Workshops
The path to college can feel overwhelming, so we’ve broken it down into manageable pieces, with workshops for each stage along the way. See below for what might be right for your next step.
It can be helpful for 8th -10th grade students to understand a bit about the college application process and requirements to inform their decisions about high school coursework, extracurricular activities, and volunteer opportunities.
This 2-hour workshop will include an introduction to the college admissions process and what colleges are looking for as well as tips for smoothing the pathway to college. Participants will receive a 4-year roadmap to break down the process into small steps that are easy to accomplish but significantly reduce the anxiety, stress, and overwhelm many students experience during the college application process.
Fall 8th - 10th grades
Understanding the College Landscape
It can be helpful for 8th -10th grade students to understand a bit about the college application process and requirements to inform their decisions about high school coursework, extracurricular activities, and volunteer opportunities.
This 2-hour workshop will include an introduction to the college admissions process and what colleges are looking for as well as tips for smoothing the pathway to college. Participants will receive a 4-year roadmap to break down the process into small steps that are easy to accomplish but significantly reduce the anxiety, stress, and overwhelm many students experience during the college application process.
There are over 2,400 4-year universities and colleges in the United States, so it’s no surprise that finding the right one for you can feel like a daunting task.
In this workshop, we’ll help students begin to think about how to narrow down and focus on the colleges that fit their preferences, needs, as well as how to make this a low-stress process. We’ll also dispel some of the myths that are often perpetuated on social media, answer student questions, and talk about an individualized plan for moving forward.
Recommended for high school juniors, although sophomores wanting to jump start the process are welcome as well.
10th - 11th Grade
College Knowledge Workshop
Students are often busy with school, jobs, sports, and a myriad of social activities and it can be difficult to add searching for colleges on top of their daily or weekly schedule. In this 4-day workshop, students will work in small groups under the guidance of the facilitator to identify the college factors that are most salient to them and build their own customized tool to evaluate campuses based on these criteria.
Groups will research schools and identify those most closely matching their individual preferences. Schools will be organized by Reach, High-Target, Target, Low-Target, and Safety schools (1-3 in each category) to develop a balanced list. Students will leave the workshop with an individualized, balanced college list, a timeline for next steps, and ideas of schools to visit through the spring and fall.
Spring 11th Grade
Building a Balanced College List
Instead of allowing college applications to drag out all summer or worse, to be rushed through at the last minute in fall of senior year, this one week camp gives students the opportunity to do a deep dive into the application process and set themselves up for success.
Each student will open the Common App and begin their student profile, organize their list of extracurricular activities, identify teachers who may be willing to write a letter of recommendation, write a focused ‘Brag Sheet’ to share with potential recommenders, and write at least one college essay. Students will understand the differences between the Common App, the UC Application, and the CSU Application and the timelines for each. The group will discuss the pros and cons of Early Action, Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision for various schools. Each student will leave with an individualized plan for themselves to complete the process (which will be shared with their parents as well), outlining week by week tasks to complete through the fall with manageable, bite-sized tasks, clear timelines, and plan for support at each step along the way. Choose one of our two sessions:
