Webinars

Extracurricular Activities and Community Service – Why Colleges Care

Alex Duke, former USC Assistant Dean and Admissions Director at UCLA Anderson School
Tuesday June 27th at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

Parents and students often hear that extracurricular activities and community service can help their college applications stand out from others. While this may be true, there is an important formula to the number of activities a student should participate in and other aspects to consider. Find out what colleges really think about these activities.

Highly Selective College Admissions: Insights from Former Admissions Officers

Nandita Gupta & Tara Swoboda – Former Admissions Officers at Stanford & USC
Thursday July 13th at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

What does it take to get into the most selective colleges and universities in the country? Collegewise counselors Nandita Gupta and Tara Swoboda (former Admissions Officers at Stanford and USC, respectively) will explain how the top schools make decisions from thousands of applicants. Many Ivy League schools saw over 35,000 applicants last year with a less than 6% acceptance rate. Learn how to set yourself apart from the applicant with proven Collegewise strategies!

Myth Busting the College Admissions Universe – Trends from a UCLA College Counseling Instructor

Rob Schwartz – UCLA Faculty Instructor in the College Counseling Program
Thursday July 20th at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

We hear a lot of things on the radio and television about the college admissions process. Unfortunately, many of these statements are simply not true. Ron Schwartz, UCLA College Counseling Instructor, debunks many of these myths and gives straight answers on the entire admissions process.

Insider’s Guide to College Admissions Testing

Sean Murphy, Director of Instruction at Revolution Prep
Thursday July 27th at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

Navigating this labyrinth of college admissions tests can be a confusing and overwhelming undertaking. It’s key for you and your child to understand these tests and how they fit in with the college admissions process. We’ll provide you with an overview of the PSAT, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests, and APs, with a heavy emphasis and deep dive on the SAT and ACT and the things you can do now—no matter what grade your child is—to achieve success on these tests.

Essay Writing Tips from a UCLA/USC Application Essay Reader

Jessica Pashkow – Former USC Admissions, Former Milken College Counselor, Current UCLA Application Reviewer, Current USC Essay Reader.
Thursday August 3rd at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

Help your college admissions essay stand out with these writing tips! Jessica Pashkow, application essay reader at UCLA and USC, helps explain what colleges are looking for in these entrance essays. After reading thousands of essays each year, she brings you the info you need before you start drafting these statements.

Aspects of a College Application – (HS Performance/Rigor, ACT/SAT, Activities, Recommendations, Writing)

Ross D Mankuta – Former USC Admissions, Former GW Admissions, Current Director of College Counseling at Milken Community Schools
Thursday August 10th at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

Ross Mankuta of Milken Community Schools helps outline the 5 most important aspects of a college application. As the Director of College Counseling, he helps hundreds of students each year apply to the top schools across the country. During this webinar, he will discuss:

• High school performance and class selection
• ACT/SAT
• Extracurricular activities and community service
• Recommendations
• Writing Sample

UCSB – UC Admissions + Personal Insight Questions

AJ Sims – UCSB Admissions Counselor
Thursday August 17th at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

Learn all about the UC admissions process in this quick 1-hour webinar. We focus on UC campuses, applications, and the redesigned personal insight questions to help you optimize your application.

Growth Mindset – Student Success Research Coming Out of Stanford

Sean Murphy, Director of Instruction at Revolution Prep
Wednesday August 23rd at 6pm Pacific Standard Time

How your child thinks about their own potential to grow has massive implications for future success. Dr. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, has conducted extensive research that reveals the power of a growth mindset, the belief that through continued effort and action you can continue to improve in any area—that even your intelligence can constantly improve! In this webinar, we’ll walk you through some of these amazing findings, and give you practical tips for cultivating a growth mindset in your child.