INTRODUCING THE ILUMIN ONLINE ESSAY BOOTCAMP
Elton Lin
The most frequently asked question that students have when starting their college application essay is...
“Where do I start?”
Here at ILUMIN Education, we can now proudly point you to the ILUMIN Online Essay Bootcamp!
We developed this course because of the many questions students have as they consider writing their personal statement:
Which prompt do I start with?
What do I write about?
How do I make sure my essay is unique and not cliche?
We’ve built this course to address the issues that students face and get them moving in the right direction.
With the prospect of choosing four out of eight UC prompts and one out of seven Common Application prompts, figuring out where to start and how to spend your time wisely is the first step. We’ll start with unpacking the UC prompts, identifying ones you may relate to and prompts that typically should be avoided. After tackling the UC application, we’ll also cover the Common Application main essay.
This summer accelerator will ensure that you are writing about unique topics that reflect your own experiences so you don’t have to worry about starting a flawed essay and getting stuck revising it. Our bootcamp features one-on-one help for each student, and one of our consultants will learn more about your background and experiences to help you generate a nuanced outline for your essay. Consultants will also be accessible during the bootcamp for when students inevitably get writer’s block or are not sure how to continue with an idea.
Although most students won't have time to complete everything in four short days, our bootcamp is designed to catalyze your essay writing adventure. In our experience, students will have working drafts of each of the essays by the end of the week. Most students will have working drafts of each of the essays (four UC Essays, Main Common Application Essay) completed by the end of the four-day bootcamp. We also offer various packages for students who want to continue working with our consultants to finish the application essays. Set up a free consultation to learn more about the specifics of these packages.
But don’t just take our word for it! Here’s how students from the high school class of 2021 reacted after taking the course!
“I think this one-on-one engagement was the most productive part of the entire Bootcamp session because the counselors would genuinely assist and guide you on the best choices.”
“It is really rewarding and satisfying seeing how much I accomplished... They [my friends] would get a head start on college essays if they joined bootcamp”
“I feel that college essays are intimidating and confusing, and this bootcamp really broke everything down, making everything easier to understand and more approachable. With thoroughly written worksheets to easy-to-navigate online course materials and helpful educators, I feel ILUMIN Education has what students need to get a strong start and keep going even after the bootcamp ends.”
Here’s a quick look at our syllabus if you want more specifics on what we cover and the goals for each day.
Day 1: Intros, Overviews, UC Essays (Goal: 2 UC Outlines)
Introduce the essay prompts and dissect them
Understand what admissions readers are looking for in college essays
Select the 4 UC prompts you will tackle
Day 2: Common App Part 1: Intro + Core Memory Lesson (Goal: 1 Core Memory + 1 Reflection)
Highlighting what a personal statement looks like
Understanding Core Memories and how they can help your essay
Exercises for brainstorming and descriptive writing
Day 3: Common App Part 2: Common App Structures (Goal: Choose 1 Structure and Write 1 Outline)
Understanding narrative structures and how to communicate change
Comparisons with example essays to understand effective story-telling techniques
Outlining your narrative and stories in the Common Application main essay
Day 4: Edit & Revise (Goal: Student Choice)
Best steps to continue improving your essay
How to effectively show, not tell, your growth
Introduce “Why Us” essay topic and how to research schools
If you want to learn more about our course or are ready to book a class, pick a time to chat with us, and we’d love to help you out. Looking forward to hearing from you!