'my mom discuss her experiences at the LSA School' - U of M, WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO HERE ESSAY

As a senior moving forward towards college, I tend to look back on my life and my former education. How each grade shaped me and gave me a different tool for life. For instance, how fourth grade was a predominantly useless year; we had a lack of curriculum. We learned nothing except to write in cursive and to count in Spanish to a hundred. But the most important thing and arguably one of the only things I learned that year was from reading the cliché 'life lesson' posters on the wall. One particular poster said, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." This phrase has been ingrained in me ever since I first read it and it is what brought me to apply to the University of Michigan. I desire the finest education possible and I believe that the School of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) offers that. I want to expand my knowledge in numerous areas and receive an education that is worth the effort and time I am eager to devote.

I am drawn to the LSA School in particular because of its wide variety and the flexibility to the undergraduate's personal interests. As I'm sure most incoming freshmen could agree, I am not 100% sure of what I want to get a degree in. I respect U of M so much for the Individual Major Program and am considering it upon acceptance. However, I am interested in getting a degree in education to assist me in becoming a Speech and Debate coach. I want to start up Debate teams for schools and give them the opportunities my own coach neglected my team from. If I don't pursue this path, my other option would be to get a degree pertaining to film. The Screen Arts and Culture major is exceptionally appealing to me and offers tremendous opportunities. For example, studying abroad and partaking in an internship to get hands on experience are two things I would love to partake in.

When my mom discusses her experiences at the LSA School, I can't help but think if my own future there. I believe the LSA School would be the best fit for me because of the class sizes and the professors' dedication. I thrive in smaller class settings and enjoy learning in a more interactive way. My tour guide made me cognizant of how accessible the professors are and I plan on taking advantage of their office hours. I couldn't think of a better, more well rounded school than Michigan. At the homecoming football game I attended, the sense of community I felt throughout the students was astounding; it seemed like a place where I belong. So as the University of Michigan casts its fishing rod into one of the five great lakes, I hope I'm the fish that is chosen to gain life long values and a phenomenal education.

Katie, I think that there is a discrepancy in your essay. You cannot claim to be unsure of your major while also saying that you are interested in getting a degree in education. If you are 100 % sure that you want to enroll in the Individual Major Program, then you are considering designing your own major. If you are sure also interested in getting a degree in Education from LSA, then you are pretty much set on what major you want to take. So you need to choose one option and decide that it will be the one decision you will present to the reviewer. You don't give a specific reason for wanting to take IMP while you have a specific reason for wanting to major in education. I think that the stronger choice that will impress the reviewer is clear, you should discuss the education major. Unless, you feel that you have a unique idea for IMP that will better catch the attention of the reviewer, then I don't see why you should mention it at all.

Instead of relying on the story of your mother or the saying about teaching a man to fish, both of which do not really tell the reason why you want to attend LSA school, it is my belief that you should instead make your reason for your interest in LSA concentrate on either a unique IMP program that you want to design for yourself or, you can talk about the excellent education major that the school offers. Either way, that sort of discussion allows you to portray a clear interest in the academic side of the school rather than unrelated reasons.

When you mention that your mom was an LSA student, try to relate some of the stories that you have heard from her to the reasons that you became even more interested in attending LSA. Don't play up the legacy aspect too much because we are not sure that it could affect your admission. However, having a parent who is familiar with LSA is often a good enough basis for your interest in their school. It should only come across as the reason why you learned about LSA. The factors that affected your reasons for applying should not relate to your mother being an alumna of the school. Make those reasons clearly your own. Develop the reasons based upon the academic reputation of the school and your future career goals and interests.