So the Why Brown essay prompt this year is “What do you hope to experience at Brown through the Open Curriculum, and what do you hope to contribute to the Brown community?” I’ve been working on it for a couple days now, and I feel like everything I’m writing is terribly cliche. I talked about how the Open Curriculum would allow me to pursue my diverse interests and made it very specific to me, but I feel like everyone will write about that. I would really appreciate it if anyone could offer their advice on how to approach this!
If you feel that what you wrote is specific enough that it would only pertain to you, then I think it’ll be a solid essay. It’s OK to write about the same things as long as you make your essay personal and your writing style UNIQUE. Just my opinion, current Cornell student here!
It’s a pretty straightforward prompt. Brown is not looking for creativity here but whether or not you understand what Brown offers through its Open Curriculum, how you will take advantage of it, and how you will be a positive force in the Brown community (academic, social, service…). Don’t over think it.