826 Valencia is thrilled to announce our 2026 Personal Statement Workshop series! This fall, we’re offering six free workshops at our Mission Center to support high school seniors in San Francisco as they draft, revise, edit, and submit their college application essays and responses.
If you’re a high school senior in SFUSD, join us for 1–2 two-hour sessions to get personalized feedback on your personal statement or scholarship essays. Whether you’re just starting, almost done, or somewhere in between, we can help you move forward. You’ll be paired with a trained 826 Valencia tutor who will help you brainstorm, revise, and polish your work.
Space goes quickly, so don’t miss your chance to sign up! Register here to attend up to two workshops. Questions? Contact Programs Director Ryan Young at ryan@826valencia.org.
If you’re a tutor, you can work one-on-one with students to provide encouragement, insight, and constructive feedback. Our workshops wouldn’t be possible without the incredible volunteers who join us each fall! Sign up on our volunteer calendar to tutor at one or more sessions. New to 826 Valencia? Learn more about becoming a volunteer here.
*Please note: All tutors must complete a training on the UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs). If you’ve attended this training in the past, you don’t need to repeat it. Both in-person and online options will be available on our volunteer calendar starting in September.
Our Mission Center workshops will take place on Fridays, 4:30–6:30 pm:
Workshop Dates:
- October 16
- October 23
- October 30
- November 6
- November 13
- November 20
Additionally, tutors are encouraged to sign up for college mentoring at our other locations:
Mission High School: Mondays, 11:30–12:30 pm & 1–3 pm (September 14–November 16)
San Francisco International High School: Fridays, 8:30–11 am, 12–1 pm, & 1:30–2:45 pm (September 11–November 20)
Before, I would just start writing without much planning, but my tutor showed me how to organize my ideas and make an outline first. I also learned how to revise my work, not just fix spelling, but make sure my ideas make sense. I feel more confident and better at expressing my thoughts in writing.
—Personal Statement Workshops Student
Photo by Yanit Mehta