2026-27 Cycle • 2 prompts

University of Michigan supplemental essays.

Every University of Michigan supplemental prompt for the 2026-27 cycle, with the word limit, what they're looking for, and the most common pitfalls.

1. Prompt 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.

   300 wordsrequired

   What they really want

   • Pick a specific, scoped community — not 'America' or 'humanity.'
   • 'Your place within it' is the second half — give it equal weight.

   Avoid

   • Generic identity-based community without lived detail.
   • Treating community as a resume line.

2. Prompt 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?

   550 wordsrequired

   What they really want

   • School-specific (LSA, Engineering, Ross, Ross Direct Admit, Stamps, Music).
   • Long form — go deep on 3-4 academic resources, not surface on 10.

   Avoid

   • Same 'why us' essay you sent to Wisconsin.
   • Listing UM's size and Big Ten as core reasons.