"Slay the College Essay" Writing Intensive, June 15 - 18, 2026 (IN-PERSON)
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"Slay the College Essay" Writing Intensive, June 15 - 18, 2026 (IN-PERSON)
WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT THAT MAKES AN IMPACT IN JUST 4 DAYS…GUARANTEED!
During this 4-day intensive, you'll work with former admission officers who will jumpstart your writing process and help you tell a compelling story that will grab the attention of college admissions officers. By the end of this workshop, you’ll have a complete draft of your personal statement, guaranteed.
*Registration fee is non-refundable but is transferable.
👇 SCROLL DOWN FOR THE SCHEDULE & MORE DETAILS 👇
Note: We also have 2 other cohorts: June 8-11 and August 3-6. Each has a maximum of 12 students.
Monday, June 15 - Thursday, June 18, 2025
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
The Village Hub, Woodside, CA
One of the hardest parts about writing your college essay is choosing the “right” topic and getting started. Our expert team will help you find your story and tell it in a compelling way that makes you stand out. We’ll also help you avoid common pitfalls that can get your essay overlooked. And most importantly, we’ll help you will stay on task, overcome procrastination, and finish your essay in mere days instead of stressing about it for months. Our faculty are former admission officers from highly selective colleges who have evaluated thousands of applications; you can trust that the guidance you’ll receive comes from firsthand experience.
You’ll walk away with a complete draft of the Common Application personal statement by the end of the workshop...GUARANTEED!
This video was made by one of Village’s students, Matt Gee. He’s currently a student at Vanderbilt University.
why attend our WORKSHOP:
Admissions Expertise – Work with former college admission officers from highly selective colleges who have read thousands of applications.
Individualized Coaching – Personalized feedback and 1:1 sessions with faculty.
Small Cohort – Max of 12 students/session with two instructors = 6:1 student to faculty ratio.
Guaranteed Results – Students will leave with a polished, competitive personal statement.
32 Instructional Hours – Equivalent to a full essay coaching program.
What YOU’LL learn during the WORKSHOP
Day 1: Finding Your Story
✅ Brainstorming powerful personal statement topics
✅ What admissions officers actually look for
✅ Case Study: Reviewing real essays with an admissions rubric
✅ Start drafting your personal statement
Day 2: Writing & Refining
✅ Case Study: Admissions Panel—Who gets in and why?
✅ Small-group workshop & personalized instructor feedback
✅ Revising for impact: Voice, depth, and storytelling
Day 3: Writing & Polishing
✅ Advanced editing techniques to elevate your essay
✅ Common pitfalls & how to stand out
✅ Writing strong “Why Us?” and other common supplements
Day 4: Finalizing
✅ Final personal statement review + last-round polish
✅ Mock admissions panel: Reviewing essays like an admissions pro
✅ Q&A with former admissions officers—get expert insights!
Want to see the full schedule?
WHAT PAST STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:
“It's totally helpful and, honestly, fun. The amount and quality of feedback I got on my drafts were truly great. I feel more confident —not only in my personal statement but in the college process in general.”
“It is a great way to understand what college admissions people are looking for in your essays and stops you from procrastinating.”
“Had I written my personal statement without their help, I think my work would have been significantly weaker. Some of their tips for how to make a more effective personal statement were things I would have never figured out on my own.”
WHO OUR STUDENTS ARE:
Our students come from a wide range of schools and go on to a wide range of colleges. Here are just a few…
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Bellarmine College Prep
Carlmont HS
Castilleja School
Cate School
Crystal Springs Upland School
Flintridge Prep
Gunn High School
Harvard Westlake
Los Altos HS
Lowell High School
Marin Academy
Menlo Atherton High School
Menlo School
Mercy Burlingame
Mountain View High School
Palo Alto High School
Sacred Heart Preparatory
Saint Francis High School
San Mateo High School
Stevenson School
The Nueva School
The Peddie School
The Urban School of San Francisco
Woodside Priory
and more
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Bard
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis
Carnegie Mellon University
Cornell University
Duke
Emory
Fordham University
Georgia Tech
Northeastern
Northwestern
Notre Dame
NYU
Pitzer
Purdue
Smith
Stanford
Tulane
UIUC
University of Miami
University of Wisconsin
Wash U St. Louis
and more…
This is a partial list of colleges where our previous College Essay Workshop participants have been admitted.
Meet Your Instructors
Cathy Chen
Founder & Coach, Village Coaches
Cathy is a former USC admissions officer and College Counselor at Menlo School, one of Silicon Valley's top prep schools. With experience reading thousands of college essays, she has the expertise to help you craft a unique and compelling story that stands out. You'll love working with her for her direct, no-nonsense approach, high standards, and great sense of humor—all of which will inspire you to produce your best work.
Meredith herrera
Coach, Village Coaches
Meredith loves helping students find their authentic voice and tell their story through their college essays. As a former USC admission officer and college counselor at Crossroads School and Branson School, two highly regarded independent schools in California, Meredith knows her stuff. She's designed and led essay writing workshops for nearly two decades. Despite being a stickler for sound writing technique, students love the way Meredith makes essay writing fun and less stressful. After her workshops, students report feeling both proud of their finished product and more confident about the process overall.
andrea pien
Coach, Village Coaches
Andrea brings extensive experience from her roles as an admissions officer at Swarthmore College and a college counselor at The Bay School and Friends’ Central School. She has also served as a part-time application reader for Stanford University, giving her a deep understanding of what top colleges are looking for. Andrea’s expert guidance will help you craft a standout application, and her thoughtful, supportive approach will empower you to present your authentic story with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A complete, working draft of their Common App personal statement - guaranteed. That's not a rough outline or a few paragraphs. It's a full draft they're proud of, ready for final polish. Most students are genuinely surprised by what they can produce in four days.
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It means exactly what it says. Every student who attends all four days leaves with a complete draft of their personal statement. Our small cohort size, structured curriculum, and 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio are specifically designed to make sure that happens. And in the rare case a student needs more time, we keep working with them until they have a draft they're proud of. In six years of running this intensive, we've never had a student leave without a finished essay.
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A few things set it apart. First, the immersive format: four consecutive days of focused writing, is more effective than weekly sessions stretched over months. Second, the cohort energy: students feed off each other's momentum in ways that just don't happen in 1:1 settings. And third, our faculty aren't just writing coaches: they're former admissions officers who have read thousands of applications. They know exactly what works.
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That's actually the ideal starting point. Day one is entirely dedicated to brainstorming, finding the right topic, and uncovering their story. Students who arrive with a blank slate often produce the most authentic essays because they haven't already talked themselves into a topic that doesn't fit.
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Absolutely. In fact, strong writers often get the most out of it. The challenge with college essays isn't grammar or prose style; it's knowing what admissions officers are actually looking for and how to tell a compelling personal story. Our faculty bring that insider perspective, and even the strongest writers are often surprised by how much they learn.
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This is actually one of the most common reasons families come to us, and one of the most rewarding transformations we see. The personal statement isn't an academic essay. There's no thesis, no research, no formal structure to master. It's a personal story, and every student has one worth telling. Our faculty are skilled at meeting students exactly where they are, drawing out their voice, and helping them put it on the page. Students who arrive convinced they "can't write" are often the ones who surprise themselves the most.
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The workshop is especially effective for these students. The structured environment, small group, and consistent faculty support make it easier to stay on task and build momentum. We've worked with many students with ADHD, ASD, and reading/writing LDs, and the intensive format often works better for them than drawn-out weekly sessions.
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The honest answer: you're getting 32 hours of instruction from former admissions officers in a cohort of no more than 12 students. That's a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio with two instructors in the room at all times. Compare that to the cost of private tutoring, test prep, and essay coaching spread across junior year. This is a contained, high-impact investment with a guaranteed outcome.
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Registration fees are non-refundable but fully transferable. If your summer plans change, you can apply your registration to a different session date or transfer it to another student.
