Michigan also changed essay prompts

[Anonymous]

Used to be a diversity essay (community).
Now changed to a leadership essay.

Combined with ED opinion, I think they are potentially looking for a different pool.

[Anonymous]

With ED and this essay prompt, a differentiation from UC, which, given the demographics of California, will continue to value diversity and social mobility

[Anonymous]

“Leadership” is often associated with diversity efforts too. The Posse Scholarship, for example, is a leadership scholarship.

[Anonymous]

Less DEI. More full pay kids. That’s what they are doing.

[Anonymous]

Michigan has been a full pay school for decades since their budget crashed. That is why you will see a ton of W school kids going to Michigan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Leadership” is often associated with diversity efforts too. The Posse Scholarship, for example, is a leadership scholarship.

There's no reason why you can't be a leader and have that emerge from your community background.

I think this is a logical change.

First, Michigan does want student leaders. And second, people will use the existence of words like community to witch hunt DEI. When I toured in 2024, an AO said that a lot of people write about their religious background. These days with all the crazy accusations and the administration's policy issues related to antisemitism, maybe they don't need accusations emerging out of how that material was reviewed. The AO also said that some of the best community essays were personal and humorous. Like being part of a community of "milkshake drinkers". So gimmicks were a bit of a welcome relief. But probably most of us could agree that student leadership capabilities are more important than how quirky-funny-memorable your writing is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Leadership” is often associated with diversity efforts too. The Posse Scholarship, for example, is a leadership scholarship.

I hate this narrative, because literally any essay can be reworked into a "diversity" essay if you want. If Michigan asked students to discuss their favorite teacher, an applicant could write "Mr. Smith is my favorite teacher, because he's the first black male teacher I ever had, and I felt heard and represented." If students want to telegraph race in their essays, they will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Michigan has been a full pay school for decades since their budget crashed. That is why you will see a ton of W school kids going to Michigan.

What is a W school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to be a diversity essay (community).
Now changed to a leadership essay.

Combined with ED opinion, I think they are potentially looking for a different pool.

Diversity was a dumb prompt anyway.

[Anonymous]

They just want to avoid the fate of UVA. It’s a simple wording change, but kids still have the opportunity to mention whatever kind of diversity they think will help them stand out.

To be clear, I think a diverse campus is better and have no idea why anyone would be against diversity, equality or inclusion. Kids will (and should) still call out what makes them unique and work in their backgrounds and cultures into the essay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Leadership” is often associated with diversity efforts too. The Posse Scholarship, for example, is a leadership scholarship.

Anything can be associated with leadership. But leadership is not a codeword for race the same way community is. It was clear to everyone what those essays were for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michigan has been a full pay school for decades since their budget crashed. That is why you will see a ton of W school kids going to Michigan.

What is a W school?

It's a made up term for certain schools from MCPS that tend to have a more wealthy parent base. (Whitman, Walter Johnson, Winston Churchill, and then people argue about whether other schools like Wooton or BCC are included in that term.) It's dumb. Another reason lots of kids from those neighborhoods like Michigan is that lots of their parents or aunts/uncles are Michigan grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Leadership” is often associated with diversity efforts too. The Posse Scholarship, for example, is a leadership scholarship.

There's no reason why you can't be a leader and have that emerge from your community background.

I think this is a logical change.

First, Michigan does want student leaders. And second, people will use the existence of words like community to witch hunt DEI. When I toured in 2024, an AO said that a lot of people write about their religious background. These days with all the crazy accusations and the administration's policy issues related to antisemitism, maybe they don't need accusations emerging out of how that material was reviewed. The AO also said that some of the best community essays were personal and humorous. Like being part of a community of "milkshake drinkers". So gimmicks were a bit of a welcome relief. But probably most of us could agree that student leadership capabilities are more important than how quirky-funny-memorable your writing is.

Those are interesting corner cases but the purpose of those essays was to give kids an opportunity to say they are URM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michigan has been a full pay school for decades since their budget crashed. That is why you will see a ton of W school kids going to Michigan.

What is a W school?

Search button is your friend. Certain MCPS high schools starting with W, containing full pay families.

[Anonymous]

Googled for essays but didn't see this.

Op, where did you see this?