McLean is offering their annual college application workshop for the class of 2025 this summer.
Sponsored by the student services department, the workshop will take place at McLean High School on Tuesday, July 30th and Thursday, August 1st. Students have the ability to choose to attend either the morning (8:30 am-12:00 pm) or afternoon session (12:30-4:00 pm). An average of 185 students participate in the workshop every year.
“There are close to a 100 students signed up now,” college and career specialist Mary Barnes said. “However, with the counselors and I going into English classes this week [to provide information on senior year], we are expecting more registrations.”
The workshop covers a range of topics to prepare incoming seniors to successfully navigate the college application process, including how to get organized, paying for college, the Common App, the SRAR, and what makes a stellar essay.
“I’d say getting organized is the best piece of advice I can give incoming seniors,” Barnes said. “Time management is so crucial from August through November.”
The session will also provide students with tangible resources and customized materials.
“We provide an already made Google spreadsheet in which they can organize their deadlines and the requirements for each college,” Barnes said. “We also give them a book regarding the essay process [to help them learn the components of effective storytelling].”
Additionally, McLean ensures that they always feature guest speakers from various universities at the workshop to expose students to those who are directly considering their applications. This year, admission representatives from the University of Kentucky, University of Delaware, and William and Mary will be present to assist students and illustrate the inner workings of every university’s admissions process.
The cost of the two-day workshop is $75 and the amount can be paid through MySchoolBucks. Students in need of financial assistance should reach out to their counselor ahead of summer.
McLean staff urges students to get a jumpstart on their applications by attending the workshop so they can minimize their stress for this upcoming fall when the majority of applications are due.
“We get a lot done [at the workshop],” Barnes said. “We give a lot of time for students to work. If you attend, you’re going to walk into the start of the year with a lot of the application done and the essays partly done. I am always happy to support students all through helping review essays through early action or whenever their deadlines are.”
