***I edited out some of the personal information about my disability. The changed information is in brackets [].*** Common Application Essay “Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sitting on my living room floor, I gaze at the array of permanent markers spread out around me. Through the sea of color, I carefully...

University of Michigan Essay #2: “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. 500 words maximum) Until recently, I never considered Lady Gaga’s influence on my college selection. For the longest time, I used to only be concerned with a school’s rank: scrolling through lists of...

University of Michigan Activities Essay: “If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (Required for all applicants. Approximately 100 words)” Standing perfectly still, the lights shimmer and the ecstatic fans scream. The commotion of the moment gives me an adrenaline rush, fine tuning my senses so I can feel the pulsations of my surroundings and anticipate the actions of my peers. The...

University of Michigan Essay #1: “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. Approximately 250 words) When I tell people that I am vegan, I receive a multitude of reactions. Oddly, one of the most common reactions is someone screaming “bacon” at...

University of Illinois Essay #1: “Explain your academic interests and strengths or your future career goals. You may include any majors or areas of study you are currently considering. Please limit your response to approximately 300 words.” (This one is insanely dorky, but it worked!) As I begin my nightly dive into the deep realms of unfiltered imagination, a sea of numbers surrounds me. These seemingly unrelated numbers slowly morph into problems. While I sleep, my mind actively solves the calculus problems...

“Tell us about one interest or experience of yours that allows us to get to know you better as an individual. Please limit your response to approximately 300 words.” Reclining in the velvet seats of [concert hall], listening to the enchanting melodies of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, seeing the smiling faces of teens experiencing the power of an orchestra for the first time, I was taken aback by the magic of music. I was fortunate enough to see the [city] Orchestra...

For the rest of the schools that I applied, I revised these essays to meet the different requirements. Instead of writing a bunch of mediocre essays, I worked really hard on a couple of essays that were flexible enough to fit many prompts. This method works for pretty much all essays, EXCEPT for essays about why you want to go to a particular university. Clearly, my “Why Michigan” essay would not work for any school aside from Michigan, and that...

Since Michigan is a school that gets over 30,000 apps a year, the admissions counselors at Michigan would be completely swamped with applications, so I knew that I needed my "Why Michigan" essay to stand out. So I wrote about Lady Gaga. Risky: yes, but I was willing to take that risk since the rest of my app was so strong, and I also was able to tie it to the prompt and talk about how it influenced my perception of Michigan. My “Why Michigan” essay would not work for any school aside from Michigan, and that is very important. The...

Of course, I think that my combination of high test scores, high class rank (top 10) from the #2 public school in the state, involvement in band, and good essays made me stand out. However, one thing that I think made a difference was that I really showed that I was well-rounded. I got almost...

Ask as early as possible! I asked one of my teachers at the end of my Junior year, and...

Apply early!!!! I cannot stress this enough! Also, make sure you have something that makes you stand out among the thousands of other applicants. Make your "Why Michigan" essay very specific to...

I went on the College Board website and used their college search tool. I found it relatively helpful. I also toured every school that I applied to. One weird thing that I found out I wanted was a library open 24/7 on campus. I don't know why that initially appealed to me, but, let me tell you, the library system at Michigan is glorious. There are at least 3 libraries open 24/7 at Michigan, and when pulling an all-nighter, this is key. I don't know how I would function at a school that didn't have as many study spaces as Michigan. There is...

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