Description
Curriculum Summary:
This camp guides students step-by-step through the essay-writing process—from brainstorming and outlining to revising and refining their final draft. With live lessons, writing prompts, and personalized support, students learn to develop a strong voice, structure their story, and edit effectively. The result: a unique, polished essay and lasting confidence in their writing.
How to Write a College Essay Camp / Virtual Writing Summer Camp for Teens (ages 13-19)
Schedule: July 20 – 24, 2026, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET
During workshop sessions, you’ll engage in interactive writing activities, connect with peers around the world, and work together to grow your writing skills as you build your college essay.
Between workshop sessions, you may be asked to work independently (and asynchronously) on writing prompts and activities, guided by peer and expert reviews, at your own pace, for approximately 1-2 hours, depending on your facilitator’s workshop plan. You will also receive individualized feedback that will strengthen your writing.
*Please note that we require all participants to appear on either video or audio during online group meetings (video is preferred, but not required).
A Zoom link to join us for our live, virtual online How to Write a College Essay writing camp will be provided via email prior to the start date. Stay tuned!
What Teens Say About Our How to Write a College Essay Program
Guest Speaker:
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta
Elisabeth Sharp McKetta is an award-winning author, teacher, and speaker. She teaches writing for Harvard and Oxford and is the author of thirteen books, including the novel She Never Told Me About the Ocean; the memoir Awake with Asashoryu; and the guidebook Edit Your Life—inspired by her 2019 TEDx talk. She co-edited the anthology What Doesn’t Kill Her: Women’s Stories of Resilience, which Gloria Steinem described as stories that “will help each of us to trust and tell our own.” Elisabeth’s work with myth and memoir, the focus of her PhD, has been spotlighted in Harvard Magazine. Elisabeth lives with her husband and two young children. (elisabethsharpmcketta.com)
Workshop Facilitators:
Jennifer Webb
Jen Webb is originally from Charlottesville, Virginia. She attended the University of New Hampshire as an undergraduate and stayed in New England, teaching middle school and earning her M.Ed. in Educational Counseling. She has served as a high school counselor and school counseling director, a collegiate career advisor and internship coordinator, and a school counselor and program director at an online public charter school. She has been an essay specialist with The College Essay Guy and served on the "other side of the table" as a seasonal admissions application reader with Boston University.
With over twenty years of experience in varied areas and levels of the college admissions process, Jen aims to provide individualized and encouraging support during the essay writing process, increasing student self-awareness and empowering them to write an impactful story.
Violeta Nicola
Violeta is an Expert Advisor at Write the World, where she leverages her extensive background in international relations and diplomacy to support aspiring writers. She holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in Security and Diplomacy, equipping her with a deep understanding of global issues and effective communication strategies. With over nine years of experience in journalism, Violeta has collaborated with numerous international publications and non-profits, allowing her to cultivate a diverse skill set in content creation and storytelling.
In addition to her professional work, Violeta enjoys creating engaging content for her literary social media accounts, where she shares her latest reads and literary insights with her followers. Her passion for literature fuels her desire to connect with others through the written word. Violeta is excited to help writers enhance their college essays, guiding them in articulating their unique perspectives and experiences.
Tula Singer
Tula Jiménez Singer, Write the World intern, is a Cuban-American writer and third-year student at Northeastern University. You can read her work on The Green Blotter, The Teen Magazine, The Weight Journal, Indigo Literary Journal, and Coelacanth 2022, among others. In addition to writing and her work with Write the World, she has been an intern at GrubStreet and The Boston Globe, and also works as the Social Media Manager of Spectrum Literary Arts Magazine, the Events Coordinator of Artistry Magazine, and a writer for Woof Magazine.
About Write the World's Writing Camps and Summer Programs
Jump into new genres of writing and connect with campers across the globe in Write the World’s Virtual Writing Camps.
Spend your summer immersed in a virtual community of teen writers from over 100 countries as you experiment with the written word, try your hand at new styles of writing, and work with notable professionals to create pieces you’re proud of… all without leaving your home!
Whether you choose to spend your free time filling journals with poetry and prose or are new to putting your thoughts on paper, we welcome you to join our week-long writing camps across genres in July and August 2026.
Have additional questions? Check out our parent and guardian FAQ’s here (scroll to bottom) or reach out to us at workshops@writetheworld.com to connect!