<p>Hey, this is my first post and I’m a junior in high school whose dream school is Brown (PLME). I’ve probably actually read every post in the Brown sub-forum (I’m obsessed), but one thing I’m still unclear on is exactly what “character/personal qualities” is/are. Is it based on an extracurricular passion, or the essay, or the interview, or what? How do admissions officers determine this? Or is it more of a personality match, e.g. that you’re chill and laid-back but also strongly motivated, like Brown’s personality?</p>
<p>In terms of sought out personality, from what I observe in talking to fellow admits and Brown alumni, it seems that Brown appreciates a certain passion for learning and for how one chooses to spend one's life. Now, by "passion for learning" I dont necessarilly mean has taken 15 APs and has straight A's, just a certain eagerness to embrace life and learn about it, be that through math, painting, the tuba, or relationships with people. There is ust a certain happiness and excitement, call it joie de vivre, that I have experienced in intellectual (and otherwise) discourse with Brown students. It seems they learn and do because they thoroughly choose to and for no lesser reason. I hope this convoluted answer does not confuse you too much, and the most important advice I can give is: don't to try to titrate what is THE ideal Brown character and engineer yourself to appear such. Just be yourself, do what you love, and you have a considerable chance of getting in if Brown is where you truly belong. :)</p>
<p>hear hear.
Be yourself.
Stop this nonsense about becoming the perfect fit.
There is no perfect fit--ever.
Here's som excellent advice: RELAX!
Peace,
Rory</p>
<p>Supertara, your post is excellent and really hit home for me. I never really knew there was any quality per se that Brown adcoms find appealing. However, when reading your description above, my first reaction was that it SO describes my daughter who just finished her freshman year at Brown (and loved it by the way). Her application was not orchestrated to fit that description (as I had not heard of it with reference to Brown) but that simply is just like what she is like. And thinking about her application now, I think that did come across. She is someone who has done things not to look good for college but rather because she truly loves doing those things. I think that came across in her essays and in the recs or GC report too. I recall a line in the GC report that even spoke to how happy she was with her busy lifestyle and doing all the things she does. I recall an essay that even described her multi-faceted lifestyle and all her passions and sides to herself. She really IS someone with a joie de vivre as you put it. And now that I have seen other Brown students, they do seem to be a happy bunch who are involved in many things, like she is, because they WANT to not cause they HAVE to. </p>
<p>I think it's the way people talk about Brown students that makes every student want to become a Brunonian. I love Brown so much, to the point that I turned down a full ride to Rice and am still hesitating on a full ride offer to UPenn. As I try and try to ask myself why, I find out that reasons are on the losing side of the battle against passion and love and commitment to being true to oneself. Anyway, colleges. If only they weren't the place to be...</p>