Essay Advising
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Our Experts Help Students Write their Best 650 Words for their College Essay
We know that thinking about writing the college essay can be stressful for many high schoolers. Some students can’t imagine how they have a story worth telling in 650 words. Others have so much to say, they don’t know how they will extract the best parts and winnow them down to a compelling narrative. That’s where our curriculum helps. Our signature Essay Writing Service, Only 650 Words, teaches students our signature 8Ps of Writing approach, and guides them through the process from wherever they start, and in a variety of instructional formats.
Students often ask:
- What should they write about?
- Where do they even begin?
- How do they make their essay stand out from all the others?
- How can they make their essays memorable?
- How personal should they make their essay?
If this sounds like your child, you are in the right place!
The 8Ps of Writing
We teach students a process to plan, ponder, find purpose, put pen to paper, do a pre-write, play, have patience, and finally polish their final product. This approach yields successful essays and responses to supplemental questions. We even have some fun in self-discovery along the way! Read our 8Ps blog here
- Working with the experts of Only 650 Words, students will:
- Understand the purpose and proper approach for writing a personal statement
- Identify personal characteristics and ways to highlight individual strengths through writing
- Create meaningful and compelling essay topics
- Plan, develop, and execute an outline
- Draft their personal statement
- Gain an understanding of what to include in supplemental questions
- Understand how to answer the various supplemental essay questions colleges may ask
Our Only 650 Words Essay curriculum is included for students enrolled in our Comprehensive Counseling 1:1 Advising packages, so the following opportunities are for students not already participating in that service.
For the Student who Needs Individualized Attention:
Private College Essay Writing Packages
Purchase 5-hour or 10-hour blocks of essay advising with a dedicated specialist who will work with your child individually and with flexible scheduling.
Students choose the essays they want to develop (personal statement or supplemental questions or multiple). Private advising includes our signature “College Essays that Wow” Workbook.
These sessions can be done remotely or in person at our CBA offices.
Price:
5-hour package: $1,475
10-hour package: $2,800
Group In-Person Workshops for the Student who Needs Structure and a Location to Work with Peers:
Group Workshops
Our workshops provide students with the tools and skills necessary to craft an exceptional college essay that will impress admissions officers. In addition to understanding how to develop and tell their story for their personal narrative, students will learn what colleges are looking for and how to approach some of the most common essay questions, including:
- The main personal statement for the Common and Coalition Applications
- “Why School X”
- “Tell us about an extracurricular activity that is important to you”
- The UC Personal Insight Questions
What Workshops Include:
- Individualized attention - we cap each workshop at 8 students to ensure our instructors give plenty of personalized feedback
- Idea generation - we teach a combination of brainstorming and mindmapping to help students generate ideas and guide them in choosing the best one to showcase their strengths and unique qualities
- Writing exercises - students will hone their writing skills and develop a strong narrative
- Best practices - students learn how to grab the reader's attention, structure properly, and showcase their personality
- Feedback and editing - students benefit from feedback and edits from instructors and peers
Join a Workshop:
Crafting Compelling College Essays: Workshops for the College Bound
Sign up for individual or multiple sessions $75 per date
At each session, our writing experts will guide students through our signature 8Ps of writing your college essay process.
Wednesday, Sept 6, 2023 6:30 – 8:00
Wednesday, Sept 13, 2023 6:30 – 8:00
Wednesday, Sept 20, 2023 6:30 – 8:00
Wednesday, Sept 27, 2023 6:30 – 8:00
Get Alerts for Future Workshop Dates
Be the first to know when we add additional dates for College Application Workshops! Subscribe to our Alert List now.
Essay Office Hours: for the Student who Needs Less Structure and More Flexibility
Our writing staff holds drop in office hours during select time slots each season. Any student is welcome to come work at our Newton location to get feedback on an essay draft, chat about brainstorming ideas, or simply work independently but in a group setting with peers.
This service is included for Comprehensive 1:1 clients and is available for a per-session fee for any other student regardless of enrollment in another service. Each session runs for two hours, but students can stay for as little or as long as they choose.
Office Hours
Fall sessions
Sundays 2:00 – 4:00
September 10, 17, 24, and October 1
$50 per session
Get Alerts for Future Workshop Dates
Be the first to know when we add additional dates for College Application Workshops! Subscribe to our Alert List now.
