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Are you in the process of applying to college and are interested in applying to Brown University? This post is here to give you their essay prompts so you can start planning and writing your essays. Brown has two types of supplemental writing tasks - essays and short answers. The essays must be 200-250 words, while the short answers have different word counts depending on the question.
Brown University Essay Prompts
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. (200-250 words)
In this topic, you should describe what you want to study and why you want to study it. This is a chance to discuss your interests deeply as Brown's Open Curriculum allows students to pick and choose their own courses, thus giving them more freedom than other universities in which students often have to do a set list of courses. You should discuss how this added flexibility will help you in achieving your educational goals.
Describe what you want to study and why you like it, focusing on Brown University's Open Curriculum.
Simply stating interest in Brown's flexible curriculum is not enough, you need to explain how it will benefit you specifically.
Share a personal story to make the essay more memorable.
Connect the story to Brown's academic offerings to enhance the response.
Students entering Brown often find that making their home on College Hill naturally invites reflection on where they came from. Share an aspect of how your growing up has inspired or challenged you, and what unique contributions this might allow you to make to the Brown community. (200-250 words)
In this topic, you should discuss how your upbringing and background will help you contribute to the Brown community. Students from Brown are from a range of different backgrounds so you should explain the aspects of your background that make you unique and how you plan on developing these experiences at Brown.
Describe what makes you unique and how you will enhance the student body at Brown.
Reflect on challenges or strengths related to your identity, background, or skills.
Share a personal story that illustrates this.
Explain how you will incorporate this aspect of your identity into your college experience.
Show enthusiasm for contributing to Brown's community by referencing specific components of the Brown experience such as clubs and volunteer experience.
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. (200-250 words)
In this topic, you should describe something that you truly enjoy. The prompt says it does not matter if it is a big or small thing - the only thing that matters is that it's genuine. It could be something as simple as spending time with your family or as spectacular as winning a high stakes award but you should focus on discussing why this particular experience or event brings you joy.
Admissions encourages a genuine, unforced response to this question.
Responses can be about small, personal experiences or larger projects or discoveries.
Emphasize being true to yourself in the response.
Brown University Short Answer Prompts
What three words best describe you? (3 words)
Pick words that highlight who you are as an individual.
Choose adjectives that portray you as unique - what is a quality you have that other applicants might not?
What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)
Discuss an activity that was meaningful to you and explain why.
Choose something that you actively participated in over an extended period of time as a long-term commitment over months would be more meaningful than something you did over a few days or weeks.
If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)
- Choose a topic that interests you - is there something you are particularly interested in that you like to read or watch in your free time?
- Discuss why this topic interests you enough to want to teach a class on it - why is it important for others to learn about this topic too?
In one sentence, why Brown? (50 words)
- Explain what makes Brown unique to you.
- Discuss why you would like to attend Brown over other colleges or universities.
- Mention any specific professors, research groups, clubs, etc. that you would be interested in participating in at Brown that are not available at other institutions.
We hope this helps you get started on choosing a topic and writing your essays, good luck!
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