Session: August 3-14, 2026
Class Meeting Time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT
Synchronous and asynchronous times will alternate depending on the class meeting. The teacher will be available for the full period but students will generally spend 90 minutes in synchronous work and the remainder in individual work.

Teacher: Laurel Weijer
Office hours: by appointment

Course Description:
In this enrichment course, students will take part in engaging brainstorming, writing, and revision activities designed to help them conceptualize and produce a compelling personal statement for the Common Application. Through guided exercises and personalized feedback, students will gain confidence in how to showcase their individuality and strengths in a way that stands out to college admissions officers. By the end of the course, students will have a polished essay draft that effectively communicates their unique story. We will also discuss strategies for how to approach common supplemental essay topics, including building a personalized writing plan to guide each student through the remainder of their college essay work.

Summer Supplemental Essay Intensive

Credit: Enrichment
Grade: 12

Session: August 3-14, 2026
Class Meeting Time: Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT
Synchronous and asynchronous times will alternate depending on the class meeting. The teacher will be available for the full period but students will generally spend 90 minutes in synchronous work and the remainder in individual work.

Teacher: Laurel Weijer
Office hours: by appointment

Course Description:
The two-week Summer Supplemental Essay Intensive is designed to help students master an important, and often misunderstood, part of their college applications: the supplemental essays. Unlike the personal statement, supplemental essays are school-specific prompts that ask students to explain why they’re a strong fit for a particular college, major, or program. Admissions officers use these essays to assess a student’s genuine interest in a college, their intellectual curiosity, and how a student will contribute to campus life. In this course, students will learn how to analyze prompts and research colleges’ priorities in order to craft compelling supplemental essay responses. We will also discuss how to manage workload efficiently to avoid “reinventing the wheel” for every prompt. By the end of the two-week class, students will have polished, submission-ready drafts tailored to their target schools, and a framework they can apply to additional supplemental prompts they encounter.

In order for students to make the most of this class, they should come with a list of colleges to which they intend to apply.