The University of Michigan is known for its long history as a research institution. A highly ranked public university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the University of Michigan has produced many impressive alumni. These alums range from Michael Phelps to Larry Page to James Earl Jones. But with an 18% acceptance rate and a 1470 average SAT score, the University of Michigan is one of the most competitive public universities in the US. In this blog post, we’ll go over the ins and outs of the University of Michigan supplemental essays. After reading this article, you’ll able to put forward a stronger essay.
The University of Michigan evaluates applications contextually and holistically, seeking students who possess drive, empathy, initiative, and curiosity. Showcasing your unique qualities in a supplemental essay is easier said than done, though. Let’s dive right in.
University of Michigan’s 2024-2025 Prompts
- Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Required for all applicants; 100-300 words)
- Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (Required for all applicants; 100-550 words)
General Tips
When composing your University of Michigan supplemental essays, you may feel compelled to reuse certain essay drafts for different schools’ essay prompts. If the prompts and word counts are similar, this can work. However, you need to be extremely careful that you are not just reusing the essay, but repurposing it. Unless two universities have identical prompts (and that prompt is not about the university itself), then significant modification to the original essay will be necessary.
For example, the University of Michigan’s first supplemental essay prompt asks you to describe a community you belong to. There are plenty of other colleges (Duke and Yale, for instance) that post supplemental essay questions about community. Those prompts, though, may be focused on different aspects of the concept of community. As you get started in your college admissions process, it can be helpful to note when schools on your list ask similar questions.
When repurposing an essay, perhaps place your old essay next to the document where you’re composing the new essay. Focus on the prompt’s wording, and use the old essay for inspiration. This can be a stronger strategy than copying and editing the old essay. Instead, this strategy should help you focus the new essay on the specific questions asked by the prompt at hand.
University of Michigan Supplemental Essay Questions
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Required for all applicants; 100-300 words)
This prompt asks the applicant to describe a community they belong to and how they fit into the community. When the admissions committee asks this question, they are seeking to better understand the individual’s identity and how that identity functions in a larger group. Because the applicant is hoping to join the University of Michigan community, the admissions officers are curious to know how the student operates in other communities they are already a part of.
When deciding which community to discuss in this essay, it can be helpful to start with your place in that community. Considering the other elements of your application can also be beneficial. For instance, if you wrote your Common App essay about being a leader, then it might be redundant to discuss a community in this essay in which you are a leader. Because you won’t be a leader in every community at the University of Michigan, the admissions officers might want to see how you function in contexts where you are not the leader.
Further, your application may seem to lack any mention of a cultural identity you hold that is important to you. If so, this might be the right place to dive into that identity and the community that surrounds it. That said, there may not be any obvious gaps or redundancies in your application. In that case, you might just want to pick the community you think you can write about most passionately.
Note how expansively the prompt considers the word “community.” It can be “shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage.” Further, this is a non-exhaustive list. If you have a specific community in mind that is still definitely some kind of group with shared characteristics/values/qualities but doesn’t necessarily fit on this list, you can in fact write about it. Remember to just pick one community, though; the prompt is not seeking a laundry list. Thus, think broadly and specifically. Choose any community that is important to you, but choose one community and explore it deeply.
Lastly, remember to address both parts of the prompt: the community itself and your place within it. This isn’t an essay about what the community means to you (although that topic may come up). Instead, it’s about who you are in your specific community. The admissions officers may also be thinking about the communities you will join if you attend the University of Michigan. Moreover, they will want to understand how you will behave as a member of the student community. Showcasing the qualities you bring to your community, exploring the maturity you have developed in your community, or describing the mutual respect that exists in your community would all be great ways to approach the University of Michigan supplemental essays.
Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School (including preferred admission and dual degree programs) to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests? (100-550 words)
In this essay prompt, you are expected to describe why the University of Michigan is a great academic fit for you. Let’s break it down.
The admissions committee asks you to share the following three pieces of information:
- “unique qualities” that lead you to want to be a student at
- a “specific undergraduate College or School”
- so that you can further develop/support “your interests.”
In other words, you need to say why (specifically) you would like to study at the University of Michigan; where (specifically) you would like to study; and what interests you would like to support through these studies.
You can take your University of Michigan supplemental essays in a few different directions. For instance, in this essay, you can focus on a specific program or course in the College or School you’re applying to that you would like to get involved in while at the University of Michigan. Then, describe how that program or course would bring you closer to achieving your career goals. Alternatively, you could focus on the unique career outcomes of students in your prospective major. You could go on to explain how your dreams align with those outcomes. To take things in a third direction, you could start with describing your academic interests. Then, explain how your department of interest might support those academic interests.
You may have noticed a common theme in this breakdown so far: specificity. Half the battle with this particular essay is doing thorough and thoughtful research into the programs at the University of Michigan that interest you. Given that the University of Michigan considers applicants’ demonstrated interest, according to the Common Data Set, this essay is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate your interest in the University of Michigan.
Taking the time to understand the opportunities available to you at a school doesn’t just help you write your essays. It also helps show the admissions officers how you will fit into their school. Perhaps your fit is not obvious or your interests are an atypical blend of disciplines. Alternatively, maybe you’re worried that your academic interests won’t stand out from the crowd. Whatever the reason, doing your research and being specific in your supplemental essay will go a long way toward emphasizing to the admissions committee how well you’ll fit in at their school.
If you need help polishing up your University of Michigan supplemental essays, check out our College Essay Review service. You can receive detailed feedback from Ivy League consultants in as little as 24 hours.
