I stood on a slippery dock, rain pouring over my shivering body. Heart pounding, adrenaline pumping, I stepped to the edge and dove. I was jolted by the frigid, fifty-five degree water of a remote Norwegian fjord. I surfaced, breathing heavily in the cold. The shore behind me was awash with shades of deep evergreen and shimmering silver; ahead, the rainy fjord’s surface was alive with a million overlapping ripples, and majestic mountains rose steeply on the opposite shore....

People are surprised that I hope to go to Brown, since the university has had a presence throughout my life and I am an avid explorer. However, I realize that I don’t need to go far away to grow. Brown embodies three aspects that I consider crucial for my college experience: an exceptionally creative and curious student body, deeply engaging learning and mentoring, and myriad extracurricular opportunities for me to stretch outside my comfort zone. And of course, fun...

Throughout high school, I have been drawn to understand complex systems. I gravitate to philosophical reflections about why humans behave the way they do, rather than focus on discrete problems. We face unprecedented challenges ranging from climate change to terrorism in a world that is more connected than ever, which presents both opportunities and vulnerabilities. Political science, public policy, international relations, and history are frameworks for discerning underlying causes and potential solutions to these issues. History is a critical foundation...

I was born and raised on the east side of Providence, and I am the fourth generation in my father’s family to live in Rhode Island. Brown has always been part of my extended neighborhood, although I lived abroad briefly five times. My parents did a sabbatical in Wellington, New Zealand, where I lived and attended school for half of eighth grade. I attended The Island School in Eleuthera, Bahamas for spring semester sophomore year. I attended Luethi-Peterson Camps...

The Island School's boys' dormitory resembles military barracks, with two bunk halls that accommodate twenty- seven teenagers. In a group as diverse, proud, and close-quartered as Boys’ Dorm, respect was crucial. My natural inclination is to share opinions without inhibition. However, Boys’ Dorm pushed me into a social awareness to better gauge when to be open, and when to be more reserved. Boys’ Dorm evolved into a place of unity and camaraderie as we each mastered mutual respect. My take-away...