258 Brown University Essays That Worked

Prompt: 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 use the Open Curriculum to pursue them while also embracing topics with which you are unfamiliar.

My parents forfeited their agency by immigrating to a country where they were marginalized in every facet -- language, class, race. Their digital illiteracy exacerbated this condition. I explored this notion of digital literacy in ninth grade when I began working with [Organization Redacted]. A large percentage of their client pool consists of immigrants like my parents who have been left behind by innovations in technology. And what it means to survive in the digital age as an immigrant is constantly redefined.

Through Brown’s open curriculum, I will explore the intersection of technology and humanity to underscore the ways in which technology or lack thereof implicates the most vulnerable communities. Classes like The Digital World will allow me to examine the various fields in computer science while Ethics of Digital Technology will help me realize the harms of technology.

I am also in awe of Brown’s expansive selection of courses like Feeling Minor: Race, Affect, and Asian America that are rooted in deconstructing standardized narratives, encouraging the reexamination of predominant views. I want to be a part of these discussions, incorporating my narrative of resilience and examining the narrative of others.

Lastly, I am invigorated by Brown’s commitment to educational interventions designed around interdependent, collectivist motivational systems, independent of westernized models, where the community needs are at the forefront. Outside the classroom, I will emulate Brown’s qualities in working with communities and pursuing a career in technology that seeks to uplift the communities that I’m a part of.

Prompt: 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.

The sun kisses my face as I feel the cool breeze bite and watch the wildflowers bloom. It’s spring! My season of Crocs, pastel skies, and lemonade-filled picnics with Stick Season on repeat. Spring, in its gentle rebirth, also delivers long nights and clear skies—the perfect backdrop for one thing: observing. After a day of arguing about hypothetical Kings trades, my friends and I are now dead silent (except for the occasional expletive) as we climb the observatory steps. Navigating the dark sky is an act of connection. I find excitement in not only bringing the stars so physically apart from Earth close to me but also appreciating the same beauty my family sees on the other side of the globe. We always end up spotting something we swear we’ve never noticed before—turning constellations into 21st-century mythological tales. Hunting for stories in the sky reminds me that no matter how minute, details have entire narratives to unpack. Observing is a tool of connection not just with the Universe, but also with others. I love noticing the details in people’s lives—my friends’ erupting laughter after a joke, the roaring cheers during my 100-yard breaststroke, and the way candles distort my friends' faces at baking nights. To observe and listen is my chance to learn and become a better friend. At Brown’s next Spring Weekend, I envision setting up telescopes under the clear night sky, inviting concertgoers to take a break from the hype performances to marvel at the stars.

Prompt: Brown’s culture fosters a community in which students challenge the ideas of others and have their ideas challenged in return, promoting a deeper and clearer understanding of the complex issues confronting society. This active engagement in dialogue is as present outside the classroom as it is in academic spaces. Tell us about a time you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?

I waited inattentively in the back row of my homeroom, anticipating a mundane announcement about new COVID protocols or lunch schedules. However, when I directed my attention towards the Promethean board at the front of the room, I was pleasantly surprised to find a slideshow entitled “Understanding and Dismantling Ableism.”

As someone with a disabled brother, I was excited about the discussion that would follow the presentation. But as my teacher progressed through the slideshow, my enthusiasm was replaced by exasperation. “Takeaway 3,” a slide read, “we understand disability not as a state of someone’s body and mind, but as a result of their interaction with the social environment.”

My advisor invited students to speak, and I was appalled as my classmates agreed with the statement. I argued that labeling disabilities as a consequence of social environments undermines all the work done to combat the stigma surrounding them. I posed that, instead of disregarding the fact that disabilities are inherent to an individual, we should educate people about the effects of disabilities so that they can accommodate those afflicted by them.

The slideshow had broadcasted misinformation to the entire student body, and I felt obligated to enact change. I am currently organizing a presentation for my Best Buddies-inspired club, [Redacted Content], to raise awareness about disabilities and inform students on how to treat individuals with disabilities. I also plan to speak with the faculty members that created the initial presentation and work with them to send out a modified version.