The University of Michigan is a large public research institution located in beautiful Ann Arbor. Michigan has almost 30,000 students and offers 280 different undergraduate degree programs. Michigan takes about 50% of their students from out of state. Michigan is a great option for students who are looking for a social, spirited school with great academic opportunities.
We know you’re used to seeing an acceptance rate at the end of the first paragraph, but it’s a little more complicated with Michigan. We called once, and the representative we spoke with said they could not provide exact rates for the most current year. They said 8K students were admitted at a rate of between 20-25%. After looking this up we decided that the caller must have misinterpreted our questions.
So we called again and got a different employee on the line. He also would not provide exact rates but suggested that for the last year 15k students were admitted out of 80k+ applicants. This would suggest an admit rate under 18.75%.
But you know us—we triple-check everything. So we called again and got a confirmation of the second set of numbers. While Michigan usually has an admission rate of between 20-25%, it seems that less than 18.75% of applicants were admitted last year.
The University of Michigan’s supplement is unchanged from last year. The Michigan supplemental questions are representative of what many schools will ask you to write about. If you can write and research these essays, you’ll have a good idea of what will be necessary for all those other pesky supplements.
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, Minimum 100 words/Maximum 300 words)
Alright, if you’re anything like our students, the first thing you probably wondered after reading this question is what sort of community to write about. In short, it can be anything that speaks to who you are—anything you feel comfortable writing about.
Let’s start by thinking about communities you’re a part of. Instead of listing your extracurriculars or sports teams, try to think of where you feel at home. These don’t have to be actual physical spaces. Think of places or people you feel safe; places or people that make you feel comfortable. Think about communities that are important to you: this essay should focus on your role in the community, not your parents, or anyone else’s. And it definitely shouldn’t just be a 300-word explanation of the community itself.
Successful essays about communities are generally small. Write about a micro-neighborhood in your city, how you chat with the cashier at your corner store, how you walk your elderly neighbor home from the grocery store. If you play an instrument, feel free to think about your band or group, and how you fit into the community of musicians. Focus on small rituals before performances or the role you play in quelling people’s nerves. Your community can be defined by your interests, your location, or your birth: just make sure that you can illustrate your role in whatever community you select. Remember, this story is ultimately about your place in the community—you need to show how you contribute.
To that end, try to think of a story that encapsulates your role in the community. Think of what the community looks like—what are your most vivid memories? If you want to talk about your apartment building, maybe mention the time you got stuck outside with all your neighbors when the fire alarm went off. What did you do? Who did you talk to? Try to remember all the details you can—you can use these to better depict the scene.
If you’re talking about the apartment fire alarm, tell the reader how you met your reclusive old neighbor and talked with him about his dogs. Write about how he reacted to meeting you, and how you had wondered who lived in his apartment. Describe your mother’s shock upon arriving home and finding the fire trucks outside. Maybe even tell the reader how your brother started the fire when he was supposed to be watching you. Take your reader through your story, and be sure to show yourself in action interacting with your community.
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, Minimum 100 words/Maximum 550 words)
Think about this as more than a simple ‘Why X’ essay. You need to show them that you know about their school, that you’re passionate about attending, and that you’ll succeed there if you’re admitted. We recommend following this five-paragraph structure for this essay:
BACKGROUND
First, come up with your origin story. What experiences have shaped what you want to study? Your first paragraph should be a brief story that sets up your academic interests. If you want to study Italian, talk about your trying to understand your parents as they code-switched into Italian so that you couldn’t hear. Tell a story about how you felt as you struggled to understand their secret conversations, how you eavesdropped on them and slowly began to pick up their discussions.
Use your origin story to frame your interests and chart a course for your intended studies—the reader should finish this paragraph and immediately understand why you’ve chosen your major. This story should also show a bit of your personality: you want the reader to feel like they know you when they finish your piece. In the example above, the author is demonstrating not only their interest in Italian but also their curiosity and their drive to learn.
MAJOR/COURSES
This is the most important research-based paragraph of this essay and you should treat it accordingly. For the second paragraph, you’ll write about your intended major at the University of Michigan and some courses you’d like to take. You’ll need to select a major to write about for this essay—take a look through Michigan’s undergraduate offerings and research some of the options that stand out to you. You want to select a major that connects to courses you’ve already done well in. If you get into Michigan you can choose whatever major you want, so for the essay select something that fits with your story.
You also want to demonstrate why you need to take this major at Michigan. What about the Italian major is unique to Michigan? To do this, find two or three upper-level courses in (or near) your proposed major and write about why you’d want to take them. You can find these courses through your major’s page, or by looking through Michigan’s course guide.
You’ll write about upper-level courses because they’re more unique to the college—introductory courses are basically the same everywhere. If you were curious about the men in your neighborhood who seemed to sit at the construction site and play cards all day while cursing in Italian, write about how you need to take Italian 240: “The Italian Mafia”. Don’t write about how you want to take Italian 101. Mention two or three of these courses to really demonstrate your interest.
You should also mention a professor with whom you’d like to work. The student wanting to study Italian can talk about how they’d like to research with Professor Vincenzo Binetti, whose work on migration in Italian cities was just so interesting. This again demonstrates your level of commitment through research: you’re showing Michigan just how much you care.
EXTRACURRICULARS
For this third paragraph, you’ll write about what you’re looking forward to at Michigan outside of the classroom. Take a look through Michigan’s list of clubs and activities and find some that fit into your overall story. If you were a member of your high school’s student government, write about how you’d like to continue working in student government at Michigan. If you were your newspaper editor, write about how you’d like to work for The Michigan Daily. Be sure to explain why you’re a good fit at these organizations and how you would be able to contribute.
Even if you have no intention of continuing with these activities, write about them! Showing consistency and a history of interest is key. This essay is 100% non-binding.
MICHIGAN/ANN ARBOR SPECIFIC PARAGRAPH
This is the shortest paragraph, and it can really be just 2-5 sentences about why you want to be in this location. Tell the reader what you’re most attracted to in Ann Arbor. Tell them how you can’t wait to attend your first football game at The Big House, or how you’re excited to go to the market in Kerrytown. Whatever it is, make sure it is well researched and fits into whatever narrative you are telling about yourself.
CONCLUSION
Start your conclusion paragraph by wrapping up your earlier points, outlining why you need to go to Michigan. You want your essay to be at least 450 words before writing the conclusion: you want to focus the weight of your essay on the previous four paragraphs.
You want these supplemental essays to be absolutely perfect—Michigan is an extremely competitive school, and over 80,000 students applied last year. We know this is difficult but you can get it right: everything you need is above.
Contact us here if you need help with the college application process.