*This is a two-part workshop taking place over one weekend:

Saturday, March 26th 9:00 -10:30 AM (PST) & Sunday, March 27th 9:00 -10:30 am (PST)

*The workshop will meet twice via Zoom:

We will send you the Zoom link in an email in advance of the event.

EVENT OVERVIEW:

College admission essays are critical components of college applications for moderately and highly selective colleges and are thus extraordinarily stressful for high school students to tackle. This hands-on workshop supports teachers, counselors, and other educational professionals in guiding students with college admission essays.

Participants will be introduced to instructor Dr. Elizabeth Stone’s essay writing methodology, which includes techniques for helping students find great topics, and editing strategies that maintain the integrity of the writer and the student.

The workshop will include a mix of lecture, discussion, group work, and short written assignments. Participants will also have the opportunity to assess their own strengths as essay reviewers and editors.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Understand the purpose of essays in college admissions
• Gain a better understanding of where students are developmentally when they begin writing and how that informs brainstorming
• Learn practical techniques for helping students to share their narratives
• Learn practical techniques for reviewing students’ drafts.

RECOMMENDED TEXT:

The Better College Essay: From Start to Finish (2021) by Dr. Elizabeth Stone and Meredith Joelle Charlson. This book is available from online retailers (Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble) or support an independent book store and order from Kepler’s Books (please allow ample time for shipping).

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:

Dr. Elizabeth Stone, PhD, is the co-author of the The Better College Essay: From Start to Finish (City Limits Publishing) and author of The Better College Essay: Fitting In and Standing Out (Wintergreen Orchard House) and co-author of Part of the Group (DawnSign Press). Dr. Stone holds a PhD from UC Berkeley and has held faculty positions in Child and Adolescent Development at San Jose State University and San Francisco State University. She was a Research Psychologist at UC San Francisco and was a Visiting Scholar in the School of Education at Stanford University. Dr. Stone is the Executive Director of Campanile College Counseling, Inc.

Meredith Joelle Charlson is the Director of Writing at Campanile College Counseling, Inc. and co-author of The Better College Essay: From Start to Finish (City Limits Publishing). She holds a BA in Comparative Literature from Stanford University, and is a contributing writer to the textbook, Helping Students with Disabilities Develop Social Skills, Academic Language and Literacy Through Literature Stories, Vignettes, and Other Activities: A Secondary and Post-Secondary Emphasis (Charles C Thomas). Charlson has provided one-on-one guidance to over 200 students through the college admissions essay writing process.