Common Questions about Academic Statements Q: Does it matter if I do my Annual Statement or Final Statement? A: Yes! If you don’t turn in your Annual Academic Statement, a hold is placed on your student account which prevents you from registering for classes. If you don’t turn in your Final Academic Statement, you won’t officially graduate, and you can’t send your official transcript to any graduate schools or employers. It also might matter to you for various personal reasons. In the following pages, we hope you might glean how best to use the Academic Statement writing process to make plans, achieve goals, and know yourself. Q: Can I change or edit my Final Academic Statement once it’s submitted to my transcript? A: No! There may be very rare exceptions at the discretion of the deans, but as a general rule of thumb, it is unalterable once submitted. Q: How much time should I spend on this? A: The process of writing an Academic Statement will depend on your own personal goals and circumstances. Spend as much or as little time on it as you feel you need, but remember: the more genuine effort you put into your Annual Academic Statement, the more practiced you will become in reflective writing, and the more prepared you will be to begin writing your Final Academic Statement as graduation approaches. See When to Write: When and how long should I work on my Academic Statement? on page 40 for more on how to make time for your Academic Statements. Q: How “high stakes” is the Academic Statement? Everything about it makes me think I should be freaking out—including the length of this guide. A: Your Final Academic Statement is a serious institutional document that will be in your transcript forever. But it may not get very much attention depending on your next steps after college. Most employers don’t ask for a transcript, however, some may. When seeking employment in some fields, such as education, or when pursuing graduate school, your transcript will be a part of the hiring or admission board’s requested material. As for this guide, the length is due to the fact that we cover a lot of things to speak to a wide range of people. Use what you like from this guide and ignore the rest! It’s okay to feel daunted during this process. If you have many concerns, A.K.A. are seriously freaking out, be sure to get some support from any or all of the resources on page 50. Q: Can I write my Final Academic Statement just for myself? A: Yes and no. You can write your Academic Statement as a reflection just for yourself—just keep in mind that, while you are the audience now, you may have a different audience later. Graduate schools and some future employers may request your transcript, which will automatically include your Final Academic Statement. But this question brings up a good point; your Annual Academic Statements and the first drafts of your Final Academic Statement are, more than anything else, for you. They are great opportunities for you to practice self-awareness and powers of reflection in order to learn more about how you are growing into your own interests and expertise. No matter whether you focus on yourself or someone else as your audience, your Final Academic Statement should be something that communicates what is most important to you at this time and what you put into and got out of your time at Evergreen.
A Guide to Writing Your Academic Statements | 15
