ECV College Application Workshops: Fall 2022

An interactive college application workshop series for CVUSD students hosted by ECV for Change Board Member Melina Duarte

What are ECV College Application Workshops?

The ECV College Application Workshops: Fall 2022 was a 3-part college application workshop series for high school students in the Coachella Valley. ECV for Change Board Member and guest trainer Melina Duarte drew from her professional experience as a University of California application reader to advise high school students on the do’s and don’t’s of filling out UC college applications.

This year, application workshops were presented in a hybrid format. Students were provided with the option of attending in-person meetings at community locations across the Coachella Valley or virtually at their convenience via interactive Zoom sessions over the course of three consecutive months leading up to application deadlines in December.

Each workshop focused on a different stage of the Personal Interest Question component of applications: brainstorming, writing, and peer editing. Students were offered one-on-one assistance from ECV for Change mentors and Melina Duarte, a seasoned college prep professional, on crafting strong and compelling Personal Interest Question responses.

Scroll down to learn more about each session!

Session 1: How to Start Personal Interest Questions (PIQs)

Executive Director, Celina Avalos, and Board Member, Melina Duarte, explain how to start responses to personal interest questions on UC college applications.

Session 2: What to Include on Your PIQs

ECV for Change Board Member Melina Duarte draws from professional experience as a former college admissions professional to offer tips on how to write a compelling responses to personal interest questions.

Session 3: 1-on-1 Peer Editing PIQs

Executive Director, Celina Avalos, and Leadership Development Program Manager, Eloisa Lopez-Valencia, join Melina Duarte to provide one-on-one assistance to participating high school students with their college applications.