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."
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.
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."
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.
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."
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."
Generic joys (e.g., "spending time with friends").
Superficial descriptions without deeper meaning.
Not explicitly connecting your joy to Brown's environment.
Exceeding the word limit.
Passive voice or unnecessary filler.
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)
Q: How to approach these short answers?
A:
Each question is a chance to show a new facet of yourself.
Be concise. Every word must add value.
Aim for impact through specific details.
Show your authentic voice.
Q: What three words best describe you?
A:
Select words that are unique to you.
Think beyond common descriptors like "kind" or "smart."
Consider words that hint at your passions or approach to challenges.
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.
Repeating information already in your application.
Vague or cliché responses.
Exceeding word counts.
Passive voice or unnecessary filler.
Ignoring the specific nuances of each question.
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.
