College Application & Essay Workshops

Registration Open for Summer 2025

Attention Rising Seniors

You’ve Worked Hard - It’s Time to Shine!

Hard-earned grades, extracurricular activities, time commitments, awards - your accomplishments should stand out on college applications! Our 3-day workshops combine both guided instruction and focused work sessions in a high-touch environment. Feel inspired and supported while making impressive progress on essays and applications! We’ll show you how to highlight your unique strengths with well-written essays and an impactful student profile. Leave with valuable resources, checklists, and timelines, ready to confidently complete your applications and essays.

Essay Writing Is Overwhelming

You can expect to write 25-35 essays when applying to just 12 schools. (All UCs count as 1 school. All Cal States count as 1 school.)

Take Advantage Of Summer

Take the initiative to get a head start on applications and essays, so you can enjoy a more relaxed and fun senior year.

Beyond The Workshop

If you’re looking for additional guidance, follow up your workshop with four private essay coaching sessions through our 4-Pack offering.

Learn More

  • Workshops are taught by Cindy McCormick, M.Ed., certified teacher, writing specialist, and college consultant, engaging students in 1:1 brainstorming sessions while providing personalized writing support and constructive feedback.

  • “The Big” Personal Essay

    Learn how to approach the personal essay prompts. Uncover strategies to create your own unique brand and write an impactful essay that will make you stand out.

    UC Personal Insight Questions

    Discover how the responses to these questions should differ from traditional essays. Dissect the 8 UC prompts before deciding which 4 you’ll answer for maximum impact; then brainstorm, outline and draft responses with expert guidance.

    Supplemental Essays

    Add weight and legitimacy to well-crafted “Why This School?” essays through focused research. Accentuate how your values and academic goals align with specific college offerings and programs.

    Activities & Honors Descriptions

    Tackle the most underestimated section of college apps. Learn how to make an impact by crafting powerful activities and honors descriptions for both the Common App and UC App.

    UC Application & Common App

    Begin the process with step-by-step guidance on application websites. Learn to optimize each section with pertinent information while navigating typical stumbling blocks.

    … and More

    Ensure a balanced college list and strategize application deadline choices (EDI, EDII, EA, RD). Learn about additional requirements, such as SAT/ACT reporting, sending in transcripts, asking for teacher recommendation letters, preparing for interviews, and navigating post-submission essentials.

  • Summer 2025 Dates

    • Session 1: June 9-11 (M-T-W)

    • Session 2: June 16-18 (M-T-W)

    • Session 3: July 14-16 (M-T-W)

    3 consecutive days (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

    Workshops held in person at CMCA in Laguna Niguel, CA

    Class sizes limited to ensure individualized attention

  • "Super well done and honestly pretty fun! I feel much more equipped now than I did before."

    “I liked having time dedicated to writing essays with no distractions.”

    "The workshop allowed for input from other students and led me to learn more from their questions."

    “Thank you very much. My daughter said she got a lot of good information, and it helped her focus on several key aspects of the admissions process. The essay guidance was particularly useful as she was looking for do's and don'ts. Your course made it easy to understand, and the resources are excellent.”

    “I am definitely glad I was a part of this workshop, because it forced me to start a process I would have procrastinated on.”

    “I really enjoyed attending this workshop. It lowered my stress level about college applications.”

    “You covered everything. I was clueless when I first came in here and now I am a lot more confident about both the admissions process and the essays.”

    “I feel like I was very productive in getting a start. Before I was unsure of how to begin but now I feel like the fog has lifted and everything seems more doable.”

    “Cindy’s feedback on my essays was very helpful and it inspired me to keep writing.”

    “It was extremely helpful as I did not know anything about applying to college prior to this. I think all seniors should take a class like this.”

    “I’m so grateful that I got to do it because without it, I think I would be all kinds of stressed out.”

    "I think seeing what each essay is really looking for, from an admission reader's point of view, was very helpful and difficult to find elsewhere."