JCC Academic Center Help Students Prepare for College

This fall, the Academic Center at the JCC of Mid-Westchester is adding three new classes to its portfolio of offerings for high school students. The new classes -- college application essay writing, college interview skills, and a series of "Extra Edge" lectures and workshops that address stress -- are designed to help students through the entire college application process. These programs will expand the Center's full menu of year-round PSAT, SAT, and ACT preparation courses. "Our goal is to go beyond offering only test prep courses by providing programs for students and parents through small classes that help students with all components of the college application process, including learning how to manage stress," said Lisa Itzkowitz, Director of the JCC Academic Center.

Skills for Applying to College

· College Application Essay Writing workshops will focus on writing the personal essay for college admissions, exploring what makes each student unique and working to craft a narrative to best portray one's self in college application essays. According to one parent whose child recently took the class: "The course is a definite winner. The instructor provides expert guidance and encouragement for writing the essay."

· The new College Interview Skills Essentials workshops teach students critical interview skills to help them in both the college interview process and beyond. According to research done by workshop leaders Kyrie Stillman and Peggy Marx, founders of College Interview Counselors, a common myth insists that college admissions interviews are simply a formality. Interviews for admission are offered and encouraged at 95% of the top 75 colleges and 88% of the top 25 universities!

· The new Extra Edge Student Workshops for Peak Academic Performance, led by Dr. Juna Bobby, will teach kids how to practice relaxation and emotional intelligence skills to efficiently improve attention, memory and recall. Studies of K-8th grade students show an average gain of 11-17% on achievement test scores after learning stress management skills. This program is adapted from the Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

· Writing Skills Workshop, teach students how to hand in their best writing with proper use of grammar and language, as well as what additional steps to take to ensure a final, polished piece of writing, not just a clean version of the first draft.

JCC Academic Center Lecture Series

Parents and students won't want to miss the Academic Center's fall evening lecture series, featuring:

· Extra Edge Stress Reduction for Peak Academic Performance, an introductory overview with Dr. Juna Bobby on Monday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.
· 6th Annual Inside the Admissions Office, with deans and directors of admissions from American University, Emory University, Lafayette College, University of Chicago, University of Maryland and Vanderbilt University, on Sunday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m. No fee but registration is required at www.jccmw.org.
· The ABC's of Organizing Teens, with speaker Leslie Josel, on Tuesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Pre-registration is required for Academic Center lectures and workshops. For fees and other information, visit www.jccmw.org/academic.htm, or contact Director, Lisa Itzkowitz at 914-472-3300, ext. 275; email: itzkowitzl@jccmw.org.

The JCC of Mid-Westchester, 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, a proud beneficiary of UJA-Federation of New York, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the community by providing cultural, social, educational and recreational/fitness programs, human services and Jewish identity-building opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds without regard to race or religion.