Dalby’s College Application Essay Guidance
Instructor: Cathy Colglazier, former TJHSST English Teacher
Students work with Cathy Colglazier for four one-on-one hour long sessions to produce a polished college admission essay, including supplemental and short answer essays for regular admissions. She will also prepare students with their scholarship essays.
Students learn how to:
choose their best essay topics,
balance all the information in the admissions folder so they present the fullest portraits of themselves,
compose essays that are authentic to their own voices and experiences.
Students will not only develop essays to use in the college process but will also learn the best writing techniques for future college work. They will learn the skill of taking a college application essay and modifying it for numerous competitive schools and scholarships, a skill that reduces much stress in the college application process.
Instructor Bio:
Cathy Colglazier recently retired from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology where she headed the English/Humanities departments and taught AP Language and Composition.
Additionally, she has worked at other highly regarded college prep high schools in the country – McLean High School (Virginia), Brookline High School (Massachusetts), Oak Ridge High School (Tennessee), and Lawrence High School (New Jersey).
An English major from UCLA, Cathy earned a MS in education from the University of Tennessee and has taken graduate courses at Harvard Graduate School of Education and George Mason University.
During her career Cathy has focused on creating writing based curricula at her schools, an approach developed in part through her work with Dr. Richard Marius who directed Harvard’s Expository Writing Center. As she emphasizes, “There is nothing more enjoyable and challenging than sitting down with a student and a personal essay and finding ways for the student to own his or her words to make the piece more effective and persuasive.”
Cathy has been a frequent presenter to professional groups such as the National Council of Teachers of English, Journalism Educators Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Fairfax County Public Schools on college application essay strategies, as well as other creative expository approaches — journalistic modeling, science writing, portfolio assessment, and use of electronic media. Her articles have been published in professional journals and newspapers during her career.
Here are some testimonials from a few of her many satisfied students:
“You are in such good hands with Cathy Colglazier. She works to understand you — your hopes, your fears, your interests — so that you can write your best essay.” Stu Stein, UPenn
“I was never a confident, competent writer until I worked with Ms. Colglazier my senior year of high school. I am amazed how much my writing skills improved in a short time.” Tina Ho, William & Mary & UVa Med School
“Ms. Colglazier has taught thousands of students how to write clearly. The skills I learned from her served me well on my college application essay and throughout college and law school.” Lara Barkenbus Fox, Indiana University & Georgetown Law
“Ms. Colglazier actively encourages students to think hard, write well, and be proud of their accomplishments. She gave me the confidence to use my own voice.” Lily Young, UVa
Schedule and Fee
The four hour-long sessions can be scheduled Monday through Friday beginning at 4 pm, and weekends upon request. All sessions must be booked at the time of registration. When we receive your registration, a member of our office staff will call and work out the times. Plan these sessions carefully. You will be charged the full fee if you change the appointment without giving 24-hours notice.
The cost of the College Application Guidance is $500 which includes four (4) one-on-one sessions. It also includes email/phone communication for clarification and additional guidance if needed. Additional private tutoring is $150 per hour.
