Hello! I am in the process of writing a Why X for Michigan and I have several friends who go there as well as a professor I did research for during undergrad. I was planning to name drop the professor and talk about how the work I did for him solidified not only the type of work I want to do in law school and after, but also how it showed me the supportiveness of the faculty. Is it okay to also mention my friends and say they only have good things to say about the campus community and resources? If so, are there any do's and don'ts?
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Just briefly saying from the admissions perspective that it’s alright to name drop although not necessary. Meaning, don’t feel like you have to be egregious about the name drop, but it’s also nice for me to know who I can go thank for your app after you’re admitted!
Adding some concrete do's and don'ts since you asked:
The professor: definitely mention them. That's your strongest material. Keep the focus on what you did and what it taught you (the kind of work you want to do), then connect it to Michigan Law specifically. One caution: unless they're on the law school faculty, the "supportive faculty" point is really about your undergrad experience. Back it up with something specific to the law school (a clinic, a professor you'd want to take, a program) rather than assuming it carries over.
Friends: mention them briefly, if at all, and never as the evidence. "My friends love it" is something almost anyone could write. What works better is something specific you learned through them that you then followed up on yourself. For example, they told you about a clinic or student org, you looked into it, sat in on a class, or talked to someone, and here's why it matters for your goals. I'd also avoid naming friends who are current students.
Other don'ts: don't spend lines on rankings, prestige, or Ann Arbor being a great town; don't list five clinics in one sentence; and make sure every Michigan detail ties back to something about you. Good test: if you could swap "Michigan" for another school's name and the paragraph still works, it needs more specificity.
I believe this is something that's actually recommended, as it shows that you're engaging with the school beyond simply reading the website. Just make sure it doesn't feel like you tacked it on!
Hello, friend!
I'm not an admissions expert, but I believe I'd heard that name dropping can show that you have a connection to the given university and that you'd be able to slot into their culture well. I would imagine that if you can show that there's a connection between what you've heard about the campus/resources and how these things would make Michigan a good fit for you, and similarly, you a good fit for Michigan, you'd have a strong foundation built on these connections! I'm sure you can guess this, but so long as you're not coming across like you're riding the coattails of your connections or trying to impress anybody with them, you'd be avoiding a really big "don't."
Ultimately, if you write out your essay and it just doesn't sit right with you, trust your gut! There're a trillion reasons to go to any given university, after all, so you'll definitely find another one to write about.
Best of luck and get yourself that full ride!
@madeinkeaven Thank you! This was very helpful :)