Brown Supplemental Essays Guide (2025–2026)
Brown Core Philosophy (Read This First)
Brown is not impressed by polish alone. They care most about intellectual curiosity that feels self-directed, humane, and reflective. Brown students tend to be:
• intrinsically curious rather than resume-driven • comfortable with ambiguity and exploration • reflective about identity, growth, and responsibility • collaborative and community-oriented
Across prompts, Brown rewards:
• curiosity that starts internally ("I wanted to understand…") • learning for meaning, not prestige • personal reflection more than achievement listing • warmth, humility, and thoughtfulness
If Stanford is about intellectual vitality and impact at scale, Brown is about how you think, wonder, and grow.
Prompt #1: Open Curriculum + Academic Interests (200–250 words)
What Brown is really asking:
How do you learn when no one tells you what to do?
They are not asking for a major declaration. They want to see:
• how your curiosity naturally branches • how you handle intellectual freedom • whether you will use the Open Curriculum rather than feel lost in it
Strong essays do three things:
Anchor curiosity in a real moment or pattern
Show exploration across boundaries (even within one field)
Tie curiosity directly to Brown’s structure and culture
What to avoid:
• Listing departments or courses without reflection • Saying “I like freedom” with no evidence • Treating Open Curriculum as a buzzword • Overloading with Brown-specific names
High-level structure that works well:
• Opening: a moment where curiosity pulled you somewhere unexpected • Middle: how that curiosity evolved across disciplines or methods • Ending: how Brown’s Open Curriculum enables this specific way of learning
Example angles (not templates):
• A student interested in neuroscience who also explores philosophy, ethics, and narrative medicine to understand consciousness beyond the lab
• A CS-focused student whose curiosity spans sociology, education, or public policy, using computation as a tool rather than an endpoint
• A humanities student who moves between literature, data analysis, and visual art to study patterns of storytelling
Brown-specific connections that feel natural:
• Taking unexpected classes without worrying about GPA protection • Designing an independent concentration or capstone • Letting questions evolve rather than locking into one track
The best ending answers: What kinds of questions will you chase when no one limits you?
Prompt #2: Reflection on Growing Up + Contribution (200–250 words)
What Brown is really asking:
How has your environment shaped how you see people, power, learning, or community?
This is not a hardship contest. Brown values reflection more than struggle.
Key idea:
Your background matters because it shaped how you think and engage, not because it was difficult or unique on paper.
Strong essays focus on:
• a specific environment, habit, or responsibility • how it challenged or expanded your perspective • how that perspective shows up in community spaces
Avoid:
• Generic immigrant or adversity narratives with no insight • Overly dramatic framing • Ending with vague “I will contribute diversity” statements
Structures that work well:
• Place-based reflection (neighborhood, household, classroom) • Role-based reflection (translator, caretaker, bridge-builder) • Value-based reflection (how you learned to listen, question, advocate)
Example angles:
• Growing up mediating between generations taught you how to listen patiently and translate perspectives, shaping how you approach group work
• Being in a competitive academic environment made you value collaborative learning spaces
• Moving between cultures made you sensitive to who feels included or excluded in discussions
End by showing how you naturally show up in communities, not what clubs you will join.
Prompt #3: Something That Brings You Joy (200–250 words)
What Brown is really asking:
What grounds you?
This is a character essay disguised as a light prompt.
Brown prefers:
• small, personal joys over impressive ones • introspection over novelty • joy tied to values, meaning, or connection
Avoid:
• Turning joy into achievement • Over-explaining symbolism • Choosing something trendy unless it’s genuinely personal
Effective structures:
• Describe the joy vividly • Show what it reveals about you • Reflect on why it matters in your life
Example topics that work well:
• Teaching someone a concept and watching understanding click • Organizing chaos into patterns • Quiet routines that restore you • Creating something with your hands • Listening deeply to people’s stories
The goal is not to impress. It’s to feel human and grounded.
Prompt #4: Three Words That Describe You
Strategy:
Choose words that:
• are specific, not generic • complement the rest of your application • suggest how you operate, not how you sound
Better than: motivated, passionate, hardworking
Stronger options:
• observant • iterative • steady • reflective • curious • principled • playful
Think about how an admissions reader would see these words in action across your essays.
Prompt #5: Teach a Class (100 words)
What Brown is really asking:
How do you share curiosity?
This is about:
• how you frame ideas • what you find meaningful • how you bring others into learning
Strong responses:
• clearly define the class theme • explain why it matters to you • show how it invites exploration
Example angles:
• A class blending two interests (e.g., algorithms + ethics) • A practical skill taught through reflection • A topic you’ve learned through experience rather than textbooks
Avoid over-structuring. Keep it playful and curious.
Prompt #6: One-Sentence Why Brown (50 words)
This should feel earned, not marketed.
Strong answers:
• connect Brown’s culture to how you already learn • avoid slogans • feel personal and specific without name-dropping
Think: Why does Brown feel like permission to be fully yourself as a learner?
PLME Prompts (If Applicable)
PLME Prompt #1 (500 words)
What Brown PLME is really evaluating:
• maturity of motivation • understanding of medicine beyond prestige • alignment with PLME’s flexibility and ethics
Strong essays include:
• early experiences that sparked interest • moments that complicated or deepened that interest • reflection on uncertainty, responsibility, and care • why PLME’s structure matters for who you want to become
Avoid framing medicine as a straight line. Brown prefers thoughtful questioning.
PLME Prompt #2 (250 words)
Choose the option that lets you be more reflective, not more impressive.
Focus on:
• lived experience • awareness of systemic issues • humility about your role
Specific insight > broad ambition.
Brown | RISD Dual Degree Prompt (650 words)
What this essay must demonstrate:
• genuine commitment to both academic and creative practice • understanding of tension and synthesis • long-term interdisciplinary thinking
Key components:
• how each institution uniquely shapes you • how you move between modes of thinking • how integration creates something new • how you contribute to collaborative, interdisciplinary culture
Avoid treating Brown as theory and RISD as execution. Show reciprocity.
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