About Our Programs
Many students dread and even hate the college admissions process. However, those students have not met Write for the Future! Jennifer Heller, a Write for the Future parent, describes the program as :
“a wonderfully skilled way in getting the best out of these kids and turning a process–which could be so stressful–into something fun. My son expressed his true self through his essay and is enormously proud of it.”
In the view of Write for the Future, admissions essays are a powerful opportunity for high school students to experience an intellectual Coming of Age. We use the college essay as a teaching tool to help our students grow as writers and thinkers. As a result, our students become fit for the intellectual demands of college. Nicholas Jacobson, a student in our Class of 2012 sums up a common sentiment:
“I came in with a comical, yet insignificant piece of writing. Throughout my process, David helped me mold my story into a life narrative. I still kept the humor I wanted to be present, but my essay gained substance. I truly believe David helped me become a better writer.”
Nicholas is now a freshman at Northwestern.
Current Write for the Future Programs
College Admissions Essay Coaching
The College Admissions Essay is an opportunity for self-reflection, the likes of which many high school students haven’t experienced as writers up to this point. By incorporating the tools of journalism, we help students probe their experiences and craft engaging personal narratives. We work with students one on one from start to finish though the process in an unlimited number of sessions. Students enrolled in this program are also free to attend any Write for the Future workshop at no cost. They can also elect to receive additional coaching with a SAT Writing tutor in preparation for the SAT and/or ACT Writing tests. Long-distance coaching is available, as we work with many students using a combination of Skype and Google Drive, which allows coaches and students to discuss and edit drafts together as if they were in the same room.
College Admissions Essay Writing Workshops
Write for the Future actually grew out of an essay writing workshop that David Dent conducted for high school juniors at the American Overseas School of Rome. Since then, Write for the Future has created customized workshops for organizations and groups around the country, including an annual workshop hosted by David and Valerie Dent on Martha’s Vineyard in August. For more information, click here.
Expository/Creative Writing Program (Grades 5-10)
Andy was a Sixth Grader who “was struggling with essay writing…and transferring his thoughts into words on paper,” as his mother explains. He joined Write for the Future and after months of weekly sessions, Andy grew into a model Seventh Grader. He was recently asked by an English teacher “to help explain to the class how to write an effective introductory paragraph!”
Write for the Future’s Expository/Creative Writing program is an individualized 12 or 24-session program for students in grades 5-10. The program is for students who either need extra support in writing, or are interested in creative writing and journalism and want help perfecting their craft and publishing. Each student has a customized program that includes writing assignments related to their interests and their schoolwork. Coaches, trained by David Dent, either go to the homes of students for weekly sessions or meet with students via Skype.
The majority of our students renew once they reach the end of their sessions, such as Carl and Paula Magnus, parents of a Ninth grader. “We noticed the improvement in just a few weeks and she has only become a stronger writer as she feels more confident and comfortable about writing!”
Business School and Law School Admissions Essay Coaching:
A recent Wall Street Journal headline reads: “Business Schools Put More Emphasis on Writing Amid Employer Complaints”. The article points to employers’ dissatisfaction with the writing skills of business school graduates. As a result, business schools are looking more closely than ever at the writing skills of applicants. The Write for the Future program for Business and Law School ensures that prospective students are demonstrating their full potential as writers and thinkers in their applications. The program starts by coaching applicants in publishing opinion pieces and other articles in the popular press prior to the application process. Coaches will then move applicants into crafting strong admissions essays.
