Exactly. Brown doesn’t need a high schooler to tell them about Brown. They do need a high schooler to tell them why they should admit that particular high schooler over everyone else.
Actually, though you may have ideas, that you’d also use the curric to explore openly. It’s not meant to be a flat statement. But remember, there’s an element of “Show, not just tell.” Kids can make a better case when the record shows you already are stretchy.
You want them to say, yeah, she gets it, she’s our sort.
In fact, it doesn’t need to cover what you would study, it asks, Why Us?
I think (not sure) I see what you’re saying. I’ll work on my Why Essays when I get there and perhaps ask you what you think. For now, I’ll focus on dedicating myself to a few out of school activities and pushing myself out of my comfort zone when possible.
@lookingforward
Essays are absolutely key to Brown admissions, and imo, are the only reason I got in this year. I wouldn’t say admissions are “quirky” but definitely different than more “prep like” Ivies (Harvard, Princeton, Yale)
I think both Pomona and Brown are alike in that they tend to choose zebras, not horses. Or put in another way, they like unicorns. So they have 1 of everything. One kid might be from a small one horse or one stop light town in the Midwest. Another is a 3 varsity athlete from an elite boarding school. The thing they have in common is that they pick quirky–or better said one of a kind type of people. Because they are on the small side, they pick unique individuals with the goal of thinking about how they will add or contribute to the community. They want one of each flavor so to speak.
If Brown is your first choice, definitely apply early as the ED acceptance rate is 22%, compared with 7% for RD. Brown also has mandatory interviews, so that will be really important. Good luck!
Not mandatory.
" If it is not possible to arrange an interview, rest assured that it will not negatively impact your application to Brown."
Interviews are neither mandatory nor important
I don’t’ know about that - if you get an interview and it doesn’t go well it will impact your application. I agree that maybe a great one won’t get you in. When Brown gives a name of an alumni interviewer and says please contact or the interviewer contacts you, not having one would show lack of interest. And my relatives’ son, said the Brown interview was skype, meaning the interviewer wanted to see the candidate face to face instead of just a phone interview. Almost, if not all, the applicants that got into the ivies from out here in bay area had an interview.
There’s a difference between not responding to an interview request vs. not finding a mutually agreeable time.
And probably 10 times as many applicants from the Bay Area who had an interview did not get in. In the absence of statistics, we’re just swapping stories. 
There are legit reasons an interview can’t be scheduled. But yes, not responding or having a flakey reason to turn it down can be serious. That’s different than saying it’s mandatory or something akin to a hook.
An interview to any top school can enhance what comes across in the app/supp. But you’ve got to realize many kids, even top performers, are confused about how to present themselves in the app/supp, in the first place. An interview can’t always overcome that.
Let me rephrase, almost everyone that applied to Brown interviewed with them, whether they were accepted or denied or wait listed. They have to say recommended because it could be tough to coordinate international applicants, esp ones that are say, a 12 hour time difference away. Of all the ivies, Brown goes out of its way to get an interview scheduled - which imo, is really good. If they make that effort and you blow it off, it will not look good. The fact they want a video chat if they can’t do face to face, is indicative that they want to see how students react to non-structured questions, to see may be how they would handle the open curriculum there.
Yes, turning down an interview is a bad look, but once you’ve cleared that bar, odds are the interview will have little to no impact on your application. I think the only student I’ve interviewed who was accepted was one who wanted PLME and only got regular Brown UG. My favorite applicant was definitely not accepted.
The interview also exists to sell Brown to the student especially since outside places like the bay area and NYC, most kids don’t get the chance to spend 30+ minutes talking to a Brown alumnus/a