Brown is a small liberal arts school within a larger university in Providence, Rhode Island that is part of the prestigious Ivy League. While Brown is committed to the liberal arts values of exploration and a diverse education, they do something most liberal arts school don’t: they have a fully open curriculum. Outside of major requirements, students determine their own journey. If the idea of this doesn’t overwhelm you, Brown may be your dream school. The acceptance rate is , and the regular decision acceptance rate is only 4%.
Brown has requiring that all first-year applicants submit an ACT or SAT score as part of their application package. This was decided after an extensive data-based review in which they found that standardized test scores are useful in indicating college readiness. At the same time, they do account for inequities of access to things like advanced coursework and test prep services. If you are genuinely unable to take the ACT or SAT by the testing deadline, there are ways around the requirement, but you better have a real good excuse and other tests (like AP or IB) to back up your transcript.
In this post, we’re going to dig into a key unquantifiable aspect of your application, and the only one still in your control: the writing. More specifically, the Brown-specific supplement essays. Acing the Brown essays can make a difference in the way that a single point on your ACT or erasing that B in calculus can’t. So, let’s break down what it takes to do writing that works for you.
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The is intense. There are three fairly long short-answer questions, a series of ultra-short answers, and a few program-specific questions that only apply to a small fraction of applicants. They aren’t tedious, but they do require attention and time. Start early, give yourself time to try out a few ideas, and never repeat a story. Now, let’s get into it.
SHORT ANSWER 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)
How you respond to this prompt is as important as what you say. Brown encourages exploration, and you want to show that you treasure that from the very beginning by starting this supplement with a story that brings together two of your interests that may seem divergent but that actually inform and build upon each other in practice.
For example, if you love doing watercolor, and have pursued art actively in high school, but want to study a lab science at Brown you could start with a story that uses color theory to illustrate a scientific principle.
Don’t spend more than 150 words on the story, though, as you absolutely need to spend a big chunk of this supplement going into how you want to explore these dual passions at Brown. This could include courses of study, classes you are particularly excited for, a professor you absolutely want to study under, or a research opportunity that would empower you to dig deep into something you love.
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. (200-250 words)
For the second supplement, you need to share an aspect of your life so far. This prompt is not, however, a hardship test. Writing the saddest story does not win you brownie points (ha, that’s pun-ish). They will not let you in because they feel bad for you. What Brown wants to see, though, is strength, resilience, community-mindedness, or ingenuity — or all of the above.
To pull off a strong answer to this prompt, you need to ground it fully in a strong and precise story. This should not be an overarching multi-year narrative, even if it’s an epic one. There isn’t space for that, so you need to lean on specificity. Tell a precise story that illustrates larger themes without having to use a wide lens. For example, maybe you now work at the day camp that you went to as a kid, which gave your parents time to work during summer (which is notoriously, the most stressful time of the year for any parent who works with or without paid vacation days). You could write about the experience taking your group photo for the year, and remember back to you in that same position as a young camper in one of those matching t-shirts.
Remember, though, that you need to include how this experience has prepared you to contribute to the Brown community. Don’t just say, “I’ll be nice to people.” Be specific by mentioning particular community groups, clubs, or aspects of the Brown experience that you feel you could be a positive addition to.
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)
This is our favorite type of prompt because it invites you to share a piece of yourself that is unlikely to show up on your application if you don’t put it here — and it’s what makes you, well, you. We’ve had students successfully gain admission to Brown writing about everything from sitting on a sailboat on a windless day to walking the dog to doing word puzzles with their grandparent.
The secret to a strong response to this prompt is to keep the scope of your supplement narrow, and to not get heavy-handed with it. Don’t slather on some big message or takeaway. Let it be what it is, and by doing that you will only further emphasize how much joy it brings into your life.
QUICK RESPONSE PROMPTS
These are super quick, but that doesn’t mean that you should write them fast. Take your time, and try a few different options for each.
What three words best describe you? (3 words)
We tell our students to start by coming up with 10, and that the best brainstorming companion is a close friend. Don’t ask your parents because their blind spots are miles wide. Then, narrow it down from there.
If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)
This is fun, and the best way to pull it off is to write a few possible course names with short class descriptions. Write three, and find inspiration in the Brown . Then, narrow it down. And remember, you would be the teacher. Because of this, and the fact you are a high schooler, you might need to get really creative about what kind of a course it would be. We’ve had students successfully get into Brown with answers that range from teaching a course on basic first aid (the student is an EMT) to philately — that’s stamp collecting.
In one sentence, Why Brown? (50 words)
Whereas most schools with supplements make the “why us” the centerpiece, Brown puts theirs into a super cramped place at the end of the supplement and with only 50 words to work with. Fifty words is about two sentences. So, be pithy. Have fun. But keep it academic and be super specific. Maybe it’s all about one professor you want to take courses from, one tradition you can’t wait for, or one opportunity that, you feel, would be a cornerstone of your college experience. Show your personality in it, too, this is a great place to spotlight you, even with so little space.
PLME-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
If you are applying to the , you have two more supplements to do, but one of them has options.
Committing to a future career as a physician while in high school requires careful consideration and self-reflection. Explain your personal motivation to pursue a career in medicine, and why the Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) will best meet your professional and personal goals. (500 words)
If you are planning to apply to the PLME program, you have a story that has led you to medicine. If you include it in your main college essay, you’ll need to rework something to avoid redundancy. Once that is squared, this supplement needs to make it really clear that you truly want to be a doctor — and that you know what you are getting into.
Having a parent that is a doctor may be a part of your motivation, but it can’t serve as the centerpiece of this supplement. The PLME program is exceptionally competitive to get into, much harder than Brown undergrad overall, and you don’t get in because your mom inspires you to go into medicine. You need to go deeper than that.
Based on why you are interested in the PLME program in the first place, you have probably worked towards a future in medicine already through the highest level courses you have access to in school, additional coursework outside of school, lab positions, or even certifications like EMT or Wilderness First Aid. Not everyone applying will have dealt with a medical emergency. In fact, most won’t have ever been that up-close to the medical field without being a patient, but there is something that has brought you to this point. Share it, along with specifics about the PLME program that make it particularly exciting for you.
Remember, though, that they ask about your personal background further down in the PLME supplement. This tells us that they don’t want this supplement to simply be a longer version of that short question. So, be specific. Share courses, professors, and opportunities that have attracted you to PLME in particular as a way of fast-tracking your path to a white coat.
Healthcare is constantly changing as it is affected by racial and social inequities, economics, politics, technology, and more. Please respond to one of the following prompts (250 words):
For this one, you have two options.
How will you, as a future physician, make a positive impact?
This is a good question, and you have a good amount of space to work with. With space comes responsibility, so you need to rise to the occasion. We encourage our students to think small even when the magnified impact is big. Being a patient-first doctor that encourages others not to cut corners can have ripple effects across generations. Choosing to work in rural communities, like the one you grew up in, can literally transform lives for people with lack of access to medical care.
There is one thing we discourage our students from writing about, though: international work. This isn’t because doctors aren’t needed all over the world. They are. Rather, if you’ve participated in international work that involves medicine already there are massive ethical issues with that, and Brown is very aware of them. And if you haven’t, they’ll still be asking why you don’t want to help those closer to home. If you want to write briefly about local service you’ve already done, you need to tie it in to where you are from.
How has your personal background uniquely shaped your perspective on the field of medicine?
Remember when we talked about not making these supplements about having a doctor for a parent? That applies here, too, but in a little different way. Strong responses to this supplement connect to medicine in a personal way. So, other than your own birth, what has been your strongest intersection with the medical field? It may be a beloved pediatrician, a childhood accident, a sick family member, or, possibly, watching a parent get home after a long shift at the height of COVID. Through the window, you see them change out of their scrubs on the doorstep, bag their clothes, and head straight to the shower. You know not to try to welcome them home until the shower is over and they are dressed in house clothes, reset done.
How you have experienced medicine so far in your life undoubtedly impacts your perspective on the field of medicine, so share that.
BROWN|RISD DUAL DEGREE APPLICANTS
The Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program draws on the complementary strengths of Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to provide students with the opportunity to explore and engage with diverse spheres of academic and creative inquiry. Considering your understanding of the academic programs at Brown and RISD, describe how and why the specific blend of RISD's experimental, immersive art and design program and Brown's wide-ranging courses and curricula could constitute an optimal undergraduate education for you. Reflect on how you might integrate or synthesize content, approaches, and methods from these two distinct learning experiences. Additionally, how might you contribute to the Dual Degree community and its commitment to interdisciplinary work? (650 word limit)
This essay is a big one, and this program is an exceptional one. The Brown|RISD Dual Degree program combines an Ivy League liberal arts degree with one from arguably the most famous design program in the world. Getting in is exceptionally difficult. Let’s break down the supplement to increase your chances of acceptance.
First, though, you need a story. You have 650 words, so there must be an overarching story that knits your response together by spotlighting how you engage with art today in a multidisciplinary way. This story should show up in the opening, and then wind its way through the next three sections.
Describe how and why the specific blend of RISD's experimental, immersive art and design program and Brown's wide-ranging courses and curricula could constitute an optimal undergraduate education for you.
Before you can answer this supplement, you need to do a lot of research. Simply liking the ‘sound’ of the program is not enough. Pull specific details about the program, from curriculum to facilities to instructors, and share how these will come together in a way that is particularly useful for you as a student and artist.
Reflect on how you might integrate or synthesize content, approaches, and methods from these two distinct learning experiences.
Then, go further. You’ve identified what you like about Brown and RISD, but where do you see this taking your creative practice during your time in Providence? Focus on what you will do as part of the program, rather than projecting far into the future.
Additionally, how might you contribute to the Dual Degree community and its commitment to interdisciplinary work?
Brown is no stranger to students with big dreams and RISD regularly turns our new art and design stars, but what they are really looking for are applicants who want to be part of their unique communities. Give specific ways that you will engage meaningfully in and beyond the classroom, from Providence-area work to mentorship to bringing others into your multidisciplinary work.
The Brown supplements are amazing, but they aren’t designed to be done in a rush. It is critical that you start them now, and give yourself time for drafting, editing, and even rethinking if something doesn’t hit right on the first go. So, start writing.
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