Monticello Community Education

Seniors who are applying to selective colleges, private colleges or specialized programs or scholarships will need to write an essay (or multiple essays). Seniors who delay this task until closer to application due dates often find this process rushed and stressful, undermining the quality of their essays—and their application. This session will teach the essential elements of the college essay and how to approach a variety of common essay prompts. Through fun brainstorming activities, students will walk out of the session motivated to continue working on their essay drafts before the start of their busy senior year. Target Audience: Rising seniors motivated to get a head start on their college applications and essays. Instructor: Shelly Hughes is a licensed School Counselor in the state of MN, holding a master's degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of MN. In her career spanning over 25 years, Shelly has worked in higher education, private and secondary settings, providing guidance to students with academic, college and career planning. Ms. Hughes has specialized interest and experience in supporting students with mental health concerns, disabilities and executive function challenges and understands how these factors impact post-secondary planning. The mother of three teens/young adults, Ms. Hughes has navigated the high school/college years from the perspective of a parent as well as an educator.

With nearly 4,000 degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States, it can feel overwhelming to identify schools that will best fit a students’ academic, social and economic needs. This session will help Rising Juniors and a family member understand the college application landscape and how to narrow down their college options so they can feel more prepared for application season next fall. Participants will walk away from the session with a College Planning Timeline and tools to manage the process. Target Audience: Rising Juniors (or highly motivated Rising Sophomores) who want to create a strategic plan to guide their college search and application process. Instructor: Shelly Hughes is a licensed School Counselor in the state of MN, holding a master's degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of MN. In her career spanning over 25 years, Shelly has worked in higher education, private and secondary settings, providing guidance to students with academic, college and career planning. Ms. Hughes has specialized interest and experience in supporting students with mental health concerns, disabilities and executive function challenges and understands how these factors impact post-secondary planning. The mother of three teens/young adults, Ms. Hughes has navigated the high school/college years from the perspective of a parent as well as an educator.

Seniors planning to apply to multiple colleges, especially if their list includes private or selective colleges, will likely use a program called Common App. This session will walk students through the program and terminology so they can be confident they are making the correct selections. Students will learn to use Common App tools to research college application options and deadlines and begin building their personal application-planning timeline. During this session, students will create their Common App accounts and should bring a charged laptop (or Chromebook) along with a list of potential colleges. (Note: Students are not expected to have a finalized list of college options, nor will they be submitting any applications during this session). Target Audience: Rising Seniors who intend to apply to multiple colleges. Instructor: Shelly Hughes is a licensed School Counselor in the state of MN, holding a master's degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of MN. In her career spanning over 25 years, Shelly has worked in higher education, private and secondary settings, providing guidance to students with academic, college and career planning. Ms. Hughes has specialized interest and experience in supporting students with mental health concerns, disabilities and executive function challenges and understands how these factors impact post-secondary planning. The mother of three teens/young adults, Ms. Hughes has navigated the high school/college years from the perspective of a parent as well as an educator.