Go Blue!
I was very happy to recently learn that the University of Michigan is doing an AI/college application essay “experiment,” and I hope that other universities and colleges will follow their lead.
2026 University of Michigan LSA Honors Essay Question:
Utilize an AI text generator to write an essay on the topic “Why is the LSA Honors Program a good fit for me?”
Provide us with that essay and in the same document, write your own essay reflecting on the quality of the AI-generated essay. Where did AI get it right? Where did it get it wrong? Why? Please limit your essay to 750 words. The word count does not include the AI-generated essay. Please have both the AI-generated essay and your essay in one document for submission. Some generative AI tools are located here: https://genai.umich.edu/resources/tools
If you are using outside sources, you MUST cite them. Any citation style is acceptable—just be consistent. NOTE: Citations are not included in the essay word limit.
Using an AI text generator to answer a college application essay prompt is easy. Analyzing the AI-generated essay and writing about that analysis in an essay is hard.
The latter requires a strong understanding of the major components of writing (i.e., grammar, punctuation, editing, vocabulary, paragraph construction, essay construction, etc.) and, thus, will help differentiate strong writers from weak writers and hard workers from workers who are always looking for “shortcuts” and trying to circumvent systems.
Thank you, University of Michigan, for your creativity and bold initiative.
Founder & Owner of ★ W O R D S