Needham Community Education

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.

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 23 and September 30.

Over three days, tour a range of colleges that will enable you to compare types of schools (e.g. large/small, or private/state) and their settings (rural/suburban/urban). You will visit the following colleges and universities*: Bryant College, University of Rhode Island, Emerson College, Tufts University, UMass Lowell and Endicott College. (*This plan may change slightly, but similar colleges/universities will be substituted.) At each college we tour, you will meet with admissions officers who will describe what it takes to get into their school, what majors and programs they offer, and how students spend their out-of-class time. Campus tours at each school will help you find out which schools have the classroom and lab spaces, dormitories, athletic facilities, libraries, computer facilities, student activities, etc. that appeal to you the most. After the visits, you will have a clearer picture of various types of schools, and what you are looking for in a school. It’s not necessary that you are interested in the specific schools being visited; simply seeing the range of schools can help you zero in on what you want and need in a college. Please note that the times listed below are approximate since the schedule of tours and info sessions is not yet finalized. You will be contacted with a detailed itinerary, including specific departure and return times, at least a week before the program begins.