College application season is among us, and many high school seniors can find themselves overwhelmed with the process, especially when it comes to writing essays.Local educator Andrea Juskaitis, Sky Blue College and Academic Coaching director, wants to help. So, she is hosting two separate essay workshops that run from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 7, in the Decode the Test office at 762B Prospector Ave. For registration information, call 435-640-1981.The workshops are designed to help college-bound seniors polish up their college and supplemental essays for early and regular decision deadlines. Students can choose which workshop they want to attend because they will essentially convey the same information, according to Juskaitis.“Students can come in with any level of essay — a very rough draft or ideas that haven’t been written into an essay, yet,” she said. “I can also help them come up with ideas because I am here to help them with the entire process.”The workshops will include a lot of one-on-one, interactive essay writing, and students need to bring their own laptops, Juskaitis said. “My goal is to see many of these students feel like they have a final, polished essay by the end of the two-hour session,” she said. “With some, depending where they were when they walked in, I would like to see them leave the session feeling like they are on the right track and will be able to finish writing a polished essay.”Juskaitis is charging $50 for two hours, which can be paid through Zelle or Venmo when students arrive for a session.“If students need extra time to work with me, then the $50 will go towards more one-on-one instruction,” she said.Juskaitis decided to host these workshops because of looming college application deadlines.There are different categories of application deadlines — Early Action and Early Decision, according to Juskaitis.Early Action applications are non-binding, which means students are not required to enroll at a college that admitted them, while Early Decision applications are binding, meaning students are required to enroll in the college, she said.The next deadline is Nov. 15, and that’s an Early Action for some schools, Juskaitis said.“Then there are deadlines Dec. 1 and Dec. 15, and many of the colleges these students are applying to are asking for one or two supplemental essays to go along with the main essay,” she said. “I am already having students and parents calling me last minute, worrying about the deadlines. They are telling me that they are feeling overwhelmed at being asked to write more essays and want a little help.”The workshops will be held at Decode the Test, founded by Rebecca Tibbits, a local educator and business owner.“Rebecca and I worked together at the Winter Sports School, and she got specifically into the test-taking side of things,” Juskaitis said. “Decode the Test helps students prepare for the SAT and ACT tests.” Juskaitis is no stranger working with high school students. She just finished teaching 29 years of AP Literature and AP Language English.“I started my career at Park City High School and taught there for 15 years,” she said. “I also worked in a private school in California, where I worked very closely with the college counseling departments on how to write college admissions essays, which are a lot different than writing an analysis essay. Then I moved to Colorado and did the same thing.”When Juskaitis moved back to Park City, she wanted to start her own business, which would allow her to work with students on the college-application process. “I have a lot of tips of the trade, and I love coaching students through things like this,” she said. “I want to help them experience the joy and feel proud about finishing a product that highlights their characteristics and personalities. And I want to bring this to the Park City community, and even students in South Summit and North Summit high schools, and the Winter Sports School.”Juskaitis’ interest in education started when she first moved to Park City years ago.“I started coaching the high school girls varsity soccer team, and as a result of that, I found that I loved working and interacting with the students,” she said. “Then one day, one of the students, a soccer player, said I should think about teaching.”Juskaitis, just out of college, decided to try her hand at substitute teaching at the high school and Treasure Mountain Middle School, which is now Treasure Mountain Junior High.“I found that I loved subbing, so I went down to Westminster College that is now Westminster University and got my teaching credential,” she said. “I also earned my master’s in education.”Juskaitis landed a job at Park City High School teaching — Spanish.“I started that first because I am proficient in the language,” she said. “Then I put in a request to teach full-time English, and I also taught journalism there as well. So, I got into the idea of loving how to teach writing through being an English teacher.”Juskaitis, who holds credentials in all of the nation’s college consulting programs, still enjoys coaching soccer, and she finished a season in Colorado before moving back to Park City a few months ago.“It’s definitely in my blood to be some kind of coach — soccer coach or writing coach,” she said.College Application Essay Workshops hosted by Sky Blue College and Academic CoachingWhen: 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 7 Where: Decode the Test office at 762B Prospector Ave. Cost: $50 per session Phone: 435-640-1981 Web: skybluecoaching.comThe post College essay workshops give seniors an application advantage appeared first on Park Record.