Application Tips

Every year we end up with more applicants than positions. We make our selections based on outstanding applications that tell us who you are and why you would be a great crew member. This page is intended to help you submit a successful application.

Who We're Looking For

SCA places every kind of applicant on our High School crews: mountaineers and homebodies, lacrosse players and PS3 players, A+ students and students who don't believe in grades.  If you have checked out our programs and are totally psyched to go on a crew, then you are the person we need.  Don't think you're going to be disqualified for not remembering which state Yosemite is in or never having slept in a tent before.  This may sound simplistic but it's true:

The only thing you need to show us is that you will be a great crew member.

The catch is that we will only see you through your application materials, so you need to be sure they are showing you at your best.  If you take these tips to heart then you stand a good chance of making your application shine.

Nuts & Bolts: If this doesn't happen, nothing else matters

Get your application in and complete. Have all your materials in during the winter months, including references and the medical history. An ideal timeline is to have your application completed by March 1st. 

Your essay answers are how we get to know you. Do not underestimate the importance of these sections.  By reading these and your references (and we read every single one) we are able to learn if you are likely to be comfortable living without a shower or if you seem like someone who can handle a more challenging work project.  We only place people on crews we know will suit them -- because that's how we make happy crews.  So make sure you paint a clear picture of yourself.

Pick 'good' availability dates. A good availability window includes all the days that you could possibly spend on a crew.  Providing only the dates you want is risky because if those crews are full we won't have anything to fall back on.  A better idea is to give us a big availability window and then state your preference for a certain track or specific duration on your application.  That way, if we can find a suitable crew, great, but if we can't at least we will have other options.

Specific Tips

Pick a good reference. The best references are those who have seen you work in groups outside of school.  It's never bad to have a teacher or staff person give you a reference, but SCA really isn't an academic program.  A more valuable perspective comes from someone who can comment on your performance in a program that shares something in common with SCA.  Try to find a reference that can touch on one or more of the selection criteria listed below.

Returning applicant? Keep us in the loop. For those of you who have completed an application and all the medical forms, you do not need to go through the whole process all over again.  However, you can improve you chances of being selected or being promoted to a more rigorous program by providing us with new information that improves your profile.  Did you go on an interesting trip?  Get a new job?  You can log into your online application and update your essays to let us know.

Volunteering and vocations are great!  We love seeing jobs on applications.  Whether it's working the register during summer retail, volunteering for a local organization or keeping the family farm running, an obligation like that tells us that you are no stranger to responsibility.  Our crews provide valuable services across the country - we need members who are ready and happy to get some work done for our parks and forests.

Selection Criteria

Selecting the right applicants is very important for our programs.  Our crews are very small and quickly become a close knit group, largely because we pick friendly, bright, capable people.  We find that there are five areas that are particularly useful to us when we are evaluating applicants:

• Applicant's demonstrated leadership skills and/or responsibility
• Past participation with extra-curricular groups or volunteer organizations
• Good social and group skills
• Time spent outdoors & the individual's comfort level
• Interest in ecological or environmental topics

If you keep these criteria in mind when you're filling out your application it will help you give us the kind of information that we really need.  Having trouble thinking of what to say about yourself?  Here is a short brainstorming list to get the metaphorical ball rolling:

• Ever held a job?
• Do you have a passion for the outdoors or environment or something similar?
• Do you help neighbors with chores & projects?  Oh yeah, like what?
• What's the closest thing to SCA you've ever done?
• Do you do some kind of strenuous work?  Farm chores?  Sports?