Eighty seniors got a head start on the college application process this summer when they attended one of two free, 3-day boot camps hosted by the College & Career Center and adviser Sierra Ward in June and August.
The seniors focused on the Common App Personal Statement, University of California Personal Insight Questions (PIQs), supplemental essays, financial aid, extracurricular activities list and mock interviews, most of which are requirements for college applications. Former guidance counselor Toni Jones, who resigned in August for personal reasons, assisted Ward in hosting the June workshops, drawing on her experience as a former application reader for the University of California.
While Ward has regularly held college and career workshops during tutorial in the school year, the topics rotated every two to three weeks. The boot camp introduced all the topics sequentially over the course of the three days. Additionally, each workshop had dedicated portions of time so students could focus on discussing and drafting their essay ideas.
“I introduce the UC PIQs and go question by question,” Ward said. “Then I have what I call a two minute drill where I start a timer on my phone, and then [students have] two minutes for each question, just to brainstorm.”
Ward has 17 years of experience in college counseling for high school students, and 7 more years working in college admissions. Since Ward joined the school in 2021, she has been holding the summer boot camp to extend dedicated support. Before she joined the staff, college counseling was merely an effort by parent volunteers who occasionally handed out flyers in a shed in the back parking lot.
“[Principal Greg] Louie hired me in need of a full-time college counselor with a dedicated space for it,” Ward said. “I added the boot camp to my job immediately. Saratoga High has done workshops in the past, but never a dedicated boot camp.”
Ward believes the boot camp to be helpful for students at all stages of the college application process. Students who have started on their applications prior to summer will still benefit, as the boot camp allows them time to polish their work.
Senior Sameera Kapur attended the June boot camp having barely started with her college applications. She appreciated Ward’s extensive topic coverage that reached beyond college essay guidelines. Additionally, she felt 3 days was the perfect workshop length to kick off her application process.
“The boot camp gave me a space where I was forced to sit there and to get my head in the game,” Kapur said. “I was surrounded by people who procrastinated like me, so it was a good environment to work in.”
While some students want to start getting informed about college applications in 9th or 10th grade, Ward said some seniors fail to start their Common App until it’s near the deadline of their applications. Additionally, parents are not allowed to be present during the bootcamps in order to give students a free space to work.
“It’s important for students to start over summer because it puts them ahead of the curve,” Ward said. “They do a lot of work way ahead of time, so they won’t have to come up with things from scratch in October.”
