College Essay
& Info Night
Prepare for a successful and stress-free college application no matter if you are a parent, a junior or a senior.
College admissions secrets at your fingertips
In this live series of presentations with award-winning college admissions counselors, you'll learn all of the tools you need to write a successful application and prepare for college. We'll share some of our favorite tips, provide examples, and share exclusive resources that have helped hundreds of students get into colleges they love.
These sessions are free, interactive, and have open Q&As for every presentation, so come prepared to engage, ask questions, and learn.
Something for everyone
Hover over each tile to see which sessions we recommend would be the most helpful to attend.
Seniors
Learn how you can make your college application 75% better before it's too late.
We recommend:
How Colleges Make Decisions
Session 1: Optimizing Optional Essays
Session 3: Picking apart the UC PIQs
Session 4: Make Your Supplemental Essay Shine
Presentations for
Parents
Breath easy knowing that you have the right information on how to help your kid expand their future.
How Colleges Make Decisions
Session 1: Open Q&A for Spanish-speakers/
College Prestige and Student Success
Session 2: College Admissions Trends
Session 3: College Visits Planning
Presentations for
Juniors
While college may seem like a million years away, if you want to get into a good college, you need to start planning now.
How Colleges Make Decisions
Session 1: Good Fit and College Ranking
Session 2: Showcasing your Extracurriculars
Session 3: College Visits Planning
Presentations for
How our event works
Schedule Overview
Welcome
6:00 - 6:50 PM - Keynote Speaker - How Colleges Make Decisions
Session 1:
7:00 - 7:35 PM - Open Q&A for Spanish-speaking families
College Ranking and Good-fit
Optimize Your Optional Essays
Session 2:
7:40 - 8:15 PM - Showcase Your Extracurriculars
College Admissions Trends
Session 3:
8:20 - 9:00 PM - College Visit Planning
Picking apart your UC PIQs
Session 4:
9:00 - 9:40 PM - Make Your Supplemental Essay Shine
How Colleges Make Decisions
with a College Admissions Officer
Join us as Christopher from Georgetown University pulls back the covers on the admissions process by revealing exactly who makes the decisions on which students get in, what they actually see from your application, and how institutional priorities influence who makes the cut on getting in.
Open Q&A (in Spanish)
with Josefine Borrmann
Pregúntale a Josefine Borrmann todo lo que quieras sobre la universidad
College Rank & Good-fit
with Rachel Heilbronner
Join us for a discussion on Malcolm Gladwell's research on college rank and student success that will change your perspective about colleges. We'll also talk about what makes a good-fit college.
Optimize Optional Essays
with William Giacchi
Join this session to find out if those optional essays are truly optional, how you can use them to your benefit, and more.
Showcasing Extracurricular Activities
with Melinda Blackman
Join us to learn what to include in your list, what not to include, and how to assemble a killer, stand-out presentation of your accomplishments. We'll have an open Q&A at the end for any questions or if you need any advice on compiling your activities list.
College Admissions Trends
with Josefine Borrmann
The pandemic has changed all of our lives, and those of college admissions representatives as well. Let’s take a look at how this will affect your journey towards college by assessing admission trends, test-optional, and much more. Open Q&A at the end, so make sure to bring your curiosity!
Picking Apart the UC PIQs
with Rachel Heilbronner
Join our interactive presentation where you'll learn what makes a good PIQ statement, which prompt should you choose, as well as feedback on common mistakes students make, what to avoid, and more.
College Visit Planning
with Amanda Merrifield
We'll go over timelines for planning your college visit, what questions to ask during your tour, and any important factors to consider when deciding what is suitable for you.
Make Your Supplemental Essays Shine with Josefine Borrmann
Join this session to learn how to write a successful response to some of the most common topics:
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Why Us Essay
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Community Essay
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Extracurricular Activity Essay
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Bring an essay prompt of your choice and we’ll chat about it!
November 16th
7:00 - 7:35 PM PST
Session 1
Session 2
November 16th
7:40- 8:15 PM PST
November 16th
8:20 - 9:00 PM PST
Session 3
Session 4
November 16th
9:00 - 9:40 PM PST
Welcome
November 16th
6:00 - 6:50 PM PST