Summer Workshops

Registration for 2026 is open! Click “book a session” to reserve your workshop slot.
If your ideal date is not available, please email kate@essayscomposed.com, and we’ll do our best to help!

 

SUMMER: UC/PERSONAL STATEMENT WORKSHOP

This is a two-day workshop designed to get students fully launched with their college application essays! It includes:

  • introduction to the writing portions of both the UC and Common App

  • review and analysis of UC and personal statement examples

  • writing activities to practice different approaches to application writing

  • topic generation exercises to brainstorm, narrow, and confirm topics for all five “big” essays (four UCs and one Common App)

  • two one-on-one meetings with a writing specialist to confirm each student’s essay topics and create an initial writing plan

  • writing time

  • a three-hour Stay Composed interactive editing session to review drafts (included in the workshop price!)

  • detailed summary of workshop for parents

  • monthly newsletters

SUMMER 2026 WORKSHOP DATES

1. Sat, June 13 - Sun, June 14, 11a - 3p (FULL!)
2. Sat, June 20 - Sun, June 21, 11a - 3p
3. Sat, June 27 - Sun, June 28, 11a - 3p (3 slots left!)
4. Sat, July 11 - Sun July 12, 11a - 3p
5. Sat, Aug 8 - Sun Aug 9, 11a - 3p
6. Sat, Aug 15 - Sun Aug 16 11a - 3p

All workshops are held in-person in North Oakland on a shaded patio. Kate teaches in June and August, and Maddie will teach the July workshop.

Want to choose your own date?

  1. You may recruit a group of a minimum of 4 students and propose date options, and we will do our best to accommodate you! Email kate@essayscomposed.com for more information.

*workshops require a minimum of four students and are capped at eight students

Register For a Workshop!

STAY COMPOSED (INTERACTIVE EDITING SESSIONS)

In these two-hour writing sessions, students work on any essays they have in progress, and a writing specialist reads and comments on their work in real time, allowing them to revise instantly. Using this technique, students often complete three to five drafts in a single session. (Two to four students max per session.)