Brown has changed one essay prompt and added four “very short answer” questions in their undergraduate application for the class of 2028, according to the Office of College Admission’s website.
The application will have three required 250-word supplemental essays. Two remain the same from last year’s, asking students about the open curriculum and what brings them joy. A new prompt asks students to reflect on their upbringing: It asks students to “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.” In doing so, the essay encourages students to reflect on “where they came from.”
The essay replaces a previous prompt that asked students to discuss a time they encountered a perspective “different than their own.”
When the Supreme Court restricted the use of race-conscious admissions last month, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said that the decision should not be “construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life,” noting that students could discuss the impact of race on their life “through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise” in essays.
Still, Roberts cautioned against using those essays to establish “the regime we hold unlawful today.”
On a panel at an Undergraduate Council of Students town hall in March, Eileen Goldgeier ’85, general counsel and vice president of the Office of General Counsel, discussed the possibility of a new essay surrounding "identity." The new prompt introduced for the fall does not restrict students to solely discussing their racial background — nor does it explicitly encourage it. Instead, the supplemental essay is “designed to allow students to reflect on moments of inspiration or challenge in their lives and how those moments shaped who they are,” Associate Provost for Enrollment Logan Powell wrote in an email to The Herald.
“Each applicant has a unique set of experiences they can contribute to the Brown community, and we want to learn more about them,” he wrote.
The prompt was formulated in collaboration with current Brown students, high school counselors and “Community Based Organization counselors” who assist students with applications, according to Powell.
In addition to the longer prompts, the University has also added four shorter prompts that ask for between a few words and a few sentences.
The new short answers replaced a previous, longer essay asking applicants why they are applying to Brown.
In addition to a 50-word essay that asks students to simply answer “Why Brown?”, the very short answer section will include two 100-word questions asking applicants to elaborate on their “most meaningful extracurricular commitment” and to identify a topic they would teach a class about. Applicants will also provide three words that best describe them.
These new prompts “are intended to be concise thought exercises” that “allow us to gain insights into the interests and perspectives of applicants,” Powell wrote.
Provost Francis J. Doyle III sent a letter to the Brown community last week providing an update on the University’s promised legal review of the Supreme Court ruling.
The announcement affirmed the University’s commitment to maintaining student body diversity, but concluded that “consideration of ‘race for race’s sake’ is unlawful.”
While they expect to hear additional guidance from the federal government on how to best proceed with the review of applications, the Office of the General Counsel will hold workshops and information sessions for admission officers and “members of the community who may operate race-themed programs and activities.”
Prospective students for the class of 2028 must submit early decision applications by Nov. 1 and regular decision applications by Jan. 3.
This year’s essay prompts are below:
Writing supplement
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)
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)
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)
Very short answers
What three words best describe you? (3 words)
What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)
If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)
In one sentence, Why Brown? (50 words)
Clarification: This article and its headline have been updated to reflect the terminology that Brown uses for its essays.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed a quote regarding the University's planning for the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action. The Herald regrets the error.
Owen Dahlkamp is a Section Editor overseeing coverage for University News and Science & Research. Hailing from San Diego, CA, he is concentrating in political science and cognitive neuroscience with an interest in data analytics. In his free time, you can find him making spreadsheets at Dave’s Coffee.
