Introduction to Writing College Essays

EDUC 847

This two-week intensive course trains aspiring college counselors, advisors, and other education professionals on the purpose, role, and structure of college admissions essays. The course will explore techniques, standards, and ethics to be used when supporting students through the college essay writing process.

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What you can learn.

Learn about the purpose and role that college essays play in the admission process
Learn strategies your students can utilize for brainstorming their college essay topics
Understand the various types of essays such as personal statements, personal insight questions, and college-specific supplements
Explore techniques behind providing ethical guidance and support to students in the college essay writing process
Identify different approaches for helping students navigate and maintain their own voice throughout the writing and editing process

About this course:

In this two-week intensive course participants will gain an understanding of the purpose, role, and structure of college admission essays. Throughout the course, participants will learn approaches to providing essay guidance that they can use when working with their own students. Participants will also write a college essay as an exercise in understanding the writing process. By the end of the course, participants should be able to: help students identify the philosophy behind the various college essay prompts; establish an ethical approach to supporting students in the writing and editing phase of the process; and identify essays by their type and category and know where to find the essay prompts through research. The ideal participant for this course is an aspiring college advisor, current secondary school counselor, CBO advisor, or other professional working in college advisement who seeks to expand his or her experiential knowledge of college admissions essays. Please note: this course is not endorsed by or affiliated with UCLA’s undergraduate or graduate offices of admission.