<p>I am using the common application to apply to transfer to the University of Michigan. I'm having a bit of trouble with one of the essays. The prompt is "Please provide a statement that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve." This is part of the common app itself and not the Michigan Supplement. As I am applying to only one school, should I keep the somewhat general format of the essay in which I describe reasons for transferring to a better school or should I make it more Michigan specific and talk about why I want go go to Michigan? Keep in mind that one of the essays on the Michigan Supplement is to give reasons for applying to the specific LSA college and how the curriculum supports your interests.</p>
<p><em>bump!</em> please help!</p>
<p>The two essays should not go over the same material.</p>
<p>Confine your Michigan-specific material to the Michigan supplement.</p>
<p>You are applying to only one school…but what if you change your mind? That might seem impossible now…but it could happen.</p>
<p>In the essay about why you want to transfer, talk about the good things that you hope to get in your new school. Do not talk about bad things at your current school, and make sure that you do not badmouth your current school. So, for example, it would be okay to talk about your desire for a wider range of courses and majors at your new school. It would be unwise, though, to say that your current school is too small or too narrow.</p>
<p>I am applying as a transfer student, so I’m not completely cutting off other prospects by applying to only one school the way a high school senior would. If I am rejected, I am still in a top 75 school; I just won’t be at the top 20 school that I want. I appreciate your advice though! I will definitely focus on the positive aspects I see in my (hopefully) future school! It’s just difficult to be so general because I’ve done my research (almost to the point of obsession) and there are very specific things I love about this school and want to put in my essay. The Michigan specific essay has to focus mostly on curriculum. I just don’t want to leave things out.</p>
<p>Thanks for your response. I am sorry that I was not clear. I did not mean to suggest that you are cutting off prospects. I was trying to say that if the general essay is about Michigan, that essay will be a problem if, for whatever reason, you decide later on to apply to other schools.</p>
<p>The general essay can be tailored to Michigan with stating that explicitly. For example, let’s say that you love the Women’s Glee Club there. Your essay might say that you are looking for a university that has energetic, enthusiastic singing groups.</p>
<p>If you are truly content where you are, and you are absolutely certain that you won’t apply to other colleges besides Michigan, you could consider being more explicit about Michigan in the general essay. It is not a bad thing at all to say that you are happy where you are but Michigan would be ever so much better. Still, the material should be different. The reader should not feel that reading either essay was a duplicative waste of time. It sounds, though, as if you could divide the material into curriculum and non-curriculum.</p>
<p>Thank you so much!! That’s actually a great idea! I’ll be sure to do that right away!</p>