I have been helping students with college essays and applications since 1994. I have taught in multiple educational settings, meeting and working with thousands of students. I’ve learned a lot about what makes the college application process, and learning in general, meaningful for students and their parents. I always enjoy getting to know each unique student and honor where they are, while also holding a vision for where they want to be. I am also a parent of three teens myself, and I know the kind of support parents need too.

At some point during the application process, we add individual reading, editing, and writing sessions to the support system. Students continue to meet in my group workshops for the organizational and time management help, and we start working one-on-one for every piece of writing necessary for their applications, including the longer Common App essay, the many supplemental essays, the UC essays, activities descriptions, and specialty area personal statements for students applying to BFA programs. Zoom meetings are paired with offline reading and editing sessions to maximize time, efficiency, and personalization.

From Fall through Spring of Junior Year, this series of workshops will support students in a small group setting as they continue college research, finalize their list, manage their time and tasks, and dive fully into the essay writing process. Students are welcome to attend any sessions they can and not required to attend all, but at each session, we tackle new steps. Individual Zoom sessions can be scheduled to keep them caught up, or they can get information from a peer. Beginning as soon as possible, attending regular sessions will make the application process feel smooth and on-time.

This is the earliest, most “ahead of time” series of groups workshops that I offer for the Class of 2028. Beginning the summer after sophomore year, over 2 classes in June and 2 classes in August, we will begin asking the most important questions for the college application process, as well as lay the organizational foundation to tackle the loads of information that students and families will begin to collect. We start to layout the time and materials management framework that will carry students and parents through the next two years.