How to Get Into Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_k3aQFT9l0

Intro

Stanford wants ambitious entrepreneurs. Georgetown wants future diplomats. But, Brown? Brown seems to want a little bit of everything!

In the next 10 minutes or so, I’ll be offering an in-depth guide detailing how exactly to get into Brown, also known as the Happy Ivy. Be sure to stick around till the end too, where I’ll explain how to use the video portfolio to skyrocket your chances of admission!

How to (Intelligently) Talk About the Open Curriculum

Now, the most unique aspect of Brown is undoubtedly the Open Curriculum. But many Brown applicants commit several mistakes when talking about it! Before we get into that, though, let’s talk about what the OC even is. According to Brown’s admissions website, the Open Curriculum is a “flexible yet rigorous approach to education that pushes undergraduates to be deeply creative thinkers, intellectual risk-takers and entrepreneurial problem-solvers.”

In other words, the Open Curriculum is meant to encourage students to study pretty much whatever they’re interested in. How is this different from a normal liberal arts education, you may be wondering? Well, some Brown students take advantage of this by combining their interests to create their own major or “concentration.” But then again, there are plenty of established majors/concentrations, which you can check out here. What I like about this site in particular is that you can filter by your interests like evaluating Human Behavior, Studying the Past and International Perspectives.

The biggest mistake I see students make when applying to Brown is that they talk about smashing together 5 or 6 different interests to invent a totally new field of study. But guys, no need to reinvent the wheel. The fact of the matter is there are tons of really established and legit concentrations, so my professional recommendation is to do your homework and explain how you’ll take full advantage of one or two pre-existing ones, as opposed to inventing your own. 

Something else that’s super cool about Brown is that it has a bunch of fascinating majors or concentrations which other top 20 colleges don’t have, ranging from Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations, to Design Engineering to Earth and Planetary Science, and even Egyptology and Assyriology.  If I were you, I’d pick one of these more unique majors, as opposed to one like Economics or Computer Science which every school offers - just saying. 

To properly explain how you can use Brown’s Open Curriculum when applying, let’s use an example student – Kristina. 

Kristina is a senior from New England who wants to produce movies, but also go into orthodontics. On top of that, she’s an absolute nerd when it comes to geospatial data analysis. She’s shadowed her local orthodontist, produced three award-winning short films, and has even done summer geospatial research at a local university.

When it comes to the Open Curriculum, the goal is to draw a triple Venn diagram, then identify what’s in the middle. For Kristina, her theme or core message could be about public health. The reason she cares so deeply about climate change is because she’s concerned about the public health hazards that air pollution poses. Similarly, her interest in dentistry stems from a medical perspective – after all, oral health is a leading health indicator. 

So, in this required essay question about the Open Curriculum, Kristina would do well to mention how she wants to double major in Earth, Climate and Biology, and Health and Biology. Finally, she could bring in her film angle by discussing how she aspires to produce documentaries about the opioid epidemic or how climate change is exacerbating asthma in her local community. And just as an additional piece of advice, mentioning professors and courses here in this question never hurts. Feel free to check out this course catalog for some inspiration. 

Besides her known interests, if I were Kristina’s counselor, I’d recommend she focus on emphasizing how open-mindedness and curiosity is so important to her. Talk about other new and exciting fields you want to study which you haven’t had the chance to. Again, this is where the course catalog and studying the Brown admission sites about curriculum come in handy! 

Moving onto Part 2: What do Brown students a.k.a Bears say?

So we all know Brown is one of the, well let’s just say ‘funkier’ Ivys, but what about its traditions? Are they equally weird?

Well, besides the Naked Donut Run, not really! Okay, maybe that one is a little strange…we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s talk about some of the more “normal” traditions.

Spring Weekend! This is one of the biggest campus events and happens every April. Sure, lots of colleges have something like this, but what’s special about Brown’s event is that they offer tons of concerts, games, and food vendors for both Brown students and Providence residents alike to enjoy! 

This is actually a really important point! Brown is incredibly integrated and involved with Providence – the city and university have a very “win-win” relationship. Brown lets Providence residents treat campus as their own, and Brown students get tons of opportunities in the city, whether that’s for work, volunteering, or just a student discount! 

Because of this, it’s very, very important that you mention in your application how you would not only fit in at Brown, but also Providence as a whole. For instance, let’s use that example student from earlier, Kristina. In her case, she could explain how she plans to contribute to Brown’s community by talking about her plans to host a short film screening session on Spring Weekend. One part of the session could feature Brown films, while another could highlight films made by high schoolers in Providence. Or, if she wanted to do something more dental-related, she could write about how she plans to host an orthodontic health fair in downtown Providence to raise awareness about oral care. 

If you want to learn more about traditions at Brown, check out this website here. 

And if you want to learn more about Providence events, check out this site. 

A great place to talk about all combining the two would be in this Brown supplemental essay: 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). Make sure you spend the first half of this response intelligently reflecting about your unique background and upbringing. But the second should center on how you’ll take the life lessons and experiences you’ve gained to ultimately make Brown, and Providence, a better place! 

Now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for, one of Brown’s stranger traditions: the Naked Donut Run. This may or may not be exactly what you think it is. Pretty much, during finals week, students spray paint their entire body, eat a donut, then go for a run across campus. Yeah, this is maybe a little weird, but what can we take away from this…?

One word. Funk.

What does it mean to be funky? It means to be unabashedly yourself, even if you face criticism or potential ostracism. Brown love love LOVES kids who express themselves, and prioritize authenticity over conformity. So, in your essays, it’s especially important to highlight any strange quirks, talents, or interests you might have. Have you memorized the birthday and hometown of every president? Are you an avid water bottle collector? Or really into throwing cards? Mention it in this supplemental question! 

Whatever it might be, wear it loud and proud! Talk about it in this Brown essay question: Whether big or small, mundane or spectacular, tell us about something that brings you joy. (200-250 words)

Alright friends, I hope you enjoyed that quick little break ;) Speaking of which, Brown has a pretty legit breakdance club. Anyways, moving onto Part 3: The Video Portfolio

Brown is one of the only universities in America that accepts video portfolios, and honestly, it’s part of what makes their application so fun. I’d recommend searching them up on YouTube and just taking an hour or two to watch some. Write down a few key takeaways as you watch, and keep those ideas in mind as you brainstorm your own video. This exercise will also give you a better sense as to the kinds of students Brown admits! 

The main thing you’ll likely notice in these video portfolios is that all these applicants make a special effort to showcase their quirks. Collect ancient coins? Doodle every day? Have a talent for baking decadent cakes? Those are the kinds of things we want to underscore. The goal is simple: be genuine, but also be interesting. 

Another important tip! It needs to be said! Please please please take this video portfolio seriously. Yes, it’s only two minutes, and yes, you’ve probably seen lots of examples that aren’t exactly cinematic masterpieces. But imagine if yours was. Why not go above and beyond? 

If you’re not so great at written communication, but you excel at verbal and visual communication, this is your chance to shine. Use animations, transitions, humor. Highlight your creativity. Start thinking about it now, as opposed to one week before the deadline… which is when most applicants think about it! And last but not least, no– it’s not optional. Whenever possible, try to submit as much material as you can. If a school lets you submit extra recs or write another essay, do it. Trust me when I say that could be the thing that gets you in. 

Your virtual older sibling,

Kevin