Understanding College Admissions
How to Create a Successful Application
Practical Advice for Parents on the College Admissions Process
WEDNESDAY, September 23rd, 2026, 12 – 1 p.m via Zoom
Join NYC-Parents in Action (NYC-PIA) for an instructional webinar featuring admissions consultant Debra Resnicoff, moderated by Geoffrey Golia, LCSW, on how to navigate the college admissions process and still keep your cool.
This online event will equip students and parents with strategies for creating highly effective applications to colleges.
With the right tools, families can keep their cool during the college admissions process. Resnicoff will walk through building a college list, test choices, essay writing, and more – all laid out in an achievable timeline. She will explain how students can dig deep and identify what brings meaning to their lives to create applications that resonate with their target schools.
Questions that will be addressed include:
When should families start talking about college?
What are the first steps?
How many colleges should we have on our list?
Is test-optional really optional?
What is the difference between the personal statement and the college-specific supplements?
Submit your questions when you register for this webinar.
Our Speaker:
Debra Resnicoff, MFA, LMSW
“I got in!” Debra Resnicoff was hooked the first time a student called and shouted those words. Since then, she founded Essays that Fit and has spent 20 years as a college admissions consultant and essay specialist. A Columbia University graduate (BA, MFA), Debra engages teens with a holistic process that promotes student well-being, personal growth, and great writing. With a recent MSW (Clinical Counseling), she welcomes students and families with learning differences and mental health challenges.
A produced screenwriter, Debra taught Creative Writing at the Columbia University Summer High School Program for 10 years and shared her college admissions expertise with the entire SHSP student body for 5 years.
Debra is a consultant member of the professional organizations IECA and HECA. She stays current with the rapidly evolving college admissions landscape by attending meetings with admissions officers from highly selective and flagship state schools.
Our Moderator:
Geoffrey M. Golia, LCSW
Geoffrey M. Golia is a New York City-based psychotherapist licensed to practice in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. He received his bachelor’s degree from the New School University’s Eugene Lang College and his master’s degree in Social Work from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. Geoffrey has been providing individual and group psychotherapy for over a decade with a focus treating adolescents and young adults with substance use and mental health issues. An experienced non-profit executive and leader, he has held positions of leadership at Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), Turnbridge, New York Center for Living, and the New York City Criminal Justice Agency, and is a proud member of the Advisory Board of New York City-Parents in Action.