Workshop Topics
The Angular Student: Use your Strengths to Stand Out in the College Admissions Process.
Are you a musical athlete or dancing doctor? Are you a political junky or junior entrepreneur? The college admissions process has become increasingly competitive, however students who understand their strengths and focus on finding the best “fit” will have a clear advantage in the admissions process.
This presentation will introduce The College Application Wheel™ and use case studies to help you demystify the college application process and think strategically about summers, extracurricular activities and essays.
Crafting Your Story for the College Application
Are you an artistic scientist or musical engineer? Are you a politically aware athlete or social entrepreneur? The college admissions process has become increasingly competitive, however students who understand their strengths and focus on communicating their story in a compelling way will have a clear advantage in the admissions process.
This interactive seminar will introduce The College Application Wheel™ to help you figure out your key themes and unique story. We will walk through several case studies of how students crafted their story and how they successfully communicated it to colleges through their application. We will also discuss how to approach the most common supplemental essays to round out your story.
There will be plenty of time to ask questions and start thinking about your own story.
What, When, and How?: Demystifying the College Application Process
College Bound Mentor will take you through the various application types and admission deadlines. The Common Application, Coalition Application, and individual school applications will be covered as well as the pros and cons of Early Decision, Early Action, Priority, Rolling and Regular Decision deadlines.
Topics will also include:
- A college timeline by grade
- How your activities reflect your strengths
- SATs, ACTs, APs, IBs, and SAT Subject tests: what’s the difference and when should you take them?
- How to use your summers to your advantage
- How best to position yourself for the right college in terms of classes, activities, testing, summer, etc.
- Parent vs. student expectations and how to get on the same page
The College Tour…Where to go and what to do when you get there
Are you starting to think about colleges? Do you get overwhelmed by all the choices….school size, geographic location, private vs. public? This seminar will help you identify the key areas to think about when deciding which colleges to visit, provide tips on how to plan the trips effectively and what you can do while you are there. We will cover the following topics:
- How to organize visits, e.g. timing and activities
- Best time to visit college for sophomores, juniors, and seniors
- Questions to ask during your visits
- How to tailor the visit based on your needs, e.g. athletics, performing or visual arts, special needs, etc.
- What to do when you are there
- College visit tools to help plan your trips efficiently
This seminar is ideal for sophomores and juniors (and seniors if presented in the fall)
Using the Essays to tell Your Story
The essay portion of the application allows you to tell your story to admissions. But what if you have more than one story to tell? Learn how you can use the main personal statement and supplemental essays to communicate a full picture of who you are as a person. We will cover the following topics:
- How to develop a voice and identify a topic for your main personal statement
- The growing importance of supplemental essays and how to craft answers that help you stand out
- How and when to use the additional information section
There will be plenty of time to ask questions.
Making the Most of Your Summers
Are you starting to think about how to spend your summer after sophomore or junior year? Are you overwhelmed by all of the options? Are you wondering how colleges view participation in pre-college programs and service trips?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this seminar for parents and students is for you! Summer is a great time to recharge and refresh after a busy school year. It’s also the perfect time to explore interests, develop leadership, and for some students get started on college prep work.
We will discuss various summer options and present case studies to demonstrate different ways that students have productively used their summers.
Owning the Application Process: Developing your College List without Going Broke
The cost of college has continued to outpace the cost of living increases on all counts. Finding the right college that best meets your needs and is likely to accept you is a challenge. It’s even more challenging to find a good “financial fit.” This interactive workshop will:
- Describe the different types of financial aid available and terms used in the process
- Demystify the financial aid process
- Shed light on how to find a good financial fit
- Develop a plan to graduate college without crippling debt
- Create a framework to “Have the Talk” about money!
This interactive seminar will use The College Application Wheel™ to help you figure out your unique angle for success and how best to target merit scholarships.
We will walk through several case studies of actual students who addressed their college search in a financially strategic way. We will also identify opportunities for students in this market who do not have any financial constraints.