What’s included?

The primary purpose of this retreat is for you to get your homeschool paperwork done before the start of your student’s senior year so you can be ready to support them and go into the application process calm and confident. Farrar and Jill will provide templates, set up times for you to work, and provide our assistance throughout. We guarantee that we’ll see your paperwork and make all the necessary recommendations to get it ready for college. Our intention is that you leave with the paperwork finalized and ready to go.

Additionally, we’re giving three talks about college and taking a short college tour to discuss how to evaluate colleges. We’re providing welcoming snacks on Friday and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. We’re also providing evening activities on Friday and Saturday -- because homeschool parents deserve a break for themselves!

What’s not included?

Accommodations and breakfast are not included. This is not a college advising package, so while discussion of colleges will inevitably be a part of this retreat, we aren’t here to advise about your student’s college list or any other aspects of the application process. We do not submit your paperwork for you. We have organized dinner and coffeehouse options, but you are responsible for payment. See our contract for all terms and conditions.

What will I need to bring or do ahead of time?

We’ll send templates and a detailed list of what you need to do before coming. In general, you’ll need to have all your information ready to go, but we don’t expect you to have started your paperwork before you arrive. We will have long blocks of time where you’ll work on things. We’ll rotate and give you feedback about what you’re doing and give you specific tasks to get things in order. We’ll also get hands-on and edit your documents and make sure it all looks professional.

Will you really have time to help each person individually?

We’re keeping this retreat small for a reason! We have lots of experience with creating parent documents and changing templates around. We promise that we’ll give your documents the attention they deserve.

What if I have specific dietary needs?

We ask that participants alert us to specific dietary needs ahead of time. We’ll be providing gluten free and vegetarian options for lunch and will make an effort to accommodate your needs, but we cannot guarantee specific dietary needs. For our evening dinners out, participants are on their own in paying for and choosing meals. We’ve tried to choose restaurants with many options, but you can also make your own dinner accommodations.

What happens if I can’t make it or need a refund?

We will be providing 90% refunds through March 1 and 50% refunds through April 1. Our retreat is a new venture, and we have limited space so this is necessary for our operations. If you have paid for the retreat and something comes up where you cannot attend, then your cost automatically rolls over to our paperwork package where we’ll review your paperwork during the fall. We guarantee all paperwork package clients that paperwork will be reviewed and completed by October 15, as long as materials are to us by August 1.

Why Staunton?

Jill currently lives in Staunton. But more than that, it’s a beautiful, vibrant little town with lots of amazing local food and plenty to do, especially in the summer. The American Shakespeare Center and several classical music festivals are based there. It’s also scenic and the summer weather isn’t bad. It’s a great place to get away for a weekend.

What’s the Old Schoolhouse?

The building where we’ll hold our retreat is a large building that’s home to art studios and offices right in downtown Staunton. We have a large old classroom space and lots of cozy nooks set up there for you to work.

Can I bring my student? Or someone else?

You’re welcome to come to Staunton with your family or friends, but only one person can attend the paperwork retreat. Jill and Farrar want to be able to give everyone our attention and stay focused on this core goal of getting your paperwork completed.

Will the retreat be accessible to everyone?

The Old Schoolhouse is a historic building and is not ADA compliant. There is no elevator and our space is on the second floor. Participants must be able to climb the flight of stairs to the second floor. Please contact us about any other accessibility needs. We’d like to accommodate you if at all possible, but everyone should be aware that our space has limitations.

What if I have other questions?

Contact us by sending us an email at simplifytheapplication@gmail.com!