Brown University Essay Prompts 2026-27

For the 2026-27 cycle: 4 required essays, program supplements for 2 programs.

Brown accepts the Common App, so the personal statement is also part of your application. It counts once across all your Common App schools.

Prompts under a program heading apply only if you are applying to that program.

For every applicant

"There is something distinctive about Brown students. It is a blend of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and humility. A commitment to collaboration. An openness to new ideas and perspectives. A desire to make the world better. And it is resilience: the ability to recover and thrive after experiencing difficulties." From President Christina Paxson's 2025 Convocation Address. How will you use these characteristics or others to shape your approach to the Open Curriculum?
250 words max
150 to 250 words
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.
250 words max
150 to 250 words
If you could teach a class on any one thing, whether academic or otherwise, what would it be?
150 words max
100 to 150 words
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.
150 words max
100 to 150 words

Why medicine?
250 words max
Why PLME?
250 words max
Tell us something about yourself, beyond your interest in medicine, that you think will make you a great doctor.
250 words max

The Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program draws on the complementary strengths of Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to provide students with the opportunity to explore and engage with diverse spheres of academic and creative inquiry. Considering your understanding of the academic programs at Brown and RISD, describe how and why the specific blend of RISD's experimental, immersive art and design program and Brown's wide-ranging courses and curricula could constitute an optimal undergraduate education for you. Reflect on how you might integrate or synthesize content, approaches, and methods from these two distinct learning experiences. Additionally, how might you contribute to the Dual Degree community and its commitment to interdisciplinary work?
650 words max

Checked against official sources. Last verified August 28, 2026.

Top Essay lays out every prompt your college list requires, with live word counts, autosave, and progress tracking. Free to use.