First-year engineering students have the exclusive opportunity to write an essay on a topic in Born a Crime for a chance to win up to $500 through the Cooley Writing Contest!
Cooley Writing Contest Description:
In his will, the late Dean Mortimer Cooley, a former Dean of the Engineering College, left funds to encourage students to explore non-technical field to “develop, broaden, and enrich the Engineer’s education.” Dean Cooley’s funds support the Cooley Writing Contest, sponsored for currently enrolled undergraduates in Engineering.
Eligibility:
- All engineering undergraduates enrolled for at least one term between January 2021 and January 2022 are eligible.
- A student may not submit a manuscript that has won a previous Cooley award.
- Students may not submit collaborations or translations
- Entries are limited to one per category
- If an entry receives a Cooley Award, the author must agree to indicate in a footnote or otherwise that this manuscript was granted a prize in the Cooley Writing Contest in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, and indicate the year of the award.
Start Writing:
We encourage first-year students to begin writing an essay soon after finishing Born a Crime this summer. Here are some topic/theme ideas to get you started:
- Racism, Apartheid, and the Cycle of Poverty
- Identity, Belonging, and Community
- Love and Personal Growth
- Resilience through Religion, Education, and Humor
- Another theme of your choice
How to Enter:
You can enter by visiting this page!
Deadline:
Essays are due Friday, October 1st, 2021.
Questions?
For additional information, contact Connie Hallom, (734) 764-1427 or challom@umich.edu
Cooley Writing Contest Winners – Common Reading Experience Category
2020 First Place: Katelyn King
2019 First Place: Advait Deshpande
2019 Second Place: Alanna Smith
2018 First Place: Margaret Cooney
2018 Second Place: Shaohua Li
2017 Winner: Christopher Knebel
2016 Winner: Andong Luis Li Zhao
Second Place: Cailin Ferguson and Vahid Arefi
Honorable Mention: Mekhakhem Kheperu
2015 Winner: Paul Regentin
Second Place: Amy Orlov
Honorable Mention: Debbie Cheng
2015 Mack Contest Winner for Common Reading Experience themed essay: Brinda Yarlagadda
2014 Winner: Yusuf Ghani
Honorable Mentions: Xiaosu Liu and Ilkka Kovanen