Brown University Supplemental Essays 2025-2026: Requirements, Prompts and Winning Examples

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.”

Example Essay

My excitement for learning ignited when I discovered the field of biomimetics—the idea that nature has already solved many of our greatest engineering challenges. My goal is to combine a deep understanding of biology with the practical skills of engineering to design more sustainable materials. For example, I spent last summer studying the durable, iridescent structure of butterfly wings, which inspired me to build prototypes for water-resistant coatings that don’t rely on toxic chemicals. At Brown, the Open Curriculum is essential for my work. It would allow me to take courses like Professor bystander’s Mechanics of Solids in the School of Engineering alongside Professor Smith’s Comparative Biology of Animals without being limited by a rigid core curriculum. I am especially drawn to the Brown Design Workshop, where I can apply theoretical knowledge from both fields to create and test new materials. The Open Curriculum will give me the freedom to build a unique academic path, one where I can learn from the elegance of the natural world to engineer a better future.

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.”

Example Essay

I grew up in the controlled chaos of a community theater. My mother was the director, so my childhood was spent backstage, surrounded by actors, stagehands, and set designers. My job, from the age of ten, was to be the "script supervisor," tracking every change and ensuring the official script was always up-to-date. This role challenged me to become a meticulous observer and an expert listener. I learned that every stakeholder—from the lead actor to the lighting designer—had a valid perspective, and my job was to synthesize their needs into a single, coherent document. This experience taught me that collaboration is not just about agreement, but about actively listening to and integrating different viewpoints to create a stronger whole. At Brown, I want to bring this skill to my collaborative research and group projects. I am excited to contribute to student organizations like the Brown Political Review, where my ability to listen carefully and find common ground among different arguments will help foster productive and respectful dialogue. My upbringing has prepared me to be a community member who doesn’t just speak, but listens.

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.”

Example Essay

I find immense joy in the quiet, methodical process of mending things. Last month, it was my grandfather’s old radio, a beautiful wooden box that had been silent for years. The process was slow; I had to carefully research the old vacuum tube schematics, delicately solder a broken connection, and patiently clean decades of dust from its inner workings. When I finally plugged it in and the warm, crackling sound of a distant station filled the room, the feeling was more than just satisfaction. It was a sense of connection—to the past, to the object’s original craftsmen, and to the simple physics of sound. This joy comes from restoring function and order to something that was broken. It is a quiet act of problem-solving and care. At Brown, I hope to channel this same joy into my studies, whether it’s deconstructing a complex piece of literature to understand its structure or working through a difficult proof in a math seminar. It is the patient pursuit of understanding and the quiet thrill of seeing something finally click into place that truly motivates me.

Short Response Prompts

1. Three Words

“What three words best describe you?” (3 words) 2. Dream Class

“If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be?” (100 words) 3. Why Brown

“In one sentence, Why Brown?” (50 words)

Three Words Example

Analytical, collaborative, resourceful.

Dream Class Example

I would teach a class called "The Science of Grocery Store Design." We would explore how the layout of a supermarket—from the placement of fresh produce at the entrance to the candy at the checkout—is a carefully crafted system of cognitive psychology, marketing, and behavioral economics. Students would conduct field research at local stores and analyze how design choices influence our decisions, health, and budgets. The final project would be to design a store layout that promotes healthier and more sustainable shopping habits, learning to apply academic principles to a real-world system we interact with daily.

Why Brown Example

I want to use the freedom of the Open Curriculum to combine courses in computer science and urban studies, allowing me to build the technical and theoretical skills needed to design more efficient and equitable public transportation systems.

All the best.