University of Michigan Admission Essay

During my sophomore year, my educational experience at the Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas was a pivotal time for my passion for marine conservation and imperative environmental issues. On the last day before heading home, I had the most eye-opening conversation of my life with a research biologist studying shark and sea turtle migration patterns. During this conversation, I was given a piece of quintessential information that will stick with me for the rest of my career. The state of the global climate is critically at risk, and although marine research is a competitive field, it’s crucial for future generations. Action must be taken both urgently and efficiently to find solutions to climate change’s effects on the ocean. Hearing this from someone I admired so heavily for their work was simultaneously motivating and frightening. Taking action for the sake of the ocean and the environment is something that I hope to accomplish during my career as a whole, and in my studies at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

In AP and Honors Biology, I’ve learned extensively about topics varying from genetics, molecular biology, physiology, and the evolution of life on earth. My personal favorite was discovering how vestigial structures and phylogeny link humans to whales. As a student at LSA, I’d be able to dive deeper into these topics through courses like Vertebrate Evolution and Diversity, and Principles of Human and Animal Physiology. I’d additionally have the opportunity to take courses that would prepare me for my career in marine science and conservation from the Biology and Ecology of Fishes lab to the Tropical Ecology and Resource Management elective. 

Despite living in Michigan for seventeen and a half years, and being initially drawn to the University of Michigan from football season during the contentious quarreling between Michigan versus Michigan State, there is so much more the University has to offer. Its beautiful campus and convenient centralized location in Ann Arbor, and the infinite opportunities that lie outside of the classroom would support both my academic interests and identity. I would become a part of the Society of Biology Students, the Queer Student Alliance, and BiLateral to connect with other members of the LGBTQ+ community and facilitate healthy discussion for important issues on campus. With all there is to offer at the University of Michigan, I know the lessons I learn will make a positive difference in the community in Ann Arbor and the greater world, and I find no place a better fit.