Goal for One-Day College Prep Talk

To guide the students through key points of their college application essay including what college admission officers are and are not looking for, the genre techniques, finding your voice to set yourself apart, proper use of AI, and sample essays. 

OPTIONS FOR ONE-DAY COLLEGE PREP TALK:

Guides students through the key elements of a strong college application essay, including what admissions officers are—and are not—looking for, specific, handcrafted brainstorming techniques for selecting a strong topic, how to find and express an authentic voice, appropriate and valuable use of AI in the editing process, and examples of strong essays.


Best for juniors and seniors. (45–60 minute sessions)

Walks students step-by-step through creating their personal story arc in the Common App—how to showcase individuality through the activities list (maximizing the 150-character descriptions), essays (selecting topics for the main and supplemental essays while maintaining voice), recommendation letters (who, when, and how to request), and other key application components that help students stand out to admissions.

Ideal for all high schoolers (45–60 minute sessions)

Combines both focuses, giving students the full experience of developing their Common App story arc and beginning their essay. A powerful advantage for students preparing to submit their applications!

Ideal for juniors and seniors. (90-minute sessions)

Guides juniors and seniors through Option 1 for a deeper dive into essay writing, and freshmen and sophomores through Option 2 to begin shaping their own story arc in the Common App process. Lowerclassmen learn how to identify meaningful activities, build their narrative over time, and make intentional choices about GPA, test prep, and other high school priorities that will impact their senior-year applications.

Excellent for all high schoolers. (60-minute sessions)

Goals for Extended Days of Workshops

  • To teach the PROCESS of writing a college application essay, a unique genre of creative nonfiction
  • To lead students from a Common App essay question toward a strong essay draft
  • To guide students through a handcrafted brainstorming process to select a strong essay topic before beginning the writing process, establishing the foundation for an authentic essay that reflects their voice
  • To empower students to apply the writing process they’ve learned to craft compelling essays that highlight their strengths for additional application and scholarship prompts that extend throughout college
  • To support students in writing an essay that stands out to college admissions and scholarship committees
  • To model effective strategies for teaching the college essay, equipping teachers to adapt and personalize them for their own classroom instruction.

Materials Included

Angela’s handcrafted materials designed for her individual students in Write College Prep Camps. For extended visits, she provides a one-page, customized lesson guide for the English team and educators to support instruction before, during, and after her visit—maximizing the overall impact of the experience for both educators and students

Bring Write College Prep to Your High School

Take a deeper look at my packages: what they include & how to connect.

Let’s Meet to Discuss What Fits Your School Best

Not sure which option to select or what it may look like within your school day(s)? Lessons are adapted to fit the class length and schedule selected by the school, and individual student progress will vary. To ensure the best fit, Angela will meet via Zoom with the key organizer(s) to discuss scheduling options, instructional goals, and expected outcomes for the visit.

As an educator, Angela is organized, flexible, and experienced in working within a variety of school schedules—including traditional 50-minute class periods, block scheduling, and small-group extended sessions designed for more intensive instruction.

Schedule a 20-min chat on the Google Calendar

Option #1

Three-Day College Essay Workshop Series

This option includes a full workshop series delivered over three days, guiding college-bound juniors through the college essay writing process from brainstorming toward a near-completed draft.

Key Difference: While students receive the full instructional experience, the extended timeline allows for deeper, step-by-step engagement with the writing process. The focus expands beyond brainstorming and outlining into developing a full essay draft in real time, with structured writing time, direct modeling, and purposeful revisions woven throughout the workshop.

Angela connects with students through clear, practical instruction, an energetic teaching style, and encouraging interaction. Throughout each session, she also circulates the room, partnering with English teachers and staff to provide individualized feedback and support.

Each day introduces a focused, progressive lesson that builds on the previous session, ensuring students stay engaged and make meaningful progress toward a strong college essay. The goal is for students to leave with a near-completed draft ready for revision, along with a clear understanding of the writing process they can continue with confidence.

Please refer to the “Extended Workshop Goals,” as Angela will address these objectives based on session time throughout the three-day series.

Lessons are adapted to fit the class length and schedule selected by the school, and individual student progress will vary.

Option #2

Two-Day College Essay Workshop Series

This option includes a workshop series delivered over two days, guiding college-bound juniors through the college essay writing process with a strong focus on structure, voice, and development.

Key Difference: While students receive the full instructional experience, the compressed timeline means a completed draft is not the primary outcome of the visit. The focus is a meaningful and essential brainstorming session, guided outlining, and understanding of the Common App essay process so students can continue developing a strong final draft after the workshop.

Angela connects with students through clear, practical instruction, an energetic teaching style, and encouraging interaction. Throughout each session, she also circulates the room, partnering with English teachers to provide individualized feedback, support, and writing guidance.

Each day introduces a focused, progressive lesson that builds on the previous one, ensuring students stay engaged and make meaningful progress toward a completed college essay.

Please refer to the “Extended Workshop Goals” as Angela will work through these objectives based on the session time across the two-day series.

Lessons are adapted to fit the class length and schedule selected by the school, and individual student progress will vary.

Option #3

One-Day College Prep Talk

Angela guides students through the key elements of a strong college application essay, including what admissions officers are—and are not—looking for, effective storytelling techniques, finding an authentic voice, appropriate use of AI in the writing process, and analysis of sample essays.

Students complete a guided brainstorming activity designed to help them begin developing meaningful ideas for their own college essay—the foundation of a strong personal narrative.

Lessons are adapted to fit the class length and schedule selected by the school, and individual student progress will vary.

Both Option 1 and Option 2 include brief preparatory materials provided in advance for teachers to share with students. These may include questionnaires, short videos, and handcrafted resources designed to introduce key concepts before the workshop.

Because class lengths and schedules vary by school, students are encouraged to apply what they learn after each workshop before our next meeting together.

Teachers are welcome to reinforce and extend workshop lessons following Angela’s visit to support continued student writing development. Angela grants permission for workshop materials to be used with students who attended the sessions on the scheduled visit date and for up to three weeks afterward.

To use Angela’s copyrighted materials beyond that timeframe, or with students who did not attend the workshop, written permission is required. This includes brainstorming tools, outlines, and all instructional resources provided.

Bring College Prep to your school

Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) Texas Touring Roster

Angela Henderson Smith is part of the Texas Commission on the Arts Texas Touring Roster for 2026-2028! Support may be available to assist with our booking fees through the Arts Respond Performance Support grant program. This quarterly program provides support to Texas schools, libraries, and nonprofit organizations for hiring an artist (Angela) from the Texas Touring Roster to give a performance, residency, or workshop. These applications are funded based on a sliding scale ranging from 30% to 50% of contracted fees. Support is based on TCA’s available funds. Contact TCA at 512-463‐5535 for more information.

Learn More about TCA

What Students Are Saying

What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Learning what colleges are looking for and learning how to brainstorm.”
Emery StevensSenior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“It helped me learn how to plan my essays out and how to write them in a structured way.”
Joshua AbrahamJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“The detailed structures, process, and examples were really helpful.”
Olivia ButlerJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Camp helped me by taking things step by step to make writing easier.”
Jhurni FarmerJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Streamlining the college essay process made everything less overwhelming.”
Noah ChappettaSenior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Explaining what to do and what not to do when writing essays was very helpful.”
Ava MachaJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Knowing where to start, and knowing how to structure my essay in the right way that the college admissions officers want.”
Cate MachaJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“College Prep Camp made the essay process easier by breaking it down into simple, achievable steps.”
Olive ManesJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“College Prep Camp made me feel prepared and knowledgeable on how to go about the college application process and how to write a college essay properly.”
Cline BeckerSenior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Learning what the colleges are looking for in a personal essay and the one-on-one conversations we had to help improve my essay.”
Aiden GarciaJunior
What did students find most helpful from the camp?

“Always having a professional there to help if I got stuck, or needed help.”
Elijah DeenSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“These skills will definitely help me for this upcoming school year and help me write better essays.”
Emery StevensSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“I now have a different view of brainstorming which will make my essay writing far easier for the rest of the year.”
Noah ChappettaSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“These skills will help me feel more comfortable when writing essays. I will have more organized thoughts, and know not to over complicate things.”
Cate MachaJunior
How do students apply what they learned?

“The importance of brainstorming and outlining was something that I will definitely take away from the camp.”
Cline BeckerSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“This process has showed me that you can grow in few days and that it is important to trust the process. I will use this to help me during the upcoming year.”
London GrovesSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“I can apply this in my English classes when we write! The brainstorming, planning, efficiency!”
Olivia PhanSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“I am going into duel credit and I think the resources I was shown in Google Classroom will help me through that class.”
Quincy HughesJunior
How do students apply what they learned?

“I can use the time management skills that I have learned and that will be helpful for future essays.”
Laney JacobsJunior
How do students apply what they learned?

“I will use the skills taught about AI and how to use it properly in future classes.”
Clara Beth LewallynJunior
How do students apply what they learned?

“I believe these skills will support me this upcoming school year, as I will be able to better articulate my words to show my true voice.”
Leah DevarajSenior
How do students apply what they learned?

“This is truly helping me maintain my voice in my writing, something I hope to do in my school work.”
Victoria HendersonSenior

Angela's Bio

Angela Henderson Smith is a published author dedicated to lifelong learning and mentoring others. After earning a degree in Secondary English Education, she taught English Language Arts for 13 years in three states, working with students of all writing levels. In 2023, she launched her own education business, combining her experience as an educator with her work as an author, speaker, and writing coach.

Angela is passionate about inspiring students through engaging author visits and writing workshops at schools and libraries. As a keynote speaker at educational and literacy events, she empowers educators to teach the writing process effectively. Through her Write College Prep Class, Writing Essays for College Applications & Scholarships—Step-by-Step Instruction from Writing Prompt to Final Essay, Angela helps high school students craft compelling college application and scholarship essays. Through Write College Prep, LLC, she offers college essay coaching and workshops both in schools and directly to families. She offers WCP both in schools and directly to families.

Bring Write College Prep to your school

Angela’s Approach

I created Write College Prep out of a personal pain point: parenting a senior and feeling behind in the college process. Watching him navigate every step of his applications, I kept thinking—couldn’t we have started this earlier? Senior year didn’t need to be so overwhelming. Then, when he and other former students asked me to review their essays, I realized that even as a professional, I didn’t fully know what colleges were looking for. Other parents were feeling the same way, and with the high student-to-counselor ratio at many schools, students didn’t always get the individualized guidance they needed. That’s when I dove into researching and learning the process for myself.

With two more kids still going through the process, I wanted them to be fully prepared. The more I learned, the more excited I became about helping not only my own teens but also other students. Already working with Pre-K through 8th graders through author visits and writing workshops, I decided to extend my services to 9th–12th graders with Write College Prep. My excitement grows every time I see students reach their full potential through strategic planning in College Consultations and craft essays that truly reflect their own voice through Write College Prep Camps!

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Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is pleased to announce that Angela Henderson Smith has been accepted onto the 2026-2028 Texas Touring Roster!