Taylor Baird
03:53:13 PM
Hi, everyone! Thanks for joining today's Sewanee Session. We'll get started shortly. In the meantime, please introduce yourself in the chat.
Aidan O.
04:00:41 PM
Hi! This is Aidan Osias, and I'm from Memphis,TN.
Lydia T.
04:00:46 PM
Hello, I'm Lydia from North Carolina
Emily D.
04:00:48 PM
Hello! I am Emily Duggar and I am from Midland, TX
Taylor Baird
04:00:57 PM
Welcome!
Taylor Baird
04:01:11 PM
This is Taylor in the Office of Admission.
Cora W.
04:01:13 PM
Hi, I’m Cora from Virginia
Claire L.
04:01:14 PM
Hello, I'm Claire from Nashville.
Maggie D.
04:01:15 PM
HI! I'm Maggie Dees from North Carolina!
Nick T.
04:01:16 PM
Hi! My name is Nick Taylor and I am from Washington Crossing, PA.
Kylie R.
04:01:17 PM
Kylie Ramming from Arlington, VA
Ying S.
04:01:18 PM
Hi! I'm Ying from New Orleans!
Emma P.
04:01:19 PM
Hey there! I'm Emma Papapanagiotou from Houston, TX
Gigi O.
04:01:21 PM
Hi! I am Gigi Olmstead from Atlanta, GA.
Vivian B.
04:01:23 PM
Hi! my name is Vivian Brouse and I'm from Huntsville Alabama!
Natalie K.
04:01:26 PM
Hi everyone! I'm Natalie from Washington, D.C.
Collin Q.
04:01:26 PM
Hi, I'm Collin Quinlan from Charlotte, NC.
Aidan O.
04:01:33 PM
Hi, Taylor!
Will B.
04:01:34 PM
Hi, I'm Will Bruce from Atlanta, GA.
Max M.
04:01:48 PM
Max Moorman from Dallas Tx.
Will S.
04:01:48 PM
Hi, I’m Will Schuessler from Memphis, TN
Will G.
04:01:59 PM
Will G from NYC
Eniola O.
04:02:00 PM
Hi! I'm Eniola Osunsanya from Lagos, Nigeria.
Emma J.
04:02:01 PM
Emma johnson from Birmingham Alabama
Jack Q.
04:02:10 PM
Hi! Jack Quinn from Dallas, Tx
Riley S.
04:02:12 PM
Hi, I'm Riley Stamper from Florida
Taylor Baird
04:02:21 PM
This is a great group!
Rachel S.
04:02:31 PM
Hi, I'm Rachel from Fort Mill, SC
Will R.
04:02:32 PM
William Rogers, AR.
Abby W.
04:02:39 PM
Hi, I'm Abby Walker from Houston, TX.
Lilly H.
04:03:07 PM
Hi I'm Lilly Howell from Waynesville, NC
A couple of minutes for you to log in and introduce yourselves.
I hope everyone is having a Good afternoon. I know different time zones so it might not be afternoon where you are, but thanks for tuning into Tiger tip #3 in our swanee session series I recognize a couple of your names that have been on Tiger tip one and two so welcome back, I'm Taylor Baird. I'm here in opposite emission actually. Physically in the office today so it's good to be back on campus like many of you learning remotely. We've been working remotely so it's kind of exciting to at least for staff to be back in the office some Watt.
So I can tell you what's funny. Weather actually looks like today. It's very beautiful here.
Tyree C.
04:04:27 PM
Hi, im Tyree curry from Montgomery Alabama
And I'll just mention as we go through. Uhm, I do have a chat setup. It's a moderated chat. So if you type in any questions or if you're late to introductions, I'll be reviewing those in an hitting yes share with the group. So if you don't see it immediately, don't panic. That's just to make sure that we kind of have a check on that that run the ones not sharing anything like 2 personal or confidential that we wouldn't want to share with the whole group. So that's our rationale. But feel free to chat in questions as we go.
But I will reserve space at the end of the session for just sort of General Q&A that you're able to type in.
So again, today is all about the common application, so if you want to be engaged in chat in.
It would be, I think most of you, a rising senior. So if you wanna say your classier kind of if you're a junior rising junior, a rising senior, that will be great. Would love to see some of that. And if you've heard of the comment before, you could just say yes or no. This is new to me.
Do you guys wanna chat those in it? Be fun for us to see as a group just where you are in the process and familiarity with the common application.
Riley S.
04:05:17 PM
I'm a rising senior
So I'm not seeing anything yet, but if you guys want to type in OK, here we go. Riley Senior.
And just from your registrations, I think that's probably the consensus that most of you are a lot of our Tiger tips are really driven towards rising seniors.
Emily D.
04:05:30 PM
I have started the common app and I am a rising senior
Aidan O.
04:05:31 PM
I'm a rising senior.
Lilly H.
04:05:33 PM
I'm a rising senior
Nick T.
04:05:33 PM
I am a rising senior.
OK, started the common app rising senior.
Rachel S.
04:05:35 PM
I'm a rising senior
Emma J.
04:05:35 PM
rising senior
Lydia T.
04:05:38 PM
I'm a rising senior as well
Gigi O.
04:05:42 PM
I am apart of the Class of 2021 & have heard of the Common App.
Having a temple for you guys to know you're kind of all in the same position. You're going through this process together.
Claire L.
04:05:45 PM
I'm a rising Senior, and this is all new to me.
Kylie R.
04:05:47 PM
I'm a rising senior and I have heard of the common ap
Wonderful look at you guys. Superstars is quiet for a second and now everybody is chatting in.
Will S.
04:05:49 PM
I’m a rising senior
Maggie D.
04:05:50 PM
I am a rising senior and have started the common app
You've heard of the common application started a common application.
Emma P.
04:05:53 PM
I'm a rising senior! I know what the common app is but I don't know much about it
Will R.
04:05:55 PM
Rising Senior, I have heard of common app
Alright, don't know much.
Ying S.
04:05:56 PM
I am a rising senior
Collin Q.
04:05:57 PM
Rising Senior, have heard of Common App
Eniola O.
04:05:59 PM
I'm a rising senior.
Jack Q.
04:06:00 PM
rising senior..have started the common app
Tyree C.
04:06:01 PM
Im a rising senior
Cora W.
04:06:01 PM
I’m a rising senior
OK, so I'll share those with the group. Those are coming in and will die right into it so.
Taylor Baird
04:06:42 PM
https://www.commonapp.org/about
As I go through, I know this is really about building your com application list, but that's kind of hard to do if you don't have a Fuller context of what the common app is and how you can really utilize it as a tool. So I mean, it kind of go through a couple of steps that are really through the common application website itself so they have some great resources there, so a lot of this content is directly from the website, but I think it is nice to just talk through it and just kind of have that personal connection or Swanee connection on top of the common application. So I am going to share in the chat some links, so the first one I'm going to put in.
Is just about the common application, so if you'd like to explore that, you can now or later, but the common application has been around for about 40 years, and 900 colleges and universities utilized the common application, so it's sort of exactly what the title and tails it is. A common platform that allows you to apply to schools.
That instead of having each particular school specific application that you're filling out, you can get a bulk of that done in one place to make your life a little easier. 'cause applying to college can really be like an extra class. It's a commitment and how you carve out that time in an structure that for Yourself is important, and so this is really helpful tool, but just a side note, as you do navigate the college search process in general, Swannies Common Optics Clusive.
So this is the only way it's the way to apply to Swanee. But as you round out your whole list, right? Uhm, it might be through common app, but there is also the coalition application and there's a specific school application, so keep that in mind. But today we are talking about the common app platform since that's what you want to use it.
Abby W.
04:07:58 PM
I'm a rising senior
Reagan O.
04:07:58 PM
I am a rising senior
Um, so lots of content here just for you to kind of get married on and read and Digest. But just like we talked about Integra tip #2 about sort of that fast said financial aid overview. Right now in June, I think the kind of number one priority is just gathering information gathering materials. So here are kind of those hot topic items. This specific ones that you'll need to make a common application account.
And move forward. So I mean, as you apply things that you'll need. So if you're thinking about how does your high school prefer that you request a transcript, so you might not need to do that right now, right over the summer, but kind of getting your ducks in a row. What does that look like when you go back with it? It's virtually you're on campus this fall. How are you going to communicate with your counselor or your school records office to get that high school transcript? What's your awareness of your transcript? So are you aware of what?
Your grades and your GPA look like, I think sometimes it's you either know exactly or it might just be something you've not ignored purposely, but you haven't printed often seen it. Sometimes it's a little nerve racking to see the GPA in transcript in its printed form, so make sure you just kind of gathering some information there and you're aware of what your academic standing is and how you need to request that information.
The next thing is use this time to think about what do you do, what do you spend your time doing? You know what is important to you and you can really just reflect. I think it's you're not having to create that because.
Really a lot of information that you're gathering and putting in your common application is your reporting what you've been doing for the past three or four years.
So there's three years of high school, and as you go into senior year, what's on the docket really? So if that's any effects, helpful way to think about it is yes, it might be the first time you're sitting down listing that altogether and really thinking back a couple of years ago. You know past and what you've done is a freshman and sophomore, perhaps in high school, but you really just documenting what you've already developed as your passion.
So that's something you can do over the summer right now of start to pull that information together. Scribble it down, type it up, get that in a place where your liking what you have listed, and if that fuels holistic, incomplete to you.
The next is starting to think about test scores.
Dates for those a manhole caveat, side conversation is yes, you guys have been affected by Cobra 19 and so we were working with seniors.
Their process of graduating in coming to Swanee, but it also effects you guys right now is rising seniors of what did the end of junior year look like for you? Anne? How are you navigating summer in the fall? So we understand that that looks different right now and that that does impact testing. So we're kind of right there in that boat with you of trying to figure that all out. I would say one big caveat. An important thing to note about Swanee is that we are a test optional school.
So we do not require AC T or S80 four admission, nor for merit scholarships. So if that alleviate some pressure in and of itself, Please remember that we've been test optional for about 12 years, and while the mission cycles so very familiar with that process, but if it is very important to test, or you just want to see what that might look like before you make a test, optional decision at Swanee or elsewhere, just keep monitoring that through the College Board and acti know those updates are coming out pretty regularly.
So I think you just remember you're going to have to work with colleges in colleges are going to have to be very flexible, including Swanee of what that looks like for you guys.
Also, parent legal Guardian information. You know all family dynamics look different, so sorting that out, having conversations with parents, what you know. If you only have access to one parent, or if you just have that legal Guardian in your life, what information is available and how is that kind of lined up to go through the application in the financial aid process? Perhaps for specific questions there, that's where develop that relationship with your admission counselor like myself or.
The relationship with the office of admission or office of financial aid to help with those nuances for your particular dynamic.
And then again, I can make honors and achievements, so again reflecting gathering that information probably three years of high school have flown by. Perhaps maybe feels like its been along time. Are you kind of blinked in all this and you feel like you're in this college search process? So just kind of sit and try to list that out and some of you might have been keeping track of that overtime, which is wonderful, but.
It's kind of where you when you're rushing and maybe you're filling out an application this fall in a hurry that you forget about something that was actually really important or meaningful to you or shows a college and shows the office of admission.
That accolade of the time that you spent doing something so it's important to prep and plan because we don't want you to forget something that is integral to who you might be on our campus and who you are as an individual.
I'm so hopefully that's helpful just to get you started. Again, a lot of this content is on the UM.
Common application website directly and will post the recording in the slides of this.
Helpful hints I know. I mentioned that over 900 college universities use the common app, so it's definitely worth your time and effort to look into and start that account.
Um, the common application will reset for a new ignition cycle, right? So we're closing out all of the students, so maybe your friends are upperclassmen, or you're older than you were closing that process out.
So you can get into the common application and poke around and make your account, but you wouldn't be able to submit any applications until August 1st. Not that you have to be sitting at your computer to submit deadlines will be forthcoming, but that is kind of the renewal cycle for the common application. For your classes, rising seniors that you're able to go in there and actually make some definitive decisions and start sitting.
However, that last bullet point account rollover dots. The beautiful piece. So like I said, We're talking about it now because you can get a jump start on this. You can gather information you can look at their first time applicant guide. You can put in your biographical information. Have that account. You can make a list of schools and all of that rolls over into this new cycle on that August 1 we set. So if you have any questions about that.
Chapatin, but hopefully that makes sense that if you're sitting here in June, July and you're working through this process, then that will not be lost. It was going to roll over and be beneficial for you to have gotten that done.
Alright, so again, I don't think you have to retain all of this verbatim or scribble this down, but just wanted to walk through what it looks like to create an account so there are a couple of different types that you can make so unimportant part would be that you are making a first year student application as you know, as opposed to a transfer application, something of that sort. So again, this is where you can go in and make your login credentials. Be mindful of that, I'm sure you're high school. College counselors are telling you that.
And you have your own awareness of this process is a process. It's going to be on going. It does require a lot of buying an attention from you guys and so make sure that you're setting up your common application account with one a useful and appropriate email, but also an email address that you're going to check often.
Um, because this is not only if you apply to Swanee, but on any list that you're creating or all the schools that you applied through apply to via the common application will communicate with you and you'll access information using that email address and login. So important to remember.
And you just walk through these steps again on my common application website, you adjust your preferences and all that as you go along, so everyone will probably have their own pace and what you're creating, but it shouldn't take you more than.
You know, I would take just minutes, but not too long, maybe 1520 minutes to just set up that initial account and basic information.
So see, we have some questions.
So we don't want question here. I see 2 one I might hold for good test. Optional question. I'll come back to that.
Lydia T.
04:17:08 PM
So can you type up main parts and have it role over, or if you type up an essay about something will it disappear?
But we have one that says can you type up main parts and have it roll over. But if you type of an essay or something, will it disappear? So what kind of get into essays? A little bit later, but it's really going to be the bulk of your information.
So that biographical information and the colleges that you save on your list and that you're exploring and adding to your list of schools. So again more to come on that you are able to see the essay prompts.
I believe you are able to put in actual information for the essay, but again, like if you're hesitant to want to put that in because you think it might submit, it won't submit it. You can't do that. There are lots of stop checks along the way so it would be if you wanted to explore that already, then it's yeah, it's worth your time.
OK, so this is again your common application list. This is really at the heart of what we want to talk about.
Of how do you do that? So before I go through like the actual logistical steps of adding colleges in.
The common application is probably worth talking about the idea of college fit, uhm?
And you know, there are. There's a really neat tool called just explore colleges within the common app where each college that is a member of the common application has a profile. So you could even use that as a specific resource outside of.
Conversation with your counselor or Googling or thinking of colleges that might be of interest to you, right? So there is sort of that whole idea of how do you build your list, and then there's that the actual logistical piece of putting colleges on your list. There's a Max of 20 within the common application, so expand on that. But when you go to the college search tab within the common application, you're able to add in search for colleges so.
You could do that by name if you're specifically looking for Swanee, type that in and will pop up and you can add that with these, but if you want to explore then use those filters. So I put in a couple, just said maybe things to think about or what to filter on if you have spent that time thinking of OK, what do I want to experience in college? It's important to me. do I have limitations on the student body size or how far away it is from my hometown?
I like to think about fit in four parts, and that's often how you'll hear it talked about in Swanee and in our office were intentionally small school, right? So it's important to us to get to know a student in that mutual sense that you're getting to know us and we're going to know you that you're coming to a small residential college that you're going to be an active community member. On top of being a student. So number one, there's the academic fit. You thinking about that with programs you're looking for that classroom setting.
Major is opportunities. Things like that. Keep that in mind. There's the financial fit, so thinking of.
You know cost of attendance, but also really didn't into. What are the scholarships? What is the financially look like? You know, it's funny. We have a heftier price tag, but we do also meet full demonstrated need, so it's kind of that conversation that have with yourself and have with your family encounters. There's the geographical and kind of physical fit so you know do you want to be in the southeast? Thinking of Swanee? Do you want to be in Tennessee? Are you comfortable being in a more rural campus that still connected to the area around it, but your experience is really here.
With your peers, you know Seven days a week living on campus engaging here, and that really leads into the idea of social fit. So again, what kind of student body are you looking for? The make up there that size?
You know is it flexes it. Student clubs and organizations? Is it that student voice on campus, those kind of things to help narrow your search? So I know that speaking a little more broadly than just the common app, but just be mindful of that. I think if you're sitting on a session for Swanee and June, hopefully we're on. Perhaps on that list or in that range of schools you might be considering. So think about, think about what's meaningful to you about Swanee an. Are there other schools that you might want to explore that?
You know fit some of those same descriptors or needs.
But again, for these particular bullet points that I won't read them for Beetem to you, um, you could look.
Yeah, distance from your zip code. For example you if you want to apply to a school that doesn't have a writing requirement, you can filter it by that. You could filter it by what schools are test optional.
Do we you know, does that school require recommendation? If so, how many and what does that look like? So there, as you identify, kind of what process you might want to go through or things that might be important. These are some pretty neat filters to think about common ways to narrow down.
So there I know again, this is really about building your list so we can go back to that and again chat any questions, but I think this is kind of go through the process of building out your common application and your awareness of it is really important. So once you have identified those schools that maybe you're still exploring or you actually put them on your common application list with the intent to apply to those schools. So you've explored you. Spent the summer.
You know making that list and you say OK, I'm applying to six schools through the common application swanee. Hopefully being one of those. Those are on your list. Well, what comes next, again, you can. You can add, you could add schools to your list. You can delete those schools. That list is that can be ever changing, so if you add a school you're not locked into that forever. But I think right now while you're just creating account and exploring, it's a great way to keep tabs and like have that intentionality.
I will say caveat, I know I mentioned earlier that you cannot list more than 20 schools.
I hope and advise that you do not actually apply to 20 schools.
Uhm, but that is the number that it will cap out, so just be mindful of that if you'd like to talk more about why we would advise against that, we're happy to chat with you about maybe not applying to 20 schools, but do you know whatever is going where? I was going earlier of what comes next, so you say I'm applying to these schools.
Well, one is. You're engaging your supporters, so that's kind of the terminology on the common application website of and I love that term supporters because who has been with you on this path through high school in your college search?
So that might be talking, collaborating with your counselors, so school counselors, college counselors, academic advisors, and it's a little bit the terminology. And that role is kind of different at each high school. But you know who are you talking to about college? That might be a teacher that you're really close with. Or it might be your counselor. So who is that point person for you that you might need to engage with them for advice or like will talk about next is for recommendations.
Um again parents, Guardians, family members, other recommenders, so that might be a coach that might be a community member that you've done a project with. If you're a Boy Scout or they might be your troop leader or a sponsor for your Eagle Scout Project Advisors, it could be.
I think someone you know in your church or you know any faith based organization or it could be.
Mentor that you had through Big Brother, Big Brothers and sisters or you know.
Think about that in a holistic sense, just like I encourage you to do with your activities. List of it might take a second to think, OK, who has really bad, meaningful and impactful over three to four years? It might not be a name that comes to you instantly. Think about that.
And things to know as you think about recommendations and engaging your supporters, you will invite and assign within common application. That's a functionality they have that you can go in an actually send an email to a recommender.
There in less than in there, and so you will need to have that face to face communication with them, so that doesn't kind of.
It, I guess like excuse you or eliminate that process of, you definitely need to approach those people in your life that you're asking to be a recommender. Write a recommendation. You know your school might have a particular process of how you need to request that you might have even started that as a junior, an identified teachers or counselors and submitted a Foreman said, could you please over the summer? Reading recommendation for me so that might already be happening?
But you are able to kind of assign an invite folks in your common application, but again, knowing that you need to keep up with that and make sure that it actually gets sent.
Uhm, you know, because how they're uploading it or sending in the actual recommendation could vary. It could be that they can only do it by Mail or your high school might use a different software platform where that's actually how they need to send that document to Swanee or two 2 at school. So just be aware of kind of what happens on the back end, but it helps you keep up with OK, I've assigned it recommended for this application.
Emily D.
04:27:17 PM
How many recommendations does Sewanee require?
Animal has a question of how many recommendations is Swanee requires, so we look for two we look for, typically your counselor and a teacher from either your junior or senior year. So someone who's seen you in the classroom and most recently you are able to submit more, but we look for those two specifically.
In a side note about that is.
Like we approached the admissions process, we've said kind of Holistic Lee, we know that everyone's transcript in curriculum and what is available to looks different. That has it really infiltrates.
Teacher relationship in council relationship as well. So if you're at a smaller high school where you really know your college counselor, you know by name an you see them regularly.
You know we're typically aware of those school dynamics. If you're at a smaller school with a different relationship with your counselor versus you might be at a really large public high school where the case load is heavier, so your counselor has a lot of students that they're working with, so that counts are recommendation. Might be it might look different, might be shorter then then along personalized letter. If you haven't had a lot of facing with that counselor. So I say that to hopefully provide some comfort if that's you have that differing high school experience that.
That's our job to to know those dynamics and know your school and the school profile of you know we're not if that recommendation might be a little shorter, we're going to be aware of the dynamics that it's not a bad recommendation, so I hope that that makes sense to you, but still be intentional about who you pick. You do want it to be someone who have a good relationship with and that you have had some FaceTime. Again, the council recommendation kind of is a little bit different, particularly with teachers. You do have more control.
There a man who you are asking to write a recommendation, so be mindful of that.
And I see I see a couple of questions I there in the chat and it will lead back to those.
But in in things to notice wrapping up on this slide for bar is something you'll hear you haven't already heard about it. It it kind of comes into play in the college realm, and it's a lot about.
In the privacy of Student Education Records, so it's multifaceted, and it's a complex law, so we won't get into that, but I bring it up because you will be asked on the common application to wave your.
Don't wait for but in in regards to recommendation, So what that means is your your by waiving that right to like review your recommendations it let it let's colleges no that the recommendation were receiving is authentic and haven't been modified or edited by you or a parent or Guardian or whomever. So it basically means if you're waving that on the common app, be way that it means we have that integrity level to know that whatever your counselor or teacher.
Third party recommend recommend are wrote is their own words. Ann is very authentic into who you are as a person.
So probably like a little bit in the weeds, but just for you to be aware that terminology and what that means.
Um and often times if you aren't waving that, then some recommenders will maybe declined to write your recommendation, so just had that conversation, and it is probably a little more minuscule then.
You know it's just going to come up as a pop up box to waive that, but wanted you to be aware of what that means.
And then to be mindful that each college has their own recommendation requirements like I just talked about swannies that could look different for each school on your common application list.
Alright, so I was holding some of those questions because I think this side will be a little more encompassing but something really important to think about as you craft your list and work through your list is to understand the requirements of each of those schools that you've listed. What are the deadlines? Obviously again you can read all this in move and move through this with me but.
This is where that explore colleges page might be extremely helpful, because you're going to get that kind of snapshot view of what is pertinent for each particular school.
Um, and typically when you add if you're on the schools mailing list and you add us and or add us to your common app list, we're going to start communicating so you will be getting kind of an extra layer of OK. Here are the steps moving forward that I need for this particular school. Gearing up of OK. Which essays do I need to submit the number again, those number of recommendations? do I need a portfolio?
When you're thinking, of course, is in grade, that's going to be the transcript component, so you know. do I need to request a transcript from a school that I transferred from? So it depends. Oftentimes if you transferred high schools, those grades might be on your current schools transcript, but if not, you might need to be thinking about how can I get that record?
If you're into enrollment, then sometimes that is listed on your high school transcript and part of you might be getting high school credit for that card double course, but oftentimes you might not. It might be just one moment on its own, so how do you get that dual enrollment transcript to the college? And you'll be able.
You to market, you're doing doing well. My college work through the common app.
So there's some things to think about there.
All right and just to intro to planning your essays.
Um next week will be all about essay writing, so we'll talk about the common app prompts, but will also talk specifically about what Swanee looks for an essay with and in general. What are some essay tips of planning and writing? So hold tight on more specifics there, but just to think about what might be included in the common application, the common app personal essay. That's what Swanee looks for, so we only require one essay, and it is one of those common app props.
So we do not have a specific supplement or anything extra, so keep that in mind for Swanee.
But as far as like in other schools on your list, it will be different for each school, so they might have a college specific question of why ex school and why do you want to come here. There might be writing supplements and that could fluctuate from a paragraph form or short answer to a full essay. Quick response. That kind of thing. And there is going to be a cobra 19 section for students to kind of describe what that process or any impacts might look like. And there's also an additional information section so.
As you think about essays, again more to come. You can really utilize that particular essay spot and for Swanee for us to see that dynamic piece of who you are. You don't have to use that to talk about.
You know, like a high specific of transferring a high school, or like I just said Cobra 19. There will be particular spaces for that, so as you think about what you might want to write your essay on, just kind of get those wheels turning that it can really be about your voice in an experience for you.
All right, so thank you guys for chatting in questions. I'm gonna work through these if some come up from the questions we talk about. Keep him rolling.
So I see a question about since one is test optional, does it impact students negatively if they choose not to submit scores?
Like I said, We've been test optional for a long time and we I would. I would say speaking for Swanee another schools. Once you make that decision to go test optional, it should not negatively impact students in your pool. So I would say if you are applying to schools that offer that is an option, you could say trust and have that conversation with them. If you need to, but trust that they're making that choice to serve you as a student, not to penalize you. So for us, it's something we note and we say, OK.
Aidan O.
04:36:07 PM
Since Sewanee is test-optional, does it impact students negatively if they choose not to submit scores?
We're not looking for a test score. We might put more eyes into the transcript as a whole, because that's then the academic indicator of who you might be in a classroom here. It's funny, so we're not unfortunately ready, not GPA optional, so we do need to have a reference of who you been in a classroom for three or four years, but as far as ignition and scholarships, you are not negatively impacted if you applied to Swanee test optional.
Without Tasker Ascension, say.
Alright, if we have transferred schools throughout high school, how long?
How long have been? Sorry I'm paraphrasing for you all.
So I think the question is for recommendations. If you transferred high schools.
I'm reading it as it would it. Would it be OK to ask a teacher we've had in the past, and if so like is there a time limitation on that of how long? How much time would pass before that? They might be irrelevant, so I'm hoping that question right? If you just at the base level that question if you transferred high schools and I'm speaking from my own experience as well, I transfer between my sophomore and junior year. So kind of right on that cusp.
Is important for me applying to swanee another schools too.
Jack Q.
04:38:02 PM
Did you say that if you choose test optional you will be considered in the same way as someone who sends their scores for merit scholarships?
Um to have recommendations and Recommenders from my current high school, because, again, that was my most recent experience and interaction as a student with those teachers and faculty, so I would definitely think about that in your process. But if you had a really close, meaningful relationship with someone, even in freshman sophomore year, that can always be a supplemental or third recommendation for us. You know, if it was a theater teacher or a biology teacher that you just really love that subject matter and have a deep relationship with them, absolutely.
They can speak to you, know that experience and who were in the classroom. That's still going to provide context would be helpful for us, but it would still be mindful that you might want to pair that with someone in your senior year.
Especially if you know kind of your school setting has has changed a little bit.
So another question about test optional. Hopefully I've reiterated that, but you would be considered the same for merit scholarships and that is correct. So again, we're going of.-.
Looking in that way really just after the GPA and transcript, and I keep saying those together because there's the numeric GPA, but there's also the story that your transcript tells us and the rigor and the types of class in the progress. Hopefully you know that trend. That's what we see from the collective experience and kind of collective.
Mapping of your transcript, so keep that in mind. But short answer yes you are not. You are not negated or penalized or stopped from applying for any of our merit scholarships without scores.
Riley S.
04:38:53 PM
What if you have a hard copy of a recommendation? How would you send that through the common app?
So there's a question about how you might submit or Mail a letter of recommendation. So again, I mentioned that that is kind of your the phrase You hear a lot in the admission world, which is maybe helpful, maybe frustrating is it depends, or that depends, so it how you're going to submit recommendations, or how your recommenders will send those two Swanee. Or to schools will differ.
Based on the process at your high school has outlined.
It might be there might be multiple options, or they might say you might have a teacher say OK, I only feel comfortable. I can only male this through, you know snail Mail which is fine or I have to upload it through Naviance which I know is a common platform within the high school community. Or they might do it, they might upload it through.
You know they might send it directly to us in a PDF form via email, so it depends on their capabilities and comfortable iti we, as long as it's an official recommendation letter that is coming directly from the recommender, we will accept that that would be as opposed to like you if I met you. You know, in the fall or spring and you handed me a recommendation, I couldn't really accept that because I don't know again that it's authentic from your recommender.
However, he gets to us as long as its official. That's what matters.
Will G.
04:40:18 PM
When is the best time to start the CommonApp?
And we have a question, when is the best time to start the common app so we think right now?
As we were all these Tiger tips we want to plant this seed and for guys to be thinking about it in a way that doesn't cause extra stress. So I would say go in and make that account and explore these resources now and then. That gives you more time and like breathing room and flexibility. August to December 2 prioritize and build out that timeline of which applications do I need to hit submit on at a certain point in time. So for us, it's funny you could apply anywhere through November 2.
February, so it just as you map that out. Um, that's right elbow to start now and get a lot of the book and content done. And so then you're just revising an you're making sure you have those supplements done. You're reviewing right before you hit submit, when you need too, and you're not rushing, so you can go ahead and start that. But again, you won't be able to hit submit anywhere until August 1.
Riley S.
04:41:26 PM
Would an arts teacher be acceptable? I'm from a performance arts high school.
If you are at an art school, yes, a teacher recommendation from your art teacher would be absolutely acceptable.
Will G.
04:41:33 PM
Will the presentation be available online for future reference?
Anne will has a question of yes, we will be on a Tiger tips website.
We will be linking each recording in the presentation there, so again, I would say utilized the common application. I'm going to put the guide.
Taylor Baird
04:41:53 PM
https://www.commonapp.org/apply/first-time-students
For first year students into the chat now. So this is a great resource but we will have a lot of the content that's on this link is in the presentation. Uhm, but we will have that up for you to reference.
And again will continue more. An essay writing soon.
Tell me saying I gotta question about essay topics that we might encourage you to avoid will save that for.
Aidan O.
04:42:39 PM
Thank you!
Next week, it's kind of a relative question. I think my short answer would be if it's something that's important to you and something that you feel like is pivotal to your experience, in that you want to share with a college, then I don't think that there's like a bad or topic you should avoid. If it's and it's meaningful to you enough to want to write about it, then I don't. It's not really our place to tell you not to, so that's my my short answer. More to come if you're able to tune in next week.
Abby W.
04:42:40 PM
Do you have any essay topics you think we should avoid because they are overdone?
I have two questions that are similar. What kind of clothes on these it seems of? Are there advantages to submitting test scores versus test optional?
Maggie D.
04:42:56 PM
Are there any advantages to submitting test scores to test optional schools?
Eniola O.
04:42:57 PM
Are students who send their test scores at an advantage to those who don't send theirs?
Yeah, you guys wrote kind of the almost an identical question an honestly.
No, a man. I only hesitated because when we talk to students about the idea of applying test optional, I really steer away from the idea of a good or a bad score. So they're obviously midranges. So every school for the most part will either publish their middle 50%. So the bulk of where their applicants fall tests wise, or they might publish like a minimum test score effects the baseline that you would need that or above to be considered for admission.
So that that can be a guiding source, but I would really encourage you applying this morning to think of as a balance beam. So if you 'cause you may have your test score and and you feel really confident there, and so it's I just don't feel like it's on me personally as your counselor to say, Oh you did a good or a bad job so you can weigh it again through a mid range for some guidance, but you feel like that score was successful for you and your abilities and it feels in line with who you been in this in the classroom. Then I think is those are aligning. It can be fine to go ahead and move.
With submitting your scores, if there's a big disparity there and you really know I struggle with testing or I really feel more confident in my curriculum and rigor and GPA, then that could be a great fit to consider. Test optional. So I hope that provide some guidance, but outside of just like that personal framing, you know we're not rating or having any sort of like test, optional non test optional pool as we as we review so it's we're moving through them. It's really kind of.
If I see a student is applying test optional, all that's telling me is I don't need to look at a test score. I'm getting into the transcript, so I hope that gives you some framing and guidance of how we would review it on our end.
Alright, so encourage you to keep in touch again if you didn't want to chat in the question or you think of it in a little while. I always think of questions like 20 minutes after I've chatted with someone, so I'm putting my personal email here. Also. Are general admission email on our website. You can.
Look for your counselor, so I didn't think that in here, but.
You can look up your counselor based on your territory. Some of that might be shifting for us as we kind of shift around our staff, but if you're curious to know who to reach out to specifically, if you live in Texas so you live in Charlotte, you can decipher that. But again, I'm happy. I'm happy to help connect you as well. It's taylorbanditswanted.edu and then our general admission phone number is there for you as well. So keep in touch with us. I would definitely encourage you if I put it on this side to join us next week. If you.
Jack Q.
04:46:08 PM
thank you!
I said this last Thursday, but if you haven't figured out already, there's sort of a pattern. We will send you the Tiger tip on Tuesday and then we will offer this kind of presentation style to really unpack that on the following Thursday. So each week in each Tiger tip has a theme and then we just want to expand on it in a kind of a more casual setting here.
So if you are let me just hold on for 1 second, I'm going to paste into Tiger tip.
Do you know exactly what I'm talking about?
Taylor Baird
04:46:44 PM
https://new.sewanee.edu/admission-aid/tiger-tips/
You guys get to see some multi tasking in action. OK so I'm going to paste this in. If you missed Tiger, tip one or two and again to access those recordings you can click on that link and it will take you to that particular landing page. So I would encourage you to explore that. Once this loads will get the recording of this probably by tomorrow morning. I'm breeder reference would definitely encourage you guys to join in for the essay.
Next week on Thursday the 25th.
Cora W.
04:47:12 PM
Thank you!
Gigi O.
04:47:13 PM
Thank you!
Riley S.
04:47:14 PM
Thank you so much!
Abby W.
04:47:15 PM
Thank you so much!
Lydia T.
04:47:19 PM
Bye, thank you!
Maggie D.
04:47:20 PM
Thank you!
All right, but there's that link. And yeah, I really appreciate guys tuning in and you might see my face, but hopefully I'll have a gas so you don't get too tired of my voice through the Tiger tents. But we like to seeing you soon bye everyone.
Kylie R.
04:47:27 PM
Thank you!
Ying S.
04:47:28 PM
Thank you!
Emma P.
04:47:29 PM
Thank you so much!!
Lilly H.
04:47:31 PM
Thank you!
Natalie K.
04:47:33 PM
Thank you!
Will B.
04:47:33 PM
Thank you!
Aidan O.
04:47:34 PM
Thanks, Taylor!
Rachel S.
04:47:38 PM
Thank you!