The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

By Ethan Sawyer

Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Image by Ethan Sawyer

Category: Education

Open in Apple Podcasts


Open RSS feed


Open Website


Rate for this podcast
    

Subscribers: 77
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 91

Description

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions process.

Episode Date
612: Admission Nutrients (Part 6 of 6: Intellectual Curiosity): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Hillary Dickman
Aug 05, 2025
611: Admission Nutrients (Part 5 of 6: Service to Others / Community Impact): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Nathan Faust
Jul 22, 2025
610: Admission Nutrients (Part 4 of 6: Consistent Engagement): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Dysean Alexander
Jul 08, 2025
609: Admission Nutrients (Part 3 of 6: Leadership): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life
Jun 24, 2025
608: Admission Nutrients (Part 2 of 6: Collaboration): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Raissa Diamante
Jun 10, 2025
607: Admission Nutrients (Part 1 of 6: Intro): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life
May 27, 2025
606: Navigating College Applications with AI (Part 2): What Colleges Say + My Advice to Students and Counselors
May 13, 2025
605: Navigating College Applications with AI (Part 1): How High School Teachers and Students Use Tools Like ChatGPT
Apr 29, 2025
604: Inside the Application (Part 5): How to Decide Which College to Attend with Cassidy, HS Senior
Apr 15, 2025
603: Leading Through Chaos: 7 Superpowers for Uncertain Times with Angel Pérez
Apr 01, 2025
602: Roles and Identities Part 2 (for Counselors and Educators): A Framework for Understanding How Your Roles Shape Your Work
Mar 18, 2025
601: Roles and Identities Part 1 (for Students and Parents): A Framework for Exploring Who You’ve Been, Who You Are, and Who You’re Becoming
Mar 04, 2025
523: Busting College Admission Myths Using Data: Standardized Tests, Rankings, and the Cost of College with Akil Bello
Dec 17, 2024
522: Storytelling & Identity with Ethan Sawyer (Part 4 Bonus Episode!): On Balancing Identities, Writing as a Journey, and the Mystery of Enoughness
Dec 03, 2024
521: Storytelling & Identity with Ryan Maldonado (Part 3 of 3): On Code-switching, Photographing Living Rooms, and Growing up Not-Rich in Miami
Nov 19, 2024
520: Storytelling & Identity w/Whit Anderson (Part 2 of 3): Beating Writer's Block, Writing RomComs and Space Operas, and Female Representation in Hollywood
Nov 05, 2024
519: Storytelling & Identity with Dave Callaham (Part 1 of 3): What it’s Like Writing Marvel Movies, Asian-American Representation in Hollywood, and Advice on Finding Your Voice
Oct 22, 2024
518: Inside the Application (Part 4): How to Know if You’re “Almost Done” with Your College Application
Oct 08, 2024
517: Inside the Application (Part 3): Supplemental Essay Deep Dive + Developing the College List w/ Special Guest Renee Ferrerio
Sep 18, 2024
516: Inside the Application (Part 2): Developing the Personal Statement, Supplemental Essays, and College List with Cassidy, HS Senior
Sep 03, 2024
515: Inside the Application Part 1: Brainstorming, Outlining, and Drafting with Cassidy, HS Senior
Aug 20, 2024
514: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Student Perspective
Aug 06, 2024
513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective with Christina Lopez
Jul 25, 2024
512: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective
Jul 11, 2024
511: Identity, Self-Care, and the Future of College Admission w/ NACAC CEO Angel Pérez
Jun 27, 2024
510: What Colleges Want (Part 9): A Crash Course in Standardized Testing
Jun 11, 2024
509: What Colleges Want (Part 8): Extracurricular Activities Deep Dive: How Getting Involved In and Out of School Can Boost Your Application
May 28, 2024
508: What Colleges Want (Part 7B): Recommendation Letter Crash Course for Counselors and Teachers
Apr 30, 2024
507: What Colleges Want (Part 7A): Recommendation Letter Crash Course for Students and Families
Apr 09, 2024
506: What Colleges Want (Part 6): Demonstrated Interest: What Is it, Why Is it Important, and How Do You Show it? with Dean of Enrollment Christine Bowman
Mar 26, 2024
505: What Colleges Want (Part 5): A Crash Course in the Supplemental Essays + Application with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)
Mar 12, 2024
504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)
Mar 05, 2024
503: What Colleges Want (Part 3): "Positive Character Attributes": What Are They, and How Do You Show Them in Your College Application?
Feb 13, 2024
502: What Colleges Want (Part 2): A Deep Dive into GPA, Course Selection, and Making the Most of the Academic Opportunities Available to You
Jan 24, 2024
501: What Colleges Want (Part 1): A Deep Dive into the Factors Colleges Deem Important & State of College Admissions Report
Jan 09, 2024
414: A Crash Course in Paying for College & Common Affordability Myths
Dec 28, 2023
413: Intellectual Curiosity + College Admissions: What It Is, Why It Matters to Colleges, and How to Show It
Dec 20, 2023
412: Applying to College as a First-Generation or Low-Income Student: The Matchlighters Scholars Program Experience
Dec 12, 2023
411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want
Dec 05, 2023
410: Regional Spotlights: Attending College in The South w/ Renee Ferrerio
Nov 21, 2023
409: A Crash Course in College Athletic Recruiting w/ Katie Andersen
Nov 02, 2023
408: 10 Critical Things Trans Youth (and Their Counselors and Caregivers) Should Know in High School and When Applying to College w/ Shannon and Sam Bergeron
Oct 11, 2023
407: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office + Supplemental Essay Deep Dive w/ Rick Diaz
Sep 29, 2023
406: Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead w/ Tina Yong
Sep 15, 2023
405: 7 Cosas Que Las Familias Latinas Deben Saber Sobre Cómo Prepararse Para la Universidad / 7 Things Latinx Families Need to Know About Preparing for College w/ Lorenzo Gamboa
Sep 07, 2023
404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down—What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner
Sep 01, 2023
403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My! How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context w/Susan Tree
Aug 03, 2023
401: NACAC CEO Angel Pérez—Self-care for counselors, leaders, and professionals in helping roles
Jul 21, 2023
402: How to Create a (Sustainable, Nourishing, Energizing, Intentional) Morning Ritual with Sage Simpson
Jul 21, 2023
301: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Counselor's Life w/ Kati Sweany
Jan 19, 2022
302: Part 1: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office w/ Tom Campbell
Jan 19, 2022
303: Part 2: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office w/ Tom Campbell
Jan 19, 2022
215: 17 Things Students of Color (+ Their Counselors and Parents) Should Know When Applying to College
Sep 12, 2020
214: Resources for LGBTQ+ Students from Campus Pride
Oct 07, 2019
213: Self-Directed Learning (Why You Can Quit HS & Be Okay)
Oct 02, 2019
212: Advice for Homeschooling Students
Sep 23, 2019
211: Financial Aid Tips for International Students (and Their Counselors)
Sep 16, 2019
210: The Being Not-Rich Guide
Sep 06, 2019
209: Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream
Sep 02, 2019
208: Resources for First-Generation Students (and Their Counselors)
Aug 26, 2019
207: 17 Things to Do Before Going to College
May 27, 2019
206: 30 Ways to Center Equity And Justice Today w/ Marie Bigham
Feb 11, 2019
205: That One Time a University Revoked More Than 60 Full Scholarships (And What You Can Do About It)
Dec 10, 2018
204: What You Need to Know About Standardized Tests and Mistakes to Avoid
May 10, 2018
203: 10 Ways Parents Can Support Their Students Through The College Application Process
May 09, 2018
202: 25 Practical Ways to Reduce Testing Anxiety
Apr 06, 2018
201: Test Optional Admissions 101: What, Why, Where, Who?
Apr 04, 2018
124: College Interview Tips and Strategies
Dec 28, 2017
123: Should You Apply Early Decision or Regular Decision? (And the Chart That Can Help You Decide)
Dec 04, 2017
122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version)
Dec 04, 2017
121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version)
Dec 04, 2017
120: College List Hacking: Better Fit, Less Time, More Fun
Dec 04, 2017
119: How to Improve Your Personal Statement in 20 Minutes
Dec 04, 2017
118: Who is the College Essay Guy?
Dec 04, 2017
117: How to Improve Your ACT Score By 2 Points in 20 Minutes
Sep 18, 2017
116: Who is Tutor Ted? (and Resources for Brainstorming a Personal Statement)
Jun 27, 2017
115: Quick & Dirty College List Builder & The Myth of Fit
Jun 26, 2017
114: Free College Application Tools That Students (and Counselors!) Should Know About
Jun 12, 2017
113: Debunking the Myth of the Starving Artist
Jun 06, 2017
112: How to Listen (And Why)
May 25, 2017
111: Using the Secrets of Screenwriting to Write Your College Essay
May 21, 2017
110: How to Create a Great College List (Part 2)
May 12, 2017
109: How to Figure Out Which School is Right for You
May 06, 2017
108: Demonstrated Interest: A Brief and Practical How-To Guide
May 01, 2017
107: What I've Learned from Reading Over 10,000 College Essays
Apr 20, 2017
106: Colleges That Change Lives
Apr 18, 2017
105: How to Lead a Life-Changing Essay Workshop
Mar 31, 2017
104: How to Plan a Fulfilling and Productive Summer
Mar 31, 2017
103: How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award Letter
Mar 29, 2017
102: How to Advocate for Undocumented Students
Mar 28, 2017
101: Life As an Undocumented Student at Harvard
Mar 25, 2017