how to answer what brings you joy college essay

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Brown Supplemental Essays 2024-25 — Prompts & Advice

July 29, 2024

Applicants to the Brown Class of 2028 were greeted with just over a 5% acceptance rate, similar to the year prior. Given that 19 of every 20 applicants are turned away–even many valedictorians with perfect test scores–aspiring Brown undergrads need to find a way to stand out from a pack of similarly credentialed teens. Fortunately, Brown provides exactly this kind of opportunity by offering three 200-250 word essays and a handful of short answers that provide applicants a chance to showcase their writing ability and craft responses that are genuine, compelling, and potentially needle-moving to the admissions staff at this Rhode Island-based Ivy. In the following blog, we will offer a detailed look at each of the Brown supplemental essays.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into Brown University? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Brown: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

You’ll find the Brown supplemental essay prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle listed below. The College Transitions team will also share their advice about how successful applicants approach each of the Brown supplemental essays.

Brown Supplemental Essays 2024-25

1) brown open curriculum essay.

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)

Let’s begin by explaining exactly what Brown’s  Open Curriculum  is…in the university’s own words, the Open Curriculum allows students to “develop a personalized course of study — they have greater freedom to study what they choose and the flexibility to discover what they love.” Getting to be the architect of your own college program is a rare opportunity that few schools other than Brown offer. With this great privilege comes great responsibility and Brown wants to know precisely how you might take advantage of this virtually unparalleled undergraduate freedom.

What topics keep you up at night? Which subject makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Are there particular interests that you’ve started exploring—either in or outside the classroom—and would like to continue pursuing? If you could address one problem in the world, large or small, what would it be? Moreover, if you’re interested in several areas (which is 100% welcome at Brown) how might an interdisciplinary approach benefit you? After you’ve selected your interest area(s), you’ll then want to connect them to specific resources or offerings at Brown, which could include academic departments , classes , professors, research opportunities , study abroad programs , or internships , to name a few.

2) Brown Supplemental Essay – Background

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)

This prompt asks you to not only share a particular life experience or element of your background/cultural identity but also describe why that experience or element of your identity will help you contribute to Brown in general. Essentially, it’s asking you to take your essay’s reflection one step further—you’ll need to share why the experience or element you’ve chosen has inspired or challenged you as well as why/how you believe it will allow you to positively impact the Brown community.

Brown Supplemental Essays (Continued)

First, choose a key aspect of your experiences, background, or identity that reveals something deep and meaningful about you. (Although you could choose more than one, we’d advise against it, given that you only have 250 words in which to respond.) As you brainstorm, consider the following avenues:

• Your role in your family.
• A challenge you’ve faced.
• A formative experience or realization.
• Important aspects of your upbringing.
• Cultural, religious, community influence.

Second, you’ll need to describe both personal and future impact. Make sure that your answer reveals something about how you will live out Brown’s values or contribute to an academic/social community ( note : this should be different from the offerings discussed in your Open Curriculum essay). For the latter angle, you could name a specific  course ,   research opportunity , or extracurricular club , to name a few—perhaps living in a beach town has heavily contributed to your passion for the world’s oceans, and you seek to bring that perspective to the biology department’s research opportunities. Alternatively, you could discuss something more intangible—perhaps Brown’s mission to create inclusive communities resonates with you, and you hope to bring your experience of growing up with a neurodiverse sibling to on- and off-campus tutoring opportunities.

3) Brown Joy Essay

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)

What brings you glee, exuberance, jubilation, delight, elation, bliss…joy? There are a multitude of universal and highly relatable experiences that bring joy to one’s soul. For example, it could involve family, pets, hobbies, habits, scenes of natural beauty, literature, travel, etc. However, you could also talk about dreams for the future, more bittersweet moments, abstract thoughts, moments of glorious introversion, or a time that you  unexpectedly  felt joy.

4) Brown Supplemental Essays – Short Answer Questions

Help us get to know you better by reflecting briefly on each of the questions below. We expect that answers will range from a few words to a few sentences at most.

What three words best describe you?

No tricks here—the prompt literally only allows for three words. As such, make sure those three words are pulling their weight. For example, “interesting, hard-working, dedicated” could likely describe any number of Brown applicants. Instead, try to think of descriptive or evocative words that capture what makes you unique or what you most value—perhaps it’s your wit, your bibliophile tendencies, or your generosity, to name a few.

What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)

Out of everything you’re involved in, what stands out? What activity is near and dear to your heart? What activity has enabled you to grow the most or learned important lessons? If you could choose one of your activities to continue doing in college, which one would it be? After you’ve chosen, think about why this activity is the most meaningful or important to you—what it has allowed you to accomplish, how it has brought you personal fulfillment, and/or how it has pushed you outside of your comfort zone, among others.

If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)

Firstly, you’ll want to select a course centered around a topic about which you are an expert or hope to become an expert. The admissions reader is well aware that you are a teenager and not someone who has yet earned a Ph.D. Therefore, being a self-taught, informal expert is perfectly fine. You’ll then want to explain “why”—why will (or should) your passion be made relevant to a wider audience? Here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:

• Quality answers often involve the intersection of two or more disciplines.
• Course creation essays can and should reveal your ability to connect and synthesize information.
• Make sure that the topic of your course is not overly broad or already offered. The topic should not be akin to a 101 college course like Intro to Psychology…be creative (this is Brown, after all)!

In one sentence, Why Brown? (50 words)

Here, think about why you believe Brown is the best fit for you overall . To accomplish that, list every reason why you’re applying to Brown and how you believe Brown will help you reach your goals. There should be at least a few that stand out, which you can integrate into one (very long) sentence. While you can reiterate reasoning shared on other parts of the application (such as how excited you are by the linguistics department) you don’t want this response to be a straight-up repeat. As such, the strongest answers will include academic as well as social or ethos-related elements, and can reference your own short or long-term goals as well.

How important are the Brown University supplemental essays?

There are a whopping 7 factors that Brown considers to be “very important” to the evaluation process. These are: rigor of secondary school record, character/personal qualities, class rank, GPA, recommendations, extracurricular activities. However, the most relevant to this blog is, of course, the Brown supplemental essays. The essays undoubtedly play a significant role in the admissions process at Brown University. They can help the committee decide whom to admit when choosing between similarly credentialed (GPA, test scores, etc.) applicants.

Want Personalized Essay Assistance with your Brown University Supplemental Essays?

We have over a decade of experience helping students compose essays that help them gain acceptance to Brown. If you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Brown supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

Need additional college essay resources? Check out the following blogs:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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The Complete Guide to the Princeton Supplement

College Info , College Essays

Got your heart set on Princeton—the #1 ranked university in the US ? Then you'll need to learn how to write amazing Princeton essays for your Princeton Supplement, a key part of your application for admission.

In this detailed guide, we go over the different types of essays you'll be required to write for your Princeton application and provide you with some expert tips on how to write your most effective and unique essay possible.

Feature Image: James Loesch /Flickr

What Are the Princeton Essays?

The Princeton application requires five essays and three short answers from all applicants. One of these essays must answer a prompt provided by the Common Application , Coalition Application , or QuestBridge Application (depending on which system you choose to submit your Princeton application through).

The other four essay prompts , as well as the three short answer prompts, are part of the Princeton Supplement . The Princeton Supplement also requires an Engineering Essay from applicants who have indicated on their applications an interest in pursuing a BS in Engineering (B.S.E.). Students applying to the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree program and those who are undecided must submit a supplemental essay as well.

Below, we'll look at each prompt in the Princeton Supplement. So let's get started!

While the Princeton supplement is submitted electronically, you might find that brainstorming the old fashioned way (with pen and paper!) helps you get your ideas organized.

The Bachelor of Arts/Undecided and the Bachelor of Science and Engineering Essays

Your first long essay is 250 words long and is assigned based on what you plan to major in. You will only need to answer one of these prompts .

The first prompt is for Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) degree and undecided applicants to respond to. If you are applying for the A.B. degree program or if you put undecided on your application, you must respond to this essay prompt in the first section of the supplement.

The second prompt is for Bachelor of Science and Engineering (B.S.E.) applicants to respond to. All applicants who indicate they'd like to pursue a bachelor of science in engineering degree must respond to this prompt. Next, we'll break down what each prompt is asking you to do and how to respond to it.

The good news is that both prompts are versions of the "Why This College?" essay, which is a pretty common essay to encounter on college applications. If you want more info on how to answer this type of question more generally, be sure to check out this article .

The A.B. Degree and Undecided Applicants Prompt

For A.B. Degree Applicants or Those Who are Undecided:

As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (Please respond in 250 words or fewer.)

This question is asking you to make a case for why you'll be an excellent fit as a liberal arts student at Princeton . You can make your case in your response to this prompt by showing that you understand the value of the liberal arts education that Princeton offers, and that you've thought about how Princeton's programs fit your academic and future goals.

In addition to asking you to show how Princeton is a good fit for you, this prompt is really asking you to highlight why you are a good fit for Princeton. Everyone knows that Princeton is highly competitive, so your response to this prompt is your chance to show that you'll bring valuable intellectual interests and perspectives to the Princeton community as well.

What Makes A Good Answer?

#1: Show how you're unique. Are you excited to geek out about the connections between critical human geography and twenty-first century Arabic literature? To explore the relationships between psychology and social media? If you've got a weird, quirky, or unique set of academic interests, this is the place to go into detail about them. A good answer to this question will nail down one or more specific academic areas that you get genuinely pumped about and why you're interested in them. This is your chance to show the thought processes behind your choice to pursue an A.B. degree at Princeton...or why you put "undecided" on your application.

#2: Connect to Princeton's program offerings. You could name specific professors you hope to work with who share your interests, courses you'd be thrilled to take, or special program offerings you hope to participate in (like study abroad or research opportunities). In order to make your response to this part of the question genuine, you'll have to do your research on the programs you're interested in and really know your stuff. This will show admissions counselors that you're interested in going to Princeton because it's a good fit for you, not because it's ranked #1 on college lists.

#3: Be honest . Your response should make it clear that you've spent a lot of time thinking about your academic interests. Make sure you're telling the truth: don't pick an academic area just because you think it's impressive. To show your sincerity, make sure you're being specific about why you're interested in the area you're writing about. This will help your passion come across on the page.

What Should You Avoid?

#1: Avoid generalities. You don't want to respond to this question with general fields of study or disciplines. For instance, saying that "history" or "art" piques your curiosity won't be specific enough. Instead of "history," you could say, "I'm curious about how war monuments and memorials in the U.S. impact the communities they 're located in." Above all, you want to describe specific issues, questions, or perspectives in your areas of academic interest that you hope to explore when you become a student at Princeton.

#2: Don't focus on past achievements. This question isn't the place to talk about your academic achievements and awards from high school. Here's why: Princeton admissions isn't necessarily looking to learn about why you're good at the subjects you're interested in. They want to understand why you're curious about those areas and why you want to study them at Princeton.

3 Tips For Answering This Prompt

#1: Start with your interests. Start by brainstorming which academic interests you want to talk about. You might have to think for a little while! If you know you want to major in African American Studies, take some time to write out the historical, political, and economic issues and questions that get you excited about majoring in this field. Let the specific aspects of the fields of study you're considering be the foundation for your answer.

#2: Do your research. Once you've brainstormed the specific aspects of your major or possible majors that you're most curious about, head over to Princeton's website to search for more information. If it's African American Studies, comb through every sentence on that major's website. Look into the interests of professors in this department, courses they teach, and events hosted by the department. You can even talk about your interest in working with specific professors or taking specific courses in your response.

#3: Be specific. The more specific you can be about your academic interests, the more likely your answer is to appeal to Princeton admissions. You don’t have to have your entire degree plan mapped out, but you do need to show that you're already thinking carefully about how you'll forge your path forward as an independent thinker and intellectual citizen once you start at Princeton.

The B.S.E. Degree Applicant Prompt

For B.S.E Degree Applicants:

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in, or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (Please respond in 250 words or fewer.)

This prompt is specific for applicants who want to major in engineering at Princeton. Essentially, this prompt is asking you to highlight the factors in your background and experiences that have influenced you to pursue engineering.

More specifically , this prompt wants you to explain why Princeton engineering is the program for you.

#1: Showcase your background. A good answer to this question will explain why you're interested in engineering. For instance, maybe you grew up in a city that experiences earthquakes, so you want to study civil engineering to make buildings safer. Or maybe your parents and grandparents are engineers and you're passionate about carrying on the family legacy. Whatever your story, telling some of it will provide important context for your interest in engineering.

#2: Connect your interest to Princeton. Admissions counselors want to know why Princeton engineering is the only program for you. For example, say you want to focus on engineering for health professions. During your research, you read that Princeton students are developing new personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. This essay is a perfect place for you to explain that you want to join this research project! Making connections to real people, courses, and proj ects wi ll show that you're excited about the unique opportunities provided by Princeto n engineering .

#3: Share your research interests. In addition to stating a specific subfield of engineering that you're interested in (if possible), a good response to this prompt will describe your interest in key issues or questions pertaining to the subfield of engineering you want to stud y. For example, if you hope to become a chemical engineer who works with cruelty-free cosmetics, describe that research interest here. While it's important to be flexible, and it's okay if you don't have your whole future with engineering planned out, being able to describe some of your vision for your future in Princeton Engineering is a crucial part of a good response.

#1: Avoid discussing awards and achievements. Avoid talking about awards, competitions, or other academic achievements if possible. Princeton admissions can find out those details from other parts of your application. Instead, showcase the passion behind your interest in engineering. Instead of describing achievements, describe moments of inspiration in your story that have led you to pursue engineering at Princeton.

#2: Don't skip the context. You don't want to describe your specific interests in engineering without connecting them to what Princeton has to offer. Make sure you describe specific courses, professors, or research projects. Do your research and make sure your interests coincide with the possibilities Princeton provides.

Tip #1: Start with the research. It will be tough to write a meaningful response to this prompt if you haven't done some serious research about the B.S.E. program at Princeton. Get really acquainted with the B.S.E. program's website. Gather the info you need to incorporate information about professors you want to work with, research projects you'd like to work on, and courses you're eager to take.

Tip #2: Focus on your experiences. Incorporating your background with engineering is important to a good response here, but you need to be strategic about what details you include. Describe the moment your interest in engineering began, the most exciting experience you've had with engineering, or what gets you pumped about studying engineering at Princeton. Revealing where your interest in engineering comes from can help prove that the B.S.E. program is a good fit for you.

Tip #3: Be specific. State the subfield of engineering that you're interested in and/or what engineering issues pique your curiosity. Princeton wants to know that you already have a vision for how you'll be an active engineering student!

The Your Voice Supplement

The "Your Voice" supplement section consists of two required, approximately 250 word essays. The prompts for these essays (below) are asking you to give Princeton admissions a sense of how your past and ongoing experiences shape the kind of student you will be at Princeton.

In other words, the "Your Voice" supplement is asking you to show evidence that you live out values that fit with Princeton's values. So, to answer these two required questions, start thinking about points in your ongoing story that reflect your commitment to having hard conversations and serving others. We'll get into the specifics of how to write about your story in response to each prompt next.

Prompt #1: The Difficult Conversation Prompt

Princeton values community and encourages students, faculty, staff and leadership to engage in respectful conversations that can expand their perspectives and challenge their ideas and beliefs. As a prospective member of this community, reflect on how your lived experiences will impact the conversations you will have in the classroom, the dining hall or other campus spaces. What lessons have you learned in life thus far? What will your classmates learn from you? In short, how has your lived experience shaped you? (500 words or fewer)

The first of the required "Your Voice" supplements is asking you to show that you're capable of engaging in civil discourse with others on campus —even when the topic of conversation is tough to talk about or goes against your own beliefs and values. For this essay, you’ll need to pick an experience or two from your life that has helped shape the way you interact with all sorts of people, even those you disagree with on things.

Describing these experiences and the lessons you’ve learned from them will help show that you’re prepared to respect and listen to others on campus who don’t have the exact same perspectives on things as you. A good response to this prompt will also show that you can push through uncomfortable situations and learn new things from others, and that you can help others around you do the same. 

#1: Share a real experience. Thinking of a challenging experience that seems meaningful enough to include in an application essay might feel...well, challenging. Nevertheless, you want your story to be as truthful as possible .

Princeton Admissions knows that you probably didn't change the world from one difficult conversation or situation. What they want to know is that you're willing to have tough conversations and listen to others with different viewpoints than your own. So, pick a memory of an experience that challenged you, taught you a lesson, or helped you grow. More specifically, make sure it’s an experience that has helped prepare you for the different perspectives and challenges you’ll encounter from others on campus. Try and recall as many details about what happened as you can, and draft a description of the situation that’s as true to real events as possible. 

#2: Be thoughtful. Did you learn something new during the experience(s) or lesson(s) you're writing about? Explain what you learned from it in your response! For instance, perhaps you learned that being a nonjudgmental listener can help others feel more comfortable with listening to what you have to say. Whatever you learned, make sure you describe it in your response. This will show Princeton Admissions that you're open to learning and growing.

#3: Show you're forward thinking. How will the knowledge you gained from this experience (or experiences, if you choose to write about more than one) shape your behavior as a Princeton student? Think about what college is like: you'll encounter students, faculty, and staff from all over the world. This means you'll be in constant contact with different values, cultures, and ways of thinking about the world. Princeton wants to know that you're prepared to participate in this environment in positive ways!

#1: Don't disparage anyone. Even if the conversation or experience you're describing was incredibly frustrating, don't insult the other people who were involved. Instead, show empathy toward the people you interacted with. Princeton Admissions wants to know that you're a person who can extend empathy to many different kinds of people to be a good student and citizen.

#2: Don't brag. Don't brag about what you accomplished. Instead, focus on what you learned from the conversation --even if you think that the other people involved were totally wrong and you were totally right. Admissions counselors want to know that you learned from your experience.

2 Tips For Answering This Prompt

Tip #1: Pick an experience or lesson that impacted you. You should definitely write about an experience that was meaningful to you, rather than one that you think is impressive or controversial. This is your chance to show how you’ve made the most of your unique experiences—you’re giving Princeton an idea of who you are, what you’re capable of, and how this all came to be. Take time to reflect on tough situations you’ve encountered and lessons you’ve learned before drafting your response. 

Tip #2: Connect the topic to college life. While you obviously need to describe the topic of your experience, how you handled it, and what you learned from it, a crucial part of your response is how it prepared you to be an engaged, ethical member of the Princeton community. Be sure to focus part of your response on explaining how what you learned will guide your life as a Princeton student. Whichever experiences or lessons you choose, you’ll need to explain how you can use what you’ve learned to have respectful and insightful conversations with people across Princeton’s campus. 

This is a chance to tell your story and show how committed you are to being a good citizen.

Prompt #2: The Service and Your Story Prompt

Princeton has a longstanding commitment to understanding our responsibility to society through service and civic engagement. How does your own story intersect with these ideals? (250 words or fewer)

This supplement prompt is asking you to show your commitment to serving others and/or being an engaged citizen —and you'll need to describe a specific experience or idea that demonstrates this commitment.

When the prompt asks "how does your own story intersect with these ideals," it means that you should think of real things you've done or real values you hold that motivate your civic engagement. This is a key part of the story you'll have to share in your response.

#1: Tell a story. Basically, the prompt is assuming that who you are and what you value will motivate how you serve others and participate as an engaged citizen. To answer this prompt effectively, then, think about telling the story behind your decision to serve or fulfill your civic responsibilities in a specific way.

#2: Connect it to your local life. The decisions we make about our community involvement are often personal. For instance, maybe someone in your family recovered from cancer as a child, so your story with service involves gathering donations for a pediatric cancer care center in the region where you live. Think about the personal connections that you've made, then include them in your response.

#3: Consider the future. Maybe you don't have much experience with service or civic engagement yet, but you have a big vision for how you'll serve and engage in the Princeton community. This prompt is a chance to describe the details of that vision. Alternatively, if you have existing experience with service and civic engagement and want to continue serving in similar ways at Princeton, share your ideas about how you'll accomplish that. Service and civic engagement are lifelong commitments—describing your ideas about how you'll serve in the future will show that you're prepared for that commitment.

#1: Don't be condescending. While it's likely that the people you've served in the past learned things from you, don't focus your response on describing how wonderful you are . Instead, focus on how your service and civic engagement experiences have refined your values and helped you become a better human, which is what Princeton admissions wants to hear about.

#2: Avoid delusions of grandeur. If you decide to include a description of how you hope to serve once you get to Princeton, don't get too carried away. For example, you probably aren't going to get every single Princeton student registered to vote...but you can probably make some progress. Be realistic about your ideas for how you'll serve in the future. Princeton admissions just wants you to show dedication to service and civic engagement. They don't expect you to solve all of the world's problems.

Tip #1: Tell a story. It's important to coach your answer in the form of a story. Describe who you served, what the service looked like, and why you decided to serve in this way. If possible, connect it to your background, your identity, or your values. Turning your service experience into a story for Princeton admissions will make it more memorable.

Tip #2: Describe the impact. Princeton Admissions doesn't just want to know the story of your past experience with service—they also want to know how the experience continues to impact you today. Describe what you learned from the experience, how it changed you, and how it shapes your current actions and values.

Tip #3: Connect it to your future. Connect your story about your service to your vision for your life as a student at Princeton. This will let admissions know that you'll also be an exceptional student outside of the classroom in the Princeton community.

The "More About You" Short Answer Supplements

The "More About You" short answer section of the Princeton Supplement is your last chance to show who you are: the real person behind all of the stats, scores, and successes that the rest of your application showcases. In fact, the instructions for this required portion of the supplement are clear: "There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!"

This means that, in 50 words or fewer, you'll need to give admissions counselors a clearer picture of the "you" behind the application. All three of the "More About You" short answer questions are required, and each one gives you a chance to provide a little more context for your desire to be a student at Princeton.

#1: The New Skill Prompt

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? (50 words)

To answer this question, all you need to do is describe a skill that you want to learn in college! There are a couple of different ways that you could interpret this prompt. Just remember: answer honestly.

For starters, you could think of the prompt as asking about a skill that you want to learn from your actual college courses . If this is the path you choose, you could write about how you want to learn to produce a podcast, to lead a Socratic Seminar, or to write a winning elevator pitch. Connecting the skill you want to learn to your areas of academic interests is a solid strategy.

Alternatively, you could think more generally about any skill you want to learn during your time in college ! For example, maybe you struggle with public speaking, and you want to learn to share your ideas more clearly in your classes and your extracurriculars. Writing about skills that are more oriented towards exploring your identity, background, or interests outside of academics is perfectly fine here too.

Whatever skill you decide to write about, it's important to briefly explain why you want to learn that skill. For instance, if you were writing about learning to bake like your grandmother, you might explain that this skill has been passed down in your family for generations, and you'd like to pass it down as well. If you want to learn how to produce a podcast, maybe you'd explain that you were searching for an interesting podcast on Marxist economics, but couldn't find one that had good production quality, so you want to learn how to produce one yourself.

#2: The Joy Prompt

What brings you joy? (50 words)

The same principles go for this prompt: write your response about something that genuinely brings you joy. It could be an activity, a person or relationship, or an experience you've had. To answer this question, simply describe the thing that brings you joy.

A good answer to this question will identify one specific thing that brings you joy, then describe it with gusto. For example, if the thing that brings you joy is building model planes with your little brother, briefly tell the story of why that experience brings you joy. Maybe you like the challenge of focusing on small details, or perhaps your joy comes from building something with your hands.

Briefly giving these specific details will show how the thing that brings you joy reflects your values and identity --both of which will give more clues as to the kind of person you'll be as a student at Princeton.

#3: The Soundtrack of Your Life Prompt

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? (50 words)

This short answer is fun! Keep your song selection relatively clean, of course, but otherwise, just think of a song that you're literally listening to on repeat right now , or pick a song that symbolizes your current experience. Then explain why!

For example, maybe you'll write about "Inner Child" by BTS because getting ready to leave home for college in the midst of so much has made you reflect on your younger years. Or, if you've literally listened to "my future" by Billie Eilish one thousand times since its release, briefly write about why you can't stop hitting repeat.

Don't overthink this prompt: the music we love reveals things about our personality and how we cope with the realities of our lives. Just be real, and you'll show Princeton admissions another facet of your genuine personality and how you process the world.

How to Write a Great Princeton Essay: 4 Key Tips

To wrap up, here are some final tips to keep in mind as you write your Princeton essays and any other essays for college applications.

#1: Be Specific

A vague essay is certain to squelch your chances of getting into Princeton, so make sure you're being as specific as possible in your writing.

For example, if you're writing about somebody who inspired you, touch on the little quirks or traits they have to help the admissions committee more easily visualize this person, such as their subtle mannerisms, the way they handled stress, or their perseverance in a difficult situation.

Remember that you're writing about something real, whether that's a person, event, object, or experience. Your aim should be to make the subject of your essay feel as real to your readers as it did and does for you.

Other ways to ensure that you're being specific enough in your essay are to use common literary devices such as anecdotes, dialogue (an actual conversation you had with someone), imagery, and onomatopoeia. These not only add color to your writing but also paint the subject of your essay in a more effective, relatable way.

Lastly, I recommend getting somebody else to read over your essay (which I talk about more in tip 4); this person can let you know if your writing isn't specific enough and if too much is left to be implied.

#2: Be Honest and Use Your Voice

The whole point of writing an essay for a college application is to show the admissions committee who you are. In short, what makes you you ? This is why it's so critical to use an authentic voice in your Princeton essays.

For example, if you love making people laugh (and think humor is one of your defining traits), then it might be a good idea to include a joke or two in your personal essay.

However, don't exaggerate anything that happened to you or any feelings you might have —the admissions committee will more than likely be able to see through it. Remember that you want your voice and feelings to come across strongly but also (and more importantly) authentically.

Don't claim in your engineering essay that you've liked engineering since you were 3 years old if you only recently developed an interest in it. Lying about or exaggerating anything in your essay will simply make you seem insincere and, yes, even immature. So avoid it!

#3: Write Well and Avoid Clichés

You'll need to be a decent writer if you're hoping to get into Princeton—one of the most selective universities in the US ! On the technical side, this means that your Princeton essays should have no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.

If you're unsure about a certain grammar rule, such as how to use a semicolon correctly, feel free to consult our SAT grammar guide for a quick refresher.

Writing well also means varying up your sentence lengths and styles (in other words, don't start every sentence with "I," even though you're likely talking about yourself).

On the more stylistic side, your essays should really grab your audience's attention—and keep it throughout. Therefore, you'll need to come up with a unique way to hook your readers from the beginning. For example, you could start with a piece of dialogue that someone said to you once (I'd avoid famous quotations, though, since these can come across really clichéd).

Alternatively, you could start with a memory, opening a description with a strong emotion you had, a sound you heard (using onomatopoeia would be a good idea here), or powerful, sensory images of the setting.

As a final tip, make a conscious effort to avoid clichés. These include quotations that have been quoted to death and phrases or idioms that are often overused. Using clichés indicates laziness to the reader and a lack of authenticity in your voice and storytelling.

For example, instead of writing, "I woke up at the crack of dawn," you could write something like "I woke up as soon as the sun began to peek over the horizon" (if you're the poetic type) or even just "I woke up at dawn" (if you're more like Hemingway).

Here is a lengthy but useful list of clichés to avoid in your writing .

Remember that you're ultimately telling a story with your essays, so don't be afraid to get creative and use a variety of literary techniques!

#4: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!

The final step before you submit each of your Princeton essays is to edit and proofread it.

Editing isn't a one-step process. After you finish your rough draft, put your essay away and take it out again a few days or even weeks later to get a fresh perspective on what sounds good and what comes across awkward, unclear, or irrelevant. Do this step numerous times. At this time, you should also be checking for any typos, grammar errors, etc.

Once you've done a few editing sessions on your own, give your essay to someone you trust, such as a teacher, counselor, or parent, and have that person look it over and offer any feedback or corrections. Getting another set of eyes to look at your essay can help you catch smaller mistakes you might've failed to notice; it also gives a clearer sense as to what kind of impression your essay will likely leave on the Princeton admissions committee.

What's Next?

If you're applying to Princeton through the Common Application, you'll need to write an essay that answers one of the Common App prompts . Our in-depth guide goes over all the current prompts and gives you expert tips on how to answer them.

You can also check out our guide on how to choose a Common App prompt if you're struggling with deciding on the best one for your college application.

Not sure what your chances are of actually getting into Princeton? Calculate them with our own college acceptance calculator , and read up on how to submit a versatile college application .

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Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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October 12, 2022

Tips for Answering the Princeton University Supplemental Essay Prompts [2022 – 2023]

It will come as no surprise that Princeton University is among the top schools in the nation and is recognized globally for academic excellence. This Ivy League school is renowned as a major research university as well as an outstanding liberal arts college. In addition to the Common Application, Universal College Application or Coalition Application essay, Princeton also requires supplemental writing responses. These additional essays help the admissions committee to understand your particular strengths and potential contributions to the Princeton community comprehensively. Princeton prides itself on the diversity of talents, achievements, perspectives, and interests of its student body. At the same time, it is looking for a freshman class that shares the following qualities: “integrity, a deep interest in learning and a devotion to both academic and non-academic pursuits.” Think about how you can contribute to Princeton as well as how Princeton can support your aspirations.

The best way to begin is by doing your research. Spend time looking over the Princeton website, get to know what current undergraduates are saying about the school, familiarize yourself with the various majors, and imagine yourself there. If possible, visit the campus (virtually), allow yourself to get excited about this opportunity, and make every effort to gain a sense of why Princeton is the ideal academic environment for you!

Get a free consultation: Click here to schedule a call to find out how our admissions experts can help YOU get accepted to Princeton!

Located in a suburban setting, Princeton is primarily a residential campus with a strong liberal arts focus. Its residential college structure, freshman seminars, and preceptorial system support the tight-knit student community. These are hallmarks of an education at Princeton and demonstrate the university’s commitment to student-centered learning within the context of a diverse student body, faculty, and staff.

Remember to allow your writing to express your voice as you address the following Princeton supplemental questions; consider how your responses reveal your intellectual curiosity, passion for learning, and engagement with the world.

Princeton University supplemental application prompts

Princeton university short essay questions.

Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (Please respond in about 150 words)

It’s very common for students to talk about their experiences in general terms, but you will stand out by telling real stories that will reveal (at least very briefly) not only what you did but what you learned as a result. For example, while earning leadership badges with the Girl Scouts, you could write about how you took on a leadership role by organizing a community tree-planting initiative or mental health awareness program. Explain why that role was meaningful to you. Or you may have needed to take on additional responsibility at a job that required a lot of creativity. If you have played guitar or have been writing poetry for several years, how have these hobbies shaped you? What do these experiences reveal about your character and values?

Please respond to each question in an essay of 250 words or fewer.

1. At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

Here, you might want to emphasize two things: how this conversation influenced your thinking (e.g., your long-held beliefs were challenged and opened your eyes to a new perspective); and secondly, how the conversation remained respectful (e.g., you were tempted to raise your voice or walk out but did not). What will you do to ensure that you can continue having hard but respectful exchanges in the future? Finally, be sure to say something about why these hard conversations are nonetheless important– Princeton clearly wants its students to be having them! Read:  7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

2. Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals.

Think about your involvement thus far in service and civic engagement. What have you done to help others; to serve your country; to volunteer your time? Then , research what Princeton students do to stay civically engaged. Given your background, how would you contribute to those things already in place at Princeton? How might you add to or improve what already exists?

More About You

Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!

Note: In this section, make sure to include both the “what” and the “why”– for example, “What brings me joy is X because of Y.” Your task is both to describe and to explain, to show logical and articulate thinking.

– What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? – What brings you joy? – What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Final thoughts on applying to Princeton

Each of these essay prompts ask you to share something personal about yourself, discuss how an experience impacted you, and explain how you make sense of your world . They ask you to articulate your values and provide insight into your thinking process. They want you to reveal how you evaluate information and make decisions. Select the themed essay topic that strikes a cord with you. Make sure to convey your enthusiasm for that subject and for Princeton.

Princeton has a highly competitive and impressive applicant pool. It received tens of thousands of undergraduate applications for the class of 2026. Only 1,500 were offered admission. Add to that average SAT scores above 1500, and average ACT scores around 33, and you get a better sense of the level of competition. However, keep in mind that Princeton is committed to a holistic approach to the admissions process. This means they use your essay responses to round out the picture of you as a prospective student. The supplemental essays are your chance to share valuable information about yourself and differentiate yourself from your peers. In your essays, you can demonstrate that you belong at Princeton!

If you’re applying to Princeton University, you already know you’re up against tight competition. Don’t be overwhelmed. Get the guidance of an experienced admissions specialist who will help you stand out from the highly competitive applicant pool so you can apply with confidence, and get accepted! Click here to get started!

Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your College Application Essays , a free guide
• How to Project Professionalism, Positivity, and Confidence in Your Statement of Purpose
• Different Dimensions of Diversity , a podcast episode

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July 30, 2024

Brown University Supplemental Essay Prompts: 2024-2025

Brown University has released its essay prompts for the 2024-2025 college admissions cycle. Applicants to the Brown Class of 2029 will be required to answer more essay prompts than applicants to recent Brown classes — significantly more. This year, in addition to The Common Application ’s Personal Statement, applicants must answer three 200-250-word essays, one 3-word essay, two 100-word essays, and one 50-word essay. So what are this year’s Brown essay prompts ?

2024-2025 Brown Essay Topics & Questions

Long response prompts.

1. 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)*

This prompt is a hybrid question — part Why Major and part Why Brown . Brown’s admissions committee wants to understand the origin story of an applicant’s interest in the discipline they hope to study, not as a child but as a high schooler.

And Brown also wants to know why Brown is the right place for an applicant to pursue that course of study. As such, the essay should be peppered with specific after specific about enduring aspects of Brown that only apply to Brown. And, no, name-dropping professors and listing classes do not count as genuine specifics about Brown.

2. 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 wants to understand the community and values that have shaped their applicants. With the Supreme Court recently outlawing the practice of Affirmative Action , this essay prompt presents an opportunity for applicants to share their backgrounds.

As Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion striking down Affirmative Action, “At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” This essay prompt is one such opening.

3. 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)*

Too many applicants focus on silly things that fail to showcase intellectual curiosity when answering this essay prompt, which has long been a staple of Brown’s application. While the pursuit that brings an applicant joy need not be world-changing, it must demonstrate how a student thinks or it will be a wasted opportunity.

Short Response Prompts

For these shorter prompts, Brown’s instructions read as follows: Help us get to know you better by reflecting briefly on each of the questions below. We expect that answers will range from a few words to a few sentences at most.

1. What three words best describe you? (3 words)*

These kinds of prompts — only three words — might take applicants the most time to consider.   Dare to think outside the box and avoid the expected. Curious, engaged? Applicants can do better!

2. What is your most meaningful extracurricular commitment, and what would you like us to know about it? (100 words)*

This essay prompt presents an opportunity for a student to further demonstrate their hook since Brown admissions officers seek to admit singularly talented rather than well-rounded students . Applicants should make sure that the activity they describe in their answer is included within the activities section of The Common Application. They should also ensure they haven’t previously written about the activity in another essay that Brown’s admissions officers will read. All essays should be considered puzzle pieces — they must all complement one another.

3. If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be? (100 words)*

The class choice will ideally fall within the discipline the student wrote about in their first Brown supplemental essay. The course’s content should be creative, and its title should be pithy. No school in America has more bizarre class names than Brown University. Here’s an applicant’s opportunity to take their best stab at creating a class to join the pantheon of highly unusual Brown classes .

4. In one sentence, Why Brown? (50 words)*

Even in a short Why Brown prompt — and this is the second Why Brown prompt on the application since specifics about Brown can certainly be included throughout the first essay on Brown’s supplement — an applicant can land some punches. In only a sentence, the response should be filled with a specific reference or references that  only  apply to Brown . If one can cut and paste the sentence and replace the specific with another university, delete it, and start anew!

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Brown University Essays

If you’re interested in optimizing your chances of admission to Brown University by submitting essays that are compelling and showcase a singular hook in the hope of daring admissions officers not to offer you admission, fill out Ivy Coach ’s consultation form , and we’ll be in touch to outline our college admissions counseling services for seniors.

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How to write the brown university supplemental essays 2021-2022: the awesome guide.

Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island, with an acceptance rate of 5.4%.

A member of the Ivy League, Brown University is well known for producing elite scholars and government leaders. In 2021, Brown experienced the largest application pool in its history with more than 46,500 applications, up 27% from the prior year.

Several celebrities from various industries proudly call Brown their alma mater, including Emma Watson from the Harry Potter franchise, John Krasinski of Jack Ryan, and The Office’s Jim Halpert, the current President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, and John Sculley who worked as president of PepsiCo and CEO of Apple Inc.

What makes Brown University most notable among its peers is its open curriculum that does not require students to complete general education requirements, but rather encourages students to form their own individualized plan of study.

This commitment to a truly liberal arts education requires independent, courageous individuals who are not afraid to create their own paths and define their own lives.

If you are excited about the possibility of charting your own course and looking to apply to Brown, this guide will help you create standout responses for Brown’s supplemental essays.

Click above to watch a video on Brown’s Supplemental Essays.

What are Brown’s Supplemental Essay Requirements?

All of Brown’s supplemental essay requirements are found on the Common App website beneath the “Questions” section. In addition to the Common App personal essay, applicants must answer three questions.

• The first prompt assesses the student’s area of interest. Students must explain their academic interests and how they plan to use Brown’s Open Curriculum..
• The second prompt focuses on Brown’s community, which strives for deeper understanding of society’s complex issues. Students are asked to share a time that their ideas were challenged and how they responded to that situation. .
• The third prompt asks students to share something that brings them joy. This is a more personal question focused on the world and interactions surrounding students.

Each supplemental essay has a word limit of 50-250 words. To create an excellent supplemental package, responses to these questions must be well written and concise.

Brown Supplemental Essay 1: Intended Major

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. (250 word limit)

In this prompt, you must write about what you would like to study, and how the Open Curriculum will help you pursue your interests.

Brown wants to know what motivates you academically. In essence, what…

• …topic(s) energize you when they’re being discussed?
• …excites you to learn more than was assigned in class?
• …are you endlessly curious about?
• …class stimulated you the most in high school?
• …experiences have led you to your chosen major of study?
• …future will open up for you by choosing this area of study?

To stimulate your thinking, ask yourself these questions and make a list of all the answers. Don’t forget to write down specific memories associated with those answers.

When you come up with your list of memories, think about your feelings and thoughts surrounding those memories. Write them down so you don’t later forget if you choose that memory as the focus of your essay.

• For example, if English is your favorite class, can you think of a particularly important memory that occurred in English class?
• Was choosing the nonfiction writing track in the English department a fateful moment? What about it made you decide on that track?

Ask yourself more questions. If you feel that deep thinking is not your forte, do not be intimidated. You simply need to exercise the art of self-reflection a bit more. Anyone can do it. You are not an exception.

• You may get help by asking those close to you why they think you are drawn to or will be successful in your intended major.
• Their thoughts may give you some ideas when formulating your essay.

Now that you have generated a healthy list of favorite classes and poignant memories, a good next step would be to understand why and how Brown wants you to answer this question in the first place. Understanding Brown’s values is the key to this, so you can show how your goals fit within Brown’s overall mission. To gain an understanding of Brown’s academic and campus culture, you must look through their website.

Upon navigating the “About Brown” page and then the Mission section, you’ll see the type of campus culture Brown University wants to create.

• Their mission states that Brown University’s purpose is to: “serve the community, the nation, and the world by discovering, communicating, and preserving knowledge and understanding in a spirit of free inquiry, and by educating and preparing students to discharge the offices of life with usefulness and reputation. We do this through a partnership of students and teachers in a unified community known as a university-college.”

Brown wants individuals who are deeply committed to the process of learning and self-discovery. They want to foster students to become positive, contributing citizens once they graduate, continuing to improve Brown’s reputation in society.

For this question, the admissions committee is looking for more than a simple, pithy explanation. You just read what Brown wants to see in this essay response, but do not write something that isn’t genuine. Your essay should be authentic to you, not what you think will win over admissions officers.

You are writing about why you are interested in attending Brown for a certain major, so be you!

If you want to study Egyptology & Assyriology (which is a real major at Brown!), they want to know about the thought process and experiences that led you to such a desire.

• Tell the story of how you came to this decision or how you plan to use your education after graduation.
• What about those studies and their namesake cultures fascinate you?

They want to see who you are, in 250 words or less. In your response, you need to demonstrate that you are a free thinker who respects knowledge and the pursuit of your study.

If you are undecided about what you want to study in college, like the prompt mentions some students may be, engage in the exercises mentioned above focusing on a specific topic that fascinates you.

Next, you must explain how you are pursuing this field with Brown’s Open Curriculum. The Brown Curriculum is unique in that there are no general education requirements. In other words, if you hate history, you do not have to take history just to fulfill a history requirement.

However, it is important to note that while Brown supports individualized learning, they also expect all their students to “remain open to people, ideas, and experiences that may be entirely new. By cultivating such openness, you will learn to make the most of the freedom you have, and chart the broadest possible intellectual journey.”

Every school wants to know why they are your choice , and Brown is no exception.

In the end, it does not matter what you intend to study.

• What matters is the process that led you there, your motivations, and your ability to communicate your intellectual fortitude in a personal and precise manner .
• After you begin at Brown, you have the opportunity to change your academic concentration if your intentions change.
• Above all, try to add action. Don’t simply discuss how something fascinates you; if possible, discuss an experience in which you took the initiative to pursue this interest.
• Demonstrating to admissions officers that you’re someone who chases your interests in a proactive manner is an efficient and safe way to convey your curiosity.

Be sure to have trusted individuals review your response to ensure that you are expressing yourself the way you have intended. Ask them if the words they read sound like you, or someone else.

Remember, being authentic is key to making this essay impress admissions officers. Another key is proper spelling and grammar, so ask your proofreading friends to check for any errors, too.

Brown Supplemental Essay 2: Community

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?? (250 word limit)

This question focuses on broadening your perspectives. It can be easy to live in a bubble, surrounded by the people who support the same ideas that you do. Often, a major criticism of social media is that people generally choose to read, listen to, or watch news and entertainment that further supports what they already know and love.

Brown plans to challenge what you know, offering new perspectives on the beliefs you are familiar with. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your beliefs will change, but by pushing you with different ideas, you gain a greater understanding of another perspective.

When you are answering, Brown wants to know:

• A time that your ideas have been challenged in the past
• How you reacted to or responded to that challenge

With only 250 words available, keep the first part simple and focus on the second. Brown wants to focus on your transformation, so talk about when something or someone challenged you. They want to see how you reacted to that information. Get personal here: 

• How did it make you feel? 
• Did you initially reject this new information or idea? Why? 
• Did it open up a dialogue with the person who challenged you?
• Did it make you rethink your position on the topic?

There are some very large issues, like immigration, pandemic mitigation efforts, religious beliefs, climate action, and gun control, that can quickly divide people. There also are simpler, less divisive topics, such as going meatless on Mondays. Find something that is unique and true to you. Don’t pick a topic that you think might impress them; choose something that you can speak to and share that experience from your perspective. 

Be honest and vulnerable. Remember, the key here is to recognize how the moment changed you.

Brown Supplemental Essay 3: Where’s Home

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. (250 word limit)

This is a great essay because it is simply about you and your passions. This essay might be lighter in tone, but don’t underestimate its importance. Brown plans on learning a lot about you by how you answer this question. This should be personal and authentic. 

• What makes you smile?
• What makes you happy? 
• Why do you get up in the morning? 
• What motivates your actions?

This could be about literally anything, but no matter how major or minor, extravagant or silly, be sure it is personal. It might be something so simple it doesn’t even hit you right away, so take some time to think about it.

• Your family
• Doing something for someone else
• The great outdoors
• Volunteering
• Discovering something new

Whatever it might be, provide some insight as to why it brings you joy.

• Why does it make you so happy?
• How does it affect who you are?
• What are you like when you do not have access to it?
• How will you find ways to continue finding that joy at Brown?
• How does this joy drive who you are and what you do?

Don’t be superficial in your answer. Ice cream makes me happy, but it does not help me find satisfaction or meaning in my life. Think about how the thing that brings you joy makes you feel whole or motivates your actions. It might be the thing that inspires your major or career, or the thing that helps you find peace or happiness when you need a break. As always, be you and share your answer honestly.

Additional Writing & Brainstorming Tips for the Brown Essays

In the Shona language of Zimbabwe, the word “ubuntu”  translates to “I am what I am because you are.” This beautiful expression illustrates the power of community and how community makes individuality possible.

Since Brown wants to admit a student body that prizes holistic and diverse learning, take time to identify a community or group that has had the most profound effect on you. There are several ways to measure a profound effect. Consider how your community or group has influenced:

• How you think about and view the world
• What you do and how you act
• Your preferences

Evaluating these areas of influence will help you write concise responses that effectively communicate the importance of your community and learning in your application narrative . A key way to express the importance of this community in your life is to focus on a single memory or moment that solidified your sense of belonging.

Like many prompt strategies, make a list of important moments and memories you have experienced, then link them to a certain community or group in your life.

Conclusion: Writing the Brown Supplemental Essays

All students applying to Brown will have to answer the following: intended major, something that has challenged you and how you responded, and what brings you joy.

Due to the word restrictions for each prompt (50-250 words per response), it is imperative you think deeply about your most poignant values and communicate this in a way that reflects how Brown’s values and your unique traits are interconnected.

As always, have someone proofread your responses for clarity and intent , as well as spelling and grammar. You don’t want your essay to stand out for the wrong reasons.

By following the above guidelines, you can assemble an excellent admissions package that will help you stand out from other applicants.

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How to Approach Princeton's Essays (with Real Princeton Essay Examples from 2023)

Kate Sliunkova

AdmitYogi, Stanford MBA & MA in Education

20 min read

Introduction:

When it comes to college applications, writing the perfect essay can make all the difference. And for those applying to Princeton University, crafting standout essays is a must. But what sets a Princeton essay apart from the rest? In this article, we'll explore tips and tricks for nailing each of Princeton's essay prompts, along with examples from successful applicants. Whether you're just starting to brainstorm or putting the final touches on your essays, read on for expert advice on how to impress the admissions committee at one of the most prestigious universities in the world.

Princeton's Essay Prompts

250 word essays (princeton's "your voice" essays):.

• At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future? (250 words)
• Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals. (250 words)

Princeton's Extracurricular Essay:

• Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (150 words)

50 Word Essays (Princeton's "More About You" Essays):

• What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? (50 words)
• What brings you joy? (50 words)
• What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? (50 words)

Princeton's Degree-Specific Essays:

For ba / undecided applicants:.

As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests? (250 words)

For BSE Applicants:

Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests. (250 words)

How to Write Princeton's Essays:

Princeton's "your voice" essays:, princeton's difficult conversation essay:.

"At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?" (250 words).

When approaching this prompt, it's important to reflect on a time when you engaged in a conversation about a challenging topic. Choose a topic that you are passionate about or have experience with, and be sure to highlight your ability to listen actively to others' perspectives.

Start your essay by setting the scene, describing the context of the conversation and the people involved. Then, explain the issue being discussed and any differing opinions that arose. Show how you demonstrated respect for diverse perspectives and how you contributed to the discussion.

Next, describe the insights you gained from the conversation. Did you learn something new about yourself or others? Did the conversation change your thinking or perspective on the topic? Be specific about what you learned and how it impacted you.

Finally, discuss how you would incorporate this knowledge into your thinking in the future. What changes would you make to your approach to difficult conversations? How would you ensure that you continue to be open-minded and respectful of differing perspectives?

Remember to keep your essay concise and focused, while still showing depth and insight. By highlighting your ability to engage in respectful dialogue about difficult topics, you'll demonstrate that you embody the values that Princeton University holds dear. Here's a great example from Ryder, a current Princeton student. You can read all of his essays here.

Most people wouldn’t consider flutes and peas controversial, but at my family dinner table, they are. Years ago, my dad proclaimed flutes an inferior instrument stating, “Nobody likes the flute” (my mom does), and asking, “What great band features a flute?” (Dave Matthews Band), adding to the conversation some incendiary comments about peas culminating in the claim that “Peas are the least liked vegetable.” At the time, I couldn’t put my finger on why, but his assertions irked me. Irritated, I went to bat for flutes and peas with an inexplicable passion for all they had to offer, though neither are my favorite instrument or vegetable.

Since then, many dinnertime conversations and debates have taken place, the most volatile invariably circling back to touch on the value of flutes and peas, and I have come to understand why I have repeatedly championed their worth. When it comes to flutes and peas, my dad treats his opinions as fact—defending his views as “right” with googled information and naming as evidence a mysterious, undocumented majority of flute and pea haters. To this day, he remains convinced his opinion is irrefutably correct; those who think otherwise are brainwashed, don’t know better, or are lying.

Go ahead, call me a “flute and pea fanatic”; all I was ever fighting for was to stay open-minded. Thanks to my dad and his steadfast condemnation of flutes and peas, I watch out for opinion masquerading as fact and choose my own words carefully, believing that conflict often springs not from differing opinions, but from the way those opinions are asserted.

Princeton's Civic Engagement Essay:

"Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals." (250 words)

To approach this prompt, first reflect on your experiences with service and civic engagement. Consider instances where you've made a positive impact on your community or participated in activities that align with Princeton's commitment to service. Begin your essay by briefly sharing your personal background or story that led you to engage in service and civic activities. This could include your upbringing, family values, or any transformative experiences that have shaped your commitment to service.

Next, provide specific examples of your involvement in service or civic-related activities. These could be volunteer work, community projects, leadership roles, or advocacy for social issues. Highlight the impact of your efforts, the skills you've gained, and any challenges you've faced along the way.

After discussing your past experiences, connect your story to Princeton's ideals by explaining how your commitment to service will continue during your time at the university. Research Princeton's service and civic engagement initiatives, such as the Pace Center for Civic Engagement or Community House, and identify programs or opportunities that resonate with your interests and goals. It also helps to briefly discuss your long-term aspirations and how your dedication to service will play a role in your future career or personal life.

Here's a great example of Princeton's civic engagement and service essay from Aileen, who got into incredible schools like Princeton, Harvard, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Brown. You can read all of the essays that got her into those amazing schools here.

What makes a neighborhood feel like home? For me, it is cohesion, mutual dependency, and trust, but not necessarily residence: I don’t live in [Place Redacted]’s Chinatown, but it has nonetheless made an impact on me.

I became involved with Chinatown community organizations volunteering at one housing nonprofit’s annual summer film festival and neighborhood gathering. Witnessing the mutual obligation between neighbors and residents’ love for their community, I felt a connection to the neighborhood that ultimately motivated me to explore my cultural roots as an Asian-American and continue working with Chinatown organizations.

As part of a research project on economic inequality, I learned about the challenges Chinatown faces, from redlining and gentrification to language capability and racial discrimination. I became a tour guide with an organization to give college students and nearby young professionals a view of the neighborhood through an urban planning lens. I’ve continued this commitment to educating communities about the consequences of urban development and lack of awareness by holding similar conversations and workshops through school clubs.

I am so thankful to have engaged with the intricacies of a deeply connected neighborhood like Chinatown, but I am even more grateful for the skills its community has taught me. I have learned to advocate for community empowerment and reflection and combat economic inequality in a neighborhood by understanding its nuanced causes. Chinatown fostered in me the spirit of community organizing, which I will take with me for the rest of my life.

"Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you." (150 words).

When approaching this prompt, focus on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has had a significant impact on your personal growth, interests, or values. Choose an experience that showcases your dedication, passion, and ability to make a meaningful contribution.

Begin by briefly describing the chosen activity or experience, providing context about your involvement. Be specific about your role and responsibilities, and explain why this experience is particularly meaningful to you. Be sure to also discuss the impact of this experience on your life. Consider the skills you've gained, the lessons you've learned, or the personal growth you've experienced as a result of your involvement. If possible, highlight any challenges you've faced and how you've overcome them, demonstrating resilience and adaptability.

Although the word limit for this prompt is short, it's crucial to convey a strong sense of purpose and passion in your response. By focusing on one meaningful experience and articulating its significance, you'll provide the admissions committee with a glimpse into your values and interests, making your application more memorable and compelling.

The incredible Princeton essay example below comes from Ryan, who got into Princeton, Stanford, Columbia, and Brown. You can read his entire college application here.

Since the cards were first dealt four years ago, I have not only become infatuated with the game of poker, but I've finally felt the warmth of genuine, requited best-friendship.

For its own sake, poker is an amazing game. A game of statistics, psychology, and luck, poker keeps objectivity enjoyable; whether through a sneaky play or just bad luck, the mathematically "correct" play is often wrong—you can't master the game.

But as much as I'm attached to poker, it'd be nothing without the "regulars": "Silverman"—the stone-cold bluffer. Jack—the sly psychologist. "Kato"—the careful calculator, and Jaden—the poker guru. Poker introduced us, but our friendships grew beyond the game: We get along like family.

I've made other friends along the way. I've grown as a student, as a friend, and even as a son over the same period. But nothing has made my life enjoyable like these four friends—through a game most see only in casinos, my dreams of authentic friendship have finally been realized.

Princeton's 50-Word Essays:

Princeton's new skill essay:.

"What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?" (50 words).

When approaching the "What is a new skill you would like to learn in college?" prompt, start by selecting a specific skill that genuinely interests you and aligns with your academic or personal goals. In one or two sentences, explain why this skill is important to you or how it might enhance your college experience. Then, briefly discuss how learning this skill at Princeton could contribute to your long-term aspirations. Throughout your response, convey enthusiasm and curiosity, showcasing your eagerness to grow and learn during your time at the university. Remember to keep your response concise yet impactful within the limited word count.

Here is a great example of Princeton's new skill essay from Gabi, who got into incredible schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. You can read all of her college applications here.

From hip-hop to choreopoem, I want to learn how to critically analyze, histioculturally deconstruct, and stylistically perform dance. Studying or daydreaming, a rhythm constantly flows through my head, and I hope to channel it through Lewis Center’s co-curricular and academic offerings.

Princeton's Joy Essay:

"What brings you joy?" (50 words).

To approach the "What brings you joy?" prompt, reflect on a specific activity, hobby, or aspect of your life that genuinely sparks happiness and fulfillment. Describe it briefly and vividly, capturing the essence of why it brings you joy. Within the limited word count, aim to convey your passion and enthusiasm, allowing the admissions committee to gain insight into your personality and values.

Below is an excellent example from Adem, who got into Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, and Brown. You can read all of his amazing essays here!

I pedal up the steep, 4-mile long Kancamagus Highway climb. Despite being 67 miles into my ride, I still maintain my power and efficient turnover. Cycling is my secret escape, and nothing brings me more joy than spending hours on the saddle exploring backroads on a perfect fall day.

Princeton's Soundtrack Essay:

"What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?" (50 words).

For the "What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment?" prompt, choose a song that resonates with your current emotions, experiences, or aspirations. Briefly describe the song and artist, then explain why it's significant to you at this stage in your life. Within the limited word count, aim to convey a personal connection to the song, offering a glimpse into your thoughts and feelings as you navigate this moment in time.

Below is a stellar Princeton essay example from Ryan S, who got into Princeton, UPenn, Cornell, and CMU. You can read all of his college applications here.

“Une Belle Histoire” by Michel Fugain. The guitars, trumpets, and chorus of the “Big Bazaar” mirrors my desire to explore all the unknowns. As I sing along, not understanding a lyric, I’m reminded that I may not understand everything in the present, but that’s okay.

Writing Princeton's Essay for BA / Undecided Applicants:

"As a research institution that also prides itself on its liberal arts curriculum, Princeton allows students to explore areas across the humanities and the arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. What academic areas most pique your curiosity, and how do the programs offered at Princeton suit your particular interests?" (250 words).

To approach this prompt, start by identifying the academic areas that genuinely pique your curiosity. Reflect on your passions, experiences, and future goals to determine which disciplines align with your interests. Be selective and focus on a few specific areas to provide depth in your response. Next, research Princeton's programs and offerings related to your chosen academic areas. This could include courses, majors, minors, research opportunities, or extracurricular activities. Familiarize yourself with the unique aspects of Princeton's liberal arts curriculum and how it encourages interdisciplinary exploration.

In your essay, briefly discuss your chosen academic areas and explain why they interest you. Share any relevant experiences, achievements, or personal connections that showcase your passion for these subjects. Then, demonstrate your knowledge of Princeton's programs by explaining how they suit your particular interests. Discuss specific courses, research opportunities, or resources that you are excited about and how they would enhance your academic journey. Additionally, consider mentioning any professors or ongoing projects at the university that align with your interests.

Finally, connect your exploration of these academic areas at Princeton to your long-term goals, whether they be professional or personal. Show how the university's approach to learning will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve success in your chosen fields. By showcasing your genuine curiosity and demonstrating a deep understanding of Princeton's academic offerings, you'll convey your enthusiasm for learning at the university and illustrate how you would thrive in its intellectual environment.

The amazing Princeton essay example below comes from Kaya, who got into Princeton, Columbia, and JHU. You can read all of her essays here.

My life experiences and classwork have shaped my passion for neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. Princeton's environment will deepen my understanding of my interests and allow me to develop new ones.

My concussions and visits with my neurologist and psychologist interested me in their fields, as I want to understand how the brain changes after trauma and how that affects behavior. Then, in junior year English, we read works by Emerson and Thoreau, and my previous tolerance of the humanities transformed into a love of philosophy. Philosophy allows for dissent and multiple interpretations, creating an ambiguity that balances the rigidity and clarity of science. The cognitive science certificate program combines neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy into one concentration, so I can explore the interconnectedness of all my interests.

Majoring in psychology gives me an opportunity to get an additional certificate in neuroscience. Instead of double majoring and taking all of the required neuroscience courses, I can just take neuropsychological classes that interest me, such as "Depression: From Neuron to Clinic" and "The Brain: A User's Guide." The psychology major also offers courses such as "The Psychology and Philosophy of Rationality" and "The Psychology of Moral Behavior," which combine my interests in psychology and philosophy.

Additionally, the "Princeternship" will allow me to apply classroom learning of psychology and neuroscience in my shadowing experiences with alumni in the field. It also gives me an undergraduate opportunity to create personal relationships with potential employers to begin my career path as a clinical psychiatrist.

Writing Princeton's Essay for BSE Applicants:

"Please describe why you are interested in studying engineering at Princeton. Include any of your experiences in or exposure to engineering, and how you think the programs offered at the University suit your particular interests." (250 words).

To approach this prompt, begin by reflecting on your interest in engineering and any experiences or exposure you've had in the field. Consider personal projects, internships, competitions, or coursework that have shaped your passion for engineering.

Start your essay by discussing why you're interested in studying engineering, highlighting any specific areas or fields within engineering that particularly excite you. Share relevant experiences or achievements that showcase your dedication to the subject. Next, research Princeton's engineering programs and resources, including majors, courses, research opportunities, faculty, and facilities. Familiarize yourself with the unique aspects of Princeton's engineering education and its interdisciplinary approach.

In your response, demonstrate your knowledge of Princeton's engineering offerings by explaining how they align with your interests and goals. Discuss specific courses, research projects, or resources that you're excited about and explain how they would contribute to your academic and professional development. Additionally, consider mentioning any professors or ongoing research at the university that resonates with your interests, showing your eagerness to engage with the academic community at Princeton.

Lastly, connect your pursuit of engineering at Princeton to your long-term aspirations. Explain how the university's approach to engineering education will equip you with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities necessary to succeed in your chosen career path. By showcasing your genuine passion for engineering and demonstrating a deep understanding of Princeton's engineering programs, you'll convey your enthusiasm for learning at the university and illustrate how you would thrive in its intellectually stimulating environment.

The incredible essay example below comes from Princeton student Lily. She also got into MIT and UPenn, and you can read all of her essays and activities here.

My parents’ focus on maintaining our Chinese restaurant meant I grew up entertaining myself with origami formed from menus and indestructible towers of cardboard boxes between a broken sink and a dusty cash register. However, Computer Science brought me to a community that supports and fuels my desire for innovation.

In eighth grade, after learning about Scratch (a platform where beginners can create and share coding projects) my classmates started gathering around each others’ desktops to test our projects. Scratch taught me block coding, but also the endless lessons contained in others’ creations. The communities it created through its website and in my computer classes reminded me I didn’t have to work alone. Unlike my origami folds, my creations were no longer limited to my little designated corner; my programs could touch the lives of people beyond our restaurant.

At Princeton, I want to learn from Assistant Professor Andres Monroy-Hernandez, a developer of Scratch. His interest in systems that emphasize consumers’ benefits resonates with my aspiration to create community-driven programs that give people who feel isolated a place to thrive with other like-minded individuals. I strive to give others the same drive that comes from participating in college engineering summer camps and HTML classes with passionate professors and students, sharing the satisfaction of explaining doppler equations to a classmate that helped me debug a Python program.

Wincing at the amounts of abandoned crab rangoons every time I cleared a table at the restaurant also sparked an innate desire to reduce waste and increase sustainability in everyday life. With the ENV certification program, I would customize the sustainability courses I take to complement my Computer Science major. Electives like Economics of Food and Agriculture will give me a deeper understanding of the economics and source of the bulk boxes of broccoli we ordered every Friday. Joining clubs like Green Dining, I would directly impact my local environment by creating programs that will analyze the amount of produced food waste.

Princeton Engineering’s focus on learning to help humanity will nurture my desire of developing programs that’ll create thriving communities and increase sustainability.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, crafting standout essays for Princeton University requires a deep understanding of the prompts, genuine self-reflection, and a clear demonstration of your passions and goals. One of the most effective ways to master this process is by learning from real-world examples of successful essays that have helped students gain admission to prestigious institutions like Princeton.

By examining these examples, you can glean insights into what makes an essay stand out, identify patterns and strategies used by successful applicants, and ultimately apply those lessons to your own writing. Fortunately, we've built out a platform that lets high school students and parents access thousands of real-world examples of successful essays and extracurriculars that have landed students at incredible schools.

You can explore this vast repository of winning essays, learn from their successes, and refine your approach to tackling essay prompts from great schools like Princeton. Ultimately, by leveraging the power of real-life examples and the expert guidance provided in this article, you'll be well on your way to crafting compelling essays that capture the attention of Princeton University's admissions committee and pave the way for your future academic success.

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5 Princeton Supplemental Essays That Worked

Are you applying to Princeton University in 2024? Or perhaps you're a parent curious about what it takes.

If so, writing great application essays is the most effective way you can stand out.

In this article, I've gathered 5 of the best Princeton essays that worked so that you can get inspired and improve your own essays.

What is Princeton University's Acceptance Rate?

As a world-renowned college, Princeton has highly competitive admissions. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, the Ivy League school received 37,601 applications this past year and only 1,647 of those students were accepted.

That gives Princeton an overall admit rate of 4.4%, or in other words only 1 in every 18 students get accepted.

Princeton University Acceptance Scattergram

While admissions into Princeton is difficult, this only means that your application essays have more of an impact.

To have your best shot of getting admitted, it's important you write stand-out essays in response to Princeton's writing supplement.

What are the Princeton Supplemental Prompts for 2024?

This year, Princeton requires applicants to write three short essays and answer three short answer questions. Princeton also requires that you submit a graded academic paper as a part of your application.

The questions on this page are being asked by Princeton University:

Extracurricular Activity and Work Experience

• Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (Please respond in about 150 words) (1-200 words)

Please respond to each question in an essay of about 250 words.

At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future? (50-350 words)

• Princeton has a longstanding commitment to service and civic engagement. Tell us how your story intersects (or will intersect) with these ideals. (50-350 words)

More About You

Please respond to each question in 50 words or fewer. There are no right or wrong answers. Be yourself!

What is a new skill you would like to learn in college? (1-50 words)

What brings you joy? (1-50 words)

What song represents the soundtrack of your life at this moment? (1-50 words)

Princeton requires you to submit a graded written paper as part of your application. You may submit this material now or any time before the application deadline. If you choose not to upload the required paper at this time, you may mail, e-mail, or upload your paper through the applicant portal. Detailed instructions for our graded paper requirement can be found here.

Do you wish to submit a graded written paper at this time?

Upload the graded written paper here. (0-2000 words)

Additional Information (Optional)

Please attach a document if you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application. (0-2000 words)

5 Princeton University EssaysThatWorked

Here are 5 of the best Princeton essays that worked, inclunding responses to Princeton's writing supplement.

I've also included some Common App essays written by admitted Princeton students.

Princeton University Essay Example #1

Princeton university essay example #2, princeton university essay example #3, princeton university essay example #4, princeton university essay example #5.

Prompt: Briefly elaborate on an activity, organization, work experience, or hobby that has been particularly meaningful to you. (Please respond in about 150 words) (200 words max)

Why This Essay Works:

This essay provides good specifics that elaborate on their extracurricular activity. It is specific where possible, which helps provide context and make more compelling.

What They Might Improve:

This essay touches on the impact of this activity (connection to their religion and friendship), but it could go deeper. The takeaways in this supplement are somewhat surface-level, which is fine to start, but ideally would be expanded upon and more in-depth.

Prompt: Please tell us how you have spent the last two summers (or vacations between school years), including any jobs you have held. (200 words max)

By admitting when things are difficult, you aren't making yourself seem less capable. Instead, showing what is challenging is what admissions wants to see. Challenges are what cause growth and development, so they are important to address.

In several areas of this essay, the author could be more specific to be more engaging. Rather than saying "the research happening in the labs" they could specify what types of research they witnessed. Rather than saying "these experiences were pivotal to my passion for the sciences," they could specify how these experiences gave them a new appreciation and for what areas of science in particular.

Prompt: Tell us about a person who has influenced you in a significant way. (250-650 words)

Last summer I participated in molecular biology research at Boston University. Surrounded by 39 other high school seniors, I perceived with new clarity how an inquisitive, curious mind must interact in an unapologetic manner. Entering lectures about the basics of molecular biology, most of us initially thought we knew a great deal about biology. I quickly realized my naivete, and once I accepted my own ignorance, I settled into a passive absorption mode. The looks on all our faces told the same story. Well, all of ours except Kelsey’s.

Brilliant and inquisitive, Kelsey exhibited no fear raising her hand and boldly asking questions. Even during the portions of the lectures when we were simply reviewing concepts of biology, she never ceased to question the current topic. The first few times she asked questions, I thought she had little background knowledge so she just needed clarification. Yet as the first week progressed, I realized that not only did she have the background information required for this course but also the grit and determination needed for success in research. The levels of her questions stumped our lecturer at times and he responded, “I’ll have to get back to you on that one.”

Often I just wanted to yell, “PUT YOUR HAND DOWN!!!”, as my tolerance for her constant inquiry began to erode while sitting through her questions and their subsequent answers. Due to her deep and thought-provoking questions, she became the class pariah; not necessarily because she was annoying but because of her resolute and indefatigable inquisitiveness. She was insatiable in her pursuit of knowledge, like a ribosome clinging to the endoplasmic reticulum.

Yet as the course progressed, I finally began to notice the value of Kelsey’s questions. She asked questions of importance, questions researchers must ask themselves every day. Her inquiries were thoughts no one else my age seemed to have. The depth and breadth of her ideas fascinated me, especially given that she was only sixteen.

Kelsey’s questions made me realize the importance of questioning preconceived notions.

Subsequently, I became aware of my own willingness to challenge concepts that were accepted and taught as seemingly concrete, and I recognized the danger of blindly absorbing information without disputing it. Seeing the scholarly nature of Kelsey’s intellectual curiosity, I began to emulate her queries during the final few weeks of the program. Not only did I get more out of the lectures, but I also gained the experience necessary to question ideas and facts and search for answers, a vital skill in every academic realm.

As a student with an interest in the sciences, I ask questions that may not have an obvious answer. As someone who strives for knowledge, I am willing to do research if what I am asking has no answer, but I do not simply possess an affinity toward knowledge. I wish to create it. Most young people cite coaches, teachers, or other adults as influential; however, for me, a peer-modeled approach to learning also has merit.

Common App Prompt #5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. (250-650 words)

It's important to create a "voice" in your personal statement, so that admissions officers can imagine your character and personality. Try to write as you would speak, but refined and polished. In this essay, natural-sounding phrases like "...let me admit, I was awful..." humanizes the author and makes the reader feel like they're being spoken to.

This essay is a perfect example of how effective essays don't need to have a super unusual story to be compelling. What makes this essay's story compelling is not necessarily the topic itself (meeting distant relatives), but instead how the student reflects and makes interesting connections to broader ideas. Even seemingly mundane experiences can make for meaningful personal statements topics.

This conclusion works well by connecting to the main story of the essay. However, certain phrases like "As a global citizen" and "I am hoping to forge relationships" are potentially too generic. Instead, try taking your main idea (in this case forming connections with others) and broaden it or connect to more universal ideas.

Common App Prompt #1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. (250-650 words)

Having a unifying idea is key to successful personal statements. Find your deepest idea or realization and focus your essay around that.

Find a way to showcase your achievements while connecting to broader, more universal ideas.

Connecting your ending to your beginning is a powerful way to bring your essay full circle. A great conclusion expands on your ideas introduced earlier, while leaving some room for more to be said.

These 5 Princeton essays that worked showcase great examples of responses to the Princeton writing supplement.

What did you think of these Princeton essays?

Meet the Author

Ryan Chiang

I'm Ryan Chiang and I created EssaysThatWorked.com - a website dedicated to helping students and their families apply to college with confidence & ease. We publish the best college admissions essays from successful applicants every year to inspire and teach future students.

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Brown University Supplemental Essays

Brown supplemental essays 2023-2024.

If you’re wondering how to get into Brown, a solid strategy begins with strong Brown supplemental essays. With most colleges and Ivy League universities going test-optional , your Brown supplemental essays are a great chance to stand out. 

The Brown University supplemental essays allow you to show the admissions team who you are and what you’d bring to campus. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the Brown essay prompts and provide you with some tips on how to best craft your Brown supplemental essays. 

Following our discussion of three Brown supplemental essay prompts, we will also showcase Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) program. This program allows students to combine an undergraduate and medical school education in just eight years. Applicants to this program must complete three additional specific Brown PLME essays. 

If you’re wondering how to write the Brown supplemental essays, then you’re in the right place. To write strong Brown University supplemental essays, you should first make sure you understand the prompts and requirements. So, let’s look at some quick facts about the Brown University supplemental essays. 

Brown Supplemental Essays- Quick Facts

• Brown University acceptance rate: 6% – Brown is a highly competitive school. 
• 1 half-page (200-250 word) “Why School” essay
• 1 half-page (200-250 word) essay
• 1 half-page (200-250 word) essay 
• 3 half-page (200-250 word) essays
• Brown application info: To apply to Brown, you must complete the Common Application. You’ll submit your Brown supplemental essays via the Common App platform.  
• November 1 for Early Decision 
• January 3 for Regular Decision 
• #1 Brown Essay Tip for how to get into Brown: Complete the Brown University supplemental essays thoughtfully and comprehensively. Use the Brown University supplemental essays to highlight why you are a great fit for Brown. Moreover, start early—begin drafting the Brown University supplemental essays and (if applicable) the Brown PLME essays well ahead of the Brown application deadline.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

More details about Brown University

Brown University is a private institution located in Providence, RI. Founded in 1764, Brown University is one of the eight Ivy League schools. 

According to U.S. News , the Brown University ranking is #13 in National Universities. Additionally, the Brown University ranking comes in at #14 in Best Value Schools and #25 in Most Innovative Schools. The Brown University ranking reflects its strong performance across a variety of indicators. 

As a competitive school, the Brown supplemental essays are a vital part of the admissions process. To learn more about the Brown University acceptance rate, Brown University ranking, and Brown application deadline, check out our Brown University page . 

How many essays does Brown University require? 

So, how many Brown supplemental essays are required as part of the application? 

The Brown application requires a total of four essays, one of which is your Common App personal statement and the other three are the Brown University supplemental essays. The Common App essay is not just a Brown essay. Rather, it will be submitted through the Common App to all of your schools. There are also three shorter Brown supplemental essays. 

Essay requirements for specialty majors

Then, there are additional Brown supplemental essays for Brown University’s specialized undergraduate programs. If you are interested in applying to the PLME program , you will need to submit the three more required Brown PLME essays along with your Brown application. We will expand on the Brown PLME essays later in this guide. Like the three other required Brown University supplemental essays, the Brown PLME essays form an extremely important part of the application process. 

If you are planning to apply to the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program , you will need to write one additional Brown essay . Although we will not include the additional Brown essay prompt for the Dual Degree program in this guide, the Brown supplemental essays we cover below should give you enough direction to write this Brown essay. 

Understanding the Brown essay requirements

So, let’s review: most applicants will complete three Brown supplemental essays. If you apply to the PLME program, you will complete three Brown supplemental essays AND three Brown PLME essays, for a total of six Brown essays in addition to the Common App personal statement. If you are applying to the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program, you will complete one additional essay, for a total of four Brown supplemental essays, plus your Common App personal essay. 

For more information about the Brown PLME essays and Brown-RISD essay, check out our essay guide for those program-specific Brown supplemental essays. 

Brown University: PLME and Brown-RISD Essay Guide

In all your worrying about the Brown University supplemental essays, did you forget about your Common App essay? We’ve got you covered. After checking out the Brown supplemental essays, check out this article . In it, you’ll find 39 essay tips from CollegeAdvisor.com’s Admissions Experts on how to write a great college essay. 

What are the Brown supplemental essay prompts? 

In addition to the Common App personal statement, there are three Brown essay prompts to consider as you begin your “how to get into Brown” strategy . We will examine each of the Brown essay prompts below before we discuss how to write the Brown supplemental essays. 

Here are the required Brown University supplemental essays for the 2023-24 admissions cycle:

In each Brown essay, admissions should learn something new about the applicant. Successful Brown supplemental essays will share information about students that hasn’t been seen elsewhere in the application. Likewise, each response to the Brown University supplemental essays should highlight something different. 

Let’s take a closer look at the Brown supplemental essays. 

Brown Essay Prompt #1

The first Brown essay prompt might look easy at first glance. It asks you to address two things. First, this Brown essay prompt wants you to highlight one of your academic interests. Then, it wants you to explain how you will use the Brown Open Curriculum to your advantage as you explore your academic pursuits.  

Successful Brown University supplemental essays will refer to the specific qualities that only Brown can offer its students. If you do not know much about the Brown Open Curriculum , you’ll want to start there. The Brown Open Curriculum is unique to Brown University. It’s also one of the reasons the Brown University acceptance rate is so low—Brown’s unique teaching model attracts many hopeful applicants. 

With the Brown Open Curriculum, students at Brown can develop their own personalized course of study. Brown Open Curriculum essays should be unique and personal to each student. To write a strong Brown essay, you’ll want to explain how the Brown Open Curriculum will benefit you specifically in regard to your academic interest(s). 

We’ll check out some tips to write a successful essay for this first prompt later in this guide. However, on your own, it may be helpful to research a Brown Open Curriculum essay example in order to see what’s worked in the past. 

Brown Essay Prompt #2 

This Brown essay prompt is all about learning from your experiences. These Brown supplemental essays will likely focus on your communities and circumstances. What challenges did your experiences bring? How did you overcome, learn from, or adapt to the aspect of your life that you discuss? 

With this Brown essay prompt, you should also showcase what makes you unique. These Brown University supplemental essays should highlight how applicants will enrich the larger Brown community. Be specific in your response to this Brown essay prompt. Which community at Brown do you see yourself joining? Moreover, how exactly will you contribute to this community? Successful Brown supplemental essays for this prompt will allow admissions to envision the positive impact applicants will have on campus. 

Brown Essay Prompt #3

This Brown essay prompt is all about self-reflection, perspective, and compassion. How do you connect to the world around you? And, specifically, what makes you happy? Finding the joy in everyday things is a large part of each person’s well-being. Successful Brown supplemental essays will show that you can find joy in the simple things as a curious observer and participant in the world around you. 

Successful Brown supplemental essays will vary greatly. However, the goal of this Brown essay is the same as many other college essays: show admissions who you are and how you navigate the world. 

Do the Brown essays change?

In short, yes , the Brown supplemental essays can certainly change. Like at most universities, the Brown supplemental essays are subject to change each year. That’s why it’s important to check the admissions website for the most current information on the Brown University supplemental essays.

For example, this year, the wording of the first two Brown essay prompts slightly changed from last year. However, the third Brown essay prompt changed completely. The Brown University supplemental essays have maintained a similar word count from year to year, although they have varied slightly. This year, all the Brown supplemental essays have a limit of 200-250 words. 

Indeed, for any college application, always double-check the university’s admissions website so that you have the correct and updated information. Normally, the most current Brown essay prompts will be revealed in the summer before the admissions deadlines. 

Brown Supplemental Essays #1: Open Curriculum Essay

The first of the Brown University supplemental essays is about the Brown Open Curriculum. This Brown essay is the university’s take on the why school essay. So, a successful Brown Open Curriculum essay example will do what a successful why school essay does: answer “why Brown?” and “why you?”.

The purpose of a why school essay is to help the admissions committee understand the reasons why you want to attend this school. A strong why school essay, and why Brown essay, will incorporate specific details that relate to the school’s mission, values, opportunities, or programs. 

You’ll find similar versions of this why school essay prompt in the supplemental essays for NYU, Stanford, and UPenn. In order to write your best Brown University supplemental essays, you’ll want to look at Brown supplemental essays examples. You can read more about this type of college essay in our college essay examples guide . 

Let’s look at this first essay 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 pursue them at Brown.

Addressing this brown essay prompt.

As we mentioned earlier, the Brown Open Curriculum essay prompt is twofold. This Brown essay prompt asks you to elaborate on one of your academic interests along with how you will use the Brown Open Curriculum to pursue that interest. 

Before you start writing the first of the Brown supplemental essays, you will want to research the Brown Open Curriculum . You can look through Brown’s website to explore more facts about the Brown Open Curriculum and its unique attributes. While you are doing your research, take notes on what aspects of this offering excite you the most. 

Once you’ve learned more about the Brown Open Curriculum, you’ll want to start brainstorming . Think about how the Brown Open Curriculum can help you reach your own academic goals. To do this, you’ll first need to think about your own academic interests. Then you can tie it into the opportunities you’ll have with the Brown Open Curriculum. 

Are you interested in multiple academic fields or careers? What courses are you hoping to take to further these interests? Finally, how would the flexibility of the Brown Open Curriculum help you develop your interests? 

With only 250 words for the Brown Open Curriculum essay prompt, you’ll want to make every word of this Brown essay count. Get to the point quickly and provide specific examples about your academic interests and plans. Then, spend the rest of the Brown essay describing how the Brown Open Curriculum will help you pursue them. 

What is Brown Open Curriculum? 

The Brown Open Curriculum was first introduced in 1969 . From its founding, the Brown Open Curriculum was created by faculty and students to offer undergraduates the freedom to explore and combine ideas across disciplines. The Brown Open Curriculum gives students the flexibility to choose their own courses and be “the architect of their own education.” 

In other words, students are not required to complete a set of core courses for graduation. Instead, the Brown Open Curriculum allows students to create their own personalized course of study. 

Most students at Brown will sample a wide range of courses in various subjects before selecting one of Brown’s 80+ academic concentrations to study in-depth. As a result, the Brown Open Curriculum produces an intellectual environment where students can explore courses in all disciplines. 

The Brown Open Curriculum essay is Brown’s version of the Why School essay. That means that when approaching the Brown Open Curriculum essay, you’ll need to be specific with your examples. Additionally, you’ll need to show not only what you’d gain from the Brown Open Curriculum, but also what you’d bring to it. 

Brown Supplemental Essay #2

Next, let’s move on to the second of the Brown supplemental essays. 

The second of the Brown University supplemental essays is about how you see yourself within the larger community at Brown. The purpose of this type of essay is to show how you could make a positive impact on the campus community.  

Therefore, a strong response to this second prompt of the Brown University supplemental essays will address how you see yourself interacting with the diverse community at Brown. You’ll find a similar version of this Brown essay prompt in the supplemental essays for Duke University. 

Now, let’s revisit the second of the Brown supplemental essays prompt: 

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.

Although this Brown essay prompt is intentionally broad, there are a few ways to answer it. Think about what makes you a unique applicant. What aspects of your personality and perspective would you bring to the table at Brown? Additionally, how do you see yourself making an impact on campus? 

Successful Brown University supplemental essays will be reflective and show growth. Basically, how did your upbringing shape the way you interact, navigate, and contribute to the world around you? Of course, Brown supplemental essays will need to answer the prompt comprehensively. So, choose a moment from your upbringing that was either inspiring or challenging. Then, show how this learning will positively influence your experience at Brown. 

Brown Supplemental Essays #3

The third prompt of the Brown supplemental essays is all about being a curious and passionate learner. Rather than focusing on the university like in the previous Brown University supplemental essays, the whole purpose of this essay prompt is to learn more about you . Of course, in turn, strong Brown University supplemental essays will allow admissions to gain an understanding of what you’d bring to the campus and community. 

Let’s review the third of the Brown University supplemental essays:

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.

At first glance, this Brown essay prompt may seem intimidating. It’s unique and different from most college essays and the other Brown University supplemental essays. Basically, it’s not a why school essay. However, the intention of this essay is the same as the overall goal of all the Brown supplemental essays: stand out to admissions by sharing more of who you are.

Getting creative with your Brown supplemental essays

This Brown essay allows students to get creative. You could speak of the joy of brewing your first cup of coffee, or the simple routine of steeping your nighttime tea. Or, maybe it’s the interaction with the bodega owner that brightens your day, the smile from a stranger as they open the door for you, or talking with your mom while helping her make dinner. The topic for these Brown supplemental essays could be literally anything—as long as you show what brings you joy and why. 

Don’t shy away from getting creative when responding to this Brown essay prompt. Successful Brown supplemental essays will hook the reader from the start and keep them engaged throughout. Of course, don’t go off on an irrelevant anecdote when writing your Brown University supplemental essays. Rather, make sure to fully and comprehensively answer the prompts for each of the Brown University supplemental essays.

What does Brown Admissions look for?

Brown Admissions, like many colleges and universities, uses a holistic approach when evaluating each application they receive. However, Brown University is an Ivy League institution . Therefore, Brown University is considered a highly selective university. 

The Brown University acceptance rate is 6% . The average SAT score for admitted applicants at Brown is 1460-1570. Additionally, the average ACT score is 33 to 35. That being said, there are no official minimum requirements when it comes to GPA, and submitting standardized test scores is optional . However, as such a selective and prestigious university, Brown tends to attract exceptional applicants. This means that simply having good grades and impressive extracurriculars won’t guarantee admission: this is where impactful Brown supplemental essays can make a true difference.

Standing out in the admissions process

The admissions committee wants to see how you’ve taken advantage of the resources available at your high school and within your community. How have you fueled your intellectual curiosity throughout your adolescent years? What did you do to be an active learner and participant in your high school? What have you achieved? And, most importantly, how will you bring all those accomplishments and experiences to the Brown community? These are the types of questions admissions officers ask themselves when reviewing applications. Additionally, these are exactly the things that successful Brown supplemental essays will reveal. 

Because the Brown University acceptance rate is so low, it’s crucial that your Brown supplemental essays stand out. Crafting strong Brown supplemental essays can help boost your chances of admission to this elite university . 

Additional Brown Supplemental Essays

When applying to Brown, students will need to complete the Brown University supplemental essays (there are three!) as well as the Common App personal statement. However, if you’re applying to certain programs at Brown, you’ll need to complete additional Brown supplemental essays. 

If you’re interested in applying to the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program , then you’ll respond to one additional Brown essay in your application, making your total number of Brown supplemental essays four. Unsurprisingly, this Brown essay focuses on the applicant’s desire and motivation for applying to the dual degree program. The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is an art and design school. So, students will want to show the intersection of their artistic experiences, curiosity, and goals with their desire to have a liberal arts education. 

Additionally, students applying to PLME (Program in Liberal Medical Education) will respond to program-specific Brown supplemental essays. That means that PLME applicants will submit six Brown supplemental essays in total—three of the Brown supplemental essays required for all applicants and three Brown PLME essays. We’ll get into the PLME Brown University supplemental essays shortly, but first, let’s better understand the details of the actual program. After all, it would be quite challenging to write stellar Brown PLME essays without first understanding the program. 

What is Brown PLME?

Brown PLME is an eight-year program that combines a student’s undergraduate education with a medical school education. This program is unique to Brown University, and it is the only combined baccalaureate-MD program in the Ivy League. 

The PLME program is ideal for students who want a broad liberal arts education and who are committed to pursuing a future career in the medical field. Students who are accepted into the Brown PLME program can choose to pursue an AB or ScB degree in the sciences, or an AB degree in the humanities, social sciences, or behavioral sciences. 

Once PLME students complete their undergraduate program, they move directly to Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School . 

How to apply to Brown PLME?

If you are interested in applying to the PLME program, you will need to apply to both Brown and the PLME program at the same time using the same online application. This means that you must complete the three required Brown University supplemental essays in addition to the Brown PLME essays. Also, you must adhere to the same Brown application deadline for Early Decision (November 1) or Regular Decision (January 3). 

There are three additional Brown University supplemental essays that you will need to write if you are interested in applying to Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education or PLME program. All three of the Brown PLME essays are required for admission. 

Please visit the Brown PLME website for more information on how to apply. 

What are the Brown PLME essays? 

If you are interested in Brown’s PLME program, you will need to write the Brown PLME essays as part of your Brown application. So, you should start familiarizing yourself with the prompts.

Here are the prompts for the Brown PLME essays: 

How To Write The Brown PLME Essays

The Brown PLME program is a huge commitment. If accepted, you’ll be spending the next eight years completing your undergraduate courses and preparing for medical school. 

Therefore, it’s imperative that you show your desire and commitment to becoming a physician in each of your Brown PLME essays. 

Let’s review the first of the Brown PLME essays: 

Committing to a future career as a physician while in high school requires careful consideration and self-reflection. explain your personal motivation to pursue a career in medicine..

If you have ever volunteered within the healthcare space, received a certification, or participated in healthcare research, then this Brown PLME essay is the perfect place to showcase your experiences. 

Additionally, this prompt asks you to highlight two things: your values and experiences. So, successful Brown PLME essays will be sure that the essay reflects both and not one over the other. 

Next, let’s revisit the second PLME essay prompt: 

Healthcare is constantly changing as it is affected by racial and social inequities, economics, politics, technology, and more. imagine that you are a physician and describe one way in which you would seek to make a positive impact in today’s healthcare environment..

Like the other Brown University supplemental essays, this prompt is broad. You can approach it by demonstrating your understanding of the profession. This could be through your own personal experiences or through the lens of one of your activities. You could also describe how your own beliefs and goals align with the profession.

Either way, you’ll need to reflect on what being a doctor means to you before you start writing. 

Brown PLME Essays #3

How do you envision the program in liberal medical education (plme) helping you to meet your academic, personal, and professional goals as a person and as a physician of the future.

As you approach this prompt, think about your personal interests and goals. Once you have a list of what you hope to achieve, think about how they might connect to medicine. 

Like the other Brown University supplemental essays, you’ll want to get specific in your response. Mention courses, professors, or programs by name. Think about how your values and goals align with the flexibility that the PLME program offers. Additionally, applicants can incorporate what they like about the Brown campus culture and community within these Brown supplemental essays. 

Check out our overview of the PLME program and essay guide to learn more about the Brown University supplemental essays for this specialized undergraduate program. Like with writing all of the Brown University supplemental essays, looking at other Brown supplemental essays examples could help to inspire your writing process for the PLME program. 

How to write the Brown supplemental essays

5 tips for the brown essays, 1. start early .

Start working on your Brown University supplemental essays long before the Brown application deadline. This will give you plenty of time to research the Brown Open Curriculum, brainstorm ideas, write, edit, and revise your essays so that they complement your application. Ideally, you’ll want to have someone else look over your essays, too. This will allow you to gain some feedback on not only grammar and mechanics but also on style and tone. However, be careful with how you implement your feedback. After all, you want the essay to still sound like you.

2. Be genuine 

It will be easy to tell if you are recycling your essays from other applications to use in these Brown University supplemental essays. Be authentic and genuine, and you’ll be sure to stand out from the crowd. While using Brown supplemental essays examples for inspiration can help you get started, you shouldn’t try to mimic them. Tell your own unique story through the Brown supplemental essays. Students often make the mistake of writing what they think admissions committees want to hear. However, they’ll see right through that facade. It may sound corny, but just be you in your essays!

3. Highlight specific resources/programs/opportunities at Brown 

Brown offers exceptional resources and programs to their students. Mention a few by name in your essays to show that you are excited about attending Brown—and you’ve done your research. You could potentially do this in all the prompts, however, be sure to do so when writing the Brown Open Curriculum essay. Basically, your essays for Brown shouldn’t read as though they could be applicable to just any college. Rather, they should read as though they are solely for Brown.

4. Show what makes you unique 

The Brown University ranking is competitive for a reason. Show what makes you a unique applicant and why you would be a great fit for the Brown community. Reflect on impactful moments of your life, but stay away from overly generic and cliche topics. Using these pivotal moments and experiences is a great way to write unique essays. After all, no other applicant has lived exactly the same experiences that you have. 

5. Choose your topic carefully

Make sure that each of your responses to the Brown University supplemental essays highlight different facets of your background, interests, and personality. Each of your essays should build upon your entire candidate profile. The essays are an opportunity to highlight your unique skills, traits, or experiences that allow admissions some insight into you and your life. This way, they will be able to envision you on the campus as a real person, not just another applicant in their expansive pool of qualified candidates. Think carefully and thoughtfully about what you want to shine a spotlight on in these essays. Then, make sure they enhance your application as a whole.

Additional Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Are you still wondering how to get into Brown? Or how to write the Brown supplemental essays? CollegeAdvisor can help. We have an extensive library of articles on our website about college essays. These include guidance on how to write the Brown supplemental essays and Brown University essays examples that worked . Additionally, check out some Ivy League essay examples to better understand what it takes to get into some of the most selective universities in the nation.  

Ivy League Essay Examples

It can be helpful for you to review our past essay guides to get more ideas about how to write your own Brown supplemental essays. You can read our Brown University supplemental essays guide from the 2022-2023 college admissions session here . You can also check out our 2021-2022 guide on the Brown supplemental essays here . 

Or, maybe you want to learn more about life at Brown before you write your Brown supplemental essays. You can watch our Brown virtual college tour webinar to get ideas on how to write the why school essay within the Brown University supplemental essays. You can also learn more about the campus itself from former alumni in our webinar and panel series . 

Virtual College Tours: Brown University

Finally, if you have already written your Brown supplemental essays and gained acceptance to the university, check out how to make the most of your first year at Brown. 

Make the Most of Your First Year at Brown

Brown Supplemental Essays- Final Thoughts

Overall, think of your supplemental essays as an opportunity for the admissions committee to learn more about who you are, what is important to you, and how you will fit into the larger campus community. Show just how you’ll take advantage of the unique Brown Open Curriculum. Use anecdotes, research, and moments of personal growth to really enhance each Brown essay. 

The best supplemental essays will highlight aspects of your personality, background, or interests that are not otherwise seen in the rest of your application. Good luck!

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, brown joy essay ideas.

Hey everyone! Brown has this 'joy essay,' where they want us to write about what brings us joy. I'm kinda lost on how to approach this. What are some good ideas or examples that you guys have come across?

Hey there! The Brown "Joy Essay" is an opportunity for you to showcase your personality and interests in a creative and authentic way. When brainstorming ideas, consider what makes you genuinely happy and what activities, events, or experiences you're truly passionate about. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Hobbies or Interests: Think about the activities you love doing in your spare time, whether it's painting, playing an instrument, cooking, or coding. Describe why these activities bring you joy and how you engage with them. You can focus on the process, challenges, or personal growth you've experienced.

2. Personal Traditions or Rituals: Do you have any special customs or traditions with your family or friends? Maybe it's an annual camping trip, a weekly movie night, or a unique holiday celebration. Share the story behind these traditions and explain why they bring happiness to your life.

3. Unexpected sources of joy: Consider moments or experiences that brought a surprising amount of happiness, even if they may seem insignificant or quirky. Perhaps it's the satisfaction of fixing something in your home or the simple pleasure of watching the sunrise. Delve into the emotions and reasons for why those experiences sparked joy.

4. Moments of self-discovery: Reflect on the journey you took to discover something that brings you joy. You could write about the process of finding a hobby, interest or passion you never expected to fall in love with, and explore how that has shaped your perception of life and your identity.

5. Joy in helping others: If you find deep pleasure in volunteering, mentoring, or making a difference in your community, describe your experiences and the impact they've had on you. Explain what motivates you to stay involved and how those moments have brought joy to you and those you've helped.

Remember that your essay should be unique to you and your experiences. Don't simply try to replicate an example you've found online or what others have written. Instead, focus on your personal story, and share your perspective with authenticity and sincerity. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

JOY! Not just a character in Inside Out, but a supplement essay too!

Increasingly, schools are asking students to reflect on things that bring them joy, satisfaction, or happiness. These can be difficult to write as often the college application process is the opposite of joyful... but these joy essays are here to stay!

Note: These essays tend to range in length from 50-250 words.

Example "Joy" Questions:

• Brown: 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.  
• Dartmouth: What excites you?
• MIT: We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do simply for the pleasure of it.  
• Princeton: What brings you joy?
• Stanford: Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why?
• Yale: Reflect on something that has given you great satisfaction. Why has it been important to you?

LET'S BREAK DOWN THE ESSENTIAL POINTS YOU NEED TO HIT WHEN RESPONDING TO THIS SUPPLEMENT:

As with all supplements, every word matters here! Do not waste words in restating the question or equivocating around a definition of “joy” or “satisfaction."

Be honest! This is a space where the tendency to tell an untruth or exaggerate is probably quite strong (i.e. wanting to write about the joy you find in titrating a solution properly in your AP Chem class). These questions do not need an academic response – they do need an honest response. Think about your days – examine the moments when you are happy and feel joyful – write about those!

Help your reader SEE your joy as much as possible! If you are writing about the joy that comes from baking cakes, riding your bike around your town, or playing LEGOs with your younger brother, use descriptive language to help your reader really feel present in the moment with you. Your reader will believe your joy if you can capture it effectively and clearly! These are essays where it is so important to SHOW not tell.

Find a unique angle or approach, which often can be found deep into the specifics of your topic! Sure they might read a lot of essays about baking, so think about what you can say that is unique to you. Do you love eating what you have made? Sharing your desserts with others? Experimenting with new flavors and combinations? Your specificity will help to provide your essay with a uniqueness that is all your own.

While not every question asks it explicitly, the WHY is essential here. This essay is a great opportunity for reflection and vulnerability. Take a moment to consider why this activity or object brings you so much joy, and then dig in to share that with the school.

THINGS TO AVOID:

Cliche! Avoid all trite and cliched statements like how you love biking around town because you love the feeling of the wind in your hair… again, honesty and specificity should help you to avoid cliches.

Do not skip over your WHY: simply writing an essay about something that brings joy without diving into any specifics about why that thing brings you joy is missing an opportunity to reflect. Think of your supplements as a chance to share your ability to think deeply and don’t miss an opportunity to do so.

ADDITIONAL TIPS AND TRICKS:

Look over the rest of your supplements and consider the topics that they cover. Is something missing that is essential to understanding YOU? Think about all of the things you want a college to learn about you and who you really are – and then consider what is already covered in your essays. Use this essay to go into a fully new direction to share a side of yourself that has not yet been seen.

While the questions are slightly different for each of these schools (and the word counts vary), the essence of these questions are the same. Feel free to write one joy essay and then adapt the topic to the specifics for a different school. Just because one school asks about “joy” and another about “great satisfaction” does not mean that you need to find a new topic for each one of those.

Give yourself permission to play with this type of question. This is likely one of your only opportunities to set academics aside and really speak from your heart. Use it.

Elise holds a BA in Political Philosophy from Williams College and an MEd in Administration & Social Policy from Harvard. She has spent the past twenty years working in top-tier independent schools.

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Brown University Supplemental Essay Examples That Stand Out

Reviewing Brown University supplemental essay examples can be very helpful for students who are getting ready to write their own  college supplemental essays . Whether you are planning on applying to  Brown University  - one of the most selective schools in the United States, or a different institution altogether, you will definitely be inspired by the prompts that brown uses for its essays.

If you want to get into a top college, having a high GPA and a few extracurricular activities on your  high school resume  is no longer enough. College admissions have gotten more competitive, and the process has become more holistic. This means that if you want to stand out, you must submit compelling essays that show the admissions committee why you should be accepted.

Reviewing different  college essay examples  can help you do that. So, without much further ado, let's take a look at these six Brown supplementary essay examples below. 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 9 min read

Brown supplemental essay example #1.

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. (200-250 words)

Books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents read to me at least once every day when I was a child, and in middle school, when my siblings wanted to have fun with their friends instead of their little sister, they kept me busy with books. So, it didn't surprise anyone in my family when I told them that I wanted to become a literature teacher one day. 

My favorite thing about books is the fact that they allow you to travel to distant lands and discover new worlds from the comfort of your living room. I remember very clearly the first time that I read So long a letter and started imagining what it would be like to walk the streets of Dakar in Senegal. My curiosity was piqued from that moment, and I developed an interest in traveling and discovering new cultures. 

Isaac Asimov once said that science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world. 

I have been fascinated by the laws of physics and chemistry my entire life. I was that annoying child that could not simply enjoy toys for what they were; I needed to know how they functioned the way they did. I remember getting in trouble for taking apart the brand new toy car that my grandma gave me for my birthday because I wanted to understand how it was running if it didn't need gas and didn't need to be charged. 

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? (200-250 words).

"They're basically fried caterpillars," my friend Suzanne said this casually as she put a spoonful of fried insects on her plate. All the blood had drained from my face, and I was trying my very best not to be rude by insulting something that was obviously a part of her culture. I obviously wasn't doing a good job because she started laughing at me a minute later. 

I assumed that her laughter meant that she had been joking and told her that no one actually ate insects. It turns out that I was wrong, but she was not offended by my remark. Instead, she told me that she'd heard many people say that but that the reality is that in many cultures outside of the US, people eat many different insects. 

That evening when I got home, I researched it and found that Suzanne was right. In Mexico, it is common to use worm salt for a specific food. In Congo, where my friend Suzanne is from, fried caterpillars are a delicacy often enjoyed with rice and vegetable stew. 

Bugs remain a traditional food in many cultures across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Learning this about the little creatures made me think about them differently, and the next time I was at Suzanne's, I did not see an insect on her plate; I saw food in the same way that I'd see chicken or beef. 

Eventually, I tried some of it, and it was pretty delicious . (248 words)

I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my parents are from Nigeria. They both moved to the United States in their twenties, and although they have lived here longer than in Nigeria, they are still very traditional. This means that my siblings and I grew up in a bicultural household where English and Yoruba are spoken simultaneously, and Pizza is just as common as jollof rice for dinner. 

In addition to the fact that my parents are traditional, the community I grew up in is full of immigrants who have a story that is quite similar to mine. Only once I moved to Connecticut for boarding school did I realize how different my upbringing was from other American children. 

I remember being asked to stay after class at the end of the first week because my teacher worried that I did not participate in class. She thought that I was shy or nervous because I didn't shout out my answers in class when she asked questions. I had been raised not to shout, especially at an elder. So, I was very confused by the fact that she wanted me to. 

I was so confused that I actually researched it online, thinking it was maybe a practice specific to this boarding school. That is how I started learning about different cultures and how they affect our interactions. That experience taught me to always pay attention to the way people communicate and respect cultural differences.  (250 words)

Brown is one of the many schools that use common app. Check out this video to learn more about the common app essay:

Brown supplemental essay example #5

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)

Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and if you want to get fancy, a little baking soda, corn starch, and chocolate chips. Those are the ingredients that I need to create magic, or as most people call it - chocolate chip cookies. I first learned how to make them on a Sunday afternoon with my mom. I remember making a mess in the kitchen and having a stomachache because I ate too much cookie dough. Most of all, I remember that incredible feeling that I had when my siblings and I sat around the kitchen island and took our first bites. 

The art of baking has had a special place in my heart since then. I have learned how to use other ingredients to create different forms of magic, from cakes and cake pops to bread and loaves, cupcakes, and muffins, and so much more. I enjoy the finished products, of course, but my favorite part is the process of baking itself. Baking reminds me of art and my other passion, mathematics because it is all about numbers, precision, and creativity. I enjoy experimenting with different ingredients or different amounts of the same ingredients to create various baked goods that bring joy to the people around me and myself. 

I can spend hours baking because it brings me comfort, and I love the fact that it gives me a chance to share a little slice of happiness with the people around me.  (241 words)

Committing to a future career as a physician while in high school requires careful consideration and self-reflection. What values and experiences have led you to believe that becoming a doctor in medicine is the right fit for you? (250-word limit)

I saw my dead mother's body when I was twelve years old. She was lying utterly motionless in her casket as friends, family members, colleagues, and strangers passed by and touched her cold hands or kissed her forehead. I remember thinking that she would have hated that. I kept waiting for her to get up and tell all these people that she didn't know where their hands had been, but that never happened.

The sadness and confusion I felt that day are the reason I first became interested in medicine. I remember asking so many people to tell me what had happened to my mother, and my cousin Bobby had to explain to me what malaria is. 

As soon as I got home, I went to google and started researching. I wanted to understand what caused malaria and how I could ensure it didn't kill someone else's mother. In researching malaria and how to care for it, I learned how important it is to have access to good healthcare.

I wanted to join the efforts of those who strive to provide that healthcare every day, and the more I learn about medicine, the more I want to pursue it as a career. My love for science, puzzle-solving skills, and desire to help people make medicine the perfect fit for me. Furthermore, as a naturally curious person, the idea of a profession where you never stop learning especially appeals to me. (240 words)

Want to know what the key to a great personal statement is? Check out this video:

Conclusion 

Now that you know what a Brown supplemental essay should look like, you can start working on your own essay. 

If you are unsure  how to write a college essay , we suggest you start by brainstorming. Research the school you will be applying to and think back to your experiences and interests so that you can connect the traits and qualities that the school cares about with your values, strengths, and experiences. For example, you may have noticed that a love for learning and open-mindedness are two qualities that keep coming up in the essays that you just read, and that is because those are both valued by Brown. 

You can learn more about the school you want to apply to by spending time on their website. Pay attention to their mission statement and the recurring themes on different pages on their website. Those are usually the things the school values and wants to see in its students. 

After brainstorming, you can outline your essay and start writing. Remember to use specific examples and anecdotes to humanize your essay and make it more memorable. If you want to maximize your chances of success, you can work with a  college essay advisor  during this process. You can also write your initial essay and then reach out to a  college essay review service  for assistance. 

Either way, the key is to make sure that you have reviewed, edited, and proofread your essay enough times to ensure that there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes. Remember that your college essays play a significant role in the admission committee's decision, so you want to make sure that you submit supplemental essays that are as memorable as they are compelling. 

Brown is one of the most selective universities in the country, with an acceptance rate that is lower than 10%. To get in, you will need to submit a strong application and ace the admission interview if invited for one.

Yes, Brown University is one of the eight schools in the Ivy League.

Brown asks most first-year applicants to write three supplemental essays. Students applying to the eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME) or the five-year Brown-Rhode Island School of Design Dual Degree Program (BRDD) have to write additional program-specific essays as well.

You can make your supplemental essays stand out by having a strong opening statement, using specific examples or short anecdotes in your story, and making sure your essay reflects the traits that Brown values.

Brown provides prompts or questions for you to answer in your essay. Follow those instructions and connect your response to your suitability for Brown.

While Brown does not have a minimum GPA requirement, the average GPA of the recently admitted first-year class is 3.94. This means that you should aim for a similar or higher GPA if you want to be a competitive applicant.

Brown looks for students with a strong academic background who are open-minded, community-driven, and eager to learn. 

You should start your essay with a memorable statement such as a quote, a fun fact, or something funny. Go back to the examples above and pay attention to the opening lines for some inspiration.

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How to Write the University of Notre Dame Essays 2024-2025

The University of Notre Dame has two supplemental essay prompts, with the second multiple options to choose from. These essays are short, so it’s important to use your word count wisely. Here’s how to write strong essays to improve your chances of acceptance.

Read these University of Notre Dame essay examples to inspire your writing.

University of Notre Dame Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prompt 1: Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home. (150 words)

Prompt 2: Please choose three questions from the options below. Your response to each short-answer question should be between 50-100 words.

Option A: How does faith influence the decisions you make?

Option B: What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?

Option C: Notre Dame’s undergraduate experience is characterized by a collective sense of care for every person. How do you foster service to others in your community?

Option D: What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

Option E: What would you fight for?

Everyone has different priorities when considering their higher education options and building their college or university list. Tell us about your “non-negotiable” factor(s) when searching for your future college home. (150 words)

This prompt asks you to reflect on the most important factor(s) you’re looking for in a college—the one or two things that you absolutely must have in your college experience. Notre Dame wants to know what you value most in your education and why that specific factor is so crucial to you. This will help them understand how you approach your college decision-making process and how well Notre Dame aligns with your goals.

Brainstorming Questions

• What is the one thing you cannot compromise on when choosing a college? Is it a specific academic program, a particular type of campus culture, or something else?
• Why is this factor so important to you? How has your past experience shaped this priority?
• How does this non-negotiable factor connect to your future goals or personal values?
• How will having this factor in your college experience help you succeed or feel at home?

What Makes a Good Response

A strong response will:

• Be highly specific: Clearly articulate your non-negotiable factor(s) and avoid vague or generic responses. Explain precisely why this factor is critical to you.
• Show personal connection: Tie your non-negotiable to your personal experiences, values, or aspirations. Demonstrate how this factor has influenced your past and will shape your future.
• Align with Notre Dame’s values: While you should be honest, consider how your non-negotiable might fit with Notre Dame’s mission, culture, and offerings. This can subtly show why Notre Dame is a good match for you.
• Stay focused: Given the 150-word limit, keep your response concise and on-topic. Avoid listing multiple non-negotiables; instead, focus on the one or two that matter most to you.

Hypothetical Student Examples

• A student passionate about social justice who values a university’s commitment to community service and ethical leadership. Their non-negotiable is a strong service-learning program that allows them to actively engage with and support underserved communities. They explain how volunteering at a local shelter in high school inspired them to seek a college that integrates service with academics.
• A student dedicated to sustainability and environmental science whose non-negotiable is a college with a robust sustainability initiative, including green buildings, renewable energy use, and opportunities for environmental research. They connect this to their upbringing in a rural area heavily impacted by climate change, where they saw firsthand the importance of environmental stewardship.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Being too broad or generic: Don’t say your non-negotiable is “good academics” or “a friendly campus” without providing specific reasons why these are vital to you. Explain why this factor is the dealbreaker for your college decision.
• Listing too many factors: Focus on one or two key non-negotiables rather than trying to cover everything you want in a college. This will help you craft a more focused and powerful response.
• Ignoring the connection to Notre Dame: Even though the prompt doesn’t ask directly about Notre Dame, it’s helpful to consider how your non-negotiable might connect with what Notre Dame offers, subtly indicating why you see it as your future home.

Good and Bad Examples

Good Example:

My non-negotiable factor is a strong service-learning program that allows me to integrate community service with my academic studies. In high school, I spent my weekends volunteering at a local homeless shelter, and this experience shaped my desire to pursue a career in social work. I’m looking for a college where I can continue this work while gaining the skills and knowledge to make a lasting impact. A college that emphasizes ethical leadership and community engagement is essential to my growth, both as a student and as a future advocate for social justice.

Why This is Good: This example is specific, ties the non-negotiable to the student’s past experiences and future goals, and subtly aligns with Notre Dame’s emphasis on service and ethical leadership.

Bad Example:

The most important factor for me is finding a college with a strong academic reputation. I want to attend a school where I can be challenged academically and have access to good resources. This is non-negotiable because I believe that a good education is the foundation for a successful future.

Why This is Bad: This example is vague and could apply to almost any college. It lacks personal connection, specificity, and fails to explain why this factor is crucial to the student’s unique goals and values.

A Quick Note About Prompt 2:

The main thing to note about Prompt 2 is its very small word limit. Rather than having 150 words like you do for Prompt 1, you’re only allotted 50 words for each of your responses to Prompt 2. However, these prompts are generally personality questions, so have fun with the few sentences you do have!

Prompt 2, Option A

How does faith influence the decisions you make (50-100 words).

This question asks you to reflect on your faith and its impact on your behavior and decision-making. It’s important to recognize that Notre Dame is a Catholic university, and was founded on Catholic beliefs and principles. However, it’s by no means just a Catholic school—it is open to students of all spiritual and religious backgrounds. So while about 80% of students at Notre Dame practice some form of Catholicism, there is plenty of space for students of other faiths to feel comfortable at Notre Dame.

Therefore, don’t feel like you can’t answer this prompt if you’re applying to Notre Dame as a member of another faith. “Faith” simply just refers to your religious background—and can even be extended to a more secular trust in something—so if your background has shaped or influenced your decisions, this is still a great prompt to answer.

However, if you’re not religious and you are applying to Notre Dame, consider answering another prompt instead. Not choosing to answer this prompt has no impact on your admission decision, Notre Dame is just giving students who have a special relationship with their faith a space to elaborate on what it means to them.

With all that being said, if you’re a Catholic student choosing to answer this prompt, it’s important to reflect not only on what your faith means to you now, but also on what that faith might mean to you at Notre Dame.

At Notre Dame, faith is directly tied to service learning and helping others in need, with more than 80% of students participating in service or service learning before they graduate . Perhaps you were part of a Catholic youth group over the course of your life—consider writing about the volunteer opportunities that you embarked on and how those experiences shaped your perspectives.

The prompt is specifically asking you to elaborate on how faith has shaped the decisions you make, so be sure to tie those experiences and perspectives to how you approach each day and each new obstacle.

If you are a member of a different faith, this is a great opportunity to shed some light on how your background has shaped you. Are there any cultural traditions or principles that you follow? Were there any obstacles or challenges to your faith you’ve faced along the way? Ask yourself these questions and more, and treat your faith as another aspect of your identity that has shaped who you are. In doing so, you should be able to see how you may fit in at Notre Dame and contribute to the principles of community service, generosity, and kindness.

Prompt 2, Option B

What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc) why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the notre dame community (50-100 words).

This is a standard  diversity essay  in which you’re being asked to elaborate on some aspect of your identity. However, the main purpose of this prompt is not just for Notre Dame to understand the communities that have been essential in shaping your identity, but also to get some idea of how your experiences in your chosen community will translate to your future as a Notre Dame student.

Brainstorming your topic:

Remember that diversity encompasses several disparate aspects. It can include an ethnicity/race, country of origin, language, gender or sexual identity, geographical location, income class, disability or illness, personality trait, extracurricular interest, or something else entirely!

An aspect of diversity might also be something that taught you or inspired your passions, something that you were born into, or something you’re just now learning that you’re a part of. Basically, the chosen aspect of your diversity just needs to represent a part of yourself that is infallibly true.


We recommend focusing on just one aspect of identity to write about. While there may be several communities or groups you feel are a core part of your identity, 100 words will not be enough space to write about them all equally. However, if you do feel that one community is not enough to represent who you are, see if there’s a common thread between the communities you want to mention before diving in.

A quick note if you intend to write about your racial background: In June 2023, the United States Supreme Court  struck down the use of affirmative action  in college admissions. The ruling, however, still allows colleges to consider race on an individual basis, which is one reason many schools are now including diversity prompts as one of their supplemental essay prompts. If you feel that your racial background has impacted you significantly, this is the place to discuss that.

Tips for writing your essay :

Once you’ve chosen the aspect of your identity you want to write about, reflect on the impact that it’s had on your life and begin weaving that into your response. Think about the lessons you’ve learned along the way, the people you’ve met, and the experiences you’ve shared with them, or even perhaps the experiences they’ve shared with you. Also consider how being a part of this chosen community has impacted your goals and hopes for the future.

The part of your identity you’ve chosen to write about will have hopefully left all these impressions on you and more—and it will hopefully just be a matter of condensing your response to 100 words. It’s important to showcase your passion for and genuine investment in the part of your identity you write about, but make sure to keep it short and sweet.

Don’t feel like you have to embellish your diversity either. Remember that diversity can be defined as practically anything that makes up your identity—it doesn’t necessarily have to be something that has changed the course of your life. Take this example:

Raised in a tight-knit Filipino-American community, I learned the importance of bayanihan—the spirit of communal unity. Every weekend, our neighborhood gathered for potlucks, where elders shared stories of their struggles as immigrants and the younger generation learned the value of helping each other. Inspired by this, I organized cultural workshops at my high school, teaching classmates about Filipino traditions and encouraging cross-cultural understanding. At Notre Dame, I’ll contribute to the community by fostering cultural exchange and creating spaces where diverse voices are celebrated, much like the supportive network that shaped my upbringing.

Prompt 2, Option C

Notre dame fosters an undergraduate experience dedicated to the intellectual, moral, and spiritual development of each individual, characterized by a collective sense of care for every person. how do you foster service to others in your community (50-100 words).

This is a pretty straightforward  community service essay . You’re being asked to showcase the ways in which you’ll contribute to the overall campus community at Notre Dame. It’s important to note that this isn’t an essay about  what  communities you’ve been a part of in the past—instead, you should discuss  how  you’ve been an active service member in your community in the past or present.

The best route to follow when answering this prompt is to reflect on past experiences you’ve had with community service, and relate them to what the prompt says about Notre Dame as a whole. The answer for the prompt is practically laid out in the phrasing—right off the bat, the prompt tells us that Notre Dame is a school where the individual is characterized by the community. 

The school is portrayed as a place where no one is left behind, and everyone looks out for one another. So in order to respond successfully to this prompt, try to dissect how your past experiences may prove to be an example of this philosophy.

As with other similar community service essay prompts, it’s always better to write about a long-term commitment than something you’ve only done once or twice. While volunteering at a soup kitchen with classmates for a night is undoubtedly a good act of service to the community, it doesn’t reveal anything extraordinary about you or your passion for community service.

There’s a general rule of thumb for supplemental essays—the more specific you can be, the more unique you’ll sound. Really highlight the experiences you’ve had that say the most about who you are; the essay is less about  what  you did, and more about  why  you did it.

Your chosen experience should also be something that changed your perspectives or preconceived notions. Perhaps you realized the importance of rescuing animals from your time spent volunteering at the animal shelter, or maybe you developed more patience and empathy when working with children with special needs or disabilities. Whatever you choose to write about, it should highlight a passion or perspective of yours that you feel is important to your identity.

Tips for writing your essay:

With only 100 words to work with, it’s essential that you make your point strong so that it sticks with your reader. A great way to do this is to weave your actions, motivations, and perspectives into a vivid, relevant anecdote. This strategy gives you the chance to hook the reader right away and put them in your shoes. Write about what you saw, heard, or felt while volunteering or doing your act of community service. You might do this using the present tense for effect.

For example, writing  “Last Christmas, I drove around town to collect gifts for underprivileged families who otherwise couldn’t afford to give presents.”  doesn’t say anything about you, your perspective, or the impact the act had on you.

Instead, try  “As the hours ticked by and snow began piling on the street, I pushed my foot harder on the gas. Today was the last day I had to pick up donations for kids who would otherwise not be receiving Christmas gifts, and I was going to get to as many as I could.”  Not only does this paint a far more vivid picture of what the experience meant to you, but it shows your genuine passion and care for the act itself.

Once you’ve written about what you did, it’s time to connect your response to the ways in which you’ll take your experience and passion to Notre Dame. In the final few sentences of your response, write about what community service means to you overall, and why you’ll continue your efforts, both on and off campus at Notre Dame.

Community service can be as simple as lending a helping hand when needed, whether that be to a classmate, a friend, or someone in the broader community. You can write about forming or joining study groups, your desire to find community service opportunities at Notre Dame, or even how you hope to gain and listen to new perspectives both inside and outside of the classroom. Keep it short and sweet, and most importantly, keep it genuine!

Mistakes to avoid:

Besides keeping your response short, the biggest pitfall to avoid is having a pretentious or privileged tone. If your response makes it seem like you’re painting yourself as some kind of savior, embellishing your efforts, or looking down on those you helped, it will leave a sour taste.

It’s important to truly reflect on what community service means, not only to you, but to others. Even if you did a truly good thing for someone who needed it, make sure you maintain a balanced tone in your essay that doesn’t sound like excessive self-praise.

Prompt 2, Option D

What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you (50-100 words).

This prompt asks you to reflect on a compliment that holds significant meaning for you. Notre Dame wants to learn about your values, personality, and what you take pride in. The compliment you choose to highlight should reveal something meaningful about who you are, and the explanation should connect this compliment to your personal experiences or character traits. Given the short word count, it’s meant to be concise but impactful.

Provide some brief context to who gave you this compliment and why, as well as how it stands out compared to others you’ve received. The history here is not the goal, though; establishing the nature of a personal relationship and the situation behind the compliment is totally fine, but make sure you’re focusing on what it means more broadly about your character.

The compliment you’re writing about should be one that made you feel particularly proud or appreciated and resonated with your personal values or self-image. The most important part of this prompt is to be specific and personal.

Choose a compliment that is unique to you and provides insight into your character. Avoid generic statements like “You’re smart” or “You’re kind” that could be said to anyone. Instead, opt for deeper compliments along the lines of “You have a natural ability to connect with people” and “You have a gift for storytelling.” These compliments are much more personal and can be tied back to talents, interests, and skills that you may have.

Then, explain why it matters so much to you. You can use it as a jumping-off point to discuss a wider aspect of your identity or to reveal more about your values and priorities. With a tight word limit, every word counts. Make sure your response is clear, focused, and free of unnecessary details.

Here’s an example:

The compliment I’m most proud of receiving came from my grandmother when she said, “You have a heart like your grandfather’s.” After I spent my summer helping her neighbors with groceries and organizing weekly visits for elderly community members, she saw in me the same compassion and dedication that defined my grandfather’s life. That compliment means the world to me because it reassured me that I’m carrying forward his legacy of kindness and service, something I strive to embody every day .

Prompt 2, Option E

What is worth fighting for (50-100 words).

This is another relatively profound question that you’re tasked with answering within 100 words, but your answer can be very revealing and insightful—you can discuss your hopes, goals, beliefs, values, and more. This is a great opportunity to showcase your priorities and how the first 18 or so years of your life have shaped your current perspectives.

Profound questions often elicit profound answers, and while this would be the place to share if you have a powerful and moving insight about life, by no means does your answer need to be some extreme revelation. It just has to be you.

Writing something authentic and personal will have a far greater impact than trying to overextend yourself and claim something bold like “humanity is worth fighting for.” That’s not to say that you can’t go that route, but it will take a lot more elaboration than you have space for in this response.

The nature of this prompt and the limited word count you have to work with means you’re going to have to think outside the box. Most of the answers you might think of quickly are likely too clichéd to make for a strong response—this includes things like fighting for love, family, the truth, change, etc. These statements are all arguably true, but they’re somewhat played out and won’t contribute to an impressive response that resonates with your reader.

Instead of using one of those, try to explore more specific niche things you truly value and think about why they’re important to you personally. For instance, perhaps your family comes from a culture with a language that doesn’t have too many native speakers remaining. You might therefore argue that the preservation of linguistic history is worth fighting for. You could write a response like the following:

“My Spanish grandparents speak Basque, which they’ve been trying to teach me. I love how Basque looks, sounds, and feels so different from other languages. Sadly, Basque has fewer than a million speakers. Considering all the languages that have been lost to time, preserving linguistic history is worth fighting for.”

No matter what your actual answer is, it’s essential that you weave a personal voice and connection to the topic into your response. With only a few sentences to work with, you might consider leading with a personal anecdote, then transitioning to the ways in which the topic is meaningful to you, as in the example above.

Where to Get Your Notre Dame Essays Edited for Free

Do you want feedback on your Notre Dame essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it might become difficult to see where your writing can be improved. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

Need feedback faster? Get a  free, nearly-instantaneous essay review  from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

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