College Essay, Application, and Career Direction Classes – Our 15th Year! 

• Knock Your Essay out of the Park

• Get Coached on Interview Techniques

• Take-away Tips and Timelines for the Process

• Q & A with a Seasoned Pro

Knock Your Essay out of the Park

College reps tell us what they don’t want to read, so we re-direct students to unique topics.

We help students select a compelling essay topic, craft a draft, and collaborate to revise and edit the essay. 

The essay is the one part of the application which is completely under the student’s control. It serves as the face of the application—and should reveal something about the student that is not discoverable from the application alone. 

Get Coached on Interview Techniques 

Students practice responding to actual interview questions and receive immediate feedback.

Take-away Tips and Timeline 

What parts of the application should you be doing when?

How do you go beyond the well-scripted Admissions Office presentation to get a genuine sense of the students and the college?

Q & A with a Seasoned Pro

Ask away! You’ve got questions about the process—and we’ve got answers backed by years of experience.

Our founder, Kathleen Glynn-Sparrow, and our Head Essay Coach, Greg Schneider, will teach the class.

Dates for Summer 2024:

• June 24-27 (In-Person at ArentFox Schiff in Washington, DC) 3:00-5:30 p.m. 

• July 22-25  (Online – Zoom) 5:30-8:00 p.m.

• August 5-8 (In-Person at 4 Gadsden St, Charleston, SC) 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Cost: $850

More Details on Essay Instruction:

1. Brief, engaging, road-tested presentation on what makes an effective essay (based upon direct feedback from college reps). 
2. Brainstorming sheet to determine what distinguishes the student–again, road-tested. 
3. Test-driving two possible topics followed by a consultation with one of our college coaches to select the winning topic. 
4. Talking draft with a college coach or students draft on their own.
5. Individual consultations for reviews, revisions, and editing.

If you have additional questions, please contact Greg Schneider at greg@thecollegecoaches.com or 202-352-7535. Note: A fixed-fee bundle, The Game-Winning Essay, is available for a fixed fee of $995 if these dates do not work for your family. 

DC classes will be held in person at ArentFox Schiff in Washington, DC.  in a beautiful conference room (with a free snack and beverage station!), overlooking the White House and Washington Monument, which is steps from the Farragut North and Farragut West Metro. For those near the Metro, it is a very easy ride. For those driving, there is a paid parking garage directly under the building.  Google directions here, ArentFox Schiff map here. 

Class #2:  College Pre-Season: Common Application Completion Class (No Essay):

– Receive instruction on the Common Application

– Complete each section of the application 

– Ensure activities are arranged strategically with active verbs

– Proofread entire application

Dates for Summer 2024: 

• June 12-13: Common App Only (no essay) via Zoom (6:30-8:00 p.m.), and 1-1 followup for 30 minutes.

• July 30-31: Common App Only (no essay) via Zoom (6:30-8:00 p.m.), and 1-1 followup for 30 minutes.

• July 31-Aug 1: Common App Only (no essay) in-person 4 Gadsden St., Charleston, SC (5:30-7:00 p.m.), and 1-1 Zoom followup for 30 minutes.

• August 21-22: Common App Only (no essay) via Zoom (6:30-8:00 p.m.), and 1-1 followup for 30 minutes.

Cost:  $450

Class #3:  Design Your Playbook for Career Direction:

Objectives:

Clarify Career Goals

• Help college students/recent graduates better understand their career aspirations/ interests.

Consider Career Possibilities

• Identify/explore potential career paths.

Align Interests/Abilities with Career Options

• Develop deeper awareness of motivations/ skills to align to career pathways.

Design Playbook 

• Create personalized action plan to pursue/refine career goals.

Time:
Three 75-minute evening classes and a 30-minute Zoom one-on-one with Career Direction Coach Sara to learn about the student’s journey thus far and to set goals for class outcomes.

Investment:

The cost is $595 plus a $100 fee for the Narrative Intelligence Survey administered with each student to help better understand strengths/ areas for growth. Register by May 15 to receive a $100 discount. Maximum class size of 15.

Dates for Summer 2024: 

• June 24-27 (In-Person at ArentFox Schiff in Washington, DC) 3:00-5:30 p.m. 

• Online – Zoom – Dates TBD, signup and pay fully refundable deposit.

Testimonials:

“Thank you so much for all you did this week! My daughter started the week overwhelmed and full of anxiety and she is now so excited and focused on the moving forward and applying. Thank you so much! Your class was a life-saver!!” – B.T.

“My daughter found the workshop engaging and productive! In addition, you took a big weight off my mind! I can’t believe accomplished so much in 4 sessions!” – M.S.

“Thank you for another wonderful experience. My daughter was so thrilled with all that she learned in the class.” – J.S.

“I can’t thank you and Maddie enough for all of your hard work and guidance you gave (and me).  He came home tonight thanking us for signing him up.  You two made quite an impact on him in just 4 days. He left the week feeling more confident about everything (school, application process, writing, etc) because of you both….you are an impressive duo!!   I am beyond happy that we enrolled him in your class – I will be sure to spread the word to all of my friends.” M.D.

“Thank you so much for helping me with my essay and common application. Your workshop helped so much!” S.Q.

“I am so happy I took your class and I feel very prepared now for this process.” E.D.

“I really enjoyed the class last week, and I will be sure to use everything you taught me to my advantage when going through the college application process.” P.D.

“Thank you so much for your help and insightful tips! I think that the class really enhanced my application with depth and deliberate details.” J.C.

“Thank you so much for all you did this week! My daughter started the week overwhelmed and full of anxiety and she is now so excited and focused on the moving forward and applying. Thank you so much! Your class was a life-saver!!” – B.T.

“My daughter found the workshop engaging and productive! In addition, you took a big weight off my mind! I can’t believe accomplished so much in 4 sessions!” – M.S.

“Thank you for another wonderful experience. My daughter was so thrilled with all that she learned in the class.” – J.S.

“I had a great experience with the summer common app essay workshop.”

Feel free to email us with any questions.