyond this, they can stand out from the rest of the applicant pool by writing stellar essays that thoughtfully convey their commitment to medicine and which explain how PLME’s unique curriculum and philosophy will help them become the doctor they want to be.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE BS/MD ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.