Needham Community Education

Summer is the best time for rising high school seniors to get a head-start on their college essays and supplemental essays. In this two-session course, veteran writing coach Jane Hirschhorn will introduce students to what makes standout personal essays and offer specific brainstorming exercises to get them moving forward in the writing process. In session one, Jane will describe the purpose of college essays; how they differ from school essays and what students can do to write the best essays possible. She will cover both the personal statement and supplemental essays and offer helpful resources and exercises to begin the writing process for both. In session two, students will arrange an individual 50-minute session with Jane to work on either their personal statement or one supplemental essay. Please note that all meetings take place via Zoom and must be scheduled to take place between August 13 and September 30.

The college essay personal statement is arguably one of the most important pieces of writing a student will complete in high school. It is also a type of writing not commonly taught in the classroom; the personal narrative. We invite parents of high school juniors to attend this one-session class to learn more about what admission officers seek in the personal statement. We will also cover approaches in how to answer common supplemental essay prompts and provide tips parents can use to support their student throughout the writing process.

Your rising junior or senior will likely have more time to focus on SAT Prep during the summer than they will during the school year. Each summer SAT Prep class registration includes the opportunity for your child to take two additional prep classes and one additional practice test during regularly scheduled, school year prep sessions. Typically, students will take the additional classes and practice test just prior to the date when they are registered to take the SAT.