Programs

College Essay Writing Online Workshop

Summer 5

Mr. Koehler was fantastic, he is extremely knowledgeable and articulate about not only the writing of personal statements, but all college related topics!

Summer 2025 student

Summer 4

My daughter gained so much value from 1) being on task to write & revise one prompt a day, 2) getting critical and candid feedback from you, and 3) providing and receiving peer feedback. This workshop accomplished more than I expected — you have not only given her a great jumping off point for her PIQs and Common App essay prompts, but more importantly reinforced in Priya her ability to write with specificity and candor to make her answers personal and unique. Thank you again, and if there are students & parents who have not yet signed up for this workshop, they are missing out.

Parent

Summer 3

I really enjoyed having group collaborations because I was able to gain different perspectives and opinions on my work. I believe this method was highly helpful and effective.

Summer 2025 student

Summer 2

This workshop was tremendously helpful to our daughter, as it provided the focused space to develop ideas, peer edit, and receive valuable feedback from Mr. Kohler. He is a wonderful teacher, and we are so grateful that our daughter is now entering senior year with fully-formed college essays under her belt.

Parent to rising Samohi Senior

Summer 1

I really enjoyed this workshop, and it makes me feel so much better knowing I am ahead of the curve. Also, the teacher was super energetic … and really helped me out!

Summer 2025 student

Class Description

Get a head start on your college essay – don’t stress about your college applications once school starts in the fall! In this online workshop, you will learn some important tools about personal writing for an academic audience. We will examine various prompts and then delve into the writing process in order to have a solid working draft by week’s end. This is unlike most writing that you’ve done throughout high school and requires that you depict a clear personal voice. You want this essay to reflect your truest self! Come work in a small group setting with a fun and supportive teacher to discover how to do so!

About the Teacher

Kyle Koehler has been teaching high school English in California for the past 12 years and taught abroad for two years. Teaching personal writing, and specifically the college essay, is one of the things he does best. His greatest passion is supporting his students and helping students embark on this academic exploration of self.

Fees, Payment and Refund Policy

$615 for the one-week session, which includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

All requests for refunds must be made in writing (mail or email) no later than May 30. There are no refunds after May 30, unless the class is cancelled by the Ed Foundation.

Financial Assistance

For students enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program:
A limited number of scholarships are available. The fee is $105 for free lunch students and $210 for
reduced lunch students.

Please send a copy of your student’s free or reduced lunch eligibility notification letter to
rachel@smedfoundation.org. If you do not have your letter, please contact Estella Mata in SMMUSD
Food Services to obtain a new copy (emata@smmusd.org, 310-450-8338 x70228).

For students NOT enrolled in the free- or reduced-lunch program:

You can apply for a scholarship by emailing scholarships@smedfoundation.org. Your application will be reviewed by an independent scholarship committee. You will hear back within two weeks of applying.

Laptop

Students will need a laptop (either personal or a Chromebook already provided by SMMUSD).

Class Size

The minimum number of students in each session is 6 students; the maximum number is 10. Once a session is full, a waiting list will be kept and you will be notified if we open another section. If the Ed Foundation does not reach the minimum number of six students for a session, we will have to cancel that session; we can then move a student to another week if there is room, or if not, families will be refunded.

Questions? Contact Rachel Faulkner at 310-396-4557 or rachel@smedfoundation.org