Please, take a look! I will write back on yours!
1) Please tell us more about your interest in Brown: Why does Brown appeal to you as a college option? Who or what has influenced your decision to apply?
To me, Brown has always been the place I would dream about attending. From the moment I understood that a person's education went beyond the years spent in elementary, middle, and high school, I knew I always wanted to attend Brown University and I have to admit, I was that 1st grader that used to say, "I want to go to Brown because my mom went there!" Back then, nearly ten years ago, I knew nothing about what makes Brown unique compared to other universities, yet as I have matured, I now understand.
The open curriculum at Brown provides students with the opportunity to dictate their educational experience and as Brown places responsibility in their students to pursue unfamiliar corners of the academic world, the open curriculum should also be viewed as a privilege. Personally, if I were to attend Brown, I would make full use of such a curriculum by further pursuing my studies in academic areas that interest me, as well as diving into unknown land.
My mom graduated with the class of 1985 and I hope to graduate with the class of 2015. Among the academic privileges that Brown offers their students, it would be a life long privilege to attend Brown University. This is simply because I want to experience what my mom calls, "the best four years of her life." Right now, I could not truthfully answer why they were the best years of her life, and possibly mine, but if I had to guess it stems from a couple of places: living in providence, learning among students from all corners of the nation and world, and the opportunity that Brown provides their students to grow as individuals.
2) Why are you drawn to the academic fields you indicated in the Anticipated Degree and Academic Interest questions above?
On a Saturday afternoon, in May 2010, I sat hunched over my desk working on the French homework that was due on Monday. At that time, my room was silent, and I focused on the words of "Le Petit Prince," by Saint-Exupery.
My concentration was broken, though, by The Police's "So Lonely," which was my ringtone. A close friend was calling, though I didn't know exactly what it was for, I presumed it was just to talk. We did that a lot.
This wasn't the only person that called me just to talk, I "just tall" with a lot of friends. I have developed into a good listener and am usually sought out for advice. In some cases, teenagers might runaway from such a position, yet I burst into a full out sprint towards the position. I was intrigued and absorbed by the patience it takes for someone to listen and the challenge of interpreting a person's feelings, perspective or opinion.
I knew I needed to know more, so I decided to take a three-week, pre-college psychology course titled, "So You Want to be a Counselor?" at Brown with Dr. Nadine Mastroleo. Prior to this experience, I had never been exposed or studied psychology in an academic environment and was immediately captivated by the many paths a psychology degree opens up to and the possible research opportunities that could be explored in the future.
To study as an undergraduate at Brown, specifically psychology, would allow me to not only grow as an individual, but as an academic. Brown's educational philosophy allows students to hone already understood academic interests and the opportunity to uncover and explore newly found interests.
