Using open curriculum to ignore boring courses?

fenwaypark
Wed, 30 Dec 2015 22:09:57 +0000

This is the issue stated by the OP, and which I have tried to respond to:

When I answer the Why Brown? essay, if I am honest and tell them I plan on using the open curriculum to maximize exposure to math and science, I am afraid I will be rejected immediatley. I don’t want to waste time writing the other essays if I have no chance of getting in.

Will I be able to communicate in a positive way my intended use of the open curriculum, or should I answer this question not honestly?

I took this to be a sincere question about Brown that had more than an individualized scope of applicability, so I chose to participate. The OP did not talk about EQ, or being unilateral, or not having an open mind. Those are things that readers tagged him or her with. Somewhere along the line, the issue got changed from the OP’s question to the OP, personally.

The OP is probably about 17 years old. Maybe seeing all these adults start to judge him/her affected the tone of some of his/her responses. I don’t know. I really do not understand microaggressions and trigger warnings and all that stuff.

Anyway, lots of people have expressed views on the issue. I am in the camp that one of the purposes of the Open Curriculum is to allow a high degree of focus in a particular area. I also advised the OP to be honest, and assess the risk involved in paying for and completing the Brown application. Others have expressed different or nuanced views.

I have joined another poster in pointing out the opportunities in Applied Math. I have not expressed views about the OP’s personality because I didn’t think that was relevant…and I wouldn’t have a clue anyway without a whole lot more information. If this thread has any more legs before it is finally spent, I hope it can address itself to issues other than the OP’s perceived personality.