Next Year's College Essays Start Now!

A  free, three-part webinar series for parents and students beginning their college application journeys

ABOUT THE SERIES

Our interactive, small-group webinars provide students and parents with the critical foundation necessary to start the college essay writing process. Applying to college can be both very stressful and deeply rewarding; our aim is to help make it less of the former and more of the latter. Attend one session or attend all three! Can’t make one of the sessions? Be sure to register, and we will send you a recording!

BEFORE THE SESSIONS

Students and parents will each be asked to fill out a short questionnaire. This step is optional, but the information gathered will help us tailor the sessions to your needs.

DATES

Session 1: Tuesday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET
Session 2: Tuesday, May 31, 8 p.m. ET
Session 3: Tuesday, June 7, 8 p.m. ET

SESSION 1:  BRAINSTORMING FOR THE COMMON APPLICATION
Tuesday, May 24, 8 p.m. ET

The goal of this session is to provide students with useful tools that will help them brainstorm in a creative and productive matter, and to familiarize them with the different Common Application prompts. Students will leave this session with a list of effective brainstorming techniques and several initial ideas for their Common App essay.

During this session, students will...

  • Complete several short journaling exercises
  • Leverage examples to better understand what makes—and does not make—a successful college application essay
  • Critique a sample essay in depth

SESSION 2:  WHAT MAKES A GOOD COLLEGE ESSAY?
Tuesday, May 31, 8 p.m. ET

Having generated essay ideas in Session 1, we can now focus on learning to write with sincerity, rising above the fears, myths, and misperceptions that applicants hold about the task. Students will leave this session with a profound understanding of what their college essay goals should be and how to approach this process in a positive and constructive manner.

During this session, students will...

  • Explore each of the Common App prompts in depth
  • Begin coming up with ideas for each prompt
  • Learn how to generate ideas, overcome writer’s block, and unlock their creative potential

SESSION 3: BEYOND THE COMMON APP: SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY STRATEGIES
Tuesday, June 7, 8 p.m. ET

Finally, we will delve into the supplemental essays, ensuring that applicants understand how to keep the admissions reader engaged with each prompt and how to draw compelling connections to each program’s specific resources (when asked, “Why our school?”) Students will leave this session with a more thorough grasp of their identities as applicants and a sense of the breadth of stories they can share via the often overlooked, but entirely critical, supplemental essays.

During this session, students will...

  • Critique a past applicant’s approach to their supplemental essays
  • Explore their own stories and create a list of potential experiences to discuss in their supplemental essays
  • Learn how to create essays that connect with their target school’s resources
  • Review sample essays to learn best practices

Fill out the form below to register for any or all of these sessions for free!