College Admission Prep Camp Intensive

Students will tour several prominent university campuses (selection varies by camp location but can include top colleges such as USC, Caltech, Claremont, Cal Poly Pomona, and Loyola Marymount) where they will meet attending students, visit campus landmarks, and ask admission personnel critical questions. In order to provide a break from classwork and a balance to their intense studies, students will participate in a full-day chaperoned excursion such as a visit to Disneyland, in addition to regular weekly camp excursions.  Camp staff also plans a wide range of evening activities and campus-based recreation so students may experience the excitement of college life first hand!

Students enrolled in CAPC Intensive attend the CAPC original program for the first week. CAPC Intensive students then return for the final week of camp. At this point they will dig deeper into the areas where they need the most support from our instructors. This varies by student need and can include more intensive SAT work, polishing college admissions essays, or working on developing a better roadmap with our college counselor.  CAPC Intensive students will also tackle the optional SAT essay and and participate in college interview simulations. 

SAT Preparation

CAPC INTENSIVE students receive more than 50 hours of instruction and will take 5 practice tests. Students at CAPC have the opportunity to intensively concentrate on SAT preparation without the distractions of school year assignments, clubs, and activities. College Admission Prep Camp is an opportunity for students to learn the skills and strategies required for success on the SAT, including essay writing techniques, grammar skills, advanced math, and critical reading. Our experienced instructors employ our time-tested SAT curriculum, which familiarizes students with all aspects of the new SAT exam. Our focus is in providing students with test-taking strategies and reasoning skills to employ, rather than training students to rely primarily on tricks. Our SAT prep students have historically scored average increases of nearly 200 points!

College Admission Prep Camp is uniquely equipped to maximize SAT scores because our curriculum utilizes College Board materials. Rather than try to mimic the College Board’s questions, CAPC purchases all exams directly from the test maker.

Personal Statement Writing

Personal Statement instruction is not an afterthought but a significant part of the daily schedule. Students receive one-on-one advice and instruction from the best English educators, in order that they may complete this portion of their application by the end of the program

In the college admissions process, the Personal Statement is a chance for your student to stand out in the crowd. Personal statements are a significant platform to demonstrate their facility with writing, allow their uniqueness to shine through, and identify less quantifiable characteristics for college admittance. College Admission Prep Camp offers every student hours of one-on-one consulting with expert writing instructors to hone these critically important pieces of writing.

Personal Statement Writing teaches students how to present themselves in the most positive light during the college admission process. Students will learn to express the self-awareness, imagination, and curiosity that will help them to be attractive candidates for selective colleges. Students learn how to choose a topic, develop ideas, edit for content and style and avoid common pitfalls that weaken an applicant’s chances of admission. By the end of the program, each student will have written 3-5 essay responses from the frequently used Common Application and exploration of supplemental essay topics that are ready for submission with his or her college application.

College Counseling

Even at the most prestigious private high schools the ratio of students to counselors can exceed 100:1, offering minimal individual contact and attention. College Admission Prep Camp provides each participant with direct access to some of the top guidance counselors in the country. After taking an initial interest inventory, college counselors help to identify excellent universities that are appropriate for each students’ interests and academic background. Students leave at the end of camp with a list of potential schools that have been reviewed, researched, and discussed individually with a college counselor.

ENVIRONMENT

Our expert Instructors and low staff to student ratios facilitate a close-knit, collegial community. Instructors live on campus with the students as supervisors and mentors. With the guidance of college counselors, participants tour area universities, meet college students and ask admissions representatives questions about life on campus.  Students learn to prepare for an interview with admissions officers from any of their top choices

DELIVERABLES  

At the conclusion of camp, students leave with a personalized college admissions timeline, practice SAT Workbooks and exams, 3-5 college essay responses, a researched list of target schools, and have fully explored their chances of admission to the colleges of their choice. 

The extra week of "your choice" time serves to focus on what students most need. This often can be the last push to help a student reach their peak performance and enter the fall ready to submit college applications that represent their best selves.