High school counselors are often called upon to guide students through the college essay writing process. Lacking sufficient time to guide students from beginning to end, they generally focus on one of two things: 1) Helping students choose topics; or 2) Reviewing completed essays. This course focuses on selecting meaningful topics, and provides insight into what colleges are looking for and how counselors can use their limited resources to help their students write application essays that stand out.
This course consists of three webinars and resources from Wow Writing Workshop’s College Essay Institute. There are a total of 5.0 training hours to equal 5.0 SCECH hours.
- Webinar 1: Listening 201: Elements of a Great Idea
Get that great idea on paper without feeling like you’re pulling teeth. We discuss brainstorming techniques, student voice and how to help young people recognize their own best ideas. We also talk about how to align student, parent and professional expectations to make the most of the essay-writing process. - Webinar 2: What We Say and What They Hear
What do you mean when you tell students to share their passions? Avoid clichés? Stay away from controversial subjects? What do these statements mean to young writers? We will discuss strategies for clarifying your essay-related messages so students understand exactly what colleges are looking for and how they can stand out. We explore messages, meaning and misinterpretation to help you conserve time and energy, and get better results. - Webinar 3: Brainstorming Techniques that Work Like Magic
We ask our students to come to their brainstorming appointments with at least four story ideas. What happens when those ideas are weak, cliché or incomplete? We’ll use real examples to demonstrate how we turn uninspired ideas into meaningful essay topics by focusing on process instead of product. Learn how to encourage reflection so students own their ideas and write better first drafts.