Brandeis University is a research institution with a long history of producing graduates focused on civil discourse, diversity, and intellectual integrity. It’s looking for that same curiosity and spirit in the supplemental essay (two if you’re an international student) that Brandeis asks you to write.
Want to get a better sense of what Brandeis is looking for? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set. For deep insights into how this private research university envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read its strategic priorities. Reading through this will give you a strong idea of Brandeis’ values.
What are the Brandeis University supplemental essay prompts?
Prompt #1
Brandeis was established 75 years ago to address antisemitism, racism, and gender discrimination in higher education, and today, the university remains dedicated to its founding values of inclusivity and justice. How has your educational experience shaped your perspective on these values? (250 words)
Prompt #2
For International Students Only: What excites you the most about being an international student at Brandeis University? (250 words max)
How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Brandeis University
how to write Brandeis Supplemental Essay Prompt #1
In this thought-provoking essay prompt, Brandeis University opens the door for you to delve into how you connect with a pivotal aspect of the school’s identity—an enduring commitment to inclusivity and justice. Before you begin brainstorming your response, let's break down the key components of the prompt:
"How has your educational experience shaped your perspective on these values?"
This is the heart of the matter. Brandeis wants to know how your education and experiences have molded your outlook on inclusivity and justice. Your essay should weave together a story that demonstrates how that outlook formed and how it resonates with Brandeis’ values.
Personal transformation.
Have your perspectives on inclusivity and justice shifted over time? Has a particular experience made you more driven to challenge injustice? How do you plan to channel your perspective into your future actions? Whether it's through advocacy, community involvement, or further education, Brandeis also wants to see the ripple effect of your insights.
The sample essay below, written for the University of Pittsburgh, is a great example of how to craft a compelling response on the connection between one’s personal experiences and a commitment to inclusivity and justice.
Example:
In Tang Soo Do, we have a kicking drill, where the pad starts low, gradually increasing in height with each hit. It seems simple, but it’s an exercise in knowing my limits. I continue kicking for as long as possible, but my goal is to end on a kick that’s as powerful as the last. The drill teaches me that it’s important to push myself, but it’s also crucial to know when to tap out. Since I came out to my family and friends at the age of 12, I have had to push myself to be proud of being LGBTQ, while also protecting myself from prejudice, knowing where and with whom I am comfortable and accepting those limits without rejecting my identity.
I started studying martial arts to become a defender of others so it is little surprise that through service work the principles also come to life. At Cedarbrook Nursing Home, I strive to form relationships with residents. I always talk to Michael, who asks about my ping-pong team (which doesn’t exist; I can’t break it to him), realizing that he’s telegraphing that he wants to talk about his own athletic experiences. Kenny regularly tries to guess my heritage, switching between calling me “Miss China” and “Miss Korea,” and I balance between wanting to educate him and understanding that he’s trying to show affection. Every coffee social, Benny stands in the doorway until I put a cookie on his walker. If he isn’t there, I act decisively to confirm with the staff that he’s okay. I know that my ability to serve has its limits, but my goal is to make them feel like more than just another resident at the nursing home.
Grandmaster Shin probably didn’t design Tang Soo Do to instill all of these values, since they aren’t included in our official codes, but I know that my training helped me realize them. These are my personalized “4 Principles of Tang Soo Do”: balance, communication, decisiveness, and defense. (332 words)
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Tips & Analysis
Craft a (quick) engaging opening connected to the prompt’s theme. We’d recommend exploring how you can begin your essay with an attention-grabbing opening that directly ties into the theme of inclusivity and justice. For example, the opening of your essay could be an anecdote, personal reflection, or metaphor that establishes a strong connection between your experience and the university's values.
The sample essay begins with an intriguing metaphor about the writer’s martial arts experience and then makes an unexpected connection to when they came out to their family. This metaphor and connection between two ideas help hook the reader, making us want to continue reading to see where the essay goes.
But remember you only have 250 words for this prompt, so keep your hook pretty brief, so you can spend most of your word count exploring your experiences and insights.
Provide concrete, illustrative examples of personal growth. Delve into detail regarding your experiences of personal growth that align with the theme of inclusivity and justice. Don’t just tell us that you’ve grown—show us.
Whether it's volunteer work, community engagement, or your role in an organization, illustrate how your journey has translated into tangible contributions that align with Brandeis' values.
The sample essay provides specific anecdotes from the writer's service work and interactions at the nursing home. And it also shows how the writer has attempted to create both inclusivity and justice with: “I balance between wanting to educate him and understanding that he’s trying to show affection.”Similarly, you can share specific instances where you encountered discrimination or bias, witnessed moments of triumph over adversity, or participated in initiatives aimed at creating a fairer world, and show us your actions and insights.
Reflect and apply learning to the future. The writer concludes the essay by reflecting on their growth and summarizing their principles. For your essay, you can also conclude by reflecting on the impact of your educational experiences on your understanding of inclusivity and justice.
Additionally, you can share how you plan to apply these insights at Brandeis, whether through involvement in specific student clubs, classes, or initiatives that further the university's commitment to these values.
And here’s an additional example you can look to for inspiration:
Example:
Growing up in the historically conservative South shaped many of my early beliefs. Most came from my dad; I took every word he said as gospel and was proud to repeat whatever he told me to my friends because I wanted to be just like him.
And in many ways I still do.
But I am very lucky to have surrounded myself with diverse friends who are happy to talk to me about their own personal experiences in order to help me gain perspective. One friend who is undocumented shared her family’s struggle to find a better life in the US and completely changed my opinions about immigration policies. Another friend helped me realize just how much our police system is stacked against minorities. In addition to personal anecdotes, my friends encouraged me to do research on my own and to form opinions without them or my dad telling me what to think.
Eventually, I no longer repeated my dad’s ideas but challenged him to have conversations that might broaden his beliefs. At first we left these conversations frustrated and upset, and sometimes still do. But over time we have been able to find middle ground and I have begun to change his thinking about some topics. He’s grown in his thinking about LGBTQ+ rights and women’s health, while staying put on immigration and healthcare. Standing my ground against my dad gives me confidence I can navigate any disagreement with respect and an openness to new perspectives.
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how to write Brandeis Supplemental Essay Prompt #2
For International Students Only:
What excites you the most about being an international student at Brandeis University? (250 words max)
This option shows how important it is for Brandeis to hear directly from international applicants on how they envision their background, culture, and experiences will benefit its campus.
Before you get started writing, consider the two main parts of the prompt:
Being an international student. We mentioned earlier that Brandeis is committed to emboldening students to “change the world.” But it also gets that first you need to understand the world. What better way for Brandeis to foster that understanding than through building a diverse student body from all four corners of the earth? Then the pressing questions become: How might the international perspective you bring be more impactful on campus than that of another international student? What will you bring to campus—not just as a student, but as a student with the heritage only you have?
“Enrich the campus community,” which is perhaps the standout phrase here. There’s more than a bit of a “Why us?” angle to this part of the prompt, in which Brandeis wants to know how you and your unique background, culture, experiences, and goals will contribute to the campus community. This is your chance to be specific about which communities you’ll join, which discussions you’ll contribute to in the classroom, and which perspectives you’ll bring to your involvement on campus.
This is a great example of an essay that, while written for another prompt (hello, “super essay”!), could be tweaked to fit this prompt (we say how in the Tips + Analysis below).
Example:
After growing up on diplomacy and a love of politics, I am eager for a college experience that would allow me to decipher the complexities of foreign relation negotiations, while specializing in Middle Eastern politics. Boston University’s International Relations program is exactly the intellectual challenge I'm looking for.
The Foreign Policy and Security Studies track, with a regional focus on Africa and the Middle East, would give me access to an exciting combination of classes, like Public Diplomacy, International Negotiations, and Turko-Persia in the Twentieth Century. I’m especially interested in the Sea and International Relations, exploring the significant role the oceans play, from a source of dispute to a facilitator of international trade. In U.S. in the Middle East, I’d learn more about why America has made Middle East policy a focal point since WW2 and how it’s committed to stabilizing the region.
Outside the classroom, I can’t wait to join the Rotaract Club, which would allow me to build on my devotion to community service by tutoring underserved students and organizing entertainment activities for orphans. I can also use my experience as Head of Finance for the Sahim project to assist with fundraising and managing the club’s finances.
BU not only promises to offer me the International Relations expertise that would help me in my career in foreign affairs, but its interdisciplinary approach, its vibrant campus life, and community service opportunities would help me achieve my goal of becoming a compassionate and well-rounded diplomat. (246 words)
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Tips + Analysis
Highlight your international perspective. This student is eager to pursue foreign relations, and while we see why he could be a great fit for this academic path, it’s not clear how his culture would enrich Brandeis. To add a personal touch, this student might’ve considered sharing how he’s watched his small home country manage delicate negotiations with superpowers. And that gives him unique insights that would enhance classroom discussions on, say, strategies for effectively making trade deals.
Connect with Brandeis’ offerings. Take some time to really dig through Brandeis’ website to understand how your international perspective would benefit the community you’re engaging with. While this student shares how he’ll contribute to the Rotoract Club, it’s not clear how his cultural background impacts that involvement—and that’s what Brandeis is hoping to learn. You have more than 200 student clubs and organizations available to you on campus—what can’t you wait to get involved with? For example, perhaps your understanding of the immigration complexities in your country would inspire you to join the Brandeis Student Association for The Right to Immigration Institute and assist with immigration cases. Consider the differences, strengths, and cultural background you’re bringing to campus, and share how you plan to make a splash once you arrive.
Share a life experience. In this essay, you’re not trying to set yourself apart from all the other applicants. Instead, you’re trying to stand out from other international applicants. So what have you experienced that no one else could’ve? How has that experience impacted you and prepared you for an international academic experience? This student is an international student, so if he were writing to this prompt, he might’ve considered expanding on his experience of “growing up on democracy and a love of politics” and sharing specific examples of what that experience meant to him and how it’s shaped him.
Special thanks to Ameer for writing this blog post.
Ameer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about college admissions and career development. Prior to freelancing, Ameer worked for three years as a college admissions consultant at a Hong Kong-based education center, helping local high school students prepare and apply for top colleges and universities in the US. He has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA. When he’s not working, Ameer loves traveling, weight lifting, writing, reading, and learning foreign languages. He currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
Top values: Growth / Diversity / Empathy
