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.

Q: The information and advice I’ve been given about the Academic Statement is diverse and conflicting. How do I know who to listen to or which way is best? A: There is a huge range of information available about how to write an Academic Statement! This wide variety of information is because there are so many ways to write one, and people’s ideas vary based on their academic fields and experiences. It’s ultimately up to you to decide what you want to say to your audience.

Q: Wait...what information and advice? The Academic Statement was never covered in my courses or programs! A: Many courses introduce and workshop Academic Statements, but not all. If you have missed out on this experience, ask your faculty to give you a run-down or come hang out with us in the Writing Center. We’ll help you out. You can also find more resources on page 50.

Q: What should I include? What should I not include? A: You should include the things that have mattered most to you while pursuing your degree. You’ll also want to include what you think best describes how you’ve grown because of your participation in your college programs. As for what not to include, consider your audience and decide what is and isn’t appropriate for them to know about you. See What to Talk About on page 18 for a whole list of ideas. You might also consider the questions in Including Personal Information on page 36.

Q: How do I write my Final Academic Statement so that it “ages well”? A: If you are concerned about your Academic Statement aging well, you might consider writing in more of an expository essay style (See Essay Styles to Browse on page 28). The blessing and the curse of the Final Academic Statement is that it will inevitably show parts of you as you are now that will likely change over the course of your whole life. In order to write an Academic Statement that ages well, try not to assert where you’ll be in the future too specifically, (e.g. “I plan to be a photographer at National Geographic Magazine”). Instead, generalize about where you see yourself (“I hope to always be near nature with a camera”). Also, consider the questions in Including Personal Information on page 36.

Q: I’m a senior, my Final Academic Statement is due tomorrow, and the Writing Center is already closed. Help! A: While we don’t recommend putting the Final Academic Statement off until the last minute, we’ve all been there. We know it happens. Here are our quick tips for the last minute:

• Be concise. Make sure to include your primary academic focus, as well as any events, skills, or projects of high importance or relevance. Read back through and remove the filler. • Get a proofreader. It’s easy to glaze over things, especially if you are in a hurry!

We recommend running your statement through an online spelling and grammar checker, proofreading it yourself, and getting the opinion of a friend or faculty. Even if you think you don’t have the time, call up someone you trust because the last thing you want is a typo front-and-center on your transcript, and it will be much harder to catch it yourself if you are stressed. • Don’t stress about meeting 750 words. Sometimes short and sweet will have to do.

Writing a really nice paragraph or three is always better than a rushed page or two. • Use what you’ve got. Chances are, you have already done a lot of reflective writing here at Evergreen. Pull up your Orientation Essay, Evaluations by Faculty, Self-

Evaluations, and past Academic Statement drafts, and reuse these materials when applicable. Compiling these writings can sometimes be easier and faster than starting from scratch. • Check out examples and templates. This guide provides you with many valuable resources—use them! Check out Essay Styles to Browse on page 28 and Drafting

Techniques on page 46 to give yourself an idea of what to expect and how to structure your Final Academic Statement.