Watch: What's it like to spend the semester living in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood, learning about the city from university faculty, working alongside Detroit leaders at various community organizations, and engaging with community landmarks and events?

 

The Final Deadline 

Semester in Detroit has officially announced the Winter 2014 program application deadline for Friday, October 25, 2013. Prospective students may apply online by 11:59pm on the final due date. 

"Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, which means we continue taking them in year-round until all 25 openings are filled," explained Semester in Detroit Associate Director Craig Regester. "However, the October 25 deadline will be the absolute latest date we can consider a student interested in the Winter 2014 program. After that, students may be eligible to apply for the Spring 2014 or Winter 2015 programs instead."

The Semester in Detroit application may be completed online. Students may save their application on the online database and continue work on it over a period of weeks, or even months. 

But don't wait too long to submit that application, Regester advises: "There's been a growing interest in Detroit over the past five years, and we've definitely seen a growing interest in our program as a result."

Application Requirements

For the application, students are asked a few short questions about their previous experience with Detroit. Students are also asked to consider what kinds of internship positions they desire, and to write a thoughtful 2-3 page essay on their interest in the City of Detroit. 

"No previous familiarity with the city is by any means required to participate in the program," says Regester. "In the past, we've found that a mix of local Detroit students, out-of-state students, and students from the suburbs makes for an interesting and dynamic cohort where students can learn from each other as much as they learn from their courses or work experiences." 

Supplementary Materials

To enhance the more personal student application, one academic letter of recommendation is required for acceptance in the Semester in Detroit program. Academic letters of recommendation are accepted up to one week after the final application deadline. Then, applications are reviewed by Semester in Detroit staff and desired applicants are invited to an in-person interview in Ann Arbor with Associate Director Craig Regester. 

"The interview process goes fairly quickly. It's mostly a conversation about students' academic, personal, and career interests in Detroit," Regester explains. "Interviews are a good way to get to know students and see how the cohort as a whole will come together for a fruitful semester experience." 

The Last Steps

Finally, students will hear of their acceptance by early November, just in time to get ready for a Detroit Immersion Weekend retreat with their new Winter 2014 cohort. But before getting ahead to that, go on and check out the application! 

To learn more about the application process and Winter 2014 schedule, please visit the Prospective UM Students page or contact Craig Regester at regester@umich.edu.