Southern Admissions

<p>^ Very well said, it is all about “fit”, both socially and academically. Have you visited Sewanee and experienced the campus firsthand? I remember a concern of my D with Sewanee, as well as my own, was traveling to campus. Chatanooga was the closest airport and there were only connecting flights there from the Connecticut/New York airports at that time.</p>

<p>Yes I have visited and am actually going for an overnight very soon. I would actually like to be at a rural campus, which as you said was a kicker for your daughter. Transportation is one of the concerns that my family has with Sewanee, but it is not a defining factor for them or me because of the Chatanooga aiport, or there is the option to fly out of Nashville which may offer direct flights.</p>

<p>Lots of Sewanee students fly in and out of Nashville.</p>

<p>OP, It sounds as though you have really done your homework and know what you are doing. Sewanee is terrific. Good luck to you!</p>

<p>Yeah I feel like it is the right school. Thank you! However, would you say I could get it?</p>

<p>Have you met with the Sewanee Admissions Counselor yet? I remember when we met her she was very open about my D’s chances of getting in and was very encouraging. She was very excited about attracting students from the New England area. My D had a slightly higher GPA than yours, 3.75, but a lower SAT score so you are similar and she was told that Sewanee would consider her an “ideal applicant”. Your level of interest, overnight stay, state of residence and relationship with the AdCon will work in your favor. Also, if you don’t need financial aid and apply ED, you really boost your chances. Bottom line is keep in touch with the Sewanee AdCon and see what type of feedback you may get.</p>

<p>Just in case, however, you really need to have a few other colleges on your list. It is hard to fall in love with your second choice but it is necessary.</p>

<p>I met one of them but unfortunately he left. I hope to have a good interview with my AdCon and build somewhat of a relationship. Thank you so much for your input BobbyCT. Another question is did your daughter ask the AdCon straight up? Would that be an inappropriate conversation at the end of an interview? And yeah I like Centre alot and Stonehill up by me is a good school as well. I have a list but Sewanee is by far number 1.</p>

<p>My D was fairly direct but respectful. She asked the AdCon if her GPA, scores, etc. made her a “competitive” candidate for admissions. It is an appropriate question and my D asked it at every interview. When you go back for your overnight visit, make sure to tell the AdCon when you are coming and if she had the time to meet with you. Also, if Sewanee attends any of the college fairs in your area, or sends someone to your high school, make sure you stop by to greet them. Get a relationship developed with the AdCon since she will be advocating on your behalf during the admissions approval process.</p>

<p>If you have not sat in on a class, or met with a professor, make sure you do that when you do your overnight. If you like Sewanee, and are thinking about Centre, you should really look at Furman as an option. What were you thinking of majoring in?</p>

<p>Economics with a minor in Pre Law or US history. And most I believe Furman is a bit of a reach for me but I am not really sure. And “competitive” is a good way of saying it thank you for the advice.</p>

<p>^ Don’t discount Furman too quickly. They expanded their freshman class and have committed to attracting a more “geographically diverse” student base. My D’s friend created a double major there in Economics and Psychology with the intent to go into Behavioral Economics. They also have one of the top mock debate teams in the country. I am not trying to talk you into Furman, just don’t rule it out because you think it is a reach. My D thought it was a reach but made it.</p>

<p>That being said, I think it is great that you found a college at this point in the process that may be your dream college. Many people never find that. Sewanee is a great college for the right person. I wish you the best of luck and please keep us updated on your progress!</p>

<p>We are from NJ and our son went to Sewanee. He was admitted ED to Sewanee with a GPA and scores similar to yours. The only difference was that he planned to play a sport at Sewanee and had several discussions with the coach prior to applying. You said you have numerous varsity letters - would that be a possibility for you?</p>

<p>I’m happy to see you have an overnight visit planned. Sewanee is a special place but isn’t right for everyone. Make sure you don’t mind a long drive for a WalMart, movie theater, etc. because there isn’t much available in Monteagle. It’s important to get a feel for the isolation of the campus especially since you want to apply ED. Cell phone service is also very spotty on the mountain (at least it was 2 years ago). Son had to go outside to call us because he couldn’t get any reception in the dorms. The social life is definitely centered around the Greek houses and there is a big drinking culture. But having said all this, Sewanee attracts a great group of students and there is a strong feeling of community and tradition within the Domain.</p>

<p>We always used the Nashville airport which is an easy 90 minute drive to campus. There is a bus company that runs shuttles on an almost hourly basis between the Chattanooga and Nashville airports. If you call ahead they will stop in Monteagle and are very accommodating for Sewanee students.</p>

<p>We also have a daughter at Furman. BobbyCT is correct that they are growing the class size and that resulted in a higher acceptance rate this year. Both Sewanee and Furman are excellent schools and it comes down to where you are most comfortable. Good luck to you!</p>

<p>I didn’t mean to insult. Perhaps I’ve lived in the North too long. I didn’t suggest that one compare Sewanee with Williams; I asked this student to compare Sewanee with a comparable SLA in the North. Southern SLAs simply don’t have the national respect that a “comparable” SLA in the North has. This issue then extends to graduate schools and professional schools. If one desires an MBA, the pipeline to Harvard (and other top MBA schools) is going to come from feeder SLAs. How many times do we answer the question “where did you go to school”? The need to add an appositive to the answer at a cocktail party in New York or Boston will become tiresome. “I went to XYZ, a small, liberal arts college in the South,” will be the refrain. Now maybe a Phi Beta Kappa key will help a bit and a Rhodes Scholarship would be even better; however, as the Uncle of a Rhodes Scholar from a “small, liberal arts college in the South,” I can tell you that this prejudice never goes away. The fact that BobbyCT talks about Furman in terms of having some students from the New England area is telling in a subtle way. It’s nice that the “Southern” schools can provide a lovely setting for the children of Northerners, and it’s nice that some of the children come down to provide some well-needed diversity. And if the parents on this site don’t understand what’s I’m talking about, then you need to read a scholarly book by UNC-Chapel Hill English professor Fred Hobson called “Tell About the South: The Southern Rage to Explain”, Louisiana State University Press, 1983. If the parents are, by now, thoroughly confused, then, frankly, their children don’t belong at a true Southern school, because they will never “get it.” And they will never understand William Faulkner’s Quentin Compson in “Absalom, Absalom,” which means that they will never really understand Southern history or Southern literature. I repeat to this young man from Boston that he should really try to understand why he wants to come South. It is not by accident that William Faulkner had his main character, Quentin Compson, go North, to Harvard, to study. Think about it.</p>

<p>Scudder- You are seriously over-thinking this. He’ll probably wind up getting a law degree from Vanderbilt and staying in Tennessee. I grew up in the north and every time I get off the plane back home in TN I practically kiss the ground. Even if the OP goes back to the northeast, he probably won’t have to flip burgers.</p>