Telluride Association Summer Seminar: A Complete Guide

If you’re genuinely interested in and curious about the systems of oppression or the intellectual and cultural contributions and background of the African people and their descendants, there’s a summer program that specifically tackles them: the Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS).

This summer program pulls you into six weeks of deep study in the humanities and social sciences, focusing on a certain track. In this article, we’ll discuss more about what the program is, how to apply for it, and why you should experience it.

• What Is the Telluride Association Summer Seminar?
• Telluride Association Summer Seminar Acceptance Rate
• Telluride Association Summer Seminar Application Deadline
• Telluride Association Summer Seminar Requirements
• How to Get into the Telluride Association Summer Seminar
• Why Join the Telluride Association Summer Seminar?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What Is the Telluride Association Summer Seminar?

The Telluride Association Summer Seminar is a free, six-week residential summer program where high school sophomores and juniors can experience college-level seminars in the humanities and social sciences.

TASS creates a democratic community where you can collaboratively make decisions, plan activities, and practice transformative justice together with your peers. This prepares you for college and lifelong engagement with critical ideas and social issues.

For 2025, the Telluride Association Summer Seminar will run from June 22 to July 26, 2025. It will be held at Cornell University and University of Maryland.

Telluride Association Summer Seminar courses

In the seminars, you’ll have courses in humanities and social sciences to see how power and privilege affect social structures. You can apply to either of these seminars:

Regardless of the track you choose, you’ll have a three-hour college-level class every weekday, where you’ll experience discussions, small-group work, lectures by faculty, and other activities like reading books and articles and viewing films and art.

Meanwhile, outside of class, you and your peers will be expected to work together to make democratic decisions, such as:

• Planning group activities and outings
• Creating an inclusive community
• Planning community service projects
• Spending from a program budget

You’ll also be part of a public speaking program and attend lectures from guest speakers.

Telluride Association Summer Seminar Acceptance Rate

The Telluride Association Summer Seminar doesn’t officially announce its acceptance rate. However, it’s considered to be one of the more competitive and selective summer programs you can apply for.

Estimates for its acceptance rates only range from 3% to 5%, showing their commitment to admitting only those who are really serious and show genuine interest in the seminars.

Telluride Association Summer Seminar Application Deadline

The application for the Telluride Association Summer Seminar is December 3, 2024.

Other important dates to remember:

Telluride Association Summer Seminar Requirements

Interested in joining TASS? We’ll talk about the requirements below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Telluride Association Summer Seminar, you must be a high school sophomore or junior. You can apply even if you’re not a US citizen or not attending a US high school. If you’re not attending a US high school or are being homeschooled, apply one or two years before your expected graduation.

If you’re not sure about your eligibility (whether because your academic calendar is very different or you’re in an unconventional academic program), you can contact [email protected] to inquire.

Required documents

You’ll need to submit the following:

• Online application form. This form will collect your basic personal and academic information.
• Essays. The TASS application heavily emphasizes essays. You will need to showcase your critical thinking, passion for the humanities and social sciences, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to community engagement.
• Writing sample. You’ll be asked to submit a piece of academic writing from a previous class. This also helps the admissions committee assess your analytical and writing skills.
• Recommendation letter. This letter should come from a teacher or counselor who knows you well and can speak to your intellectual curiosity and engagement in the seminar you’re applying for.

Program costs

The Telluride Association Summer Seminar is completely free! Yes, that includes tuition, meals, books, room and board, and field trips. The program can also help pay for your travel costs.

If you typically work a summer job or support your family in other ways, you’ll also receive extra financial aid to help replace earnings from your summer job.

You can still bring a small amount of pocket money for discretionary expenses like souvenirs, haircuts, or coffee shop visits. However, these aren’t required since everything you’ll need during the program will be provided for.

How to Get into the Telluride Association Summer Seminar

Applying for the Telluride Association Summer Seminar is pretty straightforward as long as you follow their guidelines. But here’s a quick overview of the application process:

Step 1: Study the programs.

First of all, you need to understand what the Telluride Association Summer Seminar is all about. It’s not your typical summer enrichment program focused on college credit or skill-based learning.

Instead, it emphasizes intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, community building, and learning for its own sake (meaning you don’t get grades). The seminars are work-intensive where you’ll be trained to be a serious scholar of the humanities.

Because of that, you need to be genuinely interested in the seminars. This won’t be a good program if you’re simply looking for something to add to your college applications.

Step 2: Prepare for your application.

Once you’ve researched the seminars and reflected that you really are interested, you can now get ready for our application.

Choose a teacher or counselor who can write you a strong recommendation letter. Approach them early and give them enough information about TASS and your reasons for applying.

While you’re waiting for the letter, brainstorm and draft your essays. Carefully analyze the prompts and don’t be afraid to end up with multiple drafts until you get the best one. Consider this prompt the 2016 program:

• “Please explain why you want to attend and what you hope to gain from TASS. In addition, tell us what unique perspectives you will bring to TASS and how you will contribute to a diverse and inclusive community. Give specific examples.”

To answer it well, you should demonstrate four things:

• Your motivations. Why TASS? What about it interests you over other summer opportunities? Don’t just say “I’m passionate about social justice.” Instead, mention readings, authors, or concepts that point to specific aspects of CBS or AOS that resonate with you.
• Your aspirations. Be specific about what you want to gain from TASS. What knowledge or skills do you want to develop? How can the residential, collaborative environment contribute to your personal growth? If there’s a certain concept you’d like to learn more about, you can mention that too.
• Your unique contribution. What do you bring to TASS? What personal experiences, academic interests, skills, talents, and other aspects of your background can you share with the TASS community?
• Your commitment to diversity and inclusion. Show how you can actively listen to and respect diverse perspectives, even when they differ from your own. Express a willingness to learn from others and challenge your own biases.

Aside from perfecting the content, you should also pay attention to the essay guidelines. TASS typically has essays and short responses. The essays usually have a maximum of 1500 words, which is about 9000 characters or three single-spaced pages. Meanwhile, short responses should only be up to 250 words (around 1500 characters) each.

Even after you’ve double checked all your responses, we suggest that you still ask family, friends, and teachers for feedback on how to improve them.

Step 3: Submit everything on time.

Double check all the requirements days before submitting them. We recommend submitting your application a few days before the deadline so you still have time in case of technical difficulties or you realize you’re missing something.

Make sure you’re submitting for the right track, whether TASS-AOS or TASS-CBS.

On top of that, you’ll need to copy-paste your essays in the application text box rather than uploading the files. Any special characters and formatting won’t be preserved, so you’ll need to proofread and fix them again after pasting them in the text boxes. Remember to also add an extra blank line between paragraphs.

Step 4: Prepare for the interview (if shortlisted).

If you’ve been shortlisted, congratulations! You’re one step closer to being part of TASS.

To prepare for the interview, review the seminar you’re applying for and your application. Re-familiarize yourself with your essays and the themes of your chosen TASS track to help you guide your discussion during the interview regarding your academic passions, why you are interested in TASS, and what you hope to gain from the experience.

Practice articulating your thoughts but also remember to still be genuine and authentic in your responses. It would also be a good idea to prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer to show your engagement and genuine interest in TASS.

Why Join the Telluride Association Summer Seminar?

A unique and transformative experience awaits you at the Telluride Association Summer Seminar. Here are specific reasons why you should consider joining:

1. Intellectual stimulation and deep learning

TASS lets you engage with rigorous, college-level material in the humanities and social sciences on very specific subjects. In this case, you’ll delve deeply into complex topics within the Critical Black Studies or Anti-Oppressive Studies tracks, encouraging intellectual growth beyond the typical high school curriculum.

On top of that, the seminars emphasize critical analysis, thoughtful discussion, and the development of nuanced perspectives that lets you cultivate a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

It’s also interesting to know that TASS wants you to learn for the sake of learning. That means you won’t get any grades for your efforts. However, the program hopes that you’ll gain genuine intellectual exploration and a love of learning. You’ll be motivated by curiosity and the desire to understand complex issues rather than the pressure of being evaluated.

2. Unique community and collaboration

Since the Telluride Association Summer Seminar is open to all sophomores and juniors, you’ll be surrounded by diverse people from different states and countries from around the world.

While you’ll all have a passion for learning and critical inquiry, everyone will have their own perspectives they can share—which will result in a stimulating and supportive environment for intellectual exchange.

The TASS community is self-governed, which is also unique from other summer programs. You’ll make decisions collectively and learn about democratic processes and responsibility.

3. Personal growth and development

Engaging in challenging academic work and contributing to a diverse intellectual community can make you more confident about your intellectual abilities. Meanwhile, intensive discussions and presentations will improve your ability to say your thoughts clearly, persuasively, and respectfully.

You’ll also be a more informed and engaged citizen thanks to tracks that guide you towards a deeper understanding of power dynamics, social justice, and the complexities of historical and contemporary inequalities.

4. Fully-funded opportunity

TASS is completely free! You won’t need to worry about tuition, accommodation, meals, and program materials. If travel to and from the venue could be a problem or you’ll need to skip on getting a summer job to attend, the program can give you financial aid to compensate.

All of this removes financial barriers and makes TASS accessible to interested students regardless of their economic background.

5. Lasting impact and networks

Becoming a TASS alumnus connects you to a network of accomplished individuals who share a similar intellectual curiosity and commitment to social engagement. The experience also leads to lasting friendships and connections with fellow participants and faculty.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I apply to both TASS-CBS and TASS-AOS?

No, you can only apply to one of the two seminars. Moreover, if you apply to one program in your sophomore year, you can’t apply to it again. Meaning if you attended TASS-CBS in your sophomore year, you can only take TASS-AOS in your junior year.

2. What is the acceptance rate for Telluride summer program?

TASS doesn’t officially disclose acceptance rates, but estimates range from 3% to 5%, making it a highly competitive summer program.

3. Can international students apply to TASS?

Yes, international students can apply to TASS also as long as they’re sophomores or juniors. However, the program won’t be able to assist with facilitating visas.

Takeaways

The Telluride Association Summer Seminar is a six-week program held at various prestigious schools.

• TASS 2025 offers two tracks: Critical Black Studies and Anti-Oppressive Studies. Both these tracks will provide a deep dive into the humanities and social sciences of the topics, helping you understand and appreciate them more.
• TASS doesn’t release acceptance rates for the program, but it’s estimated to be around 3% to 5%.
• Some benefits of attending the Telluride Association Summer Seminar include intellectual stimulation and deep learning, experiencing a unique community and collaborating with them, personal growth and development, fully-funded opportunity, and a lasting impact and networks.
• Do you think you’re interested enough to live through six weeks of this work-intensive program? You can talk to a private consultant to determine how well the program fits your goals and interests and what other opportunities you can take advantage of.