Q&A with Sam: How Command Education Helps Students Stand Out to Brown Admissions Committees

A: Brown is perhaps best known for the Open Curriculum, which can lead students and parents to assume that the admissions committee is looking for students who are generalists—but this is not necessarily the case. It is absolutely true that Brown’s “choose your own adventure” style of undergraduate education is best suited to students who are self-starters, unafraid to explore new ideas, and eager to dive deeply into their chosen fields. The school’s smaller student-to-faculty ratio and many specialized grants and research opportunities provide a certain degree of permissibility for students to self-direct their education. But rather than just those with well-rounded interests, Brown seeks students with refined interdisciplinary interests that they have explored both within and outside of their academic setting.

A: One of the more humorous assumptions that I’ve had to dispel is the idea that Brown must need a token “normal kid.” Some parents and students believe that it’s not possible for every single student to be exceptional. Unfortunately, it really is possible—and Brown wants to admit students who are truly extraordinary. This doesn’t mean that every student has to excel in the same way—Brown in particular values creativity and interdisciplinarity, so a student could stand out through their imagination, innovative problem-solving, or unconventional outlook. But whatever their niche or distinguishing quality is, a student should seek to demonstrate that they are one-of-a-kind in some way or another in their application.

Additionally, when parents and students are considering the Ivy League, they tend to compare schools laterally—weighing Brown against Yale, Harvard, or Columbia. However, each one of these schools is distinct. Brown is very nontraditional in its approach to education when compared to Harvard. It is less hierarchical, and students tend to collaborate more closely with professors at Brown than they would at other schools. Additionally, while schools such as Harvard or UPenn tend to catapult students into tech or finance roles, Brown’s emphasis on the humanities means that lots of graduates continue their education after completing their undergraduate degree—whether through a PhD, MBA, or MFA. Students who enjoy learning for learning’s sake flourish at Brown.

A: High-achieving students often face the challenge of wanting to include every single activity or participation badge they’ve ever earned on their application, but this can dilute the overall impact of their narrative. Our approach is to help students refine and focus their application and highlight the most compelling aspects of their high school career to advance the story they’re trying to tell. When working with these types of students, I focus on taking a step back and identifying the experiences that truly showcase their passion for their intended discipline before helping them pursue opportunities (particularly those in which they can take on leadership positions) strategically.

This can really only happen through getting to know the student on a deeper level—as mentors, we approach the process holistically, getting to know the student on a level that teachers or school counselors rarely do. As a result, we can give highly individualized recommendations and guide the student to realizing their genuine passions and potential. The humanizing touches and careful organization of information on applications are often the components that take my students’ applications from good to great.

A: A good application might include a student’s role as president of the emerging architects club, their involvement in a competitive summer program, or their self-directed initiative to start a blog explaining complex architectural theory by examining famous architecture in film—a great application will do all of these things. Brown’s admissions team is looking for candidates who have gone above and beyond to pursue their passions, making use of every available resource to explore and grow in their field. Whether demonstrating your interdisciplinary interests or your adeptness in a specific field, you should be seeking out the highest level of involvement in the activities you’re most passionate about. Not every student will have the same access to resources—and admissions committees know that—but it’s about making the absolute most with what you have at your disposal.

For instance, a student I mentored was interested in pursuing public health and he lived in a particularly loud urban environment. After we dedicated significant time and energy to helping him find ways to concentrate and manage his anxiety given the constant background noise, I encouraged him to consider how he might help others facing similar struggles. He contacted a professor researching sound pollution and its detrimental impact on adolescents and began working on one of his research projects. From there, the student developed research-based tools and strategies that his peers in similarly polluted neighborhoods could use to counteract the negative effects of sound pollution on their own health. He then wrote about his findings in an academic paper and presented at a research conference during the fall of his senior year. The end result was an application that testified entirely to his authentic passion for his discipline and sophisticated level of engagement with the field—as well as his motivation to solve real-world problems through his studies.

A: Brown admissions officers want to see activities that demonstrate an unabashedly unique approach to exploring one’s specific interests. The best way to do this is often through service in a student’s community—you are distinctly capable of identifying issues in your immediate surroundings, and you are more likely to find creative and successful solutions when you are plugged into the specific needs, cultural background, and makeup of your own locale. For instance, the student I mentioned previously oriented his supplemental essays not only around the work he did (his research, his original theories regarding sound pollution), but also the context in which he did it (self-motivated initiatives inspired by and aimed at bettering the quality of life for those in his community). Engaging in service-oriented and community-enhancing extracurricular endeavors will not only convey your interests to admissions officers, but also give them insights into your background, values, and the type of community member you’ll be on campus.

A: Although it can be scary to look at the top of the academic totem pole and fight for a spot in such a coveted institution, we as mentors try to reassure students that they deserve to apply in the first place. I try to remind the students of all the amazing things they have accomplished. If they have spent their high school years taking advantage of the resources available to them and constantly asking “what more can I do? How can I take my interests further?”—odds are, they have assembled a stellar activities list and should be confident in the scope of what they’ve done. One of the most treasured pieces of parent feedback I have received was: “My son felt so relaxed and self-assured every time he got off the phone with you.” That’s how students should feel when they have put in the effort and done all they can to craft standout applications—let the competitiveness inspire and excite you, don’t let it intimidate you!