University of Michigan Supplemental Essays 2025–26 (All Schools, with Examples)
Michigan applicants in 2025–26 will complete two required University of Michigan supplements (below). Many applicants will also submit school- or program-specific materials (e.g., the Ross BBA Admissions Portfolio, arts portfolios, or auditions). This guide covers every undergraduate college/school so any reader can apply the advice.
What every applicant writes (required for all schools)
Prompt 1 — Leadership & Contribution (100–300 words)
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.
What to Do
Choose 1–2 focused moments that show initiative, growth, and tangible impact.
Name specific Michigan communities you’ll join (student orgs, labs, centers) and how you’ll contribute.
Connect past actions → Michigan plan → future impact.
What to Avoid
Title-dropping without outcomes.
Generic praise for Michigan with no link to your story.
Cramming a resume—depth beats breadth.
Example Snippet
“After our city’s bus routes shifted, I rebuilt my school’s carpool system with a routing script that cut average wait times by 28%. At Michigan, I’ll bring that build-test-iterate approach to the Michigan Data Science Team and Barger Leadership Institute, prototyping tools students can use to make campus mobility fairer and faster.”
Prompt 2 — Why This College/School? (100–550 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?
What to Do
Anchor to your target unit (LSA, Engineering, Ross, Nursing, Kinesiology, Stamps, SMTD, Taubman, Marsal, Information, Pharmacy).
Cite distinctive courses, sequences, labs, studios, or learning models you’ll use, and why they matter to your goals.
Show fit + contribution: how you’ll use Michigan’s ecosystem and what you’ll add to it.
What to Avoid
Rankings, traditions, or Ann Arbor vibes without an academic through-line.
Shopping lists of classes with no plan.
A generic “Why major” essay that could fit anywhere.
Example Snippet (LSA)
“I want to test how guaranteed-income pilots affect attendance. QMSS gives me the causal tools; Semester in Detroit supplies a community lab. With Center for Social Solutions projects, I can publish a replicable method for school districts to measure impact beyond test scores.”
Program- and school-specific requirements
Ross School of Business (BBA — First-Year Applicants & Preferred Admission)
Additional Required: Ross Admissions Portfolio (two parts)
Business Case Discussion (~500 words). Choose a current event or local issue, analyze business implications, and propose a solution using business principles.
Artifact & Description (upload + ~250 words). Share something that shows “learning in action” (what you built, led, or delivered) and explain its significance.
What to Do
Case: define the problem, stakeholders, constraints, options, tradeoffs, decision, metrics. Keep it local or specific to your experience.
Artifact: show evidence of impact (before/after data, dollars, users, attendance, adoption), not just accolades.
What to Avoid
Trendy headlines with superficial analysis.
Artifacts that are only certificates or awards without a story of how you created value.
Example Snippet (Case)
“Detroit corner pharmacies saw 12% shrink in diabetes strips after a distributor merger. I’d pilot a pooled-purchasing co-op with tiered rebates and SMS refill nudges, funded by a supplier performance allowance tied to on-time refills. Success = >8% shrink reduction and adherence +5 pts in 90 days.”
Example Snippet (Artifact)
“I’m submitting my student-run thrift pop-up launch plan: an Airtable inventory, dynamic pricing sheet, and volunteer scheduling flow. We diverted 1.2 tons from landfill and raised $4,380 for the shelter—data dashboards included.”
Taubman College — Architecture (B.S.)
Additional Required: Portfolio (8–10 pages + cover), plus a concise Artist/Maker Statement (~125 words).
What to Do
Curate process + iteration (sketch → model → revision), label each piece, and highlight your design thinking.
In the statement, name themes (e.g., light, circulation, material honesty) and how you test them.
What to Avoid
Tool dumps (Rhino, Revit) without ideas.
Over-edited work where authorship is unclear.
Example Snippet (Maker Statement)
“I design for hands—objects people touch daily. From a steam-bent stool to a flat-pack light canopy, I prototype in cardboard to test proportion, then translate curves in Rhino only after the form earns its place.”
Taubman College — Urban Technology (B.S.)
No portfolio. Apply with the standard Michigan essays.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Show how cities + code + design intersect in your plan (e.g., civic tech, mobility, housing).
Name studios/labs you’ll use to ship something a city would adopt.
Example Snippet
“Urban Tech’s Civic Tech Studio is where I’ll build a tenant-text hotline that integrates with city service tickets. By demo day, I want a pilot running in a neighborhood association with a feedback loop to improve response times.”
Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design (BFA/BA)
Additional Required: Portfolio of 12–15 works with brief work descriptions answering “Why did I create this?”
What to Do
Show range (observational, experimental, different media) and risk-taking.
Use captions to reveal intent, process, and change from sketch to final.
What to Avoid
Title-only captions.
Repetitive class assignments with identical prompts.
Example Snippet (caption)
“Transit Noon — gouache. I layered warm window reflections over a gridded underdrawing to compress depth, echoing how rush hour feels dense yet suspended.”
School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD)
Additional Required: Artistic Profile, major-specific personal statement, and prescreen/audition or portfolio (varies by program).
Example: Performing Arts Technology asks for a ~150-word personal statement outlining goals and fit.
What to Do
Name your sub-area and two project goals you’ll pursue in studios, ensembles, or labs.
Connect to faculty, series, or resources (e.g., EXCEL, recording spaces).
What to Avoid
Gear lists with no artistic intent.
General “I love music” narratives.
Example Snippet (PAT)
“I build interactive sound for movement. At SMTD, I want to prototype a dancer-driven MIDI rig and score a mixed-reality piece using Max and ambisonics, aiming to tour small venues with a portable setup.”
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA)
No extra essays beyond the two Michigan prompts.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Tie a method pathway (e.g., QMSS, Great Books, PitE) to a specific project or question you’ll pursue in Ann Arbor.
Add a community piece (residential learning communities, Semester in Detroit, centers/institutes).
Example Snippet
“I’ll pair PitE with Data Science to map tree-canopy equity and publish a community-readable dashboard through the Residential College writing sequence.”
College of Engineering
No extra essays beyond the two Michigan prompts.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Show how first-year design and a multidisciplinary team (e.g., MRover, MASA, M-Fly) create a build-measure-learn arc.
Name a lab or sequence (e.g., ROB 204 after ENGR 100) and why it fits your goal.
Example Snippet
“Starting with ENGR 100 and controls on MRover, I’ll test vision pipelines on hardware before diving into ROB 204—my path to robust autonomy for off-road bots.”
School of Nursing (BSN)
No extra essays beyond the two Michigan prompts.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Link early clinical exposure, simulation, and team communication to moments from your caregiving experience.
Emphasize patient safety, cultural humility, and how you learn under pressure.
Example Snippet
“My CNA shifts taught me to chart under pressure; Michigan’s early clinical rotations and 1:1 coaching in the Clinical Learning Center match how I build calm, competent habits.”
School of Kinesiology (Applied Exercise Science, Movement Science, Sport Management)
No extra essays for first-year admission.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Connect coursework (e.g., SM 203, MOVESCI labs) with hands-on experiences (Michigan Sport Business Conference, research groups).
Example Snippet
“I’ll study fan engagement in SM 203, then join the Michigan Sport Business Conference team to A/B test pricing on real campaigns.”
School of Information (BSI)
Upper-division program with Preferred Admission (PA) for first-years. You’ll complete prerequisites on campus and later submit a short internal application.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Explain why information + society is your lane (UX, data ethics, social computing).
Outline a two-step plan: first-year prep → BSI focus → community impact.
Example Snippet
“I’ll start with SI prerequisites and Civic Tech projects, then pursue UX research in BSI to redesign benefits portals for low-bandwidth users.”
Marsal Family School of Education (Educator Preparation Program — First-Year Direct Admit)
First-year direct admit available. No extra essays beyond the two Michigan prompts.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Emphasize practice-based coursework, rehearsals of instructional moves, and equity-centered fieldwork.
Name the learner population you aim to serve.
Example Snippet
“I want to practice bilingual math instruction early; EPP fieldwork and methods courses will help me design routines that lower language load without lowering rigor.”
College of Pharmacy (B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences)
First-year direct admit. No extra essays beyond the two Michigan prompts.
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle)
Show lab readiness and interest in translational science (drug delivery, pharmacokinetics).
Tie specific labs/sequences to your goals (e.g., benchwork leading to population health outcomes).
Example Snippet
“My capstone assay work makes me eager for Michigan’s BSPS lab rotations—my route to studying nanoparticle carriers for targeted chemotherapy.”
Public Health, Ford School of Public Policy, Dental Hygiene (Upper-Division Entry)
These majors admit later (typically sophomore/junior) and include their own application essays at that time (e.g., a Statement of Interest in Public Health; short essays for Ford; program essays for Dental Hygiene).
What to Do (Prompt 2 angle now)
Present a pipeline plan: the Michigan college you’ll start in, the prereqs and experiences you’ll seek, and why that sets you up for the later application.
Example Snippet
“I’ll begin in LSA with quantitative methods and a city internship, then apply to Public Health to evaluate how guaranteed income changes adolescent nutrition access.”
What Michigan looks for (to shape your voice)
The admissions prompts spotlight leaders and citizens who challenge the present and enrich the future. The strongest University of Michigan essays 2025–26 combine:
Initiative (you did something, not just held a title).
Community impact (who benefited and how you’ll keep building that impact at Michigan).
Intellectual purpose (a clear plan to use Michigan’s curriculum, labs, studios, and teams).
Final pointers for any UMich applicant
Show outcomes. A single metric or observable change stands out.
Write as a participant. Name the specific Michigan spaces you’ll join and how you’ll contribute.
Keep your voice. Be concrete, confident, and authentic.
Want expert feedback on your University of Michigan essays? Schedule a free consultation with Momentum College Prep.
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