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SAW participants must be eligible for the Pell Grant or have most of their financial needs met via Financial Aid. Email Mayra Garces, SES Associate Director and SAW Director to confirm eligibility. First-generation status is not mandatory.

Not at this time. SAW participants must reside in the United States.  Alternatively, you can consider other or join another SES program called Compass, a cohort-based, year-long peer mentorship program that connects incoming first-generation, lower-income, and/or undocumented/DACA (FGLI) students with trained 2nd, 3rd, 4th year student mentors.

No, all applicants will receive a decision on the same day.

Depends! Some weekends will be more packed than others, and we want to encourage SAW participants to use their off hours to rest, catch up on assignments, or explore ̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥’s campus, Evanston, and Chicago. Activities, excursions to Chicago, and community events are typically scheduled for the weekend so you can expect the weekend to be filled with options.

No, SAW participants are required to live in the residence hall. This is because days are filled with classes, workshops, meals, and community events that are essential to the program.

No. First year (and second year) students are required to live on campus. Per the Parking Office, persons who are not eligible for main campus permits include all freshman, sophomores, and juniors who reside on campus.

 The writing course aims to provide students with an introduction to the types of writing assignments that are common in college and to the types of evaluative comments they are likely to receive on those assignments. This instruction will help students to hone their existing writing skills so that they are ready for success once the Fall Quarter begins.

The School of Comm sessions offer ways of approaching any number of situations where ideas are being formed and exchanged. Academic life on ̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥’s campus is certainly among those situations, but this part of the SAW curriculum also aims to develop skills that students will find useful in their social, professional, and civic lives.

Typically SAW plans 2 excursions, one each weekend during the first 2 weekends. In the past SAW participants spent the day at Six Flags and boarded a boat on the Chicago River for an architecture tour. The School of Communication also plans an excursion connected to their course. Last year, SAW students got to eat at Time Out Market and explore the WNDR Museum. Additional activities are planned by the SAW Student Leadership team and are facilitated in the residence hall/Evanston during the evening hours and on Sundays.

No. During weeks 1 and 2 of SAW students live together in a Residence Hall along with the SAW Counselors, SAW Counselor Coordinators and SAW Graduate Assistant. During week 3, all SAW students will transition to their Fall housing assignments. More information about the latter will be shared in advance with SAW participants.

Yes. SAW participants should expect to have a roommate(s). The number of roommates will be contingent on the residence hall SAW is assigned.  If you require housing accommodation, documentation will be required from a certified medical/mental health professional who has worked with the student.