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Personal statement

Your personal statement for health profession school should address the fundamental questions of:

• Why do you want to be a physician/dentist/etc. and
• What experiences have helped you reach that conclusion.

The essay should be about your journey, your story and the process of discovery, exploration and choice for a career in medicine, dentistry or whatever your chosen health field might be.

As a general rule of thumb, you want to focus more on what you learned from your past experiences, what impact they had on you, etc. than on the details of the experiences themselves. In other words, you want to be more reflective than descriptive.

Table of Contents

Assess & reflect, getting feedback, start writing.

Good personal statements begin with sound self-assessment and awareness of your life story so far. Think back of all your life experiences and focus, in particular, on your time spent in the very communities and settings (hospitals, clinics, hospices, research labs, etc.) that you wish to eventually join as a practitioner. Try to answer the following questions to get you started on the reflecting process:

• Why do you want to become a physician/dentist...? Be as specific and sincere as you can.
• What experiences have confirmed your career choice?
• What have you learned from your past experiences in general?
• Describe your experiences in health care, especially those involving patient contact.
• Think back about one or two particular events with a patient or a professional that deeply affected you.
• Who have been the most influential people in your life and why?
• What’s your background, your values? (First generation college, mother/father health professional; spirituality, altruism…)
• Think about your uniqueness. What could you contribute to a diverse environment? (Hint: Think of your “diversity” as an asset: culture, age, major, unique experiences and perspectives).
• How would you describe yourself?
• How would your professors, employers, family members, friends describe you?
• What co-curricular activities have broadened your horizons?
• How have you demonstrated leadership?
• What skills are your learning in classes and research that are relevant to a career in medicine/dentistry....?
• What are you learning about yourself through your experiences inside and outside of the classroom?
• What kind of impact do you want to have on your community?
• In what ways have you already started this process?
• How have you challenged yourself?
• How have you demonstrated your service orientation, compassion, etc.?
• How have you come to understand the demands of your chosen profession?
• How well can you work with others?
• What’s your motivation for learning?
• Think of your proudest moment. Why was that accomplishment so particularly meaningful to you?
• What is it that you would like for a medical/dental... school to really know about you?
• Why should a medical/dental... school want to have you as a student?

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Don’t wait until you have a final draft to start getting feedback from others. If you have invested too much time in your essay, you are likely to be overprotective and defensive of your work and, consequently, somewhat non-receptive to feedback.

Give yourself a realistic timeline for a first workable draft and schedule an appointment accordingly with the reviewer. This approach will force you to set an “artificial” deadline to have a first workable draft.

Work on contents first. You can fine tune length, grammar and punctuation later!

Preview and print your essay before submitting your application because what prints is what the schools will see and you will not have a chance to make any changes later. Notepad usually works well. If you try to cut and paste your essay into a central application template (such as AMCAS, AACOMAS, AADSAS, etc.) from other programs, you may encounter some difficulties with certain characters and with fitting the final lines of your essay.

Strive to have more than one person review your personal statement. If you’re an LSA student looking for someone to review your personal statement, you should go to the  LSA Opportunity Hub and not the Newnan pre-med advisors. For other students,  reach out to the academic advisors in your school or college, or consider faculty, mentors, friends and/or family who might be willing to help.  See these resources for feedback .

Should you start with an outline or jump into free writing? It is really up to you since you can tackle this project in a number of ways:

• After the recommended reflection exercise , look for recurring ideas and/or more substantive concepts.
• Organize and prioritize your thoughts
• Think of examples to substantiate your statements
• Introduce, develop and close your essay appropriately.

Free writing:

• Allow at least 45-60 minutes to brainstorm--don't worry about space limitations
• After your first draft, look for common themes
• Prioritize information and try to address a specific topic in each paragraph
• Strive for continuity and organization of thoughts.

Whatever you do:

• Have a mental picture of your audience as you write and
• Don't second-guess or try to please your audience. Tell your story according to you.

At the drafting stage, don't start writing and then stop when you have about one page worth of information or have reached whatever word limit you were given. Yes, there will most likely be a limit to how much you can write, but usually the "good stuff" comes up later in the course of a draft, when you have been able to move away from the generalities and platitudes of why you want to go to medical/dental... school and can move to a deeper level of self-understanding and analysis as to why you want to become a physician/dentist.... As soon as you have a working draft, start seeking feedback from a variety of individuals. 

Dive into your personal statement with gusto!  Look at your personal statement as an opportunity rather than a drudgery.

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Statements and Curriculum Vitae or Resume

Visit your program’s website for any additional requirements for the academic statement of purpose or personal statement. Contact information is listed on our Programs of Study webpage.

The academic statement of purpose, the personal statement, and a curriculum vitae (CV) or resume work together to give a fuller picture of your interests, motivations, and experiences. These three documents must be uploaded to the ApplyWeb application.

• The type of document (Academic Statement of Purpose, Personal Statement, or Curriculum Vitae orResume)
• The name of the graduate program (i.e. Chemical Engineering, Mas)
• Your 8 digit U-M ID (if known)
• Make sure margins are at least one inch so nothing is cropped/cut off when you upload the documents to the application.

Academic Statement of Purpose

The academic statement of purpose should be a concise, well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how this graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.

Personal Statement

How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan?

For example, if you grew up in a community where educational, cultural, or other opportunities were either especially plentiful or especially lacking, or are undocumented or DACAmented, you might discuss the impact this had on your development and interests. This should be a discussion of the journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree. If you will be a graduate student with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), it is important to mention DACA in your personal statement since this is a consideration for some financial aid.

The personal statement has a 500 word limit and should be different from your Academic Statement of Purpose.

Curriculum Vitae or Resume

A curriculum vitae (CV) or resume describes your education, work experience, research publications, teaching experience, professional activities, volunteer activity, community engagement, as well as honors and awards.

PRIDE MONTH

Fall Term 2021 Updates

Michigan Robotics

Work together, create smart machines, serve society.

• Robotics Graduate Program

Academic Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement

The academic statement of purpose and personal statement should cover details about your academic background and career aspirations. You will want to talk about your engineering experiences, your motivation for pursuing a higher degree in Robotics, your long-term goals, as well as your specific interests.

The pair of statements should work together to inform us about your experiences and goals. However, don’t be redundant. Utilize the personal statement to expand upon your academic statement of purpose. If you want to write about the same topic, split it into two distinct pieces that cover different thoughts.

This format is meant to be flexible and allow for creativity: there is no single answer, however below is more guidance on each statement.

Academic statement of purpose

Talk technical, go deep, and talk about your engineering background.

Include your academic and research background, career goals, and how this graduate program will help meet career and educational objectives.

Applicants often don’t go deep or concrete enough into describing their engineering experience, whether an internship, project, or research. Showcase your technical writing, and your enthusiasm for your work. After describing one or more experiences in detail, including your contributions to the projects or tasks, discuss why graduate school is the next step for you. Make an argument for your unique qualifications and professional preparation, and what you hope to contribute to the field.

Personal statement

Talk about your inspiration, background, and academic or project pursuits.

Indicate how your personal background and life experiences, including social, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges, have motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Michigan. This is a discussion of the personal journey that has led to your decision to seek a graduate degree in Robotics.

Include your motivations to take your robotics career further. What concrete examples can you share of your academic and non-academic activities that might have prepared you for graduate study? Don’t be afraid to name collaborators in the field–our faculty often know many of them! But also talk about the work you did with those collaborators. Think of this as a story about your personal and professional development, and a proposal for your graduate school career.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The academic statement of purpose should be approximately one to two pages, single spaced.

The personal statement should be approximately one to two pages, single spaced. Rackham’s 500 word limit does not apply.

No. We ask that all applicants submit two separate documents for the statement of purpose and personal statement. If an applicant submits one document we will contact them to request two separate documents. The Graduate Admission Committee requires two separate documents.

No, there are no formatting guidelines in regards to font type, font size, or margins.

No. Please review all application materials before submitting your application. 

Please note that once an applicant submits their online application, no changes to the statement of purpose, personal statement, curriculum vitae, and application can be modified online.

Many, many applicants talk about LEGOs. If you choose to take that risk, be sure to make it your own, unique, compelling, and personal storyline.

Personal statements: What not to do

Sometimes I will unexpectedly stumble across an item I wrote at some point in the distant past, and upon rereading, I’ll be thrilled to discover I still like it. That’s a wonderful feeling—very self-affirming.

That is not the feeling I get when rereading my law school personal statement. More accurate adjectives include “shame,” “revulsion,” and “horror.”

After a couple of seasons in this position, way back in 2003 or so, I got up the nerve to go dig out my application file from the huge storage room hidden deep in the recesses of Hutchins Hall . Given the weight I put on personal statements when I read them, going back to check out my own seemed like a clever idea. Without actually remembering, I’m going to guess that I expected a nice self-affirming experience, but alas, no. I loathed my personal statement to such a degree that I had the Looper -style existential crisis of realizing that if I had been my own dean of admissions, I would not have admitted myself. I returned my personal statement to the vault, resolving never to speak or think of it again.

But as Freud got famous for observing, repressed thoughts have a tricky way of coming back on you. My stupid personal statement would worm its way into my brain every once in a while, and finally, about a year and a half ago, I got the idea of tearing it apart for this blog: part philanthropic, educational gesture; part exorcism. It took me another year or so to get the nerve to go dig out my application file folder again, and yet another six months to beat back the waves of nausea that washed over me every time I peeked at the essay inside. But here we are. I think I’m ready. Let’s just tackle this horrifying task bird by bird . 1

Often I am asked, “What’s a good subject for a personal statement? Do I have to explain why I want to attend law school?” No!, I unambiguously respond. (I say it just like that, with an exclamation mark.) While your life path to law school might very well be in the background of whatever you write, it is certainly not necessary—and usually not desirable—to make it an explicit rendering. Often, even well-considered reasons behind wanting to attend law school are fairly mundane and simply expressed, not to mention shared by many candidates, with the result that any essay focusing principally on them is not particularly compelling. Occasionally, candidates will have very targeted, well-established career interests (e.g., the emergency room doctor who wants a career in health law; the school superintendent who wants a career in education law), and those make for compelling essays. But “I would like to have intellectual challenge in my career; I like unraveling problems; I like research and writing,” are such bland—though completely valid—explanations that they inevitably fail to engage the “personal” part of the personal statement mission. So, while those motivations might be the undercurrent of a personal statement, constructing the essay as an explicit “because A, then B” endeavor is not likely to be riveting.

Another bit of advice I frequently give along those lines is that people who have had experiences very early in life that set them on the path toward law should focus instead on something of more recent vintage. Don’t tell me about how you got an idea as a child about wanting to be a lawyer—I would prefer to know why, now that you’re an adult, your application is in front of me.

Given my standard advice, how much, on a scale of 1 to 10, do you think I loved reading this opening line? “My interest in law school began when I was eight.” Really, just terrible.

From there, my long-ago self went on to explain that that was the year my mother went to law school. Now, my mother’s move was a pretty bold one in 1972 for a 38-year-old mother of three in Main Line Philadelphia, and 40 years later, I still find it admirable and inspiring. I may have just finished generally criticizing this sort of theme (and this shows the danger of general advice), but it seems not impossible that this could have been an interesting topic. Yet, for reasons mysterious to me now, I seem to have made a deliberate choice back in 1989 to explore my topic in the most ham-handed imaginable way. (And let’s just politely avert our gazes from my having identified my mom’s degree, in the second sentence, as a juris doctorate .)

Mostly, my personal statement is hard to read because of the hyper-formal tone I took. I can dimly remember writing with my unknown audience in mind, and picturing them as super, super, super stiff and humorless and scary—also, for some reason, I pictured at least 10 of them simultaneously reading my application. Unsurprisingly, writing to please an audience like that turns out to make for clunky prose—not to mention really awkward, unnatural phrasing.

The whole thing is peppered with words that seem a little—off. I don’t remember doing this, but it reads as if wrote it out normally and then went back to up the syllable count, substituting five-dollar words for my daily quotidian vocabulary, like some horrible Google translate feature gone awry. Here’s a little writing advice from Stephen King on that score: “Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.” 2 (I would have been better served to use a dictionary, given that on at least one occasion I misused a word completely: “disinterest,” which means “lack of bias,” when in fact I meant “lack of interest.”)

Doubtless, it was this same classing-it-up impulse that led me to quote Judge Learned Hand, whose work I had never actually read. Again, I don’t remember doing this, but I presumably combed through a book of quotations to find something inspiring. (Remember, this debacle occurred pre-Internet; I actually had to go to a lot of effort to produce such an unreadable mess.) I’m going to take as an article of faith that, however much you may love the one sentence you have stumbled upon, quoting people whose work you do not actually know is always a bad idea.

My personal statement is also tedious; it is totally expositive, completely devoid of detail or anecdote. I could have told the funny story about the time I got dragged along to a meeting my mom had with her scariest professor, and announced upon exiting (while still in the doorway, mind you) in my loudest eight-year-old voice, “ I think he’s NICE !,” and segued from that to something about how I should be admitted because I had already gotten over Paper Chase -style neuroses. Or I could have told the story about how I once got dragged along to class and sat in the back row next to one of her classmates, another non-traditional student (Episcopal priest turned Vietnam War protester turned would-be lawyer), who gave me whispered explanations of everything that was going on in the discussion, and credited him with some inspirational force. Or I could have told the story about her very young study group partner, who pulled me aside one day (in our living room, mind you) and whispered, “Go away, kid; you bother me,” and explained that I was devoted to the cause of a jackass-free law school. And so on. But I chose instead to explicate in ponderous prose that I was Called To The Law. Shudder.

The flaws are not merely stylistic and thematic. The specific content stinks, too. I veered wildly between being braggy in a quite direct, unnuanced way, and talking excessively about other people, without clearly explaining the significance of those other people to me. And, as if I had never, ever been taught anything about constructing an essay, every paragraph is essentially a stand-alone endeavor. I did not seem to have any particular point I wanted to build to—I was, instead, largely throwing out separate thoughts that seemed potentially persuasive. Focusing on one particular thought or event, and developing that thoroughly, would have been likely to be more productive.

Have I mentioned it was awful?

In retrospect, I have a pretty good idea of how I came to write something so misguided. What I intended to write was something like this: My mom went to law school when I was young. It was an unusual move, and I admired her. In fact, though, she ended up absolutely hating being a lawyer, and then she died when I was in college, still hating it. That combination of circumstances made me really second-guess my previous certainty that The Law Was For Me. I therefore took some time to work in a law office and experiment with some other activities, and consider what I wanted from a career. Mission accomplished, and here I am, Michigan Law School. So, why didn’t I just write that? Because at the time, I was really uncomfortable with the idea of writing about my mom to strangers; even four years after she died, it was still very much an open wound for me, and I was leery of in any way exploiting it. So, instead, I wrote in a completely elliptical way, and never connected the dots—to the extent, weirdly, that I never even said that she had died, just that she had gotten sick. There were two possible solutions for my fundamental writing problem: either pick some less-fraught subject or force myself to be direct.

The good news is, the hot waves of mortification that wash over me when I read it carry with them some helpful perspective. The personal statement is very important, but it is just one piece of the puzzle, balanced by the considerable amount of information elsewhere in the application. (At a completely practical level, this is one of the great virtues of the optional essay prompts we provide; for people tormented by the task of writing a free-form personal statement, the direct, focused questions often lead to a much better result.) Even though I retain a hard little nugget of disdain in my heart for my 24-year-old self, I have learned to be more generous to others. Knowing how badly I flubbed it makes me very admiring of those who don’t, but also more forgiving of those who do. (And very thankful to Allan Stillwagon for having been forgiving of me.) Approach your personal statement as a five-minute conversation with a normal human being, at the end of which you hope the normal human being is thinking, “This person would be well-suited to be at XYZ law school when fall (or, perhaps, summer) comes.”

And for heaven’s sake, go easy with the thesaurus and Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations .

-Dean Z. Senior Assistant Dean for Admissions, Financial Aid, and Career Planning

1 Bird by Bird by Annie Lamott is my all-time favorite book on writing. Shout-out to Lisa Rudgers , who recommended it.

2 Stephen King’s On Writing is my second-favorite book about writing. I have to dissent a bit from his anti-thesaurus edict, though. As one blogger noted , “Actually, I can think of one exception to this rule. I generally don’t pluck words I don’t know out of a thesaurus unless I’m trying to be funny, but if a word is on the tip of my tongue and I can’t for the life of me think what it is, the thesaurus is a good way to find it.”

Piano Principal Audition Requirements (for pianists applying to degrees other than performance): accepting recorded submissions only

Piano audition requirements for degrees for which Piano is the principal instrument, not the major instrument (i.e.: Composition, Multidisciplinary Studies, Music Education, Music Theory, Musicology, Performing Arts Technology) are listed below. Principal audition recordings must be uploaded to the Artistic Profile by December 1 .

Please submit to the Artistic Profile:

• a baroque work
• a quick tempo movement of a classical sonata
• 19th- or 20th-Century solo of your choice
• a speaking video which addresses the following prompts: 1) Please state your name and the degree(s) for which you are applying;  2) Why do you want to study music in college? 3) Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? What would you like to be doing?

Memorization is required except by petition approved by the faculty.

Teacher Request and Contact Policies, and Admissions/Scholarship Decisions

While filling out your SMTD Artistic Profile, you will be asked to indicate your Studio Preferences, which will indicate to the piano department which teacher(s) you are interested in studying with if you are admitted to the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. It has no bearing at all on your acceptance to the School, and is used only for contact and administrative purposes after your recorded audition is submitted.

Before your audition, the Piano Department encourages each prospective student to feel free to contact anyone on the faculty for answers to questions about auditions, study at Michigan, or anything else that may be related to your interest in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. After your audition has been performed/submitted, primary contact from the Piano Department will be with the teacher listed as first choice in your Artistic Profile, unless that teacher has given permission to second or third choices to contact you. This is simply for clarity and efficiency of communication. You may continue to initiate contact with any member of the faculty you wish, and may change your first choice designation after your audition is performed/submitted, but the department will ask you to be very clear about your preferences so we can determine studio assignments as soon as possible, according to which professor has space for which students in the coming year.

Admission to SMTD is based upon evaluation of your application as a whole, and also your recorded audition evaluations. Admissions decisions are made by the school’s Office of Admissions and are generally announced in late February/early March.

All auditionees are considered for School scholarships (provided they audition before the final date of consideration; please see  Scholarships/Financial Aid  for updated information) with decisions being made and sent to applicants by early April. Admitted students may receive several letters from different offices at the U-M concerning scholarships and need-based grants and loans; be sure to be in contact with the School of Music, Theatre & Dance Admissions Office concerning your total award package.

Upload the following video recordings to the SMTD Artistic Profile:

• 15 minutes of alto saxophone literature representing your highest proficiency. Suggested literature includes the  Sonata  by Creston,  Concertina de Camera  by Ibert,  Concerto  by Glazunov,  Brilliance  by Gotkovsky,  Concerto  by Creston and  Prelude, Cadence et Finale  by Desenclos.
• Two Ferling Etudes (one slow and one that displays your technical skills)
• A video demonstrating all twelve major scales (full range B-flat to F-sharp 3) and on major thirds in all keys (full range-varied articulations)
• OPTIONAL: 1-2 additional videos of other playing you’ve done in the past 18 months. Recordings of past recitals or performances are encouraged, including jazz or other genres of music.

Jazz improvisation videos are welcomed and, if you have significant jazz experience, you are encouraged to include video performances of your work. Contact our Auditions Coordinator ( [email protected] ) if you would like to audition separately for the Jazz faculty.

Audition/Interview Requirements (in person or online)

Students who advance to this stage of the application process will meet with Saxophone faculty for an audition and a brief discussion of your training, future and career goals.

Prepare an audition program with approximately 15 minutes of music that showcases your highest level of musical and technical expertise. Be prepared to demonstrate altissimo skills, overtones, and/or altissimo scales. Tuning response will also be tested. The music for the live audition may be the same or different from that submitted on your videos. An accompanist is not expected or required.

Theatre & Drama: Bachelor of Theatre Arts

Writing requirements.

Last updated 8/17/2022

Prepare the writings below in typed, single-spaced format, and upload to your  Artistic Profile:

1) Write a one-page statement explaining your previous experience with the theatre and why you are seeking admission to the BTA program. Why is the BTA the best fit for you? We encourage you to discuss specific aspects of our program and university that will support your interests and career goals (for example, courses, degree concentrations, professors, student organizations, alumni, context within a research university and/or a school dedicated to the performing arts). For more details about the program, consult the main  Bachelor of Theatre Arts  web page, the  BTA Student Experience  page, and/or the  BTA Curriculum .

2) Write a two-page essay reviewing or analyzing an artistic work (e.g., play, musical, movie, theatrical production, spoken-word performance, music video, dance work, opera, etc.) that you have read, watched, or attended. Consider discussing (for example) character development, major ideas or themes, political or social context, music or sound design, movement, technology, scenic or costume design.

3) OPTIONAL for applicants – encouraged for those interested in concentrating or minoring in playwriting:

Using one of the four poems below as inspiration, write a two-page story or narrative featuring the poem’s narrator as the “main character”:

• Reginald Dwayne Betts,  “Legacy”
• Darius V. Daughtry,  Poetry is a One Hour Forty-Three Minute Playlist  from  And the Walls Came Tumbling  (2019)
• Claudia Rankin, excerpt from  part IV of  Citizen: An American Lyric
• Alice Walker,  “Expect Nothing”
• The Admissions Office will screen your application for academic eligibility.  The review will include an examination of your transcript(s), letters of recommendation, and ACT or SAT scores.
• If your application passes the initial academic review, the BTA faculty advisor will read your writing samples and make an assessment of the quality of your work.
• The School of Music, Theatre & Dance Admissions Office will make the final determination regarding admission. A letter will be sent to you as soon as that decision has been made.

Is an audition required for the BTA program?

No. We do not require an audition because the BTA program serves students with wide-ranging interests. (Students whose sole focus is acting, directing, design, or technical theatre pursue the department’s BFA program.) BTA students complete coursework and hands-on learning opportunities in performing arts management, playwriting, global theatre and ethnic studies, practice-as-research, producing, education, and stage management, among other areas.

Theatre & Drama: Acting

Application requirements.

• Already a U-M student? Submit the online  cross-campus transfer application  instead of the Common Application; be sure to submit the Artistic Profile as well.
• Resumé and photo:  Upload a resumé to your Artistic Profile that includes previous theatre experience and training, and dance or music background, and roles performed. Include a photo with a good likeness of yourself.

Please upload to your SMTD Artistic Profile the following:

• Two (2) monologue videos: Upload two contrasting monologues (not to exceed a combined total of four minutes) from published works that are contrasting in style (period and/or genre) and emotional range. Your selections may be from comedies or dramas of any period. Try to incorporate some physical movement in at least one of the selections.
• “Why Acting?”   video:  Upload a 60-90 second face-to-the-camera video in which you answer the question “Why do you want to pursue a career in acting?” so that we may get to know you. Do not submit a multi-camera, highly technical, edited studio video.
• “Why Michigan?” –  Tell us why you want to attend the University of Michigan. You are permitted to re-use an essay from your Common Application that answers this same question.
• “Why Theatre at Michigan?” –  Describe your reasons for choosing performance training at Michigan and a theatre career. This may include goals, professional ambitions, and ideas about the field itself.
• OPTIONAL: 1-3 additional videos of other acting you’ve done in the last 18 months

Live Online or In-Person Audition/Interview Requirements 

• Students who advance to this stage of the application process will meet with the theatre faculty for a live audition and a discussion of your background and goals.
• Performance:  Prepare and memorize two contrasting monologues from plays, not to exceed a combined total of four minutes. You may choose new monologues or present the same monologues that you used in pre-screening. These selections, which must be from a published work, may be from comedies or dramas of any period. Try to incorporate some physical movement in at least one of the selections. Be prepared for the evaluators to ask you to do an adjustment or to have a conversation about the piece you have chosen. Additionally, you may be asked to perform a third piece if you have one prepared.

Recording Tips

• In one of your pre-screen recordings, please be no more than 4-6 feet away from the camera. The faculty would like to see ¾ of the body.
• In your second pre-screen recording, please be no more than 2-3 feet away from the camera. This should be a close-up recording from the shoulders up.
• Record your monologues in front of a neutral background if possible (for ex: in front a solid colored wall with no photographs or art hung on it).  A neutral background could be helpful, too, in your live audition.
• For your video submissions, please note that we  do not accept  links from YouTube, Google Drive, or any other file-hosting services. Only  original files  will be accepted.

Audition Tips

• Be on time for your scheduled audition.
• Warm up physically and vocally before the audition. Be relaxed and focused as much as possible.
• It’s recommended that you wear clothing in which you feel good, which you feel accurately represents you, and which allows you to move freely and comfortably.
• Choose material with which you feel comfortable, and is appropriate to your own age and experience. Avoid excessively stylized pieces, dialects, extreme physicality, and props.
• Remember that an audition should demonstrate both your talent and your potential.
• Be simple, direct, and honest. Avoid lengthy explanations or apologies.
• Remember that the faculty want you to be successful.

Theatre & Drama: Directing

Applicants  must  have completed the  Common Application and the Artistic Profile on or before December 1. 

• Already a U-M student? Submit the online  cross-campus transfer application  instead.

Portfolio Components

• Résumé and photo:  Upload a typed résumé that includes previous theatre experience and training. Upload a photo with a good likeness of yourself.
• “Why Directing?” video:  Upload a 60-90 second face-to-the-camera video in which you answer the question “Why do you want to pursue a career in directing?” so that we may get to know you. Do not submit a multi-camera, highly technical, edited studio video.
• Brief personal statement:  Upload a short essay describing reasons for choosing directing training at Michigan and a theatre career.  This may include goals, professional ambitions, and ideas about the field itself. It should not be more than two double-spaced typed pages.
• Instructional movement video:  Watch the video at the link provided .  Listen carefully to the instructions and watch the movements carefully. Practice the 2 sequences as demonstrated and then video yourself executing the movements. Wear clothes that allow for free movement. Make sure the camera is far enough away to capture the whole body. Upload the video/s with your application.
• Vocalization Video:  Read the text at the link provided.   It is a Chorus speech from  The Cure at Troy: A version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes  by Seamus Heaney. At the time of its composition, Heaney saw themes of the  Philoctetes  as consonant with the contemporary political situation in South Africa, as the apartheid regime fell and Nelson Mandela was released from prison without a full-scale war. Heaney described Mandela’s return as a similar overcoming of betrayal and a display of “the generosity of his coming back and helping with the city—helping the  polis  to get together again.” Choose any 2 stanzas and play with the words. Ignore the meanings of the words and play with sounds inspired by the vowels and consonants. Lengthen, shorten, howl, sing, growl, etc. It may feel foolish but that is OK! Have fun. Video yourself. Then upload the video with your application.
• Documentation:  Upload any notebooks, reviews, photographs that may give a fuller picture of your theatre experience. Upload at least one letter of recommendation from a theatre teacher or professional who has worked with you.

It is especially important that the items above are clearly and articulately presented.

Interview (Online or in person)

Be prepared for a conversation with the Directing faculty.  This will include a discussion of your theatre experience, your knowledge of playwrights and directors past and present, your other interests, and your goals. It is important to be relaxed, honest, direct, and yourself.

You will have the opportunity to ask questions about the program and the department. Please come prepared with questions. 

Theatre & Drama: Design & Production

Applicants must have completed the  Common Application and the Artistic Profile on or before December 1 .

• Personal Statement:  Upload a short essay describing reasons for choosing a career in theatre and training at Michigan. This may include goals, professional ambitions, and ideas about the field itself. It should not be more than two double-spaced typed pages.
• Portfolio: Since the BFA is a comprehensive design and production degree, your portfolio should include examples of all of your visually creative pursuits (i.e., drawing, painting, photography, doodles, graphics, crafts, theatrical design in any area – include any of your process and research as well as photos of outcome) as well as any examples of stage management work. Share anything that demonstrates your creative self. See our additional guidance to help with setting up your application portfolio .
• If applicable, provide one or two stage management production books into your Artistic Profile that show your organizational strategies, blocking, cueing, communications from rehearsal or performance to others on the team.

Interview Requirements (Online or in person)

• Interview: Be prepared for a short conversation with the Design & Production faculty. Be ready to discuss the materials in your portfolio, your previous creative work, shows on which you’ve worked, the kind of performing arts you enjoy and why, and performing arts that you have seen or studied. It is important to be relaxed, honest, direct and yourself. 

Upload video recordings of 15 minutes of contrasting solo and/or etude literature to the SMTD Artistic Profile that represents your highest level of proficiency. Memorization is not required.

Students who advance to this stage of the application process will meet with Trombone faculty for an audition, a review of your previously-submitted recordings and discussion of your training. In addition, you may be asked to play two-octave major scales from memory.

Upload 20 minutes of music (video recordings), including standard solo recital literature, one technical etude and one lyrical etude for trumpet representing your highest level of proficiency. Memorization is not required.

Optionally, you may upload a selection of 2-3 excerpts from the orchestral repertoire representing your highest level of proficiency. Memorization is not required.

Students who advance to this stage of the application process will meet with faculty for a discussion of your training, future and career goals, a review of your previously-submitted recordings, and live playing of your previously-submitted recorded material. You may be asked to sight-read and to play two-octave major, minor, and chromatic scales from memory.

• Blazhevich- Etude 32
• Hartley- Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba
• Lebedev- Concerto in One Movement

Live Audition Requirements (Online or in-person)

• Etude of the applicant’s choice from Bordogni Vocalises
• Mahler- Symphony #1, third movement solo
• Wagner- Overture to Die Meistersinger (J to L)
• Wagner- Ride of the Valkyries
• Two (2) contrasting movements of a Bach sonata, partita, or unaccompanied suite
• A movement from the standard viola concerto literature

OPTIONAL:  1-3 additional videos of other playing you’ve done in the last 18 months. Recordings of past solo or chamber music recitals or performances are encouraged.

Students who advance to this stage of the application process will be invited to meet with the viola faculty for a discussion of your work and goals, a review of your previously-submitted recordings, and live playing and sight-reading. The music for the audition may be the same or different from that submitted on your videos. An accompanist is not expected or required.

Upload to your SMTD Artistic Profile the following unedited videos. All music must be performed from memory.

•  One (1) movement of a solo Bach sonata or partita (repeats not required).
• The first five (5) minutes of the first movement of a concerto written between 1800 and 1950. If you select the Shostakovich Concerto No. 1, play the fourth movement and cadenza instead of the first movement.

Prepare an audition program with approximately 15 minutes of music that includes:

• Two (2) contrasting movements of a solo Bach sonata or partita (repeats not required). The Chaconne may be performed alone to satisfy this requirement as well.
• First movement of a concerto (including cadenza if one is written) If you select the Shostakovich Concerto No. 1, play the fourth movement and cadenza instead of the first movement.
• One Caprice chosen from Paganini Caprices, op. 1 or Wieniawski Etude-Caprices, op. 18

Memorization of the Bach movements and your concerto is expected. Your audition program may include repertoire submitted on your prescreening videos. An accompanist is not expected or required.

Notes for all Undergraduate Students Submitting Voice Repertoire

Please speak with your teacher for guidance on selecting great pieces that meet the following criteria. It is not necessary to choose the most advanced voice literature for your recordings. Operatic literature at the undergraduate level is not expected.

An accompanist is highly preferred for all recorded selections. However, if you are unable to arrange for an accompanist because of the pandemic, you are allowed to use Appcompanist or another recorded track resource.

For recordings, the Department of Voice & Opera recommends using an iPhone, smartphone, or similar recording device to create recordings, with a recommended microphone placement of 4’–8′ from the singer. At the start of your first video, please state your name and the type of recording equipment you are using.

Teacher Request & Contact Policies

While filling out your SMTD Artistic Profile, you will be asked to indicate your Studio Preferences, which will indicate to the Voice & Opera department which teacher(s) you are interested in studying with if you are admitted to the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. It has no bearing at all on your acceptance to the school, and is used only for contact and administrative purposes after your audition has been submitted.

Before your audition, the Department of Voice & Opera encourages each prospective student to feel free to contact anyone on the faculty for answers to questions about auditions, study at Michigan, or anything else that may be related to your interest in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. After your audition has been performed/submitted, primary contact from the Department of Voice & Opera will be with the chair and the teacher listed as first choice in your Artistic Profile, unless that teacher has given permission to second or third choices to contact you. This is simply for clarity and efficiency of communication. You may continue to initiate contact with any member of the faculty you wish, and may change your first choice designation after your audition has been performed/submitted, but the department will ask you to be very clear about your preferences so we can determine studio assignments as soon as possible, according to which professor has space for which students in the coming year.

Voice Major: BM in Voice Performance and BMA in Performance

Voice Major: Pre-Screening and Audition Requirements

Upload to the SMTD Artistic Profile:

• Because of our historic legacy and ongoing passion for promoting inclusivity in the vocal arts, we recommend that at least one selection be written by an underrepresented composer (composer of color, female composer, or other underrepresented group.)  This piece should also be in a classical art song style, inclusive of spirituals.
• at least one selection should be in English
• at least one selection should be in a foreign language
• Why do you want to study voice in college?
• Who are one or two of your favorite vocal artists and how have they most influenced you?
• OPTIONAL :  1-3 additional videos of other singing or performance you’ve done in the last 18 months.

Voice Major: Live In-Person or Online Audition/Interview Requirements

Students who advance to this stage of the application process will be asked to attend a group meeting with the faculty to discuss the school, the curriculum, performance opportunities, and more. Those same applicants will be asked to meet with the voice faculty for an audition and/or interview that will entail review of your training, current work, future goals, a discussion of one or more of your recordings, live singing and aural skills exercises. Candidates who elect to complete this part of the process online will be invited for an interview only , with a detailed review and discussion of your performance recordings to be included, as well as some aural skills exercises. Please have your scores available for reference for all of your audition repertoire and previously submitted recordings.

Voice Principal: Choral Music Education

Choral Music Education: Pre-Screening and Audition Requirements

• Because of our historic legacy and ongoing passion for promoting inclusivity in the vocal arts, we recommended that at least one selection be written by an underrepresented composer (composer of color, female composer, or other underrepresented groups).  This piece should also be in a classical art song style, inclusive of spirituals.
• OPTIONAL:   1-3 additional videos of other singing or performance you’ve done in the last 18 months.

Voice Principal: Choral Music Education Live In-Person or Online Audition/Interview Requirements

Students who advance to this stage of the application process will be asked to attend a group meeting with the faculty to discuss the school, the curriculum, performance opportunities, and more. Those same applicants will be asked to meet with the voice faculty for an audition and/or interview that will entail review of your training, current work, future goals, a discussion of one or more of your recordings, live singing and aural skills exercises. Candidates who elect to complete this part of the process online will be invited for an interview only , with a detailed review and discussion of your performance recordings to be included, as well as some aural skills exercises. Please have your scores available for reference for all of your audition repertoire and previously submitted recordings.

Voice Principal: BMA in Multidisciplinary Studies

BMA Multidisciplinary Pre-Screening Requirements

• Because of our historic legacy and ongoing passion for promoting inclusivity in the vocal arts, we recommend that at least one selection be written by an underrepresented composer (composer of color, female composer, or other underrepresented group).
• At least one selection must be a classical art song
• The songs should be no longer than 3 minutes each

Voice Principal: BMA Multidisciplinary Live In-Person or Online Audition/Interview Requirements

Voice principal: composition, music theory, musicology, and music & technology.

Voice Principal Pre-Screening and Audition Requirements

• Because of our historic legacy and ongoing passion for promoting inclusivity in the vocal arts, we recommend that at least one selection be written by an underrepresented composer (composer of color, female composer, or other underrepresented groups.)
• Classical selections are preferred
• The selections should be no longer than 3 minutes each

Composition, Music Theory, Musicology, and Music & Technology applicants will have interviews and perform either a live online or recorded audition for their prospective home departments.

Additional Audition/Interview Information

2023 UPDATE Preferred Zoom and Internet Settings for Auditions

Auditions or interviews are by invitation only.  Candidates who advance to the audition/interview round will be contacted with an invitation and instructions on next steps such as how to register for your audition/interview date. SMTD does not accept walk-in auditions/interviews.

Depending on your program, your audition/interview could last anywhere from five to twenty minutes (or longer). You may audition/interview for a panel of faculty or for an individual faculty member.

We recommend you dress appropriately, similar to what you would wear for a job interview; if auditioning online or submitting a video do your best to maintain a neutral video background with little to no visual distractions. Please be sure to review this document as it contains important information regarding the use of Zoom for a live audition.

Auditioning students will not be asked to take written placement exams.

Most Searched

Common questions, essay questions.

As students consider how they will contribute to the University of Michigan campus community and respond to question and essay prompts, they may wish to highlight things that had an impact on them such as: their involvement in clubs, competing as a student-athlete, studying abroad, going on a mission trip, being engaged in debate, participating in the performing or visual arts, having alumni ties to the institution, making a difference in their community, serving in a leadership capacity, being an entrepreneur, and many others. 

University of Michigan Questions

• 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.  (Required for all applicants; minimum 100 words/maximum 300 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? (Required for all applicants; minimum 100 words /maximum 550 words)

The Common Application Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Transfer Applicants:   If you are a transfer student, please view the Transfer Essay Questions webpage  for additional required essays.

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Personal statements, supplemental or secondary essays, statements of interest, or graduate school application essays all require you to reflect upon your experiences and accomplishments as an undergraduate as you plan your next steps. Your writing allows you to express who you are to the admissions representatives reviewing your application and gives you the opportunity to highlight your unique characteristics, experiences, and skills. 

Take a moment to read this article authored by the AAMC to help you jump-start your reflective writing process. 

Essay Resources

Personal statement 101 canvas course.

The Newnan LSA Advising Center has created a Canvas tutorial to introduce you to best practices in personal statement drafting and help you avoid common pitfalls. Current students can enroll in our Personal Statements 101 course which focuses on the elements and mechanics that go into effective personal statements.

Pre-Health Advisors in the Newnan Advising Center

LSA students and alumni can schedule an appointment with a Pre-Health advisor to brainstorm ideas and discuss the key components of a personal statement and other application materials. Please select “Essay Brainstorming” as your reason for the appointment when scheduling. Note: Advisors in the Newnan LSA Advising Center are here to provide supplemental support, not edits of written work. We encourage all students to consider connecting with trusted mentors, your letter of recommendation authors, supervisors, faculty, GSIs, etc. who might have the capacity to provide feedback on your essay(s). If you are looking for additional support, consider the following campus resources:

The LSA Opportunity Hub

Coaches at the LSA Opportunity Hub  are available to help LSA students with personal statements as well as other wrap-around services focused on your next steps. 

Additionally, the LSA Opportunity Hub has a module within their canvas course , which you can self-enroll in , for drafting your personal statement as well as a  helpful worksheet  to get you started.

Sweetland Peer Writing Center

Students like you are available to discuss your personal statement through the Sweetland Peer Writing Center. You can schedule with the Sweetland Peer Writing Center or submit your work through the Asynchronous Written Feedback option from their Writing Support page. Read here to make an appointment. Please note that the Writing Workshop does not review personal statements - be sure to schedule with the Sweetland Peer Writing Center.

University Career Center

Review the UCC’s page for support with getting started on your pre-health personal statement.  

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Graduate Admissions

General requirements.

Biomedical Engineering graduate students come to the department with strong academic records and show a strong potential to succeed at an advanced level. Successful applicants typically have:

• B.S. in Engineering or the Physical Sciences (Physics, Polymer Science, Applied Math). Applications from closely related disciplines, particularly in the quantitative life sciences, will also be considered.
• Recommended minimum 3.5 GPA (4.0 scale) for Ph.D. applicants and 3.2 GPA (4.0 scale) for the Master’s Program.

Master’s vs. Ph.D.

Apply to the master’s program if you plan to end your studies at the master’s level. Apply to the Ph.D. program directly if you plan to pursue a Ph.D. ( If you do not currently hold a relevant master’s degree, you will earn it during the first two years of the Ph.D. program.)

• If you have a Master’s degree from a BME program at another school, you cannot apply to the Master’s program

Typical Course Background

• Biology Course with Lab or Physiology Course with Lab
• Biological Science
• Physics (2 terms)
• Mathematics (through ordinary differential equations)
• Minimum of 4 engineering courses

Each applicant’s background and preparation is evaluated during the admissions process.

Apply to the Rackham Graduate School

Applications are accepted for the fall term only. Submit all materials online through the Rackham Graduate School. Do not mail materials to the Biomedical Engineering Department.

Application deadlines

• Ph.D. Applicants: December 1st
• M.S. Applicants: January 15th

Prepare your Application

Once an application is submitted, the materials cannot be modified. Please review your application carefully before you submit it.

BME: Graduate Application Assistance Program

The BME Graduate Application Assistance Program (BME GAAP) is a student-run initiative at the University of Michigan that supports prospective applicants from non-traditional paths or historically disadvantaged backgrounds, as described below, by pairing them with current graduate students who can help review application materials throughout the process of applying to a BME Ph.D. program. 

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation from people best qualified to speak to your academic and research skills. For the Ph.D. program in particular, these letters are important parts of the admissions review process to assess your readiness for graduate-level coursework and research.

• Letters are submitted online.
• If your recommender does not want to submit their letter online, have them email Tara McQueen (SUGS and Master’s applicants) or Maria Steele (Ph.D. applicant). 

Transcripts

When You Apply: Upload a Scanned Copy of the Official Transcript to ApplyWeb

• All applicants must upload a scanned copy, front and back, of their official transcript/academic record issued by the Registrar or Records Office, to ApplyWeb for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned or in progress. The scanned copy of the official transcript is used for initial review by the graduate program faculty.
• A downloaded transcript from your school portal or system is an unofficial transcript and not acceptable for review.
• If you are attending or have graduated from a Non-U.S. institution, review the Required Academic Credentials from Non-U.S. Institutions for requirements by country.
• If you have community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework, indicate this information on page nine of the application under the “Additional Education Information” section. Do not submit any transcripts from a community or junior college, non-degree, or study abroad coursework to Rackham unless you attended a Non-U.S. institution.

Once You Are Offered Admission: Submit the Official Transcript

After an offer of admission is made, an official transcript sent directly from the registrar’s office must be submitted to Rackham. 

• Submit an official transcript/academic record, front and back, issued by the Registrar or Records Office for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned. Attachments from students are not official.
• Submit only official transcripts/academic records. These bear the issuing institution’s seal and the official signature of the Registrar or Recorder of Records.
• U-M Ann Arbor Applicants (Current or Previous Students): Do not submit your U-M Ann Arbor transcript. Rackham will obtain your U-M Ann Arbor transcript internally. Submit only degree transcripts from other institutions you attended including U-M Dearborn or U-M Flint.

Complete information is available on the Rackham Graduate School website .

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should include your research interests and the name(s) of the faculty with whom you are interested in working. We recommend a statement length of up to 2 pages.

Personal Statement

The personal statement should include information on your life experiences and background, including what led you to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. We recommend a statement length of up to 2 pages. The 500-word limit that is stated on the application does not apply. 

Curriculum Vitae / Resume

Your resume or curriculum vitae should list your relevant work and research experience and skills. If you have been an author on any conference presentations, publications, patents, or other materials, these should be clearly listed. These types of materials can be important factors in consideration for Ph.D. admissions.

• Admission typically requires a 3.5 GPA (4.0 scale). This is a guideline and is not strict.
• The minimum GPA for consideration in the Master’s program is 3.2 (4.0 scale).
• The general GRE is not accepted for the M.S. or Ph.D. programs.

TOEFL, ECPE, IELTS, and MET

Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. One way to do so is to meet one of the criteria for an exemption listed below.

If an applicant does not meet one of the criteria below, they may be required by the graduate program to submit scores from tests, like TOEFL, ECPE, IELTS, or MET. Language test scores are valid two years from the test date. The official scores must be received from the testing agency no later than the graduate program application deadline.

Photocopies and/or faxes of English proficiency scores will not be accepted.

Rackham Graduate School’s Minimum Score Requirements for Admission Consideration:

Rackham English Proficiency Exemptions

You qualify for an exemption from taking an English proficiency examination if one of the following criteria are met:

• You are a native speaker of English.
• You are an applicant from Puerto Rico.
• You completed all of your undergraduate education and earned an undergraduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only. Undergraduate degree requirements must be completed before the start of classes at U-M.
• You completed all of your graduate education and earned a graduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only. Graduate degree requirements must be completed before the start of classes at U-M.
• You are a current U-M student.

Does not meet an English proficiency exemption:

• A one-year graduate degree.
• If you completed a Master’s degree that was strictly research and no academic classes. This type of Master’s degree is generally awarded at a non-U.S. institution.

Applicants self-assess if they qualify for an English exception at the time of application. Applicants that are recommended for admission will have their files reviewed and will be notified if they do not meet an exception.

Applicants are required to upload the front and back of their transcript. Most universities indicate the language of the institution on the back of the transcript. If it is not indicated on the transcript, applicants can submit a letter from the Registrar’s Office, or equivalent, on university letterhead confirming the language of instruction. When applying, please upload documents confirming the language of instruction along with your transcript document(s).

Examples of meeting the English Proficiency Exemption criteria:

• You completed the last three years of your undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, and in addition, earned a Master’s degree that was one and one-half years in duration at the University of London.
• You completed the last two years of your undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne, and in addition, earned a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

An example of not meeting the English Proficiency Exemption criteria:

• You completed two years of an undergraduate degree program at an overseas institution where the medium of instruction is a language other than English. You then transferred to an institution where all classes are taught exclusively in English and earned a degree from that institution.

Please direct questions to the Admissions Office in Rackham .  

If you or your recommenders experience technical difficulty while applying, please see Rackham’s website .  

Admission Decision

Each application is reviewed by at least two faculty members. Applications are reviewed with a holistic perspective, assessing strengths and weaknesses across the full application. Considerations may also be made with respect to the fit of student interests with faculty research areas that are recruiting students in a given year. Graduate admissions, particularly for the Ph.D. program are very competitive. The Rackham Graduate School maintains a dashboard of program statistics which provides information on application selectivity and other factors of interest.

The department typically has one or two recruitment weekends in which students under consideration for admission are invited to campus to interview with faculty, meet with students, and experience our environment and community. The BME Department typically makes final admissions decisions after these visits, no later than the middle of April. Applicants are notified of decisions via email.

If an applicant is recommended for admission, Rackham will contact the applicant if additional information is required to finalize the admission.

Applicants whose admission has been finalized by Rackham may request to defer their admission for one year. The request, which includes the reason for the deferral, should be emailed to Tara McQueen (SUGS and Master’s applicants) or Maria Steele (Ph.D. applicant).

Tara McQueen

Master’s/SUGS Coordinator

734-647-1091

[email protected]

Maria Steele

Graduate Coordinator

[email protected]

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Step 2: After an Offer of Admission, Submit the Official Transcript

An official transcript must be submitted to Rackham only after an offer of admission is made.

• Submit an official transcript/academic record, front and back, issued by the Registrar or Records Office for each bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree earned.
• Submit only official transcripts/academic records. These bear the issuing institution’s seal and the official signature of the Registrar or Recorder of Records.
• U-M Ann Arbor Applicants (Current or Previous Students): Do not submit your U-M Ann Arbor transcript. Rackham will obtain your U-M Ann Arbor transcript internally. Submit only degree transcripts from other institutions you attended including U-M Dearborn or U-M Flint.

Ready to Apply?

Apply through Rackham Graduate School 

Have more questions?

• How to submit an official transcript
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• Check out the  Application FAQ

Request Official Scores to be reported to the University of Michigan from ETS:

*Scores can be submitted after the application is submitted.  Your scores will be matched with your application after they are received by the university.

•  GRE scores are not required for both PhD and Master's applicants, but master's applicants are encouraged to submit GRE scores if their undergraduate degree is from a university outside North America.
• TOEFL Scores if applicable. (Institution Code: 1839, Department Code: 69) Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency. Applicants are required to provide an official score report from either the Michigan English Language Battery (MELAB), the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS), or the Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE). Photocopies and/or faxes of English proficiency scores will not be accepted.
• Minimum score requirements for the MELAB, TOEFL, IELTS, and ECPE test can be found in the section:   Applicants Whose Native Language is Not English
• Applicants who have earned a degree from an institution where the language of instruction is exclusively English, (e.g.:. U.S., United Kingdom, Australia) are exempt from submitting a MELAB, TOEFL, IELTS, or ECPE score.

Rackham English Proficiency Exemptions

You qualify for an exemption from taking an English proficiency examination if one of the following criteria are met:

• You are a native speaker of English.
• You completed  all  of your undergraduate education and earned an undergraduate degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English only.
• If you completed a Master’s degree that was strictly research and no academic classes, that degree does not meet the exemption. This type of Master’s degree is generally awarded at a non-U.S. institution.
• You are a current U-M student.

Examples of meeting the English Proficiency Exemption criteria:

• You completed the last three years of your undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, and in addition, earned a Master’s degree that was one and one-half years in duration at the University of London.
• You completed the last two years of your undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne, and in addition, earned a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan.

Example of  not  meeting the English Proficiency Exemption criteria:

• You completed two years of an undergraduate degree program at an overseas institution (Fudan University) where the medium of instruction is a language other than English. You then transferred to an institution (Monash University) where all classes are taught exclusively in English and earned a degree from that institution.

MSE Departmental Financial Aid Information

  MSE PhD students are offered continuous support for the duration of their studies, through fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or some combination of these.  All types of support provide similar funding with a monthly stipend, plus tuition, fees, and health benefits.  In addition to Department financial aid, applicants are also considered for various Rackham and College of Engineering fellowships, and are encouraged to apply for nationally competitive fellowships available from NSF, NASA, DoD, and other sources.  All support is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. degree, and the availability of funds.

• Learn more about graduate funding

Contact Information:

University of Michigan Materials Science and Engineering Department Graduate Program Office, 3062 HH Dow 2300 Hayward Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2136 Phone: 734.763.9790 Fax: 734.763.4788 e-mail:

Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies Office of Graduate Admissions 0120 Rackham Building 915 E. Washington St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1070 Tel: 734.764.8129 Fax: 734.647.7740 E-mail:

Master’s, PhD and professional certification programs 

Most engineering graduate students  apply online through Rackham Graduate School , which is the primary hub for graduate studies across the various schools and colleges at U-M.

This includes:

• Master of Science (MS)
• Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Non-Rackham master’s programs

We offer graduate programs for engineering professionals that you can apply for through a separate  admissions portal . Please connect with a department or program graduate coordinator for questions or more information. 

• Master of Engineering (MEng)
• Doctor of Engineering in Manufacturing (DEng)

Professional certificates

Explore the  non-credit professional certificates  offered by Nexus, our home for professional education.

Need more clarity?

If you need department-specific support, you can always reach out to our graduate coordinators to connect in person.

Your prospective graduate program website is the definitive source for admissions criteria, but we generally consider the following:

Cumulative undergraduate GPA is an important factor in master’s and PhD admission consideration. It’s competitive out there; individual departments can provide more information about GPA minimums.

Recommendations

Three letters from people who are familiar with your work, especially faculty members who know your potential and talent in the classroom and the lab.

Statement of purpose are 1-3 page summaries of your academic and research background, your career goals and how Michigan’s graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives.

Personal statements are 500 words or fewer. This is not the Academic Statement of Purpose. Rather, a summary of your personal journey that has led to your decision to earn a graduate degree.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) may be required for some master’s and PhD programs. The college has no minimum score requirement, but individual departments may set minimums. Talk with your department’s grad coordinator for more information.

• Scores are valid for five years. We accept scores that expire during the application process providing the application is submitted before the expiration date.
• Institution code: 1839

English Language Proficiency (TOEFL, MET or IELTS) :  Required for applicants who are non-native English speakers.

International student criteria

English proficiency.

The University of Michigan requires a high level of proficiency in English, so that all students are able to participate fully in campus life, both in and out of class. Applicants that do not speak English as their native language are required to provide proof of English proficiency.  Rackham Graduate School has full details on the English proficiency test and exemptions .

International Credentials

The University of Michigan requires proper documentation. Make sure you have everything you need for applying and attending Michigan Engineering by checking in with your program

For Rackham Graduate School programs:

• Academic credentials  (if your degree is from a school outside of the U.S.)
• Immigration documents

For Non-Rackham MEng programs :

• International Student FAQ (pdf)
• Immigration documents (pdf)

Become a strong applicant

Graduate programs and employers expect competitive candidates to have significant, relevant experiences (internships, research, volunteer work) before applying to a graduate program.

Summer research is a great way to meet that expectation; it’s also a smart investment in your professional development. You’ll build your network, get hands-on experience, develop professional skills and get a taste of what graduate school might be like.

Summer research strategy

Before you start.

• Introduce yourself to the faculty mentor you’ll be working with
• Convey excitement and motivation
• Ask for relevant literature to help you prepare
• Take online training in lab safety (if applicable)

During the program

• Immerse yourself in the project. Read. Ask questions
• Meet with your mentor and/or supervisor regularly
• Learn about the graduate program, requirements and student benefits
• Explore the city and learn about the community outside of the school
• Ask your mentor for feedback on your work
• Discuss the possibility of manuscript authorship/conference presentations

After the program

• Send thank you notes
• Stay in touch with your faculty mentor and program peers on platforms like LinkedIn
• Express your interest in graduate studies
• Ask for a letter of recommendation
• Ask your mentor(s)/supervisor for feedback on your grad school application
• Ask for recommendations for other academic and professional development opportunities
• Get involved in research at your home institution
• Look for opportunities to present your work at conferences or forums