COMMON APPLICATION® ESSAY: THE STAGE PROGRAM
Meet Staci, our Student Success Coach! She is also one of several coaches that will help you with your STAGE work!
All of our students move through the college essay process using our original, meticulously-designed STAGE essay writing program. This method allows students to break down a complex process into manageable stages, and we lead them all the way from the brainstorm to the final draft.
The assignments that lead up to the actual writing of the essay include brainstorming exercises, story ideas, and themes centralized around key information the student wants the admissions office to learn (beyond test scores, activities, and awards). Ultimately, students will write at least three essay drafts with substantial feedback along the way.
At DC College Counseling, all Common Application® essays are reviewed by at least two staff members during the writing process, and each final draft undergoes an additional review by a coach who has not seen the essay during its development. This fresh perspective helps ensure the essay resonates with a diverse audience and reads “17-year-old perfect,” meaning a clear teen voice and perspective presented in a polished, yet authentic and personal manner.
STAGE Schedule
You will complete assignments at home between your coaching sessions and will follow the below schedule with modifications as needed:
STAGE 1: Personal Character Inventory - Sample essay and character assignment given ahead of the meeting.
STAGE 2: Blueprint - Brainstorming and free writing.
STAGE 3: Rough Draft - Putting your ideas on the page.
Intermission Feedback Draft - This draft is submitted remotely between Meetings #3 and #4. A team member reviews it and sends detailed feedback before you begin your STAGE 4: Revised Draft.
STAGE 4: Revised Draft - Creating the second draft using feedback from the Intermission Draft review.
STAGE 5: Polished Draft - Polishing up the draft with the coach to get your essay to “17-year-old perfect”!
we suggest the following TIMELINE FOR STUDENTS COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS During their junior year:
Your first coaching session should take place about 3 days after you plan to turn in your STAGE 1: Personal Character Inventory and writing assignment.
Your second coaching session should take place about one week after your first session during the school year, or about two to three days after during the summer.
Your third coaching session should take place about one week after your second session, or about two to three days after during the summer.
Your fourth coaching session should take place about two to three weeks after your third session, or about seven to ten days after during the summer.
Your fifth coaching session should take place about one week after your fourth session, or about four to five days after during the summer.
This sets you up to complete the entire process in about five to six weeks, which allows you to work at a manageable pace. Students completing the process during the summer or during senior year will follow a more condensed timeline, with fewer days between meetings.
SAMPLE APPOINTMENT TIMELINE FOR STUDENTS COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS DURING JUNIOR YEAR:
March 1: Turn in STAGE 1 homework via the Multi-Purpose Submission Form
March 5: First coaching session with any coach
March 12: Second coaching session with any coach
March 19: Third coaching session with any coach
Note: Between the third and fourth sessions, you will complete and submit your Intermission Feedback Draft, receive written feedback from our team, and then complete your STAGE 4: Revised Draft before your fourth meeting.
April 4: Fourth coaching session with any coach
April 11: Fifth coaching session with any coach
The STAGE Program is designed as a five-meeting process to ensure students have enough time to draft, revise, and refine their essay without unnecessary pressure.
We recommend that students book all or most of their essay coaching sessions in advance of the process. This helps them stick to a specific timeline and secure preferred meeting times. However, if you prefer to book sessions as you go, you are welcome to do that as well!
THE STAGE PROGRAM
