Most of the GPS Class of 2017 spent five hours on Friday at College Boot Camp, a series of exercises geared to providing an organized start to the school year and the college search process.
Susan McCarter and Claudia Goldbach, director and associate director of College Guidance, started the program with an essay writing workshop that began with the girls writing their personal “statement of purpose,” followed with an artistic self-drawing exercise that highlighted each girl’s distinctive attributes and interests.
“The morning focus was on brainstorming for college essays,” said Ms. McCarter, "followed by quiet time to start writing.” She and Ms. Goldbach shared their favorite past essays, one that chronicled a road trip, one about a girl’s love of pajamas, and a third about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. “Even the mundane can be profound,” said Ms. Goldbach. “Write the essay you want,” she said. “We’ll figure out how to fit it in to an assigned topic.”
Viewing the documentary “500 Words or Less,” was followed by a lunchtime discussion of the film’s look into the lives of five seniors going through the college search.
The agenda also included interviewing skills, practicing an “elevator pitch,” and working on Naviance, the site that manages applications, transcripts, resumes, and more. Lisa Burns, association dean of Admissions at Sewanee, covered tips for the interview process.