SWE HSV UVA SEAS PO BOX 400751 351 MCCORMICK RD CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22904-7451 August 30, 2011 Dear Student, The Society of Women Engineers at the University of Virginia invites you to apply for a place in our High School Visitation Program taking place in November 2011. The program is designed to give young women a comprehensive look at engineering fields in general (and specifically UVA s engineering curriculum) through informative speakers and hands-on design activities. You do not have to have experience in engineering related fields; the program is designed to benefit participants with all levels of engineering familiarity. We especially encourage those who don t know much about engineering but might like to consider it as career path to apply for the opportunity to learn more about what an engineering career is like. The session for high school seniors will take place November 5 th with an application postmark deadline of October 7 th. The application and selection criteria are included in this packet and can also be found on the UVa Society of Women Engineers website: http://www.student.virginia.edu/swe. Enrollment is capped at 200 students and approximately 60 students will be selected to spend Saturday night (the 5 th ) in dorms with first year (freshman) SWE members. There will be a non-refundable application fee of $15 with an additional program fee of $25 for those who are accepted, which will cover all costs of the weekend. Acceptances will be sent out no later than October 21 st at 5pm, with commitment and 2 nd payment required by October 28 th. If the second payment is not received by October 28 th, the position will be offered to a student on the waitlist. This will be a great learning experience for young women who would like to explore various aspects of engineering. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at uvaswehsv@gmail.com. Thank you for your time and we hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Sarah Kennedy & Rachel Zalegowski High School Outreach Co-Chairs, UVa SWE
UVA SWE HIGH SCHOOL VISITATION APPLICATION 2011-2012 Date: Session I (Seniors): Saturday, November 5, 2011 Session II (Sophomores and Juniors): Saturday, February (TBD), 2012 Location: The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA INSTRUCTIONS - Please do not staple your application or check - Print legibly - Include the following in one envelope: Non-refundable $15 Application Fee (Checks should be made payable to the Society of Women Engineers. Please DO NOT include the University of Virginia on your check) Essay Responses (See attached Application Guidance for information) Unofficial Transcript Liability Release APPLICATION TIMELINE: - Applications for Session I must be postmarked by Friday, October 7, 2011 - Decisions will be sent out via e-mail no later than October 21, 2011 at 5pm. - Commitment required by October 28, 2011 at 11:59pm. - Wait-list offers will be sent by October 29, 2011 at 5pm. Please note: Transportation to and from the University of Virginia is neither the responsibility of the Society of Women of Engineers nor the University. Accommodations will be provided for selected student participants Saturday night only. Agreement to participate requires attendance at ALL SWE sponsored activities for the duration of the stay. All applications should be mailed to: SWE HSV U.V.A. SEAS PO BOX 400751 351MCCORMICK RD CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22904-7451 If you have any questions please contact the High School Visitation planning team at uvaswehsv@gmail.com.
STUDENT INFORMATION (*required) *Name (last) (first) (MI) Home Address: *Emergency Contact: Name: Phone Number: Student Cell Phone Number: *Student E-mail Address: (note: all communications will be by email. If a legitimate and legible e-mail is not provided, SWE will NOT make extra effort to contact you.) High School: *Grade Level for School Year 2011-2012: 12 th 11 th 10 th Other: *T-shirt Size: S M L XL XXL *Would you like to be considered for the opportunity to stay overnight in a dormitory? Yes No PARENTAL CONSENT (*required) *Name: (last) (first) (MI) *Cell Phone Number: *SWE may may not use photographs of my child that may be taken in the course of the program in future publicity. *Check-out Consent: My child may may not check themselves out at the end of the program. (Note: If your child intends to drive themselves to and from the University, you must indicate that they are allowed to check themselves out at the end of the program.) Student Signature: Parent Signature (required regardless of student s age):
ESSAY PROMPTS Each essay should be 150-250 words and MUST be typewritten (double spaced, size 12 font). Handwritten essays will not be considered. You must complete a total of two responses from the three below. Prompt 1 is required and you may choose between prompts 2 and 3. Each essay should be on a separate sheet of paper (DO NOT print front and back) and your name and the number of the prompt that you are answering should appear in the upper right hand corner of each page. 1. Why are you interested in learning about engineering, and what do you hope to gain from the High School Visitation experience? AND 2. What recent engineering feat, accomplishment, achievement, etc., is most impressive to you and why? How do you see it benefiting the world and how does it relate to your interests in engineering?" OR 3. What does engineering mean to you?
HSV RELEASE AND LIABILITY FORM I (STUDENT - please print) freely, willfully, and without duress execute this Release and Liability Form under the following terms: 1. Waiver and Release. STUDENT does hereby release and forever discharge and hold harmless the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers, and their successors and assigns from any and all liability and claims, demands, rights of action, or actions, of whatever kind or nature, either in law or equity, which arise or may hereafter arise from the STUDENT s activities with SWE or from STUDENT s participation in High School Visitation and the activities related thereto. STUDENT understands and acknowledges that the execution of this Release discharges and will discharge SWE, its directors, officers, employees, volunteers and student leaders with respect to any bodily injuries, personal injuries, death, or property damage which may result from STUDENT s activities with SWE. STUDENT further understands that SWE accepts no responsibility for and is not obligated in any way to provide financial assistance or other assistance, including but not limited to medical, health, or disability insurance, in the event of injury, illness, death, or damage. 2. Medical Treatment. STUDENT does hereby further release and forever discharge SWE, its directors, officers, employees, and student leaders and volunteers from any claim whatsoever which arises or may hereafter arise on account of any first aid, treatment, lack of treatment, or service rendered in connection with the STUDENT s activities with SWE. STUDENT understands and acknowledges that the execution of the Release will release SWE, its directors, officers, employees, and student leaders and volunteers from any obligation to provide financial assistance or other assistance in the event of injury or death or property damage. IN WITNESS WHEROF, STUDENT has executed this Release as of the day and year written below. If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must sign this form. (Student Signature here) (Guardian Signature here) Date: Date:
Application Guidance High School Visitation 2011-2012 Program Goals To encourage women to pursue an engineering degree To expose women to engineering in a low-stress and supportive environment To discuss the undergraduate experience, both in and out of the engineering school To introduce participants to the undergraduate engineering program at the University of Virginia Selection Criteria/Rubric Selection is primarily based on the content of the essays An unofficial transcript is requested to evaluate interest in science/math. GPA is not considered. We will use a rubric that will attempt to capture your interest level in the program, but as with any application, there is a large subjective component of our reading of your application. Essay Guidance The majority of applicants are interested in math and science in general. If you are interested in engineering primarily because you enjoy math and science, please expand on this using specific influential math or science experiences The language doesn t need to be extremely formal. Proper spelling and grammar is expected, but a conversational tone is appropriate. We are looking to get a sense of your motivation to learn about engineering, not to grade your ability to construct an essay. Quality over quantity should be your goal.