Introducing Our Spring Workshops

Spring is almost here! And that means it’s time to start thinking about how you can improve your skills this season. Every spring break, we host different workshops to help students prepare for university applications or learn new skills, and this year is no different. Better yet, you can catch some of our most popular workshops like Intro to Canadian Supplement Writing throughout April and May. Get all the workshop details below!

Writing and Business Skills

Essay Essentials

This three-day boot camp is designed to give current grade 8, 9, and 10 students a solid understanding of English grammar, writing conventions, and essay basics, so they can approach essay writing with the knowledge and skills necessary for success. Students will learn the essentials of writing expert argumentative essays, the most common essay genre they will write in high school. This session will be a great way to hone students’ writing skills. Furthermore, active reading, planning, and essay writing skills are a great way to prepare for the Graduate Literacy Assessment (GLA), a new provincial exam for students in grades 10 and 12.

What do our students have to say?

“I like that we did daily grammar lessons over the three days and that every day we did a little part of “how to write an argumentative essay”. That was awesome because we weren’t expected to learn essay writing in 3 hours. It was a good mix and match over the three days.”

Dates and times:

Mar 24 – Mar 26
10 am-1 pm daily

Mastering the Essay

This interactive, fast-paced workshop is aimed at providing students with the theory and practice to succeed in their English studies at the grade 11 to 12 level. It will give students the skills and confidence they need to succeed, making their future English courses easier and more enjoyable. Furthermore, the active reading, planning, and essay writing skills are a great way to prepare for the Graduate Literacy Assessment (GLA), a new provincial exam for students in grades 12.

What do our students have to say?

“I enjoyed that the instructors provided valuable feedback on my essays and they answered all the questions I had. I also enjoyed practicing writing specific types of essays.”

Dates and times:

Mar 17 – Mar 19
10 am-1 pm daily

Business Boot Camp

Whether you’re looking for an opportunity to prep for business school or want to learn more about the ever-changing business landscape. This 4-day interactive boot camp will introduce students to fundamental business skills and tools needed to succeed in the 21st century. Focusing on brand building, e-commerce, digital marketing, case studies, and more.

Extra-curricular bonus alert: all students who complete the boot camp will be provided with a certificate of completion and can use the course for reference purposes when applying to university.

Dates and times:

Mar 17 – Mar 20
10 am-1 pm daily

Post-Secondary Admissions Assistance

Canadian Admissions Boot Camp

This three-day intensive preparation will help students understand and tackle the Canadian admissions process. The goal of this boot camp is to relieve the stress students feel about the application process and to get a head start.

What do our students say?

“I liked how much knowledge about very specific courses the instructors were able to supply right away on demand. It was more helpful than I expected, and my difficult questions were all answered with helpful details.”

Dates and times:

Mar 17 – Mar 19
10 am-12 pm daily

Intro to Canadian Supplement Writing Workshop

This three-hour session introduces grade 12 students to the writing components for Canadian applications. The session will include a presentation that outlines the typical essay and supplemental writing prompts required by major Canadian universities and programs. During this presentation, session leaders will also provide writing and time management strategies and sample essays from previous years’ successful applications. Students will then be given time to brainstorm and engage in practice writing exercises. Options Solutions writing coaches will give students one-on-one feedback on their drafts.

What do our students say?

“I really liked the tips, exercises and examples of past students’ responses and what was good about them and what could’ve been improved. This allowed me to take good notes and implement what I thought was good into my applications.”

Dates and times:

Video Interview Workshop

This three-hour session prepares students for the video interview components of university applications. The session will include a presentation that outlines the main components of video interview requirements, as well as a practical guide for successfully completing those videos. During the session, students will learn how to answer typical interview questions and have the opportunity to tackle some sample questions as a group. They will then practice in pairs and give each other feedback, as well as record their responses for analysis. Programs that require the video interview include Commerce at UBC, the University of Toronto, and York University, as well as Engineering at the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo.

What do our students have to say?

I really enjoyed that the course was informational without being overwhelming or too long. I also liked that we were given materials to go alongside the practice. It was great that the instructor had lots of questions prepared for us, so we could practice thinking on the spot.

Dates and times:

May 24
10 am-1 pm

Intro to UK Personal Statement

The Personal Statement is an essential part of UK university applications for all post-secondary programs. Creating a strong Personal Statement is the best way for students to demonstrate their passions, skills, and suitability for all programs, and especially for competitive programs such as Law, Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine. The UK Personal Statement is written in a very different way than Canadian university application essays and this course will provide students with the knowledge and tools needed to be able to write a statement that stands out.

Dates and times:

June 21
9 am-12 pm

US Admissions Boot Camp

This series of sessions will help students understand and tackle the US admissions process. The goal of this boot camp is to relieve the stress students feel about the application process and to kick start the process. Students will leave the boot camp with a solid start to the Common Application. Students are encouraged to attend the full series, as each session will be unique and valuable.

Dates and times:

ACT/SAT Workshops

Core Test Skills

These intensive sessions focus on helping students master the ACT or SAT exam. Topics will cover every portion of the test, including test-taking strategies, time management tips, and crossover skills for the ACT/SAT exam.

What do our students say?

“I really liked that the instructor had everyone participate because it made it feel more like an actual class. I also liked they gave us lots of extra practice after the course was even finished.”

Dates and times:

Mar 27 – Mar 29
10 am-1 pm

Super Skills Saturdays

These Saturday prep sessions are designed to deliver concentrated exam prep for the English, reading, writing, and math portions of the ACT and SAT exams. This workshop is perfect for students writing either the ACT or SAT exams who want to improve their foundational test skills during a day-long course.

What do our students say?

“I really liked how we went step by step together as a class. To go along with that, I found it really helpful when we did the practice problems together and really went in-depth on why the answer was either wrong or right.”

Dates and times:

ACT Mock Exam and Debriefs

Complete a full ACT exam at home and join us for a three-hour virtual debrief. Each student is given a cover sheet to help them understand their successes and their areas needing improvement. In order to get an accurate estimate of a student’s abilities, we use only officially released ACT exams. Taking practice tests helps students prepare for the stamina required on test day.

Dates and times:

Mock exam distribution: April 29
ACT mock exam debrief: May 16 4 pm-7 pm

Contact us today to reserve your spot!