Ready for high school? Start here

Take the classes in any order, aiming to complete all three before moving on to Essay Writing 101: Analytic Essay.

Here’s a preview of the trio—click the images below for more information and to register.

  • Essay Prep: Dynamic Thinking

Before your teen writes, they must think. This course transforms passive learners into active thinkers by exploring topics from multiple perspectives, using metaphor and analogy, and embracing both belief and doubt. It’s the mental warm-up your teen needs to write with purpose and insight.

  • Essay Prep: Reading the Essay

Think of this as “driver’s ed” for essay writing. Teens read compelling essays to understand structure, voice, and argument— skills they need to write their own essays. It’s the perfect primer for confident, informed writing.

  • Essay Prep: Research and Citation

In today’s digital world, research isn’t just about finding information—it’s about finding trustworthy information. This class teaches teens how to vet sources, recognize bias, and cite properly, all while keeping their natural curiosity alive. It’s research for the TikTok generation.

Highlights of these courses:

  • Four weeks long and asynchronous, for maximum flexibility
  • Capped at 25 students who interact with each other, writer's workshop-style
  • Includes a live instructor giving personalized feedback to help teens grow

Whether your teen is preparing for high school essays or college applications, the Essay Prep series provides the foundation they need to succeed! 

Word on the Street

  1. The space, content and atmosphere of the class made it a safe place for him to be challenged in tough ways that did and will help him grow as a writer and a person. -Annie, Parent

  2. I have less self-doubt now. Before I didn’t even try writing because I thought that every idea or thought I had was rubbish and wrong and not worthy of putting on paper. -Kellen, 16

  3. This class certainly stretched Jonathan in several ways.  Most of all, in working to see the other side of an issue.  He is a "0 or 10" kind of guy and he has a hard time seeing how people could possibly believe "x".  We had a lot of discussion about this during the course of the class. -Heather, Parent

  4. As for writing my own essay I think I could tackle it after this class’s help. I really appreciate all of your feedback and felt comfortable and encouraged. -Radley, 14

  5. This class gave me a bit more of an appreciation for research. It made me realize that when you learn some shortcuts and techniques for searching the web, researching can be fun and fast.  -Jackson, 15