Workshop on "Writing the College Common App Essay"
The college essay is more important than ever and should highlight the applicant’s character. It is the most important essay of a student’s high school career. This full-day workshop, taught by Mary Gregoire, former Chairperson of the North Andover English Department and present adjunct professor at North Shore Community College and Dr. Kathleen Hammel, fourth grade teacher in Haverhill, involves six hours of whole-group classroom instruction where students examine the seven prompts on the Common Application as well as essays that have been evaluated by major colleges. Further, students examine exemplar essays written by students from area high schools. Tips on how to write the essay, the essay’s focus, help on keeping voice in writing, as well as excellent writing strategies that apply to all writing are included.
Students then write their “Trust the Gush” essay, and organize and edit it. Instructors will give individual advice during the writing and editing process. Once the essay is completed by the end of the workshop, each teacher will edit the work individually then a final time together. During this process, the essay will be fine-tuned with careful editing by the instructor and will be ready to be turned in with the Common Application.
If a student is applying to a college that does not accept the Common Application, the essay will cover that school’s prompt. That essay can still be used on the Common Application because the 7th prompt allows for other essay topics.
Workshop Dates and Times:
Session 1 Spring session date TBD 8:00am - 3:00pm
Individual one hour conferences will be assigned to review the essay during the following week. (minimum of 8 students to run the workshop)
Location: Elev802 Boston, 5 Dundee Park Dr. Andover, MA 01810
Tuition: $300.00
Optional Personalized Essay Review can be purchased for $80 per hour virtual or $100 per hour for in-person.