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Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University

brandeis.edu
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  • Overview
  • Cost & scholarships
  • Majors
  • Admission Requirements
  • Essay Prompts

Brandeis University's 2020-21 Essay Prompts

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Select-a-Prompt Essay

Required
250 words

Please include a short response to one of the three prompts below


Option 1

Why would you like to attend Brandeis?


Option 2

Justice Brandeis once said, "If we would guide by the light of reason, we must let our minds be bold." Tell us about something bold that you've recently done.


Option 3

There are approximately 171,476 words in the English dictionary. Pick your favorite word and tell us why you picked it.

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Why Program? Essay

Required
250 words

Brandeis International Business School offers a unique Scholars program for Brandeis undergraduates. Upon admission to Brandeis University, Scholars are provisionally admitted to select specialized master’s degrees or considered for fast track admissions to the MBA degree. During their junior year, the student then selects their graduate program of interest and receives a guaranteed scholarship for this graduate program.How do you feel this Scholars program would be beneficial to you?

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Culture & Diversity Short Response

Required
250 words

Brandeis attracts students from many parts of the world. As an international student at Brandeis, how would you enrich the campus community?

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Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program Essay

Required
400 words

Please write a 400-word essay about what makes you a good candidate for the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program

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Common App Personal Essay

Required
650 words

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so.


Option 1

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.


Option 2

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?


Option 3

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?


Option 4

Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.


Option 5

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.


Option 6

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?


Option 7

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

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