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Admission & Aid

    2022 Sewanee Young Writers' Conference Application

    SYWC Application Materials
    You will need to assemble a variety of application pieces prior to starting your application. The application will not save your information, so everything must be submitted simultaneously. 
    Here's what we need: 
    1. A statement of purpose: Your statement should be approximately 250 – 750 words and should describe your reading and writing life, how attendance at the Sewanee Young Writers' Conference will contribute to it, and how you believe you can contribute both to the small workshop and to the overall conference. You should also address why you wish to spend two weeks this summer writing at Sewanee. Make sure to upload your statement as either a word document or a PDF. 
    2. A sample of your writing:  A short story, 6-8 poems, a piece of creative nonfiction, a play or a chapter of a novel. Make sure to upload your sample as either a word document or a PDF. If you are interested in more than one genre, please prepare samples (if you have them) of all applicable forms of writing. We welcome students to try a genre with which they may have no experience; this is particularly true for the playwriting workshop. While it is permissible to submit fanfiction, which we know is a fun and popular way to learn to write and express oneself, applicants must submit other samples as well to help us in the evaluation process.
    3. A teacher recommendation: Your recommendation should come from an English teacher, other instructor or counselor at your school who knows you and your writing. If you are homeschooled, you need to find an instructor who is not a parent, perhaps someone in a home-school cooperative or someone else who knows you well. If you have questions, don't hesitate to email or call. We do not accept letters from private tutors or teachers from writing labs. Please give your instructor ample time (2 or more weeks) to write your recommendation. Once your application has been submitted, your recommender will receive a link to the SYWC recommendation form within 24 hours.
      • On the application, you will be asked to provide us with some general information about your recommender: name, school title, teacher, home number, and email address. 
      • Once your application is officially submitted, your recommender will receive an email with a link to the SYWC Recommendation Page. 
      • It is your responsibility to confirm your teacher or counselor received the recommendation form via email. If they cannot find the email, please have them check their junk or spam mailbox. The email will have the following subject line: Sewanee Young Writers' Conference Recommendation. We prefer they use the recommendation email because it will link them directly to your application. If your recommender cannot locate the email, they can access the recommendation form above. 
    Admissions Decisions will be sent out via email on April 1 through a program used by our Admissions' Office. 
    Note if you unsubscribe from University emails, you will not receive this email, so please do not do this.
    Please list your preferred contact number
    Please list your preferred contact number
    Workshop Selection

    We offer workshops in fiction, playwriting and poetry, as well as three specialized workshops. 

    Because of the large number of applications we receive, you will increase your chances of admission by indicating more than one workshop preference. Though not getting your first choice may be disappointing, recall that many of the elements of successful writing (character, dialogue, plotting, imagery, diction) are important in every genre. 

    In which workshop are you most interested in participating? (first choice)
    In which workshop are you most interested in participating? (first choice)
    Second choice, if any
    Second choice, if any
    Third choice, if any
    Third choice, if any
    Address & School Information Section
    Permanent Home Address
    Permanent Home Address
    IMPORTANT: We do not need your school address if you do not board (live) at your school. If you are a boarding (live-in) student, please provide you school mailing address here. 

    If you select no on the next question, please don't put your school address in the space provided. Only fill this space out if your family receives mail somewhere other than your home address. 
    Are you a boarding school student living at your school? (If yes, please make sure to put your school mailing address in the "current mailing address" prompt)
    Are you a boarding school student living at your school? (If yes, please make sure to put your school mailing address in the "current mailing address" prompt)
    Current Mailing Address (Leave blank if your "current mailing address" is the same as your Permanent Home Address)
    Current Mailing Address (Leave blank if your "current mailing address" is the same as your Permanent Home Address)
    Sex
    Sex
    Birthdate
    Birthdate
    Parent / Guardian Information Section
    Please fill out this section with all the information that applies to your parent /guardian (s). It is important that you include as many phone numbers as possible. 
    Parent 1 / Guardian 1 Address
    Parent 1 / Guardian 1 Address
    Are you currently living with this Parent 1/Guardian 1?
    Are you currently living with this Parent 1/Guardian 1?
    Parent 2 Address (if different from yours)
    Parent 2 Address (if different from yours)
    Are you currently living with Parent 2?
    Are you currently living with Parent 2?
    SYWC Conference Questions and Essay Section
    (To expand a text box, click and drag the lower righthand corner.)
    Have you applied to Sewanee's Young Writers Conference in the past?
    Have you applied to Sewanee's Young Writers Conference in the past?
    What size T-shirt do you prefer (check one)
    What size T-shirt do you prefer (check one)
    Statement of Purpose
    Please upload a statement (of approximately 250-750 words) in which you describe your reading and writing life, how attendance at the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference will contribute to it, and how you believe you can contribute both to the small workshop and to the conference in general. We want to know why you wish to spend two weeks at Sewanee this summer. (Word or pdf document only please.)

    Writing Sample
    Please upload a sample of your work: We are looking for about 8 to 10 pages of creative writing. Applicants interested in the playwriting workshop may submit another piece of creative writing or a recent English paper if you have not yet written a play. If you are interested in more than one genre, please upload samples (if you have them) of all applicable forms of writing. We welcome students to try a genre with which they may have no experience; this is particularly true for the playwriting and creative nonfiction workshops.

    Teacher Recommendation Section

    Please provide some information about your teacher.

    Your application must include a written recommendation from a teacher. We will email the instructions for submitting the teacher recommendation to your teacher when you submit your application. Your application IS NOT COMPLETE until we receive your teacher's recommendation. It is your responsibility to follow up with your teacher to make sure they complete the form.

    Occasionally, we take photographs and video of students to use in our promotional materials. Please give your permission to use your likeness in photography or video to be used in the brochure or on the web site. It is worth noting that when we use photographs, we do not identify the students in them by name.
    Photo and Video Permission
    Photo and Video Permission
    You cannot save and revisit this form, so if you close the application prior to submission, you will have to start over. Once you successfully submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email from sywc@sewanee.edu. If you don't get a confirmation email in your inbox or spam folder within 24 hours of submission then you may have not submitted the application properly. You will want to resubmit your application.