First-Year Experience
Reflection and Projection
This is a sample of the RAP webpage that each of your new student advisees will complete
and submit on-line. Students are directed to the RAP website in August and submit their RAP letter electronically. You will receive an e-mail
notifying you of your advisee's submission, which you will be able to access on-line
via the same website. Faculty mentors should use the students' responses to the RAP
as the foundation for mentoring sessions during Orientation and throughout their relationship
with their students.
Dear Members of the Class of 20XX,
As you prepare to journey, both literally and intellectually, to Skidmore later this
month, we'd like you to take some time to reflect on this moment in your lives. For
obvious reasons, this marks an important transition in your personal and intellectual
maturity. You will confront many challenges both in and out of the classroom, some
of which you can no doubt imagine, others of which you might not.
The first step on this journey takes place now. For several years we have asked our
newest students to talk to us about their current aspirations, their academic and
co-curricular aims, and their goals for their overall education. The commencement
of this "dialogue" takes place through the Academic Reflection and Projection Project
(RAP). The link to this electronic forum is below (it is also available through the
FYE website). You will be asked to answer one question; please take it seriously
and give it some thought before responding. As you will see, the question at the
center of the RAP is quite broad; and yet we think it is the primary question you
must wrestle with during your entire tenure at the College. In essence, it asks you
to reflect on your current place in the world and, imagining a wonderful intellectual
and co-curricular life at Skidmore, where you'd like to go.
Please take the time to respond to the RAP. Not to sound too authoritarian, but this
is mandatory. The deadline for responding is _______________. The Academic RAP will
be used by your faculty advisor during orientation (and beyond) to discuss your future
academic plans (it should be noted that only your faculty advisor will have access to your Academic RAP). The link to the RAP can be found here: https://www2.skidmore.edu/rap/
Thanks so much for your attention and for your thoughtful responses. All of us at
the College look forward to meeting you in a few short weeks.
