COLLEGE GUIDANCE

Free Meet and Greet

 We agree! Despite sending thousands of students to their dream schools and maintaining an unparalleled word of mouth reputation for over twenty years, there is no better way to find out if we are a good match for your family other than meeting us for yourselves!

Far from a sales pitch, Meet and Greets are a smile-filled, informative, and stress reducing way to get your specific questions about the college process answered. Meet and Greets are FREE to juniors and seniors. They are remote, take about an hour, and are usually done with the students and parents together.

To schedule yours, simply click the Start Your Journey button! 

On Track Sessions

Need to discuss next year's course load? Maybe toss around some ideas for majors, or what about brainstorming activities that engage your intersection of interests? Or maybe strategize and create a streamlined workflow towards application deadlines?

Whether you are just about to start high school or are committing to your dream university, On Track sessions help families navigate the entire college process. Families may request an a la carte On Track session ($240) or schedule regularly with a college prep package. On Tracks may be done with the student, with the parents, or with everyone, including the family pets!

A La Carte

A la carte On Tracks can be a great option for families wishing to focus on a specific issue at a specific time and/or for families who want to try us on a small scale before hopping on board. Select On Track on the Start Your Journey form to schedule yours. We look forward to ensuring that you feel confidently on track! 

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Tokens/Package

Families looking for more regular guidance and support will save money if they purchase a package of tokens. Whether you schedule your own On Track sessions or follow a timeline we create for you, packages allow families to benefit from continued and holistic support at a discounted rate.

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Summer Workshops

     The summer should not be a time to sweat about not getting your applications done. Rather, it should be a time when you make so much progress that your future senior self won't stop gushing about how thankful they are that you did our summer workshops! Unlike large scale 'boot camps', our boutique workshops are a mix of small group discussion and private one on one attention led by motivating and highly experienced counselors.

     Families often combine workshops with one-on-one assistance to maximize budget and take the lonely grumpies out of the application process. 

All Workshops Are REMOTE, LIMITED CAPACITY, and FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE! 

 

 
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Personal Statement

     There's many reasons why so many Blue Trainer essays have won major scholarships, become examples put forth by admissions committees, and yes, even gone viral. But the common denominator is that they all got their start in our most popular and inspiring workshop. 

     Taught by professional writers with top tier experience in college admissions essays, this workshop weaves through free-writes, guided discussion, and step-by-step deconstruction of former Blue Trainer scholarship-winning essays. Arrive clueless about college essays, leave buzzing with ideas on how you will give life to your own very unique story. 

     Please Note: this introduction workshop is only to be taken one time. Students may continue working on their essays privately with Blue Train specialists or participate in one or more of our Writing Labs.  

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Common Application

     They call it the "Common App" for a reason, as it is used by more colleges and universities than any other app by far. Therefore, for many, this application soon becomes a top priority. While very clean and intuitive overall, the Common App's greatest challenge comes in how best to present onself in such limited space. For this reason, the majority of this workshop is spent in individual breakout spaces working with Specialists to boil down your activity descriptions until they taste just right!  

     Days before the workshop, students will be asked to create an account, fill out the basic information, and brainstorm a list of their extracurricular activities. Students should also have access to their college list, as they will want to add a close to complete list for maximum productivity. Fear not, schools can always be added later.  

     Please Note: Students with extra long resumes will often participate in a follow-up App Polish workshop to devote more time for activity descriptions.

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Writing Labs

      Writing Labs take the procrastination, writer's block, and loneliness out of the essay equation. Very efficient (and affordable) in keeping the process moving, each lab opens with a quick group pep talk then moves into breakout spaces, where over the next three hours students will alternately work on their essays and meet individually with Essay Specialists.  

      Students are free to take breaks over the course of the three hours to find their own balance, pace, and productivity. Many students will do multiple Writing Labs to ensure regular progress on all of their essays (Personal Statement, UC Insights, and Supplementals.) 

      Please Note: Writing Labs are intended for students who have already (preferably) attended a Personal Statement or UC PIQ workshop; students may attend multiple writing labs to advance essay and supplement progress. 

 

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Cal State App

     Join the workshop and two and a half hours later you will be ready to submit your completed application to any Cal State campuses you choose. This workshop is a mixture of application walk through, majors discussion, and a guided tour of any Cal State schools and programs you are curious about.

     Before the workshop, students will be sent instructions on how to create a Cal State account. An up to date transcript is necessary to complete the application. 

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Admissions Interview

     After sending hundreds of students off to interviews at colleges and universities around the nation, we’ve learned a thing or two about the interview process. We understand what these formal or informal meet-ups mean, how they are conducted and, most importantly, how to help you put your best foot forward in the you-est way possible.

     So, if you are planning to interview in the fall, why not come in for tips on how to express yourself in a way that will make the colleges want to open that trap door in the floor and keep you forever. A mix of counselor-led group discussions and mock one-on-one practice, this workshop will take away the jitters and leave you feeling confident and relaxed.

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UC PIQ Essays

     Along with your grades and activities, your responses to the Personal Insight Questions are the best way to show the UC Admissions committees how amazing, unique, and caring you truly are! In this workshop, you will learn everything you wanted to know about PIQs and more. Deconstructing former Blue Trainer essays, brainstorming yours, and strategizing on how to approach the four (out of eight) prompts you have selected. Unquestionably, students who roll up their sleeves and put genuine time and effort into their PIQ's see a happier return overall.

     Please Note: This is an introductory group workshop meant to only be taken one time. Students may continue working on essays privately with a Blue Train specialist or participate in one of our Writing Labs. 

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UC Application

     There is no doubt the UC Application has a lot of moving parts: campus selection, major selection, courses and grades, scholarship elgibility, and perhaps most monumental, activity descriptions, which come right after essays in having the greatest subjective impact.

     After completing the primary application together, students will break out into individual spaces where they will work with specialists to address specific questions and the more personal aspects of their application. Days before the workshop, students will be asked to create an account, fill out the basic information, as well as brainstorm a list of their extracurricular activities.

     Please Note: Students with extra long resumes will often participate in a follow-up App Polish workshop to devote more time for activity descriptions.

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App Polish Labs

     Questions about courses and grades, dual enrollment, ethnicity? Or do you need help polishing your activity descriptions? Or maybe just a quick organization and review of your supplemental essays? Addressing odds and ends like this are exactly what App Polish Labs were invented for.

     Over the course of two hours, students alternatively work by themselves and one-on-one with Specialists. While these labs are shorter than the 3 hour Writing Labs, the specialist to student ratio is 2:1 (rather than 3:1) which allows for the same amount of one-on-one time. App Polish Labs have kept many a Blue Trainer sane, happy, and on track.

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FAFSA Workshop

 FAFSA is an important step for students to receive financial aid for college. Join our FAFSA workshop for an informative review of what to expect from the new FAFSA, who should complete the application, and a walk through of the tools we have developed to keep Blue Train families organized in their financial aid process. 

Please note: Parent(s) and/or student may attend this event with a single registration. 

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