How can you maximize your chances of getting into Brown University? You’ll have to make sure that your Brown supplemental essays will help you stand out among a highly competitive applicant pool by thoroughly understanding the kind of student that Brown is looking for: intellectually curious, independent, collaborative, and joyful in their pursuit of knowledge.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through what Brown values most, break down each of the school’s supplemental prompts, and give you strategies to make your writing stand out in the 2025–2026 admissions cycle. Here are some of Brown’s core values to keep in mind as you write each of your supplemental essays:
1. Intellectual curiosity
Famously, Brown has an Open Curriculum. With the freedom to structure your education entirely on your own, you’ll have the space to explore many different subject areas, pushing yourself to venture into topics that you may otherwise would have brushed off. You’ll want to demonstrate that you’ll use this opportunity to its fullest extent, seizing the opportunity to think flexibly and creatively about what a college education can be.
2. Independence and self-direction
Because students at Brown are allowed to self-direct their own major through the Open Curriculum, they’re also expected to have a high level of independence. Brown students are responsible for their intellectual development, and it’s important that you show the admissions committee that you’re ready to take on that level of independence. Additionally, students can pursue research through the UTRA (Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards) program, which allows Brown students to collaborate with faculty on research and teaching.
3. Creativity and individual perspective
Along with the freedom to design your own major, Brown has a variety of opportunities that push their students to embrace creativity. From their close partnership with nearby RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) to the Brown Arts Institute, Brown provides a variety of outlets for students to explore their creativity, no matter what their major is.
How to Write the Brown Supplemental Essays (2025-2026)
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)
This prompt is your chance to show what you love to learn and how you learn best. The Open Curriculum exists for students who are driven by curiosity, so you’ll want to demonstrate that you’ve thought through how you’ll utilize the Open Curriculum to explore new ideas, challenge yourself, and discover new connections between subjects according to your unique perspective. Here’s how you can approach this essay:
- Focus on one to two academic interests. Because the Open Curriculum is all about exploration, try and see if you can think through some unexpected connections between topics that interest you– connections that you would only be able to explore at Brown because of its Open Curriculum.
- Demonstrate self direction. Brown admissions readers will be looking for students who thrive with freedom. Reflect on how you’ve explored your interests independently.
- Connect your academic interests with Brown-specific departments, courses, or research opportunities. While you don’t want to stretch or exaggerate these connections, mentioning specific opportunities will demonstrate your ability to hit the ground running once you get to Brown and make the most of your time there.
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)
This prompt asks you to demonstrate how you’ll be able to evolve and mature while at Brown. You’ll want to show how your previous experiences will inform your approach to growth at Brown, and how you’re ready to face the challenges that adapting to college may pose.
- Pick one specific, vivid moment, and tie it to one of your core values. You’ll want to stay precise so that the admissions readers can really see how you embody a certain set of values– being too general may put you at risk of sounding insincere.
- Reflect on your growth and try to tie it to the future impact you hope to have at Brown. Think about spaces you may want to participate in, such as clubs, cultural groups, or community initiatives that connect with the surrounding city of Providence.
Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy. (200–250 words)
This is a great prompt to showcase your creativity; try to think about an experience or side of you that you haven’t yet been able to showcase in your application, and take advantage of the freedom that this supplemental essay provides you.
- Avoid generic hobbies. If you do want to write about a hobby of yours, try to go deeper by really explaining and exploring what it is about the hobby that brings you joy– something specific that is special to you.
- Use sensory detail. This prompt, unlike other supplemental essays, lends itself well to your creative writing skills– feel free to take advantage of that opportunity and really “show” what brings you joy.
Brown’s Very Short Answers
Although these questions are short, they’re a great change to show another dimension of your personality– don’t underestimate their value.
1. Three words that describe you
Pick words that are distinct but coherent together. Avoid cliché combos like “hardworking, curious, passionate.” Use words that are true to you; don’t try to appeal to what you think the admissions committee may want to read.
2. If you could teach a class on any one thing… (100 words)
Use this opportunity to highlight a niche interest or specific passion that you haven’t yet mentioned. You may want to take a look at Brown’s course offerings to see the kinds of classes that are already there and use them as inspiration if you’re stuck.
Consider how you’d structure the class, what kinds of assignments students might do, or who would benefit from it.
3. Why Brown? (1 sentence, 50 words)
Keep it concise. Although you can mention Brown-specific programs, don’t try to force it into the one sentence if it sounds unnatural. Try to avoid generic phrases like “diverse student body” or “strong community.”
Conclusion
Good luck on your draft! Understanding Brown University’s intellectual identity will help you craft supplemental essays that showcase how you’ll fit in with their community and stand out against a hypercompetitive applicant pool.
At Essay Cafe, we offer comprehensive essay reviews to make sure your essays are your biggest advocates in the admissions office. If you’re unsure about your essay strategy or need a trusted second opinion, you can request a review or book a 1:1 session by creating an account here.
Need help with the rest of your supplements? Check out additional school-by-school guides here!
About Kelsey
Kelsey Wang is an essay consultant at Essay Cafe with a B.S. in Data Science and a minor in Creative Writing from Stanford University. She approaches essay editing from both a data perspective (applying successful patterns from hundreds of essays read) and a creative perspective (making each individual student stand out) and has personally helped students get into top schools like Princeton, Yale, Brown, UCLA, Duke, Stanford, Columbia and many more.