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Workshop Prepares Seniors for College Application Success

Oakcrest seniors are working hard with the College Counseling Department to prepare for the college application process. Last week they attended a Senior Success Planning Workshop led by Jayne Fonash, president-elect of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
 
Ms. Fonash gave seniors practical tips for navigating the college application process. In the first half of the workshop, she addressed how to construct the college application essay. She covered how to decide what to write about and how long an essay ought to be. Colleges, she emphasized, are primarily looking for a voice that adds value to their particular campus cultures. Ms. Fonash pointed to logic, coherence, sincerity, and honesty as keys to composing a stand-out essay. Seniors came away from this workshop with tools to sculpt an essay that reflects something true about who they are. 

After covering the specifics of constructing the essay, Ms. Fonash and the seniors talked about big picture ideas. They did some exercises that helped students identify their core values and how those values mesh with future major and career goals. Ms. Fonash then had each senior write down a challenge she’d faced, its effect on her, how she responded, and what she learned from the experience. All of these exercises helped students build potential outlines for their college essays. 

Oakcrest’s College Counseling team partners with Oakcrest families and faculty to guide Upper School students through the college search and application process. Informational and practical workshops and the ongoing assistance of our college counselors help each student grow in self-knowledge, identify her interests, and find her best college match. 100% of the students in the Class of 2019 who applied Early Decision were accepted into their first choice.
 

Learn more about Oakcrest’s College Counseling department here
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1619 Crowell Road, Vienna, VA 22182
703-790-5450