Founding Foundry: Why two Ivy League grads returned to creative writing from the world of tech and finance
Foundry is a project we've been working on for the better part of a decade. In the early 2010s, Foundry Academy was started as a brick...
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Hello!
We're two Ivy League graduates (Harvard and Dartmouth) who started a writing company because we believe writing is the gateway to higher education, a fulfilling career, and a more mature understanding of your personal story and place in the world. We promise our classes are fun and practical. We aren't just trying to help students go to college; we teach them to be brilliant writers. We help our students learn to tell their own narrative in a way that's genuine, authentic, and impactful. It's a privilege to help our students on their pre-college and writing journey, and we can't wait to meet you!
About
Our story
The Foundry story started in Los Angeles a decade ago when Sophia started a writing school and after-school program in the San Gabriel Valley focused on teaching creative writing to kids through fantasy and science fiction roleplaying games. Students loved the imaginative games, and parents were impressed that there kids were willing to write thousands of words when their ideas were listened to and taken seriously.
Eventually Sophia sold the writing school to attend Harvard's Graduate School of Education to earn a Masters Degree in Technology, Education, and Innovation. But in 2016, Sophia and Daniel teamed up to offer individualized writing, life-skills, and pre-college coaching to small number of high school and advance middle schools students each year.
At Foundry, we offer a unique, individualized service. We specialize in helping students who are interested in attending math and engineering schools, as well as students with diverse interests in the arts, research, and humanities. However, every student follows an individualized curriculum tailored to their particular needs. We believe that the best path to a top school (and a fulfilling career beyond school) is based on a students authentic interests and personal story. Our job is to help students find and invest in their genuine interests, and we teach students writing skills to tell that story through compelling and authentic narrative.
Where our students go to college
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University of California, Davis
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University of California, Irvine
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University of California, Los Angeles
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University of California, Merced
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University of California, Riverside
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University of California, San Diego
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University of Texas at Austin
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University of Southern California
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University of Puget Sound
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Barnard College
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Bowdoin College
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Brown University
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Carnegie Mellon
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Cornell University
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Johns Hopkins University
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Northeastern University
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Seattle University
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Stanford University
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University of California, Berkeley
Additionally our students have be accepted to top summer programs, such as COSMOS, and won (or been finalist for) competitions including the New York Times and Young Inklings
Meet the Foundry Team
Team
Foundry is a two-person team. Most students will work with both of us in rotation. Every student receives individualized attention.
Blog
Services
Services
College essay writing
College application essay writing is a unique skill most students never learn in high school. Through intensive brainstorming, outlining, and revisioning, we teach students how to write a great college application essay, not what to write.
Creative fiction & nonfiction
Writing is a tool and an art form. When student learn to express themselves in writing, they learn a new way to understanding the world with greater reason and maturity. We teach students ages 10-18 through fun activities and real examples from literature
Full-service pre-college counseling
We can create a full college application plan for students starting in any year of high school. We aim to help students successfully gain admission to the college that will best support their unique learning and career goals by empowering students to own their own college application journey
Career & life-skills coaching
Many students are uncertain about their career path or require additional help learning to organize their life to achieve their goals. Through career coaching and workshops on project management, software tools, and financial literacy, we help student step into the next chapter of their life with confidence
Verbal communication & interviewing
As AI tools have become more common, many more colleges, universities, and even summer programs now require live or recorded interviews in addition to essays. We teach students simple verbal strategies to present information in a clear and concise way, and we help students gain confidence through mock interviews and public speaking
What our students are saying
Contact
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