Class of 2026
Intensive Workshop
Series
This intensive workshop series is the best possible way for students to prepare for the college application process. Each concept builds on the next so students understand what they are doing and why they are doing it. College application and essay writing is not hard if you understand your strengths and line up your activities to support your goals.
The series includes FIVE Sunday afternoon workshops (in person in San Carlos) between December and May. At the end of the series, students will have a balanced college list and a catalog of their activities and enhancement options. They will identify major options and be ready to write their personal statements, tackle hard supplemental questions, and have the confidence to complete their applications.
Each College Calm Intensive Workshop is...
- Designed so students can learn, research and work. We know students often have trouble completing tasks before a deadline or spending the time they need to be thoughtful about the college process. Our workshops are designed with the completion of tangible goals in mind.
- Scheduled for 3 hours and includes instruction by our experienced staff, activities to support student reflection, one-on-one meetings with a counselor and work time to reinforce learning and produce results.
- Packed with checklists, timelines, essential resources and proprietary College Calm materials we have refined over 12 years.
- Personalized with pre-work and post-work for each session, and a counselor to contact with questions.
Pricing
Our Class of 2026 Intensive Workshop Series costs $2150 for all five workshops.
Sing up before November 1st and receive a 10% discount using code OCTOBER!
Intensive Workshops
Workshop #1
BUILDING A
COLLEGE LIST
Sunday, December 8, 2024
3 pm – 6 pm
The foundation of the college application process rests on thoughtful college research. We provide tools and guidance for students to think about what is important to them and then figure out how to evaluate colleges based on their specific criteria. We have fine-tuned many proprietary documents to help students efficiently determine their values and effectively research colleges to create an initial college list. This first step will help families determine where to focus college research and visits.
Students will:
- Complete an initial college interest inventory
- Identify the values that they will use to research schools
- Learn how and where to research colleges
- Begin to narrow the list based on their research
Students will receive:
- College Values Worksheet
- College Calm College Research Spreadsheet
- College Selectivity Chart
Workshop #2
ACTIVITIES & SUMMER
Sunday, January 26, 2024
3 pm – 6 pm
To be a competitive college applicant, a student needs to be involved during their high school years. This involves not just what they do, but how they represent their activities in writing. In this workshop, we will help students capture their current activities, in and outside of high school, and determine possible spring and summer activities that will complement their application.
Students will:
- Create a working activities list
- Generate a list of possible new activities
- Develop an involvement timeline
Students will receive:
- College Calm Common Application Activity List
- Activity Recommendations
- Summer Planning Ideas
Workshop #3
MAJORS AND STRENGTHS
Sunday, February 9, 2025
3 pm – 6 pm
Although most colleges do not require students to determine their major until the end of sophomore year, many schools will ask students to discuss their academic interests on their applications. In this workshop, we teach students how to research majors and prepare them to tell their academic stories. Those students who have already decided on a major will do extensive research on programs offered at the schools on their list, as well as schools they may not have considered.
Students will:
- Research majors
- Capture their experiences based on different majors
- Learn how to enhance their current academic profile
Students will receive:
- List of colleges with strong programs in their area of interest
- Majors research organizer
Workshop #4
BALANCING YOUR COLLEGE LIST
Sunday, March 2, 2025
3 pm – 6 pm
In the current college landscape, students need to work hard to find schools to balance their college list. We aim for students to have a solid list of options where they will be happy and successful. We will run the student’s current list through a balancing program and have them research new colleges to help realign, prioritize, and balance their current list.
Students will:
- Understand which schools on their list are lottery, reach, target and foundation
- Research additional colleges to reinforce a balanced list
- Rework their college list with a lens toward balance
- Learn how to demonstrate interest at colleges on their list
Students will receive:
- A personalized College Kickstart report with admissions expectations
- A new list of colleges to research
- Demonstrated Interest Tracker
Workshop #5
BRAINSTORMING
FOR ESSAYS
Sunday, April 13, 2025
3 pm – 6 pm
The hardest part of the college process is coming up with ideas for essays. Students often do not know where to start and have forgotten many of their life experiences that are essential for their applications. We will spend three hours in this workshop brainstorming and developing content ideas for the personal statement and supplemental essays. The goal is to develop ideas that students can easily write about and showcase who they are beyond what is already in their application.
Students will receive:
- Determine their values
- Uncover important experiences
- Contemplate their roles and identities
- Identify themes and stories that align with Common App prompts and/or UC Personal Insight Questions
Students will receive:
- Comprehensive brainstorming exercises
- Details on how to approach the personal statement through a 10-step writing process
- Strategies for tackling supplemental essays
Don't Wait, Register Today!
Join our Class of 2026 Intensive Workshop Series. Space is limited.
Sing up before November 1st and receive a 10% discount using code OCTOBER!