Brown University

“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.”

How to approach it. Show how you'd actually use the freedom the Open Curriculum gives you — name specific courses, concentrations, or unexpected combinations you'd build. Lead with a real intellectual itch rather than a career goal, and demonstrate that you'd thrive without a required core. Specificity about Brown's offerings signals you understand what makes the curriculum distinctive.

“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.”

How to approach it. Pick one specific aspect of your upbringing and trace it to both how it shaped you and what you'd bring to campus — the prompt asks for both. Avoid summarizing your whole background; a single concrete thread is more memorable. End on the contribution so Brown can picture you in its community.

“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.”

How to approach it. This is the personality prompt — let your voice loose and pick something small and true over something impressive. The best answers make a reader smile because of a specific, unguarded detail. Resist turning joy into an accomplishment; the point is to show what you're like when no one's grading you.

“What three words best describe you?”

How to approach it. Choose words that surprise rather than the safe trio of leader, driven, passionate. Aim for three that together sketch a person, not a resume. Specific and slightly unexpected reads as more honest.

“If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be?”

How to approach it. Pick a topic that reveals something real about how your mind works, academic or not. A vivid, specific subject is far more telling than a broad field. Even in a sentence or two, let a bit of why-you-love-it come through.

“In one sentence, Why Brown?”

How to approach it. One sentence forces precision — land on the single most honest reason Brown fits you, ideally tied to the Open Curriculum or its culture. Avoid anything that could be said about any school. Make it specific enough that only you could have written it.