Prompt (University of Michigan)
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. (Max 300 Words)
Essay
I am a debater, a part of a community of intrepid explorers wielding logic and rhetoric to analyze complex global issues through hours of research, preparation, and competition.
But I am not just a debater. Instead, the intellectual battlefields of debate opened me to a wide variety of real-world issues. From the global effects of climate change to the ignorance of marginalized communities in government policies, debate cultivated an unwavering commitment within me to unearth solutions for persistent societal challenges. Unsatisfied by the confinement of tournament spaces, I sought to establish an accessible platform for debaters to engage in political discussions and vocalize their beliefs.
Within my community of intellectual gladiators, I connected with fellow debaters to co-found The SPRING Institute, an organization dedicated to educating and empowering the youth to engage in policymaking. We harnessed the artistry of persuasion and the power of argumentation to repurpose our findings in debate into intricate policy proposals, offering insight into current events.
But I wanted to do more: mobilize more debaters to deconstruct the biases and barriers in policymaking. I found my place as the National Director of Chapters, leading like-minded debaters and high schoolers nationwide to establish partnerships with policymakers and promote a platform for the youth to spring into action and amplify their voices. Now as a team of eighty-three, we have presented proposals to the United Kingdom’s Department for Science, local legislators, and various organizations.
Being a part of the debate community has allowed me to collaborate with people from different backgrounds with a shared dedication for societal discourse and change. Together, we advance our goals of making policymaking transparent and boundless for the youth to encourage future generations of policymakers, thinkers, and advocates.
I am a debater, but I am also an explorer, a leader, and a changemaker.
Tips For Writing
- Emphasize the most important parts of the prompt.
- All of your writing needs to show something about YOU not someone else. Think of something about you that is unique, maybe not talked about in your activities list that you can give a face to in your writing.
- For prompts that are along the lines of “why school” or “why you”
- Browse the website and look for inspiration on the website.
- If the prompt asks for why this school, look at specific events, classes, and teachers at that college.
- Your writing should be personal but not too comfortable; it should tell a story about you.
- You don’t need to use super fancy vocabulary words.
- Always read your writing aloud multiple times to see if the words flow nicely together and make sense.
- Start by jotting down points and little phrases and ideas that come along the way.
- Then string them together into a cohesive story.