You are required to answer three long-response essays and three short-response essays
Long Response Prompts (200-250 words each)
1. Open Curriculum
"Brown’s Open Curriculum allows students to explore broadly while also diving deeply into their academic pursuits. Tell us about any academic interests that excite you, and how you might pursue them at Brown."
Brown Open Curriculum Essay Slides
Q: How to address Brown's Open Curriculum prompt?
A:
Identify specific academic interests that excite you.
Explain how Brown's Open Curriculum supports these interests.
Show how you will pursue these interests at Brown.
Demonstrate both broad exploration and deep dive potential.
Q: What academic interests excite you?
A:
Name precise areas. Avoid general fields.
Example: Not "Psychology," but "the cognitive neuroscience of decision-making."
Example: Not "Art History," but "post-war Japanese photography."
Q: How will you pursue them at Brown?
A:
Research specific Brown faculty, courses, centers, or labs.
Example: "I am drawn to Professor Miller's lab for research on neural plasticity."
Example: "The 'Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences' concentration allows me to design my own path."
Q: How have you explored this already?
A:
Provide specific examples of prior engagement.
Example: "My independent study on visual perception prepared me for Brown's research opportunities."
Connect past actions to future academic goals.
Q: How to structure your essay?
A:
Hook (~50 words): Introduce your specific academic excitement.
Brown Connection (~100-125 words): Detail specific Brown resources and past explorations.
Future Vision (~50-75 words): Explain how the Open Curriculum enables your unique path.
Listing interests without showing specific pursuit or connection.
Not demonstrating knowledge of Brown's unique curriculum.
Exceeding the word limit.
2. Growing Up
"Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share how an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community."
Brown 'Growing Up' Essay Slides
Q: How to address the "Growing Up" prompt?
A:
Reflect on an aspect of your upbringing.
Explain how it inspired or challenged you.
Describe unique contributions this allows you to make at Brown.
Connect your past to your future impact on College Hill.
Q: Which aspect of growing up?
A:
Select a specific, formative element.
Example: Not "my family," but "growing up in a multi-generational household."
Example: Not "my hometown," but "my town's annual flood preparedness drills."
Q: How did it inspire or challenge you?
A:
Describe a specific event or ongoing situation.
Show how it led to personal growth or a new perspective.
Example: "Multi-generational living taught me conflict resolution through daily negotiations."
Example: "Flood drills instilled a deep appreciation for community resilience and emergency planning."
Q: What unique contributions will you make?
A:
Connect your learned values/skills to Brown's community.
Reference specific Brown clubs, initiatives, or academic areas.
Example: "My conflict resolution skills will benefit the 'Brown Mediation Project'."
Example: "My understanding of resilience will drive my involvement in Brown's 'Climate Solutions Initiative'."
Q: How to structure your essay?
A:
Introduction (~100 words): Introduce the aspect of growing up and its initial impact.
Reflection & Growth (~150 words): Detail the inspiration/challenge and your personal development.
Brown Contribution (~150 words): Explain specific ways you will enrich the Brown community.
Listing accomplishments without connecting to growth.
Vague statements about "diversity" or "community."
Not linking your experience to specific Brown opportunities.
Exceeding the word limit.
3. What Brings You Joy
"Brown students care deeply about their work and the world around them. Students find contentment, satisfaction, and meaning in daily interactions and major discoveries. Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy."
Brown 'Something That Brings You Joy' Essay Slides
Q: How to approach this "joy" prompt?
A:
Focus on a specific source of joy.
Connect this joy to personal meaning and satisfaction.
Show how this aligns with Brown's values and community.
Demonstrate genuine passion and depth of thought.
Q: What brings you genuine joy?
A:
Pinpoint a specific, tangible thing or moment.
Instead of "reading," describe "the moment a complex historical argument clicks."
Go beyond "nature" to "the intricate patterns of moss on a forest floor."
Think about insights or connections, not just hobbies.
Q: Why does this bring you joy?
A:
Explain the feeling, insight, or meaning derived.
Show intellectual curiosity or emotional resonance.
Example: "The click of an argument reveals interconnectedness, a satisfaction in intellectual synthesis."
Explain why you are uniquely passionate about teaching it.
Focus on the class's unique learning objective or impact.
Example: "A course on the ethics of data privacy in emerging AI. We'd explore algorithmic bias, fostering critical thought on technology's societal impact."
Q: In one sentence, why Brown?
A:
Craft a single, powerful sentence.
Connect a specific aspect of Brown to your unique interests or goals.
Avoid generic praise. Focus on a clear alignment.
Example: "Brown's Open Curriculum aligns with my passion for interdisciplinary environmental science and public policy."
Q: Overall strategy for success?
A:
Adhere strictly to word limits.
Ensure each answer reveals something new about you.
