“Reality is a product of consciousness,” my classmate asserted. “This chair, or any object in our universe, does not exist unless a conscious being observes its presence.” “But matter existed long before anyone was around to observe it,” I responded. “An immeasurable number of objects in the universe will never be discovered, yet they still exist.” Another student countered with a quote from Immanuel Kant regarding the centrality of perception in every form of reality. My high school English class...

I am applying to Brown because of a muffin. Admittedly, touring campus, speaking to an awesome neuroscience professor, and exploring Providence had already convinced me that Brown was an ideal fit. I stood in line at the Friedman Café intending only to purchase a tasty snack to conclude my day. As I was buying my muffin, though, an upperclassman behind me jumped ahead and paid for both of us. Back when he visited campus as a prospective applicant, his food...

I think my advice for the essays would be to simply be creative and try to make whoever is reading your essay smile. For example, for the "why Brown" one, 95 percent of the essays they receive probably sound extremely similar, so I thought that my essay about the muffin managed to stray outside of the box while still getting across the point that I would love to attend Brown.

Ultimately, I chose Brown because of the freedom it offers to students. The fact that there is no core curriculum means that I am able to chart my own path as I progress through...