The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

I have an unconventional spine. It contradicts the diagrams you observed in high school biology, the skeleton on your neighbor's porch on Halloween, and virtually everything you know to be true abou

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What academic areas fit your interests or goals most comfortably? Political Science Other Academic Interests? Ethnicity, Race and Migration Other Academic Interests? Music A topic or idea that excites you related to your academic interests?

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I’d reached double digits. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists”, a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of prote

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Why Yale

Simply put: I prioritize heterogeneity and community. I believe that there is value in engaging in different areas of study and using what you’ve learned in each to inform your perspective. This belie

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1. What inspires you?

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2. You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called?

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4. Something about you

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3. Who would you invite to speak and what would you ask them to discuss?

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2. Reflect on a time when you have worked to enhance a community to which you feel connected. Why have these efforts been meaningful to you? You may define community however you like.

Prompt 2: I sat in Breakout Room 19 and waited for my mystery student to join, acutely aware of the rapid thumping of my heart and sweat accumulating on my hands. How are you even supposed to talk t

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EC Essay

In June 2020, I met Thidasavanh, a bright-eyed and eager-to-learn fourth grader. I’d spend the remainder of my summer getting to know her through 30-minute Reading Club sessions. We’d pick a book and

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How you hope to use your college education

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits in age. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists,” a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of

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Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)*

Mrs. Harrison, How have you been? Every time I pass I think of you. It’s practically unrecognizable now since the renovation, but the old building’s layout is forever etched into my mind. It witnes

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How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)*

Like Penn, I believe in the value of diverse perspectives. On campus, I would take advantage of this by immersing myself in communities both familiar and unfamiliar to me. The unique facets of my iden

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Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania. (150-200 words)*

My love for social justice began at just seven years old, when I was featured on the ACLU’s website after protesting the killing of Trayvon Martin with my family. The experience sparked a long-standin

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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)

My love for social justice began at just seven years old, when I was featured on the ACLU’s website after protesting the killing of Trayvon Martin with my dad and sister. The eye-opening experience sp

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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)

My friends and I trudged through a crowded Union Station in pursuit of a typical Friday night hangout. Instead of the tourists and Amtrak commuters who usually throng the massive transportation hub, w

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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)

I fell madly in love with music during quarantine. That’s not to say I didn’t love it before. Between extravagant living room performances as a child, school musical theater, and an enduring Frank O

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Optional Essay 2: Intellectual curiosity is often ignited by a particular research project, course, poem, novel or documentary. Describe an intellectual experience that sparked your interest in your intended major.

I was featured on the ACLU’s website before I reached double digits. In the thumbnail of an article titled “Stop Surveillance of BLM Activists”, a seven-year-old me stood tall amongst a sea of protest

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Essay 1: Members of the Spelman community are committed to positive social change through service. How have you advocated for positive social change in your high school, community, family or social group? * 250 - 400 words

I sat in Breakout Room 19 and waited for my mystery student to join, acutely aware of the rapid thumping of my heart and sweat accumulating on my hands. How are you even supposed to talk to children?

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Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful? What aren’t we seeing elsewhere in your application? We know nobody fits neatly into approximately 500 words, but you can provide us with some suggestion of the type of person you are.  Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy.

My eyes fixated on the funny-shaped black object in the very back of my closet, almost obscured by the mess of clothing, storage bins, and miscellaneous items that had accumulated and been forgotten.

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