University of Michigan Essays 2025-2026

University of Michigan recently released their supplemental essays for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle. In this article, we will explain exactly what they are looking for in responses from applicants, so you can write essays that get you admitted there.

1. At the University of Michigan, we are focused on developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. In your essay, share with us how you are prepared to contribute to these goals. This could include the people, places, experiences, or aspirations that have shaped your journey and future plans (required for all applicants; 100 word minimum; 300 word maximum).

This is a new essay prompt that the University of Michigan is asking applicants to write. Last year they only asked for a generic community essay. The strongest responses to this question will be those in which the author provides a powerful experience from their life that makes them personally invested in a clear, well-defined goal they present, and then convinces the reader of the necessity of achieving this goal to better the world in some tangible way.

To accomplish this type of essay, I recommend starting with a vivid, first-person account of an event in your life that led you to develop a clear, well-defined goal that, if accomplished, would improve the world in a tangible way. Ideally, focuson 1-2 goals in this essay, no more than 2. With only 300 words, you don't want to risk watering down your message by including all of your goals. Ensure your goals are aligned with "challenging the present and enriching the future."

After describing your experiences and explaining the goals they led you to develop, discuss why it is critical that these goals are achieved, and what you have done so far to realize them. Conclude the essay by discussing what it means personally to you to achieve these goals, or by painting a picture that the reader can visualize of the impact achieving your goals will have on the world.

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; 100 word minimum; 500 word maximum)?

The infamous "Why Michigan Essay." Many consider this the most difficult "why school" essay due to its length. Given the essay's substantial word count, it is critical that you dedicate significant space to discussing yourself. The admissions officers already know all about the University of Michigan, use a healthy portion of the 500 words to showcase who you are.

Given how much space you have, you should be able to discuss professors you want to conduct research with, research centers that interest you, their unique curriculum and distribution of classes, multiple clubs, and campus traditions. If you are applying to LSA, focus solely on opportunities within LSA rather than other schools.

I would recommend starting this essay with a vivid personal anecdote that allows you to establish a strong personal connection to a niche area of research that a subset of professors at the University of Michigan specialize in. From there, cite a specific professor in that subfield with whom you would like to conduct research, then explain the applications of their work and connect those applications back to personal reasons why you would like to see them realized. Make sure to cite the University of Michigan's specific undergraduate research funding opportunities.

Be sure to mention research centers at UMich whose goals align with your academic interests, and explain how you plan to participate in their offerings, whether through research groups or by attending talks. Additionally, provide strong personal reasons for wanting to take electives outside of your major that their curriculum allows students to pursue.

Next, share glimpses of your lived experiences and explain how they motivate you to join certain clubs on campus. Make it clear that you understand these clubs' goals, and show the reader, in a vivid, first-person way, how you would be a contributing member.

Finally, touch upon campus traditions and explain how similar activities in your personal life have benefited you in the past. Conclude with a vivid first-person image of yourself engaging in something at the University of Michigan that demonstrates character growth, building upon the type of person you revealed yourself to be in the anecdotes throughout your essay.

If you want your college admissions essays to be the decisive factor that gets you into your dream school, schedule a free consultation with an admissions expert today to have all of your questions answered.