DAVIDSON, N.C. – Officials at Davidson College are helping North Carolina students and families navigate the college application process through a series of free online workshops.
What You Need to Know
- Davidson College’s Department of Admission and Financial Aid offers free online workshops to help high school students apply to college
- The intensive workshops focus on essay writing, financial aid and what to do after hitting submit
- Sessions are open to all students, not just those who may be interested in Davidson
Kassidy Liggins is a freshman student at Davidson College. She recalls anxiously sending out applications last fall from her home in Burlington.
“I found myself almost every day freaking out about them,” Liggins said.
Liggins had good grades in high school and was a volunteer for Carolina Cross Connection where she helped those in need with yard work and building wheelchair ramps.
“It makes me feel like I’m making an impact in my community and the smiling faces you see afterward,” Liggins said.
Still, as she began her application process, she was unsure what to write about for the essay portion.
“It requires a deep reflection of who you are and your strengths and you have to sell yourself but you also have to tell a story,” Liggins said. “And it’s difficult to pull the things that you think are most important.”
Liggins took advantage of Davidson College’s free virtual admission intensive workshops. The online sessions began in summer 2020 to help students and families navigate the college search and application process amid the pandemic.
During an essay brainstorming session, Liggins says she got the idea to write about Tiana from Disney’s "The Princess and the Frog." She says the animated character overcame challenges, like herself.
“I had a lot of self-doubt in high school,” said Liggins. “But, I overcame all of that and decided who I was as a person.”
Davidson College Associate Dean of Admission Jon Sims says high school students are still feeling the impact from when schools switched to fully remote learning in March 2020.
“They have had a full year or more of not being able to participate in their extracurricular activities or participate in summer programs,” Sims said. “And there may be some areas where students still haven’t been able to take the SAT or ACT for certain institutions.”
Sims says besides essay writing, the intensive workshops focus on other areas, such as creating a list of colleges, applying for financial aid and what to do after hitting submit. The sessions are open to any parent or student, whether they intend on applying to Davidson College or not.
“The end goal of this is to make sure students know they will never be at a disadvantage for things that are out of their control,” Sims said.
The workshops have helped thousands of students, like Liggins, find the right fit for the next four years.
“[The intensive workshops] helped me figure out who I am as a person along with the personal essay,” Liggins said. “I’m really grateful for how much Davidson has helped me.”
Davidson College wrapped up its fall series of intensive workshops in October. They’re planning to host another round of them in February and next summer.
To learn more about the workshops, visit Davidson College’s website.