THE City Smarts ADmissions Essay workshop (2025)

Each spring, we gather a small group of 7th graders looking to hone their narrative and personal essay skills for upcoming admissions tasks. Whether they will be writing the Bard Assessment, a portfolio essay for Beacon, or an independent school (ISAAGNY) admissions essay for private schools, this workshop focuses on developing ideas and drafts for great essays. We’ll read past application essays, discuss approaches, analyze a variety of prompts, and craft responses to them.

Hannah Senesh Admissions Essay Workshop

Dates: Thursdays in May: 5/15, 5/22, 5/29

Time: 4:00 to 5:15PM

Price: $225

 
 
 

75 Minutes of Instruction

We believe that 75 minutes is the ideal amount of effective instructional time for 7th grade learners: just the right length to keep your child engaged but not exhausted.

flexible approach

We’re discussing personal narratives, not traditional 5-paragraph essays. Students will receive encouragement to write about themselves - their backgrounds and experiences - and will benefit from having partners in the process: classmates who are confronting this process too.

Diagnostics

Students will have the opportunity to work from previous official admissions essay prompts and Bard Writing Assessments to help them hone their drafting process.