college application essay workshop

Columbia Writing Academy: Summer

July 15–25, 2024 Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays | 7:00 p.m.–8:15 p.m. ET

Columbia Writing Academy: Writing the College Admissions Essay 

As many colleges place less emphasis on standardized test scores, the admissions essay has taken a larger role in the application process. The Columbia Writing Academy is a two-week online course created and designed by Dr. Nancy Sommers to help students develop their own personal voice and style, and use those skills to craft a unique and impressive college admissions essay. 

Students will explore each stage in the essay-writing process—brainstorming, drafting, revising—and will receive in-depth feedback from the teaching team throughout the process. Due to the importance of small-group workshops and 1:1 tutorials, this course is intended for students highly motivated to perfect their personal statement.

This course gave me the space, constructive feedback, and tools I needed to start, and learn how to write a powerful admissions essay." – Chanel M.

Course Dates

July 15-25, 2024  

Online    Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays     7:00 p.m.–8:15 p.m.

Format and Expected Workload

The Columbia Writing Academy will be a lively, stimulating two-week online course that requires six to eight hours of work each week, including reading, writing, 1:1 tutorials, and participating in three weekly Zoom workshops. Tutorials and workshops will be led by Seminar Leaders following Dr. Sommers' course design and syllabus. Sessions will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, 7:00 p.m.–8:15 p.m. ET.

Student Experience and College Preparation

By the end of the two-week course, students will have written an essay that personalizes their college application, captivates readers, and shows colleges why they should accept them. Students are also encouraged to join the following online co-curricular activities, workshops, and events to further prepare themselves for the college application process: 

• Finding the Right College for You
• Putting Your Best Foot Forward on a College Application
• Insider Tips for the Common App

Registration Details

The Columbia Writing Academy is offered as a course within the 2-Week Online Summer program; be sure to select this program when applying. Due to the importance of focused time with individual students, the admissions committee looks for exceptional students eager to contribute original ideas and a spirit of intellectual curiosity to a community of enthusiastic learners.

Program Costs

Program costs are subject to Board of Trustee approval and may change. The costs below are for Summer 2023. Summer 2024 costs will be available in Spring 2024.  

Program Cost: $3,960 per session (single course registration) 

The amount above includes the fee for the program itself along with activity, health services, and technology fees. The Columbia Writing Academy is offered as a course within the 2-Week Online Summer program. Please visit the Academic Enrichment Cost and Fees page for cost details; costs align with the costs listed under "Online Summer (2-Weeks)" program. 

The non-refundable $1,000 deposit, due upon notification of acceptance to the program, is credited toward this cost. Not included are the application fee ($80). Students are advised to budget at least $50 toward course materials, such as textbooks and supplies.

View Cost Details

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Start Your Application

If you would like to be part of the Columbia Writing Academy, be sure to select the course when applying for the Online Summer Program.

Format:  Online

Dates:  October 27 - November 17, 2024 

Live synchronous sessions will meet Sundays from 1:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

Student Profile:  Current 9th - 12th graders

College Application Essay Writing Workshop

How to write an unforgettable college essay that reflects you

In this online workshop, high school students will practice and develop the skill of writing a college application essay. Students will brainstorm, draft, and revise a full-length college application essay by the conclusion of the workshop. Provided students attend all four sessions and complete the 1-2 hours of homework assigned each week, students can expect to leave the workshop with an essay that is ready or near-ready for submission. Together, we will investigate the central questions of application writing, including:

• Who am I? As a student? As a writer?
• What do I want out of my time in college?
• Which of my experiences have most shaped who I am today, and why?
• Where have I witnessed my ability to enact change in my community?

This workshop is for high school students at the beginning of their application writing process; all writers will start their essays from scratch. Our virtual classroom will function as a collaborative workshop, as well as an instructional space. Students will routinely read and analyze each other's work, as well as personal essays by published authors. Together, we will grow comfortable with: (1) the conventions of application writing, (2) vulnerably sharing our stories, and (3) a rigorous revision process involving peer review and instructor feedback. In order to create an open online writing community within the workshop, students will be asked to turn their Zoom cameras on.

Students will have the opportunity to join a generative collective of writers, to discuss their hopes and anxieties regarding the application process, and to connect firsthand with the UMass Amherst university level writing community. We will approach application writing both practically, and creatively: all students will leave with an essay they feel confident about, and will have also had the opportunity to challenge and hone their skills within the expansive personal writing genre.

Enrollment for this workshop is limited to give time for personalized attention. Questions? Email [email protected]. 

Workshop Format and Schedule

October 27 - November 17, 2024 | Live synchronous sessions will meet Sundays from 1:00 - 2:30pm (EST)

This workshop consists of 4 online synchronous meeting. In addition, participants should plan for 1-2 hours of asynchronous assignments per week. 

Students attending the online program are expected to attend all class sessions live in real time. In order to prioritize the health and well-being of participants, eligibility is restricted to applicants residing in time zones where class hours do not extend beyond midnight. Please use a  time zone converter  to check when class sessions will meet in your time zone. 

Alexandra Itzi is a Writing Instructor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds both a BA and MA in English Literature, and an MFA in Creative Writing. Alexandra has developed her pedagogical practices through years of teaching essay writing, literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, research writing, and creative writing in a variety of classroom settings. She is passionate about speculative fiction, contemporary trends in fantasy, and the intersection between video games and literary criticism. She has a wealth of experience working with students writing across disciplines, as well as with students for whom English is an additional language. Alexandra has work published with  Palabras ,  Volt ,  El Portal , and more. She is currently working on a fantasy novel. She lives in Amherst with her husband, their dog and cat, and has an unhealthy attachment to her gaming PC.

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The Answer Class

Affordable & Convenient SAT & ACT Prep and College Admissions Support

College Essay Writing Workshops

With the answer class.

We’re so glad you are here!

Most colleges require that students submit a personal essay as part of their Common Application,*  an essay that shares something meaningful about the student that numbers and data themselves can’t provide, a narrative that illustrates a student’s core values — who they are and what’s important to them.

The College Essay Writing Workshops with The Answer Class provide an affordable one-stop where students will complete a draft of their personal essay for the Common Application without wasting time or money. In just 8 hours, students will be gently and compassionately guided on their personal essay journeys from idea generation, to outline, to the completion of a first draft. 

AFFORDABLE FOR ALL

Being able to afford an expensive writing coach should not be an obstacle to student success.  

ALL students deserve the chance to present their strongest college essay and application – and with The Answer Class’s always affordable workshops, with discounts for early registration as well as combination packages, they now can!

HELPING STUDENTS FIND THEIR VOICE AND THEIR STORY

All strong writing begins with a routine and in an environment tailored to each writer’s needs. We help students to discover how they can be their best writing selves.

USING A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS TO HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED

Engaging in self-reflection is hard work! Using the time-tested Life Experiences Wheel, students will brainstorm topics and then narrow them down to the few that are most meaningful to them. Students will also discuss which topics they may want to avoid and why.

Students will explore all 7 Common App essay prompts, learn tips for choosing their prompt, and then commit to the one that will let their personal narrative shine.

PROVIDING BUILT-IN TIME FOR WRITING & REFLECTION

This workshop integrates time for prewriting/outlining, freewriting, and writing the first draft of the personal essay. Inspiring and encouraging teachers lead students in this meaningful process of self-reflective writing and editing.

SHARING BONUS CONTENT, TOO!

Each student will leave the workshop with a personal toolbox of strategies to use moving forward: preparing their personal essay for submission, writing supplemental essays, and any future writing projects, including scholarship applications for college.

* Most students who apply to college use the Common Application; a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools.  All the schools that students apply to that accept the Common Application will read the student’s personal essay to gain a better understanding of their core values and character and to consider how the student might fit in with their school’s unique culture.

Welcome to an improved scheduling experience where you can order many college prep offerings or just a single course in one seamless purchase.