College Essay Workshop (CEW) is heading into our 16th year and we’re proud to share that this will be our second year as a district-wide initiative with continued support from the LWPTSA Council and the Lake Washington Schools Foundation.
Last year, we held 282 sessions, meeting with students in person and on Zoom and completed 35 CEW Offline (email based) sessions. We feel like we met our goal of being an accessible resource for your college bound seniors. Here are what a few of them have to say about us:
“The PTSA workshop had been extremely helpful during my college application process. As a running start student, I had learned to work independently and be self-sufficient for the past year, but when it came to college applications, I was nervous and doubtful. The PSTA workshop was a reliable resource that I could depend on during this stressful time. It was easy to sign up, and I was given quality advice on my essays.”
“The experience was very helpful to me, especially as a low income student who didn’t have the means to talk to a college counselor.”
“…it was good to see how the effect of my words was coming across in different ways to different people. I thought it was really easy to sign up or drop in for feedback and I appreciated the help.”
“I definitely felt much more confident and prepared walking out of the workshop than I did before.”
What do we do?
Trained CEW coaches are available to help with college application essays and personal statements… wherever the student is in their process: brainstorming, editing, or a final read through, as well as steering them to the right resource for any additional help they may need.
When do we do it:
Mandatory Training: Week of Sept 8th, date tbd., about 1-½ hrs.
Taught by Mary Pat O’Neil, owner of True Fit College Counseling.
Launching on September 16th, we offer a range of coaching options to meet every student’s schedule.
Volunteer Commitment:
Coaching sessions are offered both virtually and in person. We ask volunteers to commit to one session per week, lasting 2 to 3 hours, during the months of October and November. Beyond this busy season, there is essay coaching that continues through December into January.
In addition to coaching roles, we also need volunteers to provide administrative support—helping with organization, scheduling, and coordination behind the scenes. Hours for this type of support vary. These contributions are just as vital to the success of the program.
How do we do it:
We provide students three coaching options:
- VIRTUAL - Select dates and times available on ZOOM --Virtual coaching 30 minute sessions, up to 3 students per coach, multiple options per week. Students check availability and reserve a spot via Signup Genius (this isn’t live yet). Zoom link and requirements sent with confirmation email.
- ASYNCHRONOUS EMAIL (aka CEW Offline) - Email-based writing support. Dedicated email address for students; we shoot for a 48 hour turnaround (so this means the coach has to respond promptly). Sometimes there's a bit of back-and-forth with these students, but it's all mediated via CEW admins so there's no direct contact.
- IN-PERSON COACHING - 30 minutes sessions, up to 4 students per coach (one at a time, of course!). This takes a bit of planning but it’s well attended - organization of coaches, students, and space required. LWHS is in its 16th year of in-person coaching. RHS and EHS have held some in-person sessions as well. Once the structure is in place, it runs smoothly. We are in the process of helping each high school set this up, if they want it.
Please note:
1.) REQUIRED: Current Raptor background clearance run by LWSD (if you haven’t already done it)
2.) Be aware:
– Sometimes you won’t get a student — not every session fills, and sometimes kids don’t show up.
– And yes, sometimes we’ll have way more students than coaches. Because of course we will.
What we need:
A little flexibility, a lot of patience, and a good sense of humor. It won’t always go perfectly, but your time and energy still matter.
Getting the word out:
We advertise the program via handouts and posters, district emails (Weekly Waves and Currents), Peach Jar and all high school newsletters, as well as posting lawn signs with QR codes outside. If you like what you see, word of mouth is helpful too.
Please let us know if you have any questions, we look forward to a productive year!