Hi everyone!
As a TASS alum myself, I can tell a little about the process as well. For the book list, they aren’t picky. I had different types and my list was about ten long. I only read one classic and that was a required reading for my school lol. As for interviewing, everyone’s experience is different. I personally had two interviewers at the same time,one of which was an admissions officer. Most of my fellow Tassers had one relatively young interviewer.
The question is as follows: “A list of your favorite books, films, exhibits, newspapers, magazines, lectures, music, and/or works of art. For each item, please include a very brief description of its importance to you.”
Should there be a list for all items? Should it be at least 10 items? 5 items? We’ve touched base on the book list, but what do you list for films, exhibitions, etc.
@Le1997 Did you list something for each item? Were they included in your interview?
Oh wow, I think they’ve changed the question since I’ve done it. I recall mine being only a book list with no descriptions. My book list was kind of a significant portion of my interview.
I’m applying for TASS this year, and aiming for Cornell I. Good luck to everyone!
@Hamlon I’m glad you are excited! Don’t worry too much, if you take time with your application you should be fine. I am a Cornell TASS alum. I attended this year. As far as the essays go, those are an integral part of your application. That’s the first step of showing Telluride who you are and what you’re made of. Try to let your essays reflect your personality and writing style. Write on something you are interested to help yourself. Choosing something random or sophisticated may look pristine but it may be more difficult for you to connect with. Choose something you are passionate about and make sure you are well informed in case your interviewer wants to discuss them. Also, write in steps. Don’t try to do it all in 1 day. They are looking for well thought out, content-rich, critical and reflective essays. Ask a mentor or teacher to look them over as well. Sometimes a fresh perspective is helpful.
TASS is no doubt the most informative and enriching experience I have ever had. The seminars were great. I learned more about black history, culture/culture appropriation, literature and writing in those 6 weeks than I have in all my schooling. The seminars are like discussions led by two university professors. Everyone speaks, shares their work and ideas and it’s very interactive. In addition to it being fun, it is also rigorous. We had to pull a few all-nighters to complete readings, poems and essays on time. No one is micro-managing you so responsibility and time management are important. There are also aspects such as self-governance and community building that are integral to the TASS experience. You will become very close to the other TASSers and most likely learn about a myriad of cultures, religions and ethnicities due to the divergence of the TASSers’ backgrounds. Factotum act as “Counselors” but do things like chaperon, mediate issues, mentor and just about anything else.
If anyone has any specific questions feel free to inbox me. Good luck!
list as many as you feel are important! only list what you have strong opinions about or are significant. I would write in paragraph form.
@afrikanscholar can you describe your interview? Was it intense or did you feel at ease? Was Cornell your first choice or did you prefer the other programs?
Hey all! I’m also applying to TASS, shooting for Cornell I 
I have a few questions: in the first essay question, when it asks what unique perspectives you’ll bring to the program, should I answer it specifically in light of the seminar I want to attend, or should I generalize things to fit all of them? I’m also Asian; in your opinion, should I deemphasize that, or talk about it a lot as a diversity factor? So nervous ugh, been wanting to attend this forever.
Best of luck to everyone! Rooting for y’all
@magnetnh sure! my interview was held at university lounge and it was very lax. It did not feel like an interview at all it felt like a conversation. One person spoke and there was a stenographer. They will have your essays and they may ask you about them. It lasted about 2 hours. They might speak with your parents. At the time I was torn between Indiana and Cornell bc Indiana had a really great topic but Cornell is…ya know lol Cornell. I leaned towards Cornell though because it was in New York and not only had I never been to the east coast but it was at the Telluride House. But in the end, the TA committee makes the decision; they only consider your preference. Good luck!
Private message me with questions, I don’t get alerts for mentions.
I was also wondering about how the application mentioned no more than 250 words per list. For the question asking you about your interest in the seminars, does that mean you talk about each seminar in less than 250 words, or your answers for all four seminars total is less than 250 words? thank you!
@trilixar I believe it’s 250 words for all four seminars, cause on the online application the text box for that question only allows 1500 characters 
I know psat scores aren’t considered when applying, but do you know how they send out applications? I received an email from tasp because of my psat score and I’m trying to predict what percentile I scored in. Some threads say that it’s by the state’s 99.5th percentile of psat scores, while some threads say that there isn’t a correlation at all.
Only a week left until applications are due. Good luck everyone and Happy New Year’s!
@am7311 This is TASS. Completely different thing. TASP is for Juniors and focuses on humanities in general. TASS is for Sophomores who want to discuss African-American topics.
For those applying - how are you ranking the seminars. I am thinking Cornell II, Cornell I, Indiana and then Michigan.
@magnetnh I think I’m doing Cornell I, Indiana, Cornell II, then Michigan
Also for the second essay, does “Your essay should represent your own views and thoughts; it should not be a research paper” mean we shouldn’t look up and use statistics/facts?
@magnetnh My first pick is definitely Michigan and I still cannot choose my bottom 3. They all sound amazing. I would not be mad at all if they put me in my 2nd/3rd/4th pick. I wish we could take them all. Why aren’t classes like these offered in school? :((
@pielovereternal I’m pretty sure we have to write all the essays off of previous knowledge. Write it like you are in class and aren’t allowed to use the internet.
Quick question: for the short answer questions, are you all writing actual lists or putting lists into paragraph format? :-*
@harpstrings I did them as list and not paragraph. You may run out of characters if submitting online. That happened even in the list form
@Hamlon but if they’re asking for specific examples like in the first question, wouldn’t it be good to have stats and current events? When it says “not a research paper” I think they want you to write it persuasively, not just stating fact after fact, but analysis of the facts @pielovereternal