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

Welcome to Part 2 of 2 of this mini-series on AI in college admission! In our last episode, I interviewed Jen Rubin from foundry10 on how students and counselors are using AI in the college admission process. In today's episode I'll get into what colleges have to say, and what I would advise as a result. I'll get into: My biggest concern with AI… in general (spoiler: it's much bigger than college applications) My concerns related to AI use in the college application process   Common App guidelines + What colleges have to say around AI use What I believe students might miss out on if they use AI to write their essays for them My advice to students and counselors We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play: 2:12 – What is Ethan's biggest concern with AI?  3:29 – CommonApp Guidelines 4:09 – What do colleges have to say about AI use in the application process?   7:05 – What does Ethan believe students might miss out on if they use AI to write their essays for them? 12:00 – Can Chat GPT and AI be useful in certain contexts? 13:34 – AI use and environmental impacts  14:26 – Closing thoughts    Resources: CEG Podcast Episode 605 - Navigating College Applications with AI (Part 1): How High School Teachers and Students Use Tools Like ChatGPT Blog Version of this episode – Navigating College Applications with AI: What Colleges Say + CEG's Advice to Students and Counselors CEG's Thoughts on AI and College Application Essays Duncan Sabian – Article on AI Safety AI 2027 CommonApp Affirmation Statement College Statements on AI Usage Princeton University CalTech Brown University University of California (UC) System Gonzaga University Southern Methodist University (Graduate) University of Melbourne (Outside the US) As Use of A.I. Soars, So Does the Energy and Water It Requires Jeff Neill's Tech-Neill-ogy  College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub  

In today's episode, Ethan is joined by Jennifer Rubin, Senior Researcher at foundry10 and Principal Investigator of the Digital Technologies and Education Lab. Jen is a first generation college graduate and, like Ethan, she didn't have a ton of support navigating the college application and admission process. When Chat GPT was released, she wondered: How were students actually using these tools for the college essay and application process? And how can we make sure AI becomes a tool for equity, not another advantage for students who already have access?  In this conversation, Ethan and Jen get into: Some of the most interesting takeaways from her research Why higher-income students were more likely to use AI in their applications than lower-income students How educators can increase their students' AI literacy How students can use AI without losing their voice Resources/tools she recommends for students and counselors navigating this new technology And lots more. Jennifer Rubin is a Senior Researcher at foundry10 who investigates how technology shapes youth development, learning, and social connections. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley before completing a dual Ph.D. in Psychology and Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator of the Digital Technologies and Education Lab, where she leads research on how social media, generative AI, and digital learning environments impact youth development. Her work explores how young people navigate digital spaces, strategies for educators to meaningfully integrate emerging technologies, and the essential skills needed to foster critical engagement with social media and AI tools.  Hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play 2:26 – Jen shares her research background and what she's been working on  4:06 – What have been the most interesting takeaways from Jen's research?  5:58 – Why were higher-income students more likely to use AI in their applications than lower-income students? 9:16 – What are some practical ways for educators to increase their students' AI literacy? 13:02 – How can students use AI without losing their voice? 18:47 – What resources or tools does Jen recommend for students and counselors navigating this new technology? 22:52 – Does Jen see ethical gray areas with teacher use of AI?  29:02 – How are colleges approaching AI use in applications?  32:16 – Do AI detectors actually work?  37:16 – How does Jen use AI in her own work and writing? 43:11 – What does Jen see for the future of AI? 44:32 – What advice does Jen have for students? 46:10 – Advice for caregivers? 46:58 – Advice for educators and counselors? 48:50 – Closing thoughts Resources: Navigating College Applications with AI  | foundry10 CalTech Admissions AI Policy Princeton Admissions AI Policy Common Sense Media AI Literacy Initiatives Digital Promise: AI in Education Resources  Understanding Generative AI: Caregiver, Teacher, and Student Experiences College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub  

Hi friends, and welcome back to the podcast! Many of you have been following Cassidy, a current high school senior, as she navigates the college application process. We've walked through her brainstorming exercises, her personal statement writing, and her supplemental essays. And now, at long last, Cassidy has received her college acceptances. Rather than reading the email she sent me, I replied, "Hey, I know you got your acceptances. What if we do a live reveal on the podcast?" So, I genuinely don't know yet where she's been accepted. Huge shoutout to Cassidy for agreeing to do this live! In this conversation, we dive into a range of things, including: The extent to which Cassidy felt she had a successful application process vs. successful outcomes (and the difference) Which schools she was accepted into Important factors in making her final college decision, focusing on what my team calls the "6 Fs" of college fit: focus, fellowship, finances, future, family, and feeling What she did well, and what she'd do differently I also guide Cassidy through a fun, quick exercise—one you (or your student) can also try—that can be completed in one day, one hour, or even one minute. Cassidy is a current high school student going through the college application process. She lives in the Bay Area, loves ballet, identifies as a “yapper,” and knows a lot about Biology. Hope you enjoy it.   Play-by-Play 2:11 – Welcome and check-in 3:31 – To what extent does Cassidy feel like she had a successful application process? 4:48 – Cassidy shares her college decision results! 8:13 – To what extent does Cassidy feel she had successful outcomes?  9:02 – Ethan introduces the six F's of college fit for Cassidy's top choice schools   10:43 – Focus 12:12 – Fellowship 13:32 – Financial  14:52 – Future 16:53 – Family 17:41 – Feeling 20:36 – Cassidy reflects on what stands out at each school she is considering 23:40 – How to choose which college to attend in one day, one hour, or one minute 29:39 – Reflecting on this process, is there anything Cassidy wishes she had done differently?  31:10 – Wrap up and closing thoughts   Resources: How to choose which college to attend: Key factors to consider College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub  

Welcome back to the podcast! Ethan is joined today by Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Angel has just written a new book on leadership called The Hottest Seat on Campus. It's written for leaders on college campuses, but the advice he gives is applicable to leaders everywhere, whether you are a college counselor leading in your office, a parent leading in your home, or even a student leading in your school or community. In their conversation, Angel and Ethan discuss: How does Angel define leadership? Why is detachment so important (and how do we do it)? What's the number one thing Angel believes will lead leaders to success in the future? What is deep work and why do we love it so much? Lots more. The advice is practical, given the challenges facing higher education, we believe it's timely… and we hope you find it useful. If you haven't met Angel Pérez, he is CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). In this role, he represents more than 25,000 admission and counseling professionals worldwide committed to postsecondary access and success. Named by a Forbes article in 2019 as the most influential voice in college admissions, he strives to build an educational ecosystem that better represents today's society. Prior to joining NACAC in July of 2020, Dr. Pérez served in secondary and higher education leadership positions across America, most recently, as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success at Trinity College in Connecticut. He is an advocate for counselors everywhere, an important ally in the work of increasing access to higher education, and I'm so glad to call him my friend.   Play-by-Play 2:03 – Welcome and check-in 3:56 – Angel shares what his book is about, why he wrote it, and who it's for 5:50 – Why is it important to talk about leadership right now?  9:04 – Superpower #1: The Power of Solitude  15:23 – Superpower #2: The Art of Detachment 24:00 – Superpower #3: Inspiration through Inclusivity 36:45 – Superpower #4: Mastering Self-Management 42:31 – Superpower #5: The Power of Showing Up 50:24 – Superpower #6: The Power of Focus 54:55 – Superpower #7: Shift Your Mindset 1:04:26 – Getting comfortable saying “I don't know”  1:12:57 – Which superpowers do Angel and Ethan want to work on over the next year?  1:20:07 – Closing thoughts and sharing goals   Resources The Hottest Seat on Campus by Angel Pérez The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success by Diana Chapman, Jim Dethmer, and Kaley Klemp  Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport  Maker Time vs. Manager Time College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub  

To kick off Season 6, Ethan shares some practical resources based on a new framework he's been exploring.  If you're a regular listener, you'll already be familiar with something we call the Roles and Identities List, which is a huge menu of roles (things like “catalyst” and “change-maker” and “party-bringer”) — Ethan has used it as a get-to-know-you exercise with a number of previous guests.  In case you missed it, check out Part 1 of this mini-series where Ethan walked through some practical exercises for students and parents based on the Roles and Identities framework.  But what about counselors? We who spend our days (and often nights) answering emails, phone calls, texting and generally caretaking in 100 different ways…  Today's episode is the second of two where Ethan will share some exercises that counselors can use to recognize patterns they may fall into at times and how they might practice more self-care and show up more fully for their students. Ethan explores:  How can counselors make sure we fill our own cups (and not just our coffee cups)?  How can we make sure we're even more spacious and resourced… so that we're able to give back from a full cup, and with a full heart? And more.  We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play 0:08 - What is the Roles & Identities Framework?  5:34 - Exercise #1 : The Roles & Identities List  11:39 - Exercise #2: The “shadow” version 21:30 - Exercise #3: The “foil” to your role  23:20 - Closing thoughts    Resources: The Roles and Identities Exercise  College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

To kick off Season 6, Ethan shares some practical resources based on a new framework he's been exploring.  If you're a regular listener, you'll already be familiar with something we call the Roles and Identities List, which is a huge menu of roles (things like “catalyst” and “change-maker” and “party-bringer”) — Ethan has used it as a get-to-know-you exercise with a number of previous guests.  Today's episode is the first of two where Ethan will dive into a few short, practical exercises for students and parents that can help them figure out things like how they'd like to focus their time as they go through this process. He gets into, among other things:  The philosophy behind the Roles and Identities framework Some hands-on exercises that students can do — whether in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade — that can help them, for example, plan summer/EC activities, or even map out their college application.  A simple but powerful exercise for parents thinking about who they want to be in this process—since let's be honest it isn't the students who are learning about themselves here.  Stay tuned for Part 2 where Ethan will share some exercises that counselors can use to recognize patterns they may fall into at times and how they might practice more self-care and show up more fully for their students.  We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play 3:36 - What is the Roles & Identities Framework?  6:57 - Exercise #1 (for both students and parents): The Roles & Identities List  8:59 - Exercise #2 (for students): Using the Roles & Identities list to plan your summer or extracurricular activities 11:30 - Using The Values list to expand on your roles and identities 13:23 - Which parts of you will you show in your college application? 18:21 - Exercise #3 (for parents): Who do you want to be in this process?  27:50 - Closing thoughts   Resources The Roles and Identities Exercise  The Values Exercise 100+ Summer and Extracurricular Ideas — Based on Your Roles and Identities 100+ Summer and Extracurricular Ideas — Based on Your Values College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

Welcome to our new series on busting college admission myths using data. In today's episode, Ethan is joined by Akil Bello to talk about standardized tests, rankings, and the cost of college. They dig into some common misconceptions about college including:  Are most colleges returning to requiring standardized testing scores?  Is it too hard to get into college?  Are highly-ranked colleges better?  Is it true that most colleges now cost more than $100,000 per year to attend?  And more!   Akil Bello is an educator, strategist, researcher, policy consultant, and advocate for equitable access to education. For more than 30 years, he's worked every job you can imagine related to admission testing and college access from tutor, to test prep company founder to CEO and now works as the Senior Director of Advocacy at Fair Test. When he is not moonlighting reading college applications for a public university, he serves on several advisory boards, writes articles for Forbes, and helps his wife parent their college freshman and HS junior.   We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play:  1:56 - Akil shares a bit about his background and identities   3:57 - What is Fair Test and what does Akil do as Senior Director of Advocacy?   6:03 - Myth #1: Most colleges are returning to requiring standardized testing scores.  11:25 - Myth #2: Universities are returning to standardized tests because they help attract students of color? 13:40 - Myth #3: Standardized test scores are a reliable predictor of GPA in college.  16:18 - Myth #4: It is harder than ever to get into college.  19:25 - Myth #5: The higher the ranking, the better the school. 27:59 - What are some good questions that students can ask themselves when developing a college list?  29:52 - Myth #6: College is expensive.  33:59 - Myth #7: A particular essay, extracurricular, or passion project gets students into college.   37:34 - What are some good questions that students can ask themselves when considering whether or not to submit a test score? 43:26 - What are some good questions that students can ask themselves if they are considering writing about race in their college essay or application? 46:44 - Akil shares advice to parents and students who are navigating this process 51:28 - Wrap up and closing thoughts    Resources: College Essay Guy's Roles and Identities Exercise  CEG Resources Post-SCOTUS Decision College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In our most recent series on storytelling and identity, Ethan sat down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In this bonus episode, the tables are turned as Ethan is interviewed by CEG Essay Coach, Ali Pineo. In their conversation, Ethan and Ali get into: Ethan's background and how his identity has evolved over the years The roles Ethan identifies with most: connector, harmonizer, and seeker How Ethan measures success in his personal and professional life His journey from aspiring screenwriter to teacher and writer Brainstorming Ethan's own personal statement as if he were writing it today And more Ali Pineo is a writing coach and college admissions essay specialist with a BA in English from Stanford University and MFA from UC Irvine. She is passionate about building her students' confidence in the writing process and developing them into strong self-advocates for their individual learning needs. She has spent thousands of hours coaching admissions essay writing and tutoring AP English and US History,. and the highlights of her career center around her mentorship of bright students with learning differences. In addition to teaching, she is an arts entrepreneur, former professional ballet dancer, and mama to a busy toddler. We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play: 1:41 - Introductions 2:48 - Ethan shares the roles he identifies with most 10:36 - What does Ethan's identity of “Connector” mean to him? 14:34 - How does Ethan distinguish between the “Connector” and “Harmonizer” roles? 20:16 - Do any roles conflict with other identities?  25:13 - How does Ethan balance his many roles?  28:37 - How does Ethan measure success in his personal and professional life? 33:20 - In what ways have Ethan's career aspirations changed over the years?  37:00 - How does Ethan define his role as a “Culture-Tender?”  43:55 - What has Ethan been writing about lately? 47:18 - Ali shares her a bit about her background, roles, and identities  52:33 - How do Ethan's outward identities overlap with his inner world?  56:48 - Brainstorming Ethan's own personal statement as if he were writing it today 1:11:37 - Closing thoughts and wrap-up   Resources: College Essay Guy's Roles and Identities Exercise Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In this three-part series, Ethan sits down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In Episode 3, Ethan is joined by screenwriter Ryan Maldonado, known for his work on AMC's Parish, Hulu's Death and Other Details, Amazon's Hunters, Chicago PD, FBI, and Grey's Anatomy. Ryan and Ethan talk about, among other things:  Ryan's origin story, how he identifies, and how he became a storyteller What Ryan's writing process is like and what it's like working on a TV show How Ryan shows up in characters that may seem very different from who he is  What he feels Hollywood is doing well in terms of representing diverse voices, and where there's still work to be done Advice to students going through the personal statement writing process And more.  Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Ryan Maldonado is a writer and producer who currently serves as Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner of AMC's crime series Parish, starring Giancarlo Esposito. His previous credits include Hulu's upcoming Death and Other Details (starring Mandy Patinkin) and Amazon's Hunters (starring Al Pacino). Before moving to Los Angeles to complete his MFA at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, Ryan worked as a reporter for The Detroit Free Press, St. Petersburg Times and Variety. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play: 2:00 - Ryan's origin story and what it was like growing up in Miami in the '80s 11:18 - When did Ryan start writing? 15:10 - How has Ryan's interest in writing shifted over the years? 19:47 - Where does “Ryan” show up in his writing and storytelling? 26:12 - How might personal experiences influence writing, especially in TV dramas?  33:00 - What is Ryan's writing process like? 38:50 - What is it like working on a TV show?  44:56 - What lessons from film school still apply to Ryan's work today?  54:33 - How has representation in Hollywood improved? What still needs work?  59:23 - What are some roles Ryan identifies with and how have these manifested in his life? 1:08:56 - What advice would you give to students working on their personal statements for college?  1:18:49 - Wrap up and closing thoughts   Resources: College Essay Guy's Roles and Identities Exercise College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In this three-part series, Ethan sits down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In Episode 2, Ethan is joined by screenwriter Whit Anderson, known for her work on Daredevil, The Twilight Zone, and Ozark.  Whit and Ethan talk about, among other things:  How a life-changing illness inspired one of her screenplays The cultural role that storytellers and screenwriters play Whit's approach to writing, including the use of visuals and detailed outlines The challenges of working in a male-dominated industry And more Content warning: In our conversation we talk briefly about suicidal ideation — both in the context of a movie Whit is working on but also in the context of the illness she experienced.  Whit Anderson has written both original and adapted content for HBO, Showtime, NBC, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Stars, Netflix, and Sky UK. She's also worked on such shows as Daredevil, The Twilight Zone, and Ozark, as well as on screenplays for her original film Players, and the Netflix hit, Damsel. Most recently for Netflix she wrote a feature script for the epic space opera Empress and she's currently in development with Paramount Studios, George Clooney's company Smokehouse, Margot Robbie's LuckyChap, and Jude Law's Riff Raff, among others.  And, like Ethan, Whit studied Theater at Northwestern University. We hope you enjoy.    Play-by-Play: 1:47 - When did Whit realize she was a storyteller? 3:48 - How has her storytelling shifted over the years? 5:56 - How has Whit's identity and experiences influenced her writing?  11:30 - Where does “Whit” show up in her stories? 17:47 - How does Whit decide what to write about next?  22:00 - What is Whit's writing process like? 23:14 - How does music influence Whit's writing?  28:15 - What does a typical week look like when working on a project?  31:30 - How does Whit work through writer's block or moments of feeling uninspired?  35:12 - What is something Whit wants to share about screenwriting? 47:58 - What has Whit learned about being a writer since starting?  56:00 - What change would Whit like to see in Hollywood?  1:05:01 - If Whit could do college again, what might she do differently? 1:09:23 - What upcoming projects is Whit excited to work on? 1:11:14 - Wrap up and closing thoughts   Resources: The Little Porch and a Dog College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub  

In this new three-part series, Ethan sits down with his screenwriter friends to do a deep dive into the creative process, the power of storytelling, and how identity plays a role in both. In Episode 1, Ethan is joined by screenwriter Dave Callaham, known best for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wonder Woman 1984 and many others. Dave and Ethan discuss, among other things:  When Dave knew he was a storyteller The “armor” that Dave wears (how he presents physically vs. who he is) What the process of writing Shang-Chi was like, especially when much of the source material included outdated stereotypes and problematic portrayals. Dave's advice to writers on finding their voice And more   Fun fact: You can find the video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel by clicking here. This is a longer episode format we're experimenting with, so feel free to use the chapters on the video to skip around, and let us know what you think in the YouTube comments. Rather than give you the typical bio, Ethan and Dave kick things off with an improv game where Dave shares what he loves and knows a lot about — an activity that is great for brainstorming ideas for the personal statement! We hope you enjoy.      Play-by-Play: 2:02 - Dave plays “I love, I know” – a brainstorming exercise  3:45 - What was Dave like in high school? 7:46 - When did Dave start writing? 11:08 - When did Dave realize he was a storyteller? 12:12 - What did Dave study in college?  13:11 - What was it like writing Shang-Chi? 16:57 - Where does “Dave” show up in Shang-Chi?  28:39 - What is Dave's writing process like when working on a movie? 32:42 - How is writing for animation different from live-action? 35:14 - How does writing change through the movie process? 39:01 -  How does Dave decide what to write about next?  51:59 - How important is structure when it comes to screenwriting? 58:30 - The “armor” that Dave wears (how he presents physically vs. who he is) 1:09:33 - What did Dave learn about fight scenes when writing Shang-Chi? 1:16:58 - Dave's advice to writers on finding their voice 1:24:09 - What did Dave write about in his college essay? 1:29:07 - How much time does Dave dedicate to brainstorming in his writing process? 1:32:30 - If Dave could do college again, what might he do differently? 1:39:20 - Why is representation so important on screen?  1:44:06 - What is something Dave wants to share about screenwriting? 1:48:50 - What advice would you give to young people who are considering writing for a living? 1:50:32 - Rapid-fire questions  Resources: YouTube video version of this episode I love, I know – a brainstorming exercise College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub  

Today's episode is part four of our series Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term.  Cassidy's application deadlines are coming up, so Ethan and Cassidy check out what she has so far through a process called the “Almost Done” review. They discuss about, among other things: Where do things stand & how's Cassidy feeling about the application? What values come through in each piece of Cassidy's writing?  Where do Ethan (and Cassidy) see opportunities for revision to bring more of herself into the application?  And more Stay tuned, as we'll continue to check in with Cassidy to find out how her process went and what she ended up hearing back from colleges. Cassidy is a current high school student going through the college application process. She lives in the Bay Area, loves ballet, knows a lot about Biology, and identifies as a “yapper.”  We hope you enjoy.   Play-by-play:  2:05 - How's the writing process going for Cassidy? 2:50 - How much time has Cassidy been putting into her application lately? 4:50 - Does Cassidy consider herself a writer? 5:45 - What is an “Almost Done” review?  6:39 - What is a Values Scan?  8:55 - Reviewing Cassidy's most recent draft of the personal statement  23:20 - Cassidy shares some of her activities list descriptions 34:35 - Highlights from Cassidy's additional information section 38:25 - Cassidy's draft of her “excitement for learning” essay  48:08 - Cassidy's draft of her “roommate” essay 53:20 - Cassidy's draft of her “community” essay 1:03:08 - Cassidy shares her short answer responses (50 words each)  1:12:55 - Ethan shares closing advice for Cassidy as she prepares to submit  1:14:20 - Final thoughts     Resources Part 1 of this series, Inside the Application  Part 2 of this series, Inside the Application Part 3 of this series, Inside the Application Cassidy's Supplemental Essay Doc The Roles and Identities Exercise How to Write the Stanford Roommate Essay + Examples A How-To Guide for the Short Answer Questions for Highly-Selective Colleges How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide CEG's College Application Resource Hub A List of Activities You May Not Have Considered Including—But That Count! What do colleges look for in students?

Today's episode is part three of our series, Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term.  This episode is a deep dive into the supplemental essays — specific essays that many selective colleges and universities require. In particular, Cassidy and Ethan get into:  How to write the “What would you bring to our campus” essay How to write an essay that focuses on “intellectual vitality”  How to write the “roommate” essay Tips on the short answer questions (50 words or less) And more Finally, we close the episode out with a special guest appearance from Renee Ferrerio to review Cassidy's college list. Renee has been working in college admission for three decades. She has a Masters in school counseling, has worked as both a public and independent school counselor, and serves on numerous college advisory boards and committees, including the Common Application Outreach Advisory Board, and many others.  Stay tuned for future episodes where Ethan and Cassidy continue the conversation. We'll continue to check in with Cassidy to see how things are going, and you'll find out how it turned out a few months from now. Cassidy is a current high school student going through the college application process. She lives in the Bay Area, loves ballet, knows a lot about Biology, and identifies as a “yapper”—more on that in our conversation.  We hope you enjoy!    Play-by-play 1:55 - How's Cassidy doing on her supplemental essays so far? 4:00 - Ethan reads Cassidy's “what would you bring to our campus” essay draft 8:48 - Ethan's feedback on the essay 15:38 - Additional supplemental essay prompts + Ethan's impressions 19:28 - Using the Roles and Identities Exercise to brainstorm ideas 24:48 - Ethan reads & reviews Cassidy's draft of her “community” essay 35:41 - Ethan reads and reviews Cassidy's draft of her “roommate” essay 44:42 - Reviewing Cassiday's “short answer” prompts (and why they're like an advent calendar) 53:45 - Introducing Renee Ferrerio  (CEG college counselor with 25+ years experience) 59:28 - Discussing impacted majors, Colleges That Change Lives, and suggestions for Cassidy's college list Resources Part 1 of this series, Inside the Application  Part 2 of this series, Inside the Application Cassidy's Supplemental Essay Doc The Roles and Identities Exercise How to Write the Stanford Roommate Essay + Examples A How-To Guide for the Short Answer Questions for Highly-Selective Colleges How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide

Today's episode is part two of our series, Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term. Ethan and Cassidy will be walking step-by-step through the college application process as it unfolds this school year. In episode 2, they get into:  How is Cassidy's personal statement coming along? What does Cassidy want colleges to know about her? How is Cassidy approaching her supplemental essays? What is Cassidy looking for in a college and how did she develop her list? And more Stay tuned for future episodes where Ethan and Cassidy continue the conversation! This series is a bit different in that, normally, we share episodes-in-a-series consecutively. For these, we're releasing them pretty much as we record them, so you'll notice them interspersed among other topics we'll be covering. We'll continue to check in with Cassidy to see how things are going, and you'll find out how it turned out a few months from now. Cassidy is a current high school student going through the college application process. She lives in the Bay Area, loves ballet, knows a lot about Biology, and identifies as a “yapper”—more on that in our conversation.  We hope you enjoy!    Play-by-play 1:36 - What has Cassidy been working on since last episode? 3:28 - Cassidy reads draft two of her personal statement  7:51 - Cassidy shares her thoughts on her draft 9:18 - Ethan gives feedback and shares suggestions for the next draft  12:57 -  Ethan reviews Cassidy's "Everything I Want Colleges to Know About Me" list 21:38 - Ethan reviews Cassidy's CommonApp Activities List and Additional Info sections 26:09 - What is Cassidy looking for in a college and how did she develop her list? 25:00 - Ethan reads the supplemental prompts from Cassidy's college list tracker  35:56  - What is a “super topic" and how might it help Cassidy? 50:50 - What is the Roles and Identities exercise? 58:55 - What are Cassidy's next steps in her drafting process?    Resources Part 1 of this series, Inside the Application Cassidy's brainstorming and second draft The "Everything I Want Colleges to Know About Me" List: A Brainstorm Exercise 8 First Choices: An Expert's Strategies for Getting into College by Joyce Slayton Mitchell How to Combine Your College Essay Prompts (To Save 20+ Writing Hours) College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources Learn How to Write Great Supplemental College Essays College Essay Guy's College Application Hub College Essay Guy's Roles and Identities Exercise Funko Pops

Today's episode kicks off a new series, Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term. Ethan and Cassidy will be walking step-by-step through the college application process as it unfolds this school year. In episode 1, they get into:  How did Cassidy approach brainstorming and outlining for her personal statement?  What brainstorming activities helped Cassidy pick her topic? Cassidy's first draft of her personal statement  Ethan's suggestions for revision  And more This series will also be different in that, normally, we share episodes-in-a-series consecutively. For these, we're releasing them pretty much as we record them, so you'll notice them interspersed among other topics we'll be covering.  Stay tuned for future episodes where Ethan and Cassidy continue the conversation! They'll revisit her personal statement, talk about supplemental essays, go over how Cassidy developed her college list, and even talk a little bit about the activities list and the additional information section. We'll continue to check in with Cassidy to see how things are going, and you'll find out how it turned out a few months from now. Cassidy is a current high school student going through the college application process. She lives in the Bay Area, loves ballet, knows a lot about Biology, and identifies as a “yapper”—more on that in our conversation.  We hope you enjoy!    Play-by-play:  2:57 - Getting to know Cassidy through her brainstorming materials 3:27 - Cassidy's social identities 4:29 - Cassidy's values 7:05 - Cassidy's superpower 8:12 - Cassidy's islands of personality 8:40 - What were some of the topics Cassidy considered for her essay? 13:51 - Cassidy walks through her essay outline and examples 16:01 - How did outlining make things easier for Cassidy?  18:48 - Cassidy reads the first draft of her personal statement  22:42 - Cassidy shares her thoughts on her draft 26:04 - Ethan gives feedback  39:18 - Ethan shares suggestions for the next draft  41:52 - Closing thoughts     Resources Cassidy's brainstorming and first draft College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub Funko Pops  

Welcome to the final episode to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications. In Episode 3, Ethan's guest is Emi Nietfeld, author of Acceptance (Penguin Press '22), a critically-acclaimed memoir of her high school journey through foster care, homelessness, and the troubled teen industry to attend college at Harvard. In this frank conversation, Emi opens up about, among other things: How the notion of disclosing (or not disclosing) may actually be somewhat problematic The difference between writing about challenges in general… and writing about them for the purposes of the college application The role she believes high school counselors can play in supporting students with mental health challenges during the college application process Takeaways for college admissions officers evaluating applications that include mental health disclosures And more   Play-by-Play 2:14 - Emi shares her background and story  3:50 - What advice would Emi  give to students about whether or not to disclose? 9:20 - What did Emi write about in her book, Acceptance? 11:55 - What was the college application process like for Emi? 14:24 - How did Emi's college essay change from the first to final draft? 19:49 - Where else in the application are there opportunities to disclose? 23:38 - What did the rest of Emi's application look like? 30:00 - How has writing helped Emi process her experiences? 33:17 - How can high school counselors help their students navigate this process? 36:11 - What advice would Emi give to college admission readers? 42:29 - How has Emi's life been different since writing Acceptance?  46:40 - What are Emi's hopes for the future of mental health disclosures in college applications?   Resources Emi's book, Acceptance Blog post linked to this episode: Should I Discuss Mental Health in My Personal Statement or College Application? (And If So, How)? Part 1 of this series – Episode 512: The Counselor Perspective Part 2 of this series – Episode 513: The Admission Officer Perspective How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples How to Brainstorm 7 Different Personal Statement Ideas Episode 406: Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead

Welcome to the next episode to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications.  In Episode 2, Ethan is joined by Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College. They cover, among other things:   Why is this topic important—both generally, but also personally, for Christina? What advice would Christina give to students about whether or not to disclose? What does Christina look for in a personal statement?  How can college counselors and parents help their students navigate this process? And more  Christina Lopez has served in college admissions for 18 years. She attended New York University Tisch School of the Arts and majored in Drama and later received her M.Ed. from NYU Steinhardt in Higher Education Administration. After graduating she worked in television and film casting and realized she enjoyed working with students. Her first admissions job was at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC.  During her time at NYU, she read for the Stern School of Business and managed the admissions process for Tisch School of the Arts. She joined Barnard's admissions team in 2014 as the Associate Director for Multicultural Recruitment and now serves as the Dean of Enrollment Management, providing oversight to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.  During her career in higher education, Christina has served as an Executive Board Member for New York State Association of College Admissions Counseling (NYSACAC) and Co-Chair of the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools (ABAFAOILSS). As an advocate for access and equity within higher education, she has previously served on the board of Go To College NYC and Minds Matter, two Community-Based Organizations in NYC that serve under-resourced students as they navigate the college process. We hope you enjoy the conversation.   Play-by-Play: 2:29 - Why is this topic important—both generally, but also personally, for Christina? 4:05 - Christina shares her background  15:27 - What advice would Christina give to students about whether or not to disclose? 20:36 - What are some different options for where students can disclose if they choose to? 23:33 - What information might not be as helpful to disclose? 26:00 - What does Christina look for in a personal statement?  33:45 - Christina shares some memorable college essays 38:22 - How can college counselors help their students navigate this process? 40:38 - What should students and families keep in mind during the college admission process? 50:31 - Closing thoughts   Resources: Blog post linked to this episode: Should I Discuss Mental Health in My Personal Statement or College Application? (And If So, How)? Part 1 of this series: Episode 512, Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective Your College Bound Kid Podcast: Christina Lopez on “Mental Health”' How to Brainstorm 7 Different Personal Statement Ideas Episode 406: Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead

Welcome to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications.  To kick things off, Ethan interviews Chris Loo, Director of College Counseling at The Stony Brook School, where Chris has been working to help students navigate mental health disclosures in their applications for years. In this episode, they explore: Which student populations does Chris see struggle with mental health challenges? When to disclose mental health issues and when it might not be necessary How and where in their applications students can disclose, from their additional info section to the counselor recommendation letter to the personal statement Advice for counselors and an exploration of the question: "Are we discussing this too much?" This episode is informed by conversations with many admission officers over the years and by direct work with students. If you'd like to hear from an admission officer directly, check out episode two in this series with Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College, and episode three with Emi Nietfeld, who discusses what it was like to navigate mental health disclosures from the student perspective.  Chris Loo immigrated from South Korea at the age of 5 with her parents. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in American History and received her Masters in Clinical Social Work. She has also worked as a music teacher, a campus chaplain and a mental health counselor at a refugee resettlement organization. She also serves as a board director for the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC).  We hope you enjoy the conversation.     Play-by-Play 2:24 - Chris' background in mental health and college counseling 6:11 - Should students disclose mental health challenges in their college application? 10:20 - What questions can students ask themselves to help decide? 15:08 - What is the Additional Information section and how could it be used to disclose mental health challenges? 17:20 - Chris and Ethan review an example disclosure from the Additional Information section 24:06 - What information could be shared through the counselor letter of recommendation? 24:42 - Chris shares a sample counselor letter example  34:33 - Ethan reads a personal statement sample where a student chose to disclose  47:15 - What is the role of the counselor in this process for students? 54:44 - Are we talking about mental health too much?  57:27 - Closing thoughts for students and families     Resources Blog post inspired by this episode: Should I Discuss Mental Health in My Personal Statement or College Application? (And If So, How)? How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples CEG Podcast Episode 507: What Colleges Want (Part 7A): Recommendation Letter Crash Course for Students and Families CEG Podcast Episode 508: What Colleges Want (Part 7B): Recommendation Letter Crash Courses for Counselors and Teachers NYTimes Article: Are We Talking Too Much About Mental Health?

In today's episode, Ethan connects with Angel Pérez (CEO of the National Association of College Admission Counselors) to discuss identity, his personal journey with self-care, and where he sees the college admission profession heading.  On the episode, you'll hear Angel and Ethan discuss: Angel's brainstorming work for his own imagined college essay (yes, really) What Angel's core values have to do with his self-care journey Strategies and techniques Angel (and Ethan) use for self care How does Angel see the US college landscape (and/or admissions process) changing in the next 5 years?  Fun fact: You'll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel. Check out last year's conversation, CEG Podcast Episode 401: Self-care for counselors, leaders, and professionals in helping roles. If you haven't met Angel Pérez, he is CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). In this role, he represents more than 25,000 admission and counseling professionals worldwide committed to postsecondary access and success. Named by a Forbes article in 2019 as the most influential voice in college admissions, he strives to build an educational ecosystem that better represents today's society. Prior to joining NACAC in July of 2020, Dr. Pérez served in secondary and higher education leadership positions across America, most recently, as Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success at Trinity College in Connecticut. He is an advocate for counselors everywhere, an important ally in the work of increasing access to higher education, and I'm so lucky to call him my friend… Hope you enjoy this episode.    Play-by-Play 2:43 - Introductions and welcome 4:15 - Values Exercise 9:13 - Social Identities Exercise 11:47 - What life experiences have influenced Angel's identities?  19:58 - How do Angel's core values connect to identity?  22:46 - How has self-care for Angel and Ethan evolved since their conversation last year? 27:06 - What are Angel and Ethan still working on for self-care? 33:39 - Accountability, pausing, and intention in self-care  39:24 - How does Angel see the US college landscape (and/or admissions process) changing in the next 5 years?  44:14 - How has the ban on race-conscious admission impacted students?  46:07 - Advice for students  48:20 - Is college still worth the cost? 50:56 - Advice for counselors and admission professionals 53:23 - Closing thoughts   Resources YouTube video version of this episode (511) Values Exercise Social Identities Exercise Counting Up vs. Counting Down by Duncan Sabien   30-Day Phone Breakup Course (Catherine Price) Rocket Fuel by Mark C. Winters, Gino Wickman CEG Podcast Episode 401: Self-care for counselors, leaders, and professionals in helping roles CEG Podcast Episode 406: Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead  

Today's episode concludes our 9-part “What Colleges Want” series, where we've been walking through the results of the report released by the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC) regarding the factors that colleges deem important. Ethan is joined by Jay Rosner (Executive Director of The Princeton Review Foundation) to talk about standardized testing.  In this episode they get into:  What are the origins of the SAT? What's changed in the testing landscape in the last year or two?  Does test optional really mean test optional? How much standardized tests matter for colleges? How do students figure out their preparation timeline and which test to take?  Why might testing be considered problematic? As the Executive Director of The Princeton Review Foundation, Jay Rosner has developed programs jointly with such organizations as the NAACP, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, College and Graduate Horizons (serving Native American students) and the Asian Pacific Fund. Jay's career has combined education and law, with an emphasis on student advocacy. He has testified before state legislative committees in California, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey, and as an expert witness in cases involving testing. Before attending law school, Jay was a public high school math teacher. Jay holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from Widener University, and is the proud father of two grown daughters.   Hope you enjoy!    Play-by-play 2:16 - How does Jay know so much about standardized tests?  4:23 - What are the origins of the SAT? 6:40 - How has standardized testing changed in recent years? 11:25 - Is test-optional really optional?  13:26 - How much do standardized tests matter in the application review? 14:49 - Who should take standardized tests? 20:24 - Is it better to take the SAT or the ACT? 23:30 - What are the benefits of quality test prep?  27:10 - How can students reach their best score?  33:54 - How do students know if they should submit their scores or not?  38:40 - Advice for counselors working with students in marginalized populations   42:05 - Why do some folks find standardized testing to be problematic? 45:00 - Closing advice for students and counselors    Resources List of test-optional and test-free schools CEG's Crash Course to Standardized Testing Add'l Info Sample on Testing   

On today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) is joined by Carolyn Starks, a former Pomona and Bates admissions officer and Associate Director of College Counseling at Oakwood School (North Hollywood, CA) at the time of recording, to talk about extracurricular activities and the activities list on college applications. They get into, among other things: What are some of the benefits of getting involved in your school community? How can students explore activities outside of their high schools? How do admission officers evaluate a student's activities list? Frequently asked questions about activities and summer programs And more!  But first, let's meet Carolyn:  Carolyn Starks followed her father's footsteps and attended Rhodes College in Memphis, TN where she studied English and Africana Studies. After graduation, she moved to Portland, ME to work at Bates College where she focused on supporting first-generation-to-college, BIPOC, and/or low-income students through the admissions process. After two years, she landed a job at Pomona College's Office of Admissions where she joined the Access Team, ran the College's diversity fly-in programs, and learned to be justice oriented in her approach to educational equity. Though at the time of recording Carolyn was Oakwood School in North Hollywood's Associate Director of College Counseling, she will soon be moving to serve as Co-Director of College Counseling at Santa Fe Prep in Santa Fe, NM. In her free time, Carolyn enjoys indulging in local cuisine and watching Bravo with her husband and her dog, Ms. Pecan Pie.    We hope you enjoy the episode.    Play-by-Play 4:48 - What is Carolyn's background?  6:20 - What activities was Carolyn involved in during high school? 8:36 - What activities did Tom participate in during high school?  10:45 - How can students learn about the opportunities at their school? 16:50 - Why should students get involved within their school community? 23:09 - How can students be involved in extracurriculars outside their school?  29:57 - What should students keep in mind when applying to highly selective schools? 36:13 - Do colleges have preferred activities or summer experiences? 36:41 - Does placement on an activities list matter? 37:37 - How many years should students participate in an activity?  39:05 - How important is having formal leadership roles?  42:18 - What might not be worth putting on your activities list?  46:25 - How many activities is enough?  51:22 - How can students maintain a balance between their home life, academic, and extracurricular activities? 55:47 - Closing thoughts  Resources Extracurricular Activities: A comprehensive guide with 400+ examples and ideas How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List A List of Activities You May Not Have Considered Including—But That Count! 80+ Real Examples for Writing Your Extracurricular Activity List

Today's episode is all about writing letters of recommendation for teachers and counselors. Continuing our series on What Colleges Want, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) is joined by Hanah Lim (CEG's Director of Workshops and a former high school English teacher), where they provide their tips, tricks, and hacks to help you write more efficient and effective letters for your students.  Tom and Hanah discuss: How long should letters be and what format works best? How do letters differ between counselors and teachers? What details might be helpful to include, and what should be avoided? How can teachers and counselors efficiently gather more information about their students to include in the letter?  We hope you enjoy the episode! In case you missed it: Students and families, be sure to check out last week's episode with Ayesha King to learn about what goes into a letter of recommendation, how they are evaluated by colleges, and who students should consider asking.  Hanah Lim is the Director of Workshops at College Essay Guy and a former public high school English teacher. She oversees College Essay Guy's essay and application workshop team and organizes speaking events and college application and essay workshops for students at schools and organizations in the US and around the world. She has presented college essay workshops to thousands of students across diverse settings, including community-based organizations, public, international, and independent schools. She also worked as a college consultant for students in Bangkok, Thailand, directed SAT prep centers in Irvine, California and worked with non-profit groups and as an AVID teacher and coordinator to help close the achievement gap. She holds a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Education from California State University of Long Beach.  Hanah finds joy in watching musicals, visiting Disney parks with her husband, and playing with her two cats.   Play-by-Play 2:19 - Hanah and Tom share their school contexts for writing their letters of recommendation 5:40 - How much weight do letters of recommendation hold in admission?  10:25 - What is the best practice for the length of a letter of recommendation for college?  10:57 - How should it be formatted?  14:03 - Should a letter be customized for each college? 15:38 - What else is submitted with the student's application from the high school? 16:19 - What is covered in the school profile?  19:44 - What is covered in the counselor's letter? 25:25 - What is covered in the teacher's letter? 30:46 - How does the Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admission affect letters of recommendation? 36:29 - What generally might be not as helpful to include in the letter? 40:38 - Hanah shares her process for writing letters of recommendation 49:18 - Tom shares his process for writing letters of recommendation 59:01 -  How to incorporate a student's essay brainstorming work 1:01:37 - How could generative AI be utilized in the recommendation writing process? 1:07:08 - Closing thoughts   Resources Continued Learning On-Demand Webinar: How to Write Better Recommendations in Less Time  How (and Why) to Uplevel Your School Profile Post-SCOTUS (College Essay Guy) CEG Podcast Episode 507: What Colleges Want (Part 7A): Recommendation Letter Crash Course for Students and Families Sample Recommendation Letters Sample Recommendation Letters by Student Archetype How to Write a Letter of Recommendation: Counselor's Guide + Samples (College Essay Guy) How to Write a Recommendation Letter for a Student: Teacher's Guide + Samples (College Essay Guy) Junior Questionnaires/Recommendation Request Form Questions Sample Junior Questionnaire (for Counselor Recommendations) Hanah Lim's Teacher Recommendation Request Form Helpful Student Brag Sheet Questions for Teacher Letters of Recommendation (Johns Hopkins University) Working with Recommenders and Advisors (several brag sheets from Common App Ready) College Essay Guy's 100 Brave and Interesting Questions (inspiration for your junior survey/questionnaire) Equity Resources Inequity and College Applications: Assessing Differences and Disparities in Letters of Recommendation from School Counselors with Natural Language Processing | EdWorkingPapers (Brown Unviersity) Avoiding Gender Bias in Reference Writing (University of Arizona) Do's and Don'ts of Writing Recommendation Letters | Center for Research and Fellowships (Georgetown University) Best Practices for Reading and Writing Letters of Recommendation (Lehigh University) Gender Bias Calculator (TomForth.Co.Uk) Gender-Bias calculator (Github) Bias-Free Letters of Recommendation: MD Education: Feinberg School of Medicine (Northwestern University) Efficiency Resources Google “Save As” Form Publisher (autofills student questionnaire responses from a spreadsheet onto your school letterhead) AI Recommendation Writing Resources (2023 NACAC Presentation) 2022-23 College Recommendation Requirements (College Transition)    

This week, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) is joined by Ayesha King (Director of College Counseling at the International School of Los Angeles) to talk about letters of recommendation. They get into: What goes into a letter of recommendation?  How are they evaluated by colleges? Who should students consider asking, and how do they ask? What can students and families do to ensure that their letters are the best they can be? What are FERPA rights and why should you waive them? Ayesha King (she/her) has over twelve years of experience in admissions at the secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, developing her values of social justice, equity and access. She is currently the Director of College Counseling at the International School of Los Angeles (LILA), a French International school, where she is stretching her skills working with students considering post-secondary options all over the world. She holds her Bachelors degree from the University of Redlands and her Masters degree from California Lutheran University. Ayesha loves spending time with her two boys and two dogs, visiting Disneyland, and talking about pop culture.   This is the next episode in our series on What Colleges Want. Stay tuned for our upcoming episode about writing letters of recommendation for teachers and counselors. Tom will be joined by Hanah Lim (CEG's Director of Workshops and a former high school English teacher), where they provide their tips, tricks, and hacks to help you write more efficient and effective letters for your students.   Play-by-Play 2:49 - How important are letters of recommendation to admissions officers?  5:55 - Why might it be called a “Letter of Advocacy” instead? 7:19 - When would a letter of recommendation make a big impact on a student's application? 13:38 - Should students also share this important context if it's already in their recommendation letter? 15:35 - How can students determine how many letters to request? 19:49 - What is being said in these letters? 26:38 - Which teachers are typically the best to ask for a recommendation letter? 29:51 - Why should students consider asking a teacher from a class they struggled in? 30:47 - What can students do to help their teachers & counselors write the best letter possible? 36:06 - What information should students share with their recommenders? 39:20 - How should students ask for a letter once they have determined who to ask? 44:41 - Do students ever see their letters of recommendation?  48:24 - Closing advice for parents & students   Resources How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for College: Step-by-Step Guide for Students CollegeTransitions Blog Post - College Recommendation Requirements Podcast Ep. 505 - What Colleges Want (Part 5): A Crash Course in the Supplemental Essays + Application with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples 100 Brave + Interesting Questions Pedro Pascal Cries From His Head While Eating Spicy Wings  

On today's episode, Ethan is joined by Christine Bowman, Assistant VP for Admission at Southwestern University. In part 6 in our series on What Colleges Want, Ethan and Christine get into: What is demonstrated interest and how do colleges track it?  How important is demonstrated interest to a student's chance of getting in? How might students find out if a particular school considers demonstrated interest in their admission review? What are some practical ways you can demonstrate your interest to colleges? Christine Bowman is the Assistant VP for Admission at Southwestern, where she oversees the admission department to set enrollment and retention philosophies. She has a Masters in Higher Ed Administration from UT-Austin, was the Co-Chair for the 2007 NACAC National Conference in and has served two terms as the Chair of the Colleges that Change Lives Board of Directors (see last season's episode with Ann Marano for more on CTCL's work). She currently serves on the advisory board of ROCA-NM (Rural Opportunities for College Access) and, with almost 30 years of experience in the admission profession, Christine believes in guiding students to find the right college fit and regularly gives presentations encouraging a stress-free college search process. We hope you enjoy the conversation!    Play-by-Play 2:15 - What is demonstrated interest? 5:00 - Why might demonstrated interest be important to colleges? 8:22 - What is yield? 11:24 - How can students demonstrate interest for a particular school?  15:17 - What can colleges track? 18:52 - For whom does demonstrated interest matter most?  23:47 - How to “break up” with a college 27:05 - What are some practical tips for students as they reach out to a college? 30:10 - How might an admissions officer use demonstrated interest? 32:58 - What ways can students demonstrate interest without visiting campus? 37:24 - What is the difference between early action, early decision, and regular decision? 40:25 - How important is the college interview? 48:10 - What can parents do to support their students during this process? 53:02 - Closing advice for parents, students, and counselors    Resources A Behind the Scenes Look at Demonstrated Interest w/Christine Bowman (Southwestern University) What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide Factors in the Admission Decision (NACAC Report) How to Decide Whether to Apply Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) College Interview Tips and Strategies - The Ultimate Guide CEG Podcast Episode 411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want w/ Ann Marano (CTCL)  

On this week's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 5 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about some of the other written parts of the application—the activities list, additional information section, and supplemental essays. Tom and Ethan get into: How can students write a great Activities List?  How can you find out what colleges are looking for in the supplemental essays? And what even is the additional information section? What is a ‘Super Essay' and how might it be useful? How does a student know when their application is complete? Fun fact: You'll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.   Play-by-Play 1:09 - What are the other writing components of a college application? 5:26 - How can students write a great Activities List?  9:33 - Does the order of the activities matter? 11:41 - Are activities from 9th and 10th grade worth putting in the Activities List? 13:37 - When should students elaborate on Activities in their Additional Info section? 17:05 - What else can go into the Additional Info section?  23:14 - What are some things to avoid putting in the Additional Info section? 24:41 - How should students format the Additional Info section? 26:19 - Why do some colleges have supplemental essays? 27:31 - What are some of the most common supplemental essays prompts? 34:11 - How might institutional priorities impact an individual applicant?  44:14 - What is a ‘Super Essay' and how is it used? 49:12 - How does a student know when their application is complete?   Resources How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples My College List (Research + Essay Topic Tracker) School-Specific Supplemental Essays Why This College Essay Guide + Examples How to Combine Your College Essay Prompts (To Save 20+ Writing Hours) What the Heck are "Hooks" and "Institutional Priorities"? The Values Exercise CEG Podcast Episode 101: Life As an Undocumented Student at Harvard CEG Podcast Episode 504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

On this week's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 4 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about the personal statement. According to the latest State of College Admission report – after grades, course rigor, and positive character traits (see previous episodes), the college essay is what colleges care about most. Tom and Ethan get into:  What is the purpose of the personal statement?  How do you find a topic, especially if you're not writing about challenges?   Why do I recommend students NOT choose a common extracurricular activity as their main college essay topic?  How do you stand out?  And how do you know when you're done? Fun fact: You'll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.   Play-by-Play 1:38 - What is the purpose of the personal statement in the college admission process? 2:53 - How might students use this statement for multiple schools?  3:48 - Should students talk about challenges they've faced in a personal statement?  6:47 - Should students talk about their major or career goals? 8:33 - Where is the best place to discuss extracurricular activities?  10:20 - Should students explain red flags in their personal statement? 11:26 - How can students brainstorm potential topics for their personal statement? 17:56 - What is the structure of a personal statement? 21:11 - How can students stand out? 28:57 - Case Study: What does the process look like from brainstorming to final draft? 35:39 - How does a student know when their essay is done? 38:27 - Is there a place for artificial intelligence in the college essay? 41:47 - have personal statements shifted since the Supreme Court ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions? 44:04 - Why does the personal statement process matter? 49:14 - Closing thoughts   Resources YouTube Video version of this episode (504) Sample personal statements 7 Brainstorming Exercises (YouTube video) The “Food” essay (YouTube video analysis) The Great College Essay Test Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead Matchlighters Informaiton CEG Podcast Episode 404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down—What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner Is It “Okay” to Talk About Race in Your College Application and Essays—And If So, How Should You Do It?  

In today's two-part episode, we're delving into one of the potentially more confusing aspects of what colleges want — “positive character attributes” — which 65.8% of colleges give considerable or moderate importance.  In part 1, I'm joined by Tom Bear (VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and Bob Massa (former chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University) to discuss: What are these positive character attributes? Why are they important to colleges? How do colleges decide which qualities to seek and how to evaluate for them? How do students show these qualities in their application?  Part 2 is with Trisha Ross Anderson, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common Project, and we get into: How Making Caring Common helps colleges figure out what they are looking for How some colleges are working to increase access and equity in admissions Advice to parents as they navigate this process with their students Tom Bear has been working in college enrollment since 1987 at a variety of institutions, including as VP for Enrollment at University of Evansville, Senior Director of Enrollment at Notre Dame and now as the VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He joined the Character Collaborative in 2017, served as Board Chair and will chair NACAC's Character Focus Initiative. Bob Massa got his Doctorate in Higher Education from Columbia, served as the chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University and Co- founded the Character Collaborative in 2016. Although he has retired from full-time work after 45 years of campus-based work, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California's online masters program in enrollment management. Trisha Ross Anderson has served on research teams at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for the past 13 years. She's worked with the Making Caring Common (MCC) Project to help write reports including one called Turning the Tide that focuses on reform of the college admission process. She leads MCC's college admissions initiatives with Richard Weissbourd and currently serves on NACAC's Character Focus Initiative Advisory Council.    Play-by-Play 0:00 - Meet Tom Bear and Bob Massa (Part 1) 2:12 - What do colleges mean by “positive character attributes”?  3:55 - What are some examples of these “positive character attributes”?   4:58 - Why is it important for students, parents, and counselors to think about these qualities? 7:16 - How do colleges decide what qualities they're looking for? 12:04 - How do colleges evaluate students for these qualities? 13:09 - Example of a rubric on extraordinary commitment to others 19:10 - Why don't colleges share their rubrics for what they're looking for? 21:18 - What can students do to better understand what a particular school is looking for? 24:08 - How do colleges evaluate “character” in an applicant?  29:58 - What is the high school profile and how is it used in a student's evaluation? 31:20 - Why is it important to think about positive character attributes now? 35:56 - How can students demonstrate these qualities in their college applications?  40:00 - What can parents do to help their students in this process?  42:01 - Meet Trisha Ross Anderson (Part 2) 43:09 - What is the Making Caring Common (MCC) project? 44:37 - How is MCC working with colleges?  46:17 - Why is it difficult to create a rubric for these qualities? 48:16 - How is MCC helping colleges decide on what they are looking for?  52:45 - How is MCC helping colleges to increase equity and access in the college admissions process? 57:33 - Advice for parents on navigating this process with their students 1:01:31 - Closing thoughts    Resources Making Caring Common Character Assessment in College Admission Guide Turning the Tide (2016): Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions Turning the Tide II (2019): How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process How (and Why) to Uplevel Your School Profile Post-SCOTUS: A Guide for Counselors that Predominantly Serve First Generation, Low-Income and/or Underrepresented Students of Color How to Research Colleges Without Visiting a Campus How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples Ideas from Ethan for finding what you care about + finding content for your application:  Values Exercise (2 min) If you really, really knew me… (1 hr)

On today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) and Nitzya Cuevas-Macias (Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep) cover: How do students decide which classes to take—and what questions should they ask when deciding? Key recommendations for selecting English, math, science, social studies, language, and elective courses The most frequently asked questions we get asked about courses and grades Nitzya Cuevas-Macias was a first-gen college student at UC Berkeley where she studied History and Legal Studies, and earned her Master's in Mexican American Studies from San José State. She's been working in education for 16 years where the majority of her time has been in college access and success, in the CBO, non-profit world, k-12 public and charter, and community college. Currently, she is the Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep, a free public charter in San José, CA and serves as a board member of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.  We hope you enjoy!   Play-by-Play: 2:21 - Introductions 6:02 - What are key things to keep in mind when planning your high school experience?  10:21 - Subject area recommendations 11:40 - English  16:04 - Math 21:34 - Science  28:02 - Social Studies 31:11 - Languages 33:06 - Visual/Performing Arts  36:17 - Electives 36:39 - Rapid-fire FAQs about grades 37:43 How do colleges evaluate my course grades and transcript? 38:22 - Is it important to only get Straight-As to have a chance?  40:29 - How do colleges evaluate my GPA? 42:05 - How can students balance a high GPA with challenging courses? 44:28 - Should students increase their rigor every year? 45:23 - Is it a good idea to take additional summer or online courses? 49:43 - How important is class rank? 51:19 - Should I pick Honors, AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment?  54:17 - Are AP and IB scores important if my school doesn't offer AP courses? 57:28 - How do I know what classes to take if I don't know what I want to study or where I want to go to college? 59:59 - Wrap up / closing thoughts Resources: Coursera UC Scout Episode 403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My!: How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context - Susan Tree Episode 213: Self-Directed Learning (Why You Can Quit HS & Be Okay) What are AP classes? IB vs AP Easiest AP Classes Hardest AP Classes

Show Notes On today's episode, Ethan sits down with David Hawkins, Chief Education and Policy Officer at National Association of College Admission Counselors (aka NACAC), and they get discuss, among other things:  What are the most important factors colleges consider?  What significant changes has he seen in the college admission landscape in the past few years? How has the emphasis on college essays (aka the personal statement) shifted?  Why has the emphasis in standardized testing changed? What have the impacts been of the Supreme Court decision to ban race conscious admission?  How can students, counselors, and parents use the info in this report to make their college admission process easier?  For over 20 years, David Hawkins has worked in enrollment management and admissions to alleviate systemic barriers to accessing higher education. Hawkins has played a key role in setting NACAC's strategic direction, which involved hearing and representing the collective voice of NACAC's more than 25,000 high school counselors and college admission officers. His priorities include making NACAC a more effective learning organization, with an emphasis on ethics and redefining advocacy.  We hope you enjoy the conversation.   Play-by-Play 2:04 - Introductions 3:03 - What is the State of College Admission report? 5:48 - How can students, parents, and counselors use this report? 9:50 - Which factors of admissions decisions are most important to colleges? 13:34 - How are “positive character attributes” assessed? 18:00 - What are some specific qualities that are important to colleges? 20:46 - How do students show these qualities in their applications? 25:33 - How has the importance of the college essay shifted in recent years? 27:13 - Which colleges seem to value the essay more highly? 28:47 - How does a student's interest in attending a particular school influence admissions decisions? 32:30 - How are counselor & teacher recommendations assessed? 33:58 - What are admissions officers looking for in extracurricular activities? 37:38 - Why is high school class rank dropping in rank of importance?  39:30 - Do colleges still want to see standardized test scores? 42:52 - Quick thoughts on creative portfolios, interviews, work experience, state exam scores, and subject test scores 44:49 - David shares predictions on shifts in equity and inclusion in the future of admissions 48:57 - Closing thoughts    Resources State of College Admission Report What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide A List of Activities You May Not Have Considered Including—But That Count! How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for College: Step-by-Step Guide for Students How to Write a Letter of Recommendation: Counselor's Guide + Samples How to Write a Recommendation Letter for a Student: Teacher's Guide + Samples Crash Course to Standardized Testing Podcast Episodes: 204: What You Need to Know About Standardized Tests and Mistakes to Avoid 411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want  

On today's episode, Ethan is joined by Amanda Miller, who got her start in financial aid through the College Advising Corps at Davidson College in 2014. A few thousand students, several resources, and dozens of financial aid presentations later, Amanda's an independent financial aid specialist and college adviser who also serves as the financial aid go-to lady for the Matchlighters program and someone we consider to be a part of the extended College Essay Guy family.  Ethan and Amanda discuss:  How do people identify the best ways to pay for college? What are some things that people who win scholarships do differently? What's the most important thing a student can do to make college affordable and avoid going into tons of debt? How can you learn which colleges are likely to be affordable to you? Myths on topics ranging from financial aid appeals to applying out of state   Play-by-Play 1:45 - Intro 2:49 - How do people pay for college? 4:39 - Where does most of the money come from when it comes to paying for college? 5:28 - What are the three types of scholarships? 7:28 - How do students win scholarships? 10:38 - How does the FAFSA help students pay for college? 15:21 - How do students avoid taking on too much debt? 19:23 - How do students figure out what kinds of colleges will be affordable? 27:30 - What are some of Amanda's favorite affordability tools for students and parents? 29:43 - Amanda busts some college affordability myths 37:33 - How can families determine if college is truly worth the cost? 41:42 - What is the difference between “cost of attendance” and “net cost”? 44:04 - Why should most people still complete the FAFSA? 47:57 - What is a reasonable amount of debt to graduate with? 50:21 - What steps should students take to figure out their financial plan for college? 51:52 - Closing thoughts Resources Crash Course on How to Pay for College (check back soon for the link!) How to Make College Affordable Mini-Course for U.S. Students and Families How to Make College Affordable Mini-Course for College Counselors and Educators College Scorecard – US Department of Education TuitionFit – Mark Salisbury  CollegeXpress The College Finder: Choose the School That's Right for You! Fourth Edition – By Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D. Podcast Episodes: 121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version) – Jeff Levy, financial aid expert 122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version) – Jennie Kent, international financial aid expert 411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want – Ann Marano (Colleges That Change Lives)

In today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) and Susan Tree (a college counseling and admissions legend with 40+ years of experience) chat about “intellectual curiosity”: a quality that many colleges actively look for in students, yet is a little more ambiguous and nuanced compared to mapping out a high school course plan. This is part 2 of a series about students' academic background and interests and how they factor into the admissions process. Part 1 is about all things related to the academic part of a student's college application— which, at many selective colleges, is seen as the “foot in the door” of their selection process. On the episode you'll hear Susan and Tom discuss: Identifying an academic superpower and framing it in that way in your college application How coming across as "too complete" to colleges (as in, you have no bigger questions you'd like to solve) can actually make your application less competitive How to infuse intellectual curiosity into your supplemental essays Showing academic and nonacademic alignment for particularly popular majors Hope you enjoy. Play-by-Play 1:38 - Reframing your accomplishments as superpowers 7:12 - Identifying your learning style among Architects, Gardeners, and Explorers 10:22 - Why colleges want different types of learners   13:52 - Why communicating what you're curious about to admissions officers is a good idea  15:07 - Staying in touch with who you are on your application  19:17 - Understanding the pressure to present a complete version of yourself 22:55 - An example of showing intellectual curiosity through supplemental essays  26:44 - The value of curiosity in non-academic spaces 32:52 - How highly-selective colleges evaluate quality vs. quantity in their applicants 38:51 - What is academic alignment vs. non-academic alignment? How does this impact the way colleges read applications? 43:34 - What if your high school doesn't offer specialized programs to help you explore your intellectual curiosity?   46:49 - Final thoughts Resources Episode 403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My!: How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context (with Susan Tree) How to Choose a College Major (Step-by-step) How to Write the "Why this Major" College Essay What the Heck are "Hooks" and "Institutional Priorities"?

Hey all, today's episode is a special one. We had one of our rockstar essay coaches, Shira Harris, sit down with two of her former Matchlighter students, Milena Veliz and Sayem Kamal, to discuss their experiences navigating the college application process as First Generation Low Income Students. At the time of the recording, Milena was an incoming sophomore at Macaulay Honors College at John Jay and Sayem was an incoming freshman at Columbia University. They both received full scholarships at their respective schools.  In the episode, we'll listen to Shira, Milena, and Sayem discuss (among other things):  Milena and Sayem's backgrounds and how they found out about the Matchlighters program The process of working with Shira and some of the most helpful resources they used to write their essays Leveraging scholarships to pay for college Difficulties Milena and Sayem encountered in the application process and why having a mentor was so helpful What Milena and Sayem wrote in their personal statements Tips, hacks, and guidance for students going through the process right now If you've never heard of Matchlighters, it's our 1-on-1 coaching support program where we pair students from low-income households with volunteer counselors. We're in our 8th year of the program with over 2,000+ Scholars supported from 45 states and 5 continents — with our scholars attending more than 150 colleges and universities. Shira Harris, whom you'll meet in a moment, is an alternative educator, mediator, former civil rights attorney and queer activist who received a BA from UC Berkeley, law degree from New York University, and an international masters on migration and mediation in the Mediterranean region. We hope you enjoy the conversation.    Play-by-Play 2:20 - Milena & Sayem share their backgrounds  5:13 - How they found Matchlighters and what their sessions were like  9:41 - What resources did they find helpful in the college essay writing process?   12:36 - How did Milena & Sayem start to build their college lists?  15:35 - What was difficult or unexpected about this process?  19:45 - What tips do Sayem & Milena have for students going through this process right now?  23:20 - How did they overcome concerns about college affordability as low-income students?  26:35 -What scholarship resources did Milena & Sayem find in their search? 29:29 - How are Milena & Sayem connecting with their college campuses? 33:03 - What parts of the application process have stuck with Milena & Sayem?  36:55 - What advice would Sayem & Milena give to their former selves?  38:45 - Resources for First-Gen, Low-Income students  41:11 - Wrap-up / closing thoughts Resources Matchlighters The Values Exercise Corsava Card Sort CollegeXpress QuestBridge Why Us Guides Super Essays Macaulay Honors Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be by Frank Bruni Reddit - r/applying to college Reddit - r/questbridge CollegeBoard CEG Discord First Gen Support Discord UStrive (mentorship program for FGLI students)  

On Season 1 of the podcast, Ethan had a great conversation with Maria Furtado, then Executive Director of the Colleges That Change Lives organization (also known as “CTCL”). It's a lovely chat and to date one of our most downloaded episodes.  On today's episode Ethan had the pleasure of sitting down with her successor, Ann Marano, and they get into:    Where to start when it comes to the college search How to myth bust yourself (a practical exercise) What questions to ask when you're searching for a college Some things Ann and Ann and Ethan wished they had done differently when they went through the process themselves  Busting some affordability myths What it means to keep a student at the center of the college search  If you've never met Ann, you should know that she is a proud first-generation college graduate of Mount St. Mary's University (CA) who earned her M.A. in Education-Psychology from Pepperdine. She's served on several counselor advisory boards, including the Common Application Board of Directors and the Johns Hopkins University Access Advisory Board. After 20 years in college admissions counseling at several different universities and high schools and 12 years as the college bound advisor at the first all girls' public school in the state of Texas, Ann Marano moved into the role of Executive Director for the Colleges That Change Lives. We hope you enjoy the conversation.   Play-by-Play 1:57 - What is CTCL and what is Ann's role as Executive Director?  3:58 - What's it like to be a student at a liberal arts college? 8:09 - What kind of student is right for a liberal arts college?  10:01 - What's a good place to start in the college search process? 14:49 - How to combat myths about colleges  19:04 - What are some questions that are important for students and families to be asking themselves as they go through this process? 25:52 - An exercise for picturing yourself on a college campus  29:45 - What would Ann and Ethan have done differently in college? 32:04 - How does a student get a sense of a school if they're not able to visit the campus? 34:15 - College affordability at private schools 39:17 - What are some tips for parents about keeping students at the center of the search? 43:56 - Another example of what it's like to be a student at a liberal arts college 48:27 - An exercise students can do to begin this process of finding a great college 52:55 - Final thoughts / wrap-up   Resources CTCL.org CTCL How To Choose A College Brochure The Values Exercise How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide  How to Research Colleges Without Visiting a Campus Paying for College in Four Steps: The Five College Types U.S. Department of Education College Affordability and Transparency Center College Cost Transparency Initiative The Common Data Set: What It Is and How to Use It in College Admissions   

On today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) hosts the first installment of a new series called Regional Spotlights, which will bring on college counseling experts who have deep history or knowledge of the exciting college options from (and cultural nuances of) a particular geographic region. We're kicking off this series with Colleges in The South. Our Southern specialist and special guest today is CEG's very own Renee Ferrerio.  Renee began her career more than 30 years ago, first as a public-school counselor and more recently as the Director of College Counseling at The O'Neal School. She is Co-Chair for North Carolina's State and Area Initiatives Committee and might be considered by some as a counselor-fly in connoisseur, having participated in dozens of visit programs at various colleges and universities across the country. On the episode you'll hear Tom and Renee discuss: The myths and realities of going to college in The South Admissions trends at Southern flagship public universities How to make studying in The South more affordable, including special scholarship opportunities Hidden gems and unique, specialized programs that you may not have heard of before Our hope is that, for students and families, spotlighting some of these “little things” about studying in the South will help you see that there may even be bigger things in store for you there than you originally anticipated… beyond BBQ.   Play-by-Play 0:24 - Welcome & Introductions 2:57 - Why are we doing regional spotlights? 3:56 - Why should geography be a factor in a student's list-making process? 7:26 - What are some cultural realities students should keep in mind as they're putting together a college list with Southern schools? 15:57 - What are some misconceptions about Greek Life? 24:03 - What should students applying to public flagships know? 31:06 - College affordability in the South 39:50 - Studying STEM in the South 47:51 - Rapid-fire Southern Spotlights 48:34 - Schools in Florida 55:02 - Schools in Georgia 59:16 - Schools in South Carolina 1:02:45 - Schools in North Carolina 1:08:31 - Schools in Tennessee 1:10:39 - Schools in Texas 1:12:01 - Schools in Virginia 1:16:26 - Wrap Up & Closing Thoughts   Resources Academic Common Market Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Regent's Engineering Pathway (REP) at Georgia Tech The NC State Engineering 2+2 Transfer Program UNC Asheville 2+2 Engineering Program Scholarships in the South: Davidson College John M. Belk Scholarship Emory University Scholars Georgia Tech Stamps President's Scholars Program North Carolina State University Park Scholars University of Alabama Presidential University of Georgia Foundation Fellowship and Bernard Ramsey Scholarship University of Kentucky Singletary Scholars University of North Carolina Charlotte Levine Scholars University of North Carolina Morehead-Cain University of Texas at Dallas Eugene McDermott Scholars University of Virginia Jefferson Scholars  Washington and Lee University Johnson Scholarship Wofford College Scholars

My guest is Katie Andersen, a former NCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer player at Duke University, who now advises student-athletes through her organization, College Fit OC. She's also the co-founder of The Student-Athlete Advisors, which focuses on educating and mentoring educational consultants who advise college-bound student-athletes. Our conversation turned into a veritable crash course in college athletic recruiting. We get into, among other things: How a student can know if they can realistically play their sport at the college level When students should start their athletic recruiting process Can a college coach actually help a student get accepted to a university? How college-list building is different for student athletes Recent rule changes families should be aware of Tips for social media Tips for recruiting videos And lots more!   Play-by-play 0:00 - Intro / Who is Katie Anderson? 1:37 -  Katie shares a little bit about her journey as a student athlete 4:29 - How can a student know if they can realistically play their sport at the college level? 9:00 - When should students start their athletic recruiting process? 12:45 - Should student athletes visit campus?  15:36 - How do students know if a coach is serious about recruiting them?  18:11 - How can students be proactive in their recruiting process?  21:30 - What influence do coaches have on the admissions process?  25:05 - What are coaches looking for in student athletes?  29:51 - How is building a college list different for student athletes? 35:50  - How do early decision applications impact the students' athletic recruiting journey? 39:03 - Are there any recent shifts in athletic recruitment that students should know?  42:18 -  How can social media be used to help a student in the recruiting process? 47:04 - What are some tips for creating recruiting videos?  50:32 - What are some of the misconceptions that students and families have about this process? 52:46 - Advice to families who are considering hiring somebody to help them with this process? 54:46  - What resources are available for families throughout this process?  54:43 - Wrap-Up   Resources Blog for Student Athlete Advisors (Katie's organization) College Athletic Recruiting Playbook NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide Podcast 121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version) - Jeff Levy, financial aid expert Podcast 122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version) - Jennie Kent, international financial aid expert Podcast 123: Should You Apply Early Decision or Regular Decision? (And the Chart That Can Help You Decide) - Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy

On this episode I had the honor of sitting down with Sam and Shannon Bergeron. Sam is a transgender man who transitioned in high school (in Texas) and who now works in college admissions at his alma mater, Hampshire College. Shannon is Founder of Core College Consulting, where she specializes in using a whole child college counseling™ approach. She's been a school counselor for more than 20 years, a volunteer with Matchlighters Scholars program, and she's also Sam's mom, an ally, and an advocate for trans students.  We discuss a number of critical things trans youth, their counselors and caregivers should know as they navigate the college admission process, including: The importance of understanding student information systems at your school How to ensure safety in gendered spaces on campus The value of offering, or improving trans-specific counseling services Conversation starters for teachers, counselors, and administrators How to research colleges And much more   Play-by-play 0:00 - Introduction - Who are Shannon and Sam? 1:43 - Welcome to the podcast 1:55 - Shannon and Sam share their backstories in advocating for trans youth 4:39 - What was Shannon's experience of Sam's transition in high school? 6:42 - Why is it important to talk about and advocate for trans youth? 9:57 - Ethan shares his personal ties to trans youth advocacy 10:45 - What are some of trans students' rights at school? 15:19 - What are Shannon's strategies for identifying places in the school system that protect trans youth?  17:38 - What are some of the impacts of calling a student by the wrong name?  19:20 - How can parents, caregivers, and counselors better support trans students?  21:55 - How do you find and create safe spaces in high school? 28:00 - What is Shannon's advice for parents in similar situations? 32:15 - The power of grounding techniques   34:38 - What are some ways of sharing your story in a way that is impactful for others? 37:20 - What should counselors keep in mind? 39:25 - Sharing common terminology surrounding LGBTQIA+ identities  44:04 - What is Sam's experience and advice in the college search process? 49:26 - ICYMI: CEG Podcast Episode 214 - Resources for LGBTQ+ Students from Campus Pride with Shane Windmeyer 49:53 - Advice and considerations for writing the college essay 56:32 - Closing advice for supporting the trans people in your life   Resources:  The Protect Trans Students Resource 50+ LGBTQ Resources for Students and Their Counselors Grounding techniques resources: https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/distress-tolerance/grounding/ https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/blog/understanding-different-types-of-grounding https://www2.winona.edu/resilience/media/grounding-worksheet.pdf https://www.acesdv.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Grounding-Worksheet.pdf

On today's episode I got to sit down with Rick Diaz, the Regional Director of Admission for Southern Methodist University (SMU) and someone I've known for more than 15 years. We have a pretty wide ranging discussion that covers: A behind-the-scenes look at how SMU reads applications and how they shape a class—and what that even means  Then we dive into supplemental essays — in particular the impacts of the Supreme Court's decision to ban race-conscious admission — and how that decision has led to a large number of selective schools changing or adding new supplemental essay prompts.  We nerd out on Rick's favorite supplemental essay—the “Why us” essay—talk a little about college majors and then—I think, Rick maybe has a little a-ha moment about when his interest in his own college major began We play a little game I made up on the chat called “What do students get wrong about…” And finally we discuss dos and don'ts for making a connection with your regional admission officers including (spoiler alert) why you maybe shouldn't show up at their house with a box of their favorite cookies… unless you kinda' want to freak them out a little?  I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.  Play-by-play 0:00 - Welcome to the podcast 01:32 - Who is Rick Diaz? 02:35 - What's Rick's role at Southern Methodist University (SMU)? 06:04 - How does SMU read applications? 08:44 - How long does Rick spend on reading an application?  10:42 - What are institutional priorities and how do they shape decisions in a college? 13:05 - What is the relationship between supplemental essays and institutional priorities? 16:29 - What are colleges looking for when their supplemental question is “Why us?” 17:21 - This year's supplemental prompts at SMU 18:14 - Should you talk about your diversity in your college essays? 21:01 - An exercise in diversity 23:32 - What are colleges thinking about right now surrounding supplemental essays? 25:55 - Rick reacts to supplemental prompts from other schools 26:07 - Rick reacts to a prompt about being different 27:34 - Rick reacts to a prompt about your identity and goals 29:41 - How did Rick figure out his major in college? 32:46 - What is demonstrated interest and how important is it? 38:16 - Why do colleges care who is more likely to enroll? 40:25 - Do's and Don't's of reaching out to your admissions officer 43:01 - What students get wrong about admissions 43:14 - How important are extracurriculars & summer planning? 44:41 - What about the personal statement? 47:03 - Is it true that the personal statement or supplemental essay can impact some students more than others? 49:00 - What about Standardized testing? 51:00 - What Rick loves about this work 52:41 - What should families keep in mind during this process? 57:07 - Wrap-up and additional resources Resources The “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise (Template) This practical, comprehensive exercise helps students generate a list of identities, skills, qualities, and skills they can share with colleges. It's one of our favorites here at CEG—if you use it, just give us a shout-out. :) The Social Identities Exercise (Template)This exercise is another favorite and is useful for helping students think about diversity and identity in both broader and more nuanced ways. Includes a guide for counselors, facilitators, and parents. How to Answer the “Diversity” (and Other Related) Supplemental Essay Prompts (Blog Article) Colleges and Universities that Changed Their Supplemental Essay Prompts After the SCOTUS Decision Was Released (Blog Article) Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead (Blog Article)  

In this episode I sat down with TED speaker Tina Yong to talk about why students don't have to write about trauma in a college essay to stand out—and what they can do instead. We discussed, among other things:  Tina's experience as an immigrant/racialized person feeling the pressure to turn her personal story into a personal statement with a linear, digestible plot—and how she realized how damaging this could be damaging to students of color How Tina believes this is more a systemic issue The recent Supreme Court ruling and how it can be okay to talk about race in the college application, with certain caveats An example personal statement that mentions race but speaks specifically to qualities of character and unique abilities the author would bring to a college campus Other ways students can share their identities in ways that allow them to take ownership of their story Practical exercises students might use to talk about their different identities in their application—identities that include but aren't limited to race Supplemental essay prompts that ask specifically about challenges Specific advice from Tina for students and for counselors    Play-by-Play 0:00 - Intro 3:45 - Who is Tina Yong? 4:04 - Ethan and Tina's backstory 7:08 - ICYMI: recap of Tina's TedX Talk about her experience as an immigrant applying to US universities 9:44 - What inspired Tina to speak on trauma in college essays? 11:11 - How and why Ethan changed his workshop approach 12:32 - What response did Tina get after her TED Talk? What was the impact? 14:29 - What has Tina learned since giving her TED Talk? 17:28 - How will applicants of colors be affected by the recent Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions? 19:46 - Is it okay to discuss race in your application? 22:03 - Ethan & Tina read of a sample personal statement that discusses race 25:03 - Tina's analysis 27:32 - Ethan's analysis 30:04 - Three ways that students can share their identity in their personal statements—that don't focus on a traumatic story with a happy ending 34:55 - How to avoid writing a “sob story” 35:45 - How to structure a challenges-based essay 36:34 - What are colleges looking for in a college essay? 38:15 - Practical brainstorming exercises for finding great personal statement topics 43:04 - Navigating supplemental essay prompts 47:31 - This isn't the “Vulnerability Olympics” 51:36 - Counselor resources & takeaways 53:11 - Student resources & takeaways 55:47 - Book recommendations from Tina on psychology & trauma 57:21 - Closing thoughts   Resources: Ethan's edit to the"35+ Best College Essay Tips..."  Should You Write about Race in Your College Application—And, If So, How? (Blog) How to Answer the “Diversity” (and Other Related) Supplemental Essay Prompt(s) (Blog) Colleges and Universities that Changed Their Supplemental Essay Prompts After the SCOTUS Decision Was Released Resource for counselors on How (and Why) to Uplevel Your School Profile (coming soon) Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead (blog)  

Today is a special episode in that it's bilingual—the first part is in Spanish, the second part in English. My guest is Lorenzo Gamboa (Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach at Santa Clara University) and we're discussing some of the things he believes Latinx families should know as they prepare for college. Hoy es un episodio especial porque es bilingüe: la primera parte es en español, la segunda parte en inglés. Dejame terminar la introduccion en ingles y ya regreso en espanol. On this episode, we discuss a variety of misconceptions that families sometimes have, including:  The notion that students have to major in a high-paying profession/career The myth that undocumented students can't go to college And we discuss whether or not students should discuss race or cultural influence in their application — post the SCOTUS decision to ban affirmative action If you'd like to listen to the English part, just fast forward to basically halfway through this episode when you hear me speaking English. I hope you enjoy. Play-by-play:  [0:00] Introducción / Introduction Spanish Part [00:00:08] - Introducción  [00:01:20] - Quien es Lorenzo Gamboa [00:06:44] - Trabajo de Lorenzo en diversidad e inclusión [00:07:28] - Desmitificando conceptos erróneos [00:09:13] - La importancia de universidades públicas [00:10:37] - Información sobre pruebas estandarizadas [00:13:11] - La importancia de no enfocarse solo en carreras lucrativas [00:15:07] - Acceso a universidad para los estudiantes indocumentados [00:16:56] - Recursos y apoyo para estudiantes indocumentados [00:17:26] - Preocupación por el dinero y formas de financiar su educación [00:19:02] - Valorando la inversión en la educación [00:19:49] - Cambios en la consideración de raza en la admisión [00:20:17] - Como los consejeros pueden apoyar [00:22:02] - Mensaje importante para los estudiantes y familias [00:23:16] - Agradecimiento y cierre del episodio English Part [00:23:27] Who is our guest, Lorenzo Gamboa? [00:26:13] What messages did Lorenzo hear growing up surrounding family and education?  [00:26:59] Pulling back the veil of higher education access in Lorenzo's role  [00:27:47] What are some of the myths Latinx families have about going to college? [00:30:27] Money conversation: Should students look at private or public schools?  [00:33:18] Why it's important to pick a college major based on passion, not just pay. [00:35:03] Interested in learning more about passion over pay? Check out podcast episode 113 [00:35:44] What are some of the considerations for undocumented students going to college?  [00:38:05] What if you don't have enough money to pay for college?  [00:40:06] Does the Supreme Court's ruling mean students shouldn't talk about race and ethnicity in their application? [00:45:06] A message to high school and Community-Based Organization (CBO) counselors [00:45:45] Closing thoughts to families & students Resources ImmigrantsRising.org ScholarshipsAZ.org  CEG Podcast: Life As an Undocumented Student at Harvard Should I Come Out As Undocumented in My Personal Statement? (Part 1 of 2) How to Come Out As Undocumented in Your Personal Statement (Part 2 of 2) CEG Podcast: How to Advocate for Undocumented Students - Dr. Aliza Gilbert, Counselors that Change Lives recipient 15 Ways to Advocate for Undocumented Youth

In this episode we're talking about the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down race-conscious admission and what the implications might be for colleges, students applying to those colleges, and the counselors who advise them. And what better person to talk about it with than Jay Rosner, whose entire career has been devoted to the intersection of law and college admissions. This is the first in a series where we'll be exploring the impacts of the SCOTUS decision from a variety of perspectives.   Jay Rosner and I get into:  What the affirmative action ruling practically means  How it might impact college admissions, including for underrepresented students We address some students' fears about whether or not they should mention their race, or share experiences directly related to their race or culture in their college applications I ask Jay: “Who is the burden on here—students or the colleges themselves?”  We also talked about how counselors should advise students   For those of you who have never met Jay: As the Executive Director of The Princeton Review Foundation, he has developed programs jointly with such organizations as the NAACP, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, College and Graduate Horizons (serving Native American students) and the Asian Pacific Fund. Jay's career has combined education and law, with an emphasis on student advocacy. He has testified before state legislative committees in California, Texas, Illinois and New Jersey, and as an expert witness in cases involving testing. Before attending law school, Jay was a public high school math teacher. Jay holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from Widener University, and is the proud father of two grown daughters.   Play-by-play: [0:53] Intro [1:30] Who is Jay Rosner?  [2:25] A brief history of race-conscious admission [4:52] Why is the Supreme Court decision such a big deal?  [6:22] What does the ruling actually mean?  [7:31] What colleges can and can't consider after the ruling related to race [9:49] How might diversity and inclusivity be affected on college campuses? [13:00] Should students even mention race at all in their applications? [15:39] Is the burden really on the students or on the colleges? [17:20] How can students speak to the ways race has impacted their lives? [18:50] Advice to counselors on guiding students on their college applications [21:38] Do colleges still want to enroll a diverse population of students?  [23:36] What might colleges learn from the University of California, where race-conscious admission was banned in 1996? [26:45] Jay's thoughts about and hopes for the future  [28:28] What are folks not talking about? [31:03] Final takeaways for students and counselors Resources:  Example of How to Explain (Briefly) Context on Your Testing in the Additional Info Section of Your Common App AP Physics I I was the first student at my school to ever pass the AP Physics I exam. There were two issues during the test: 1) the test began late because the previous test (AP Spanish) ran long and 2) during the AP Physics I exam, the fire alarms went off and continued for about an hour (the second half of the test). Unfortunately, this was the only time the test was offered and I was nonetheless proud of my score. Highest SAT Score in My Class Scored a 1910 on old SAT (570 CR, 730 Math, 610 WR), which was the highest overall test score in my grade.

In today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) and Susan Tree (a college counseling and admissions legend with 40+ years of experience) chat about all things related to the academic part of a student's college application— which, at many selective colleges, is seen as the “foot in the door” of their selection process. This is part 1 of a series we'll be doing around students' academic background and interests and how they factor into the admissions process. Part 2 is all about “intellectual curiosity”: a quality that many colleges actively look for in students, yet is a little more ambiguous and nuanced compared to mapping out a high school course plan. On the episode you'll hear Susan and Tom discuss: Why taking five solid academic courses (English, math, social studies, science and language) each year of high school gives students the broadest range of exciting college options How advanced course rigor (including Advanced Placement/AP and International Baccalaureate/IB courses) is evaluated by colleges The potential danger of “overspecialization” in an academic subject too early The value of demonstrating self-directedness in your academic journey— and where do to that in an application How admissions officers evaluate and contextualize your transcript and high scho0l profile when making admissions decisions1   Why these episodes? According to the 2018-2019 National Association for College Admission Counseling's Admission Trend Survey, students' grades and strength of curriculum are the top two application components that are of “considerable importance” to colleges During CEG's Applying to Highly Selective Colleges & Universities Course, the section on academics received the most questions out of all other application components— and elicited the most confusion! While we aren't able to give all students and families who come to us for support individualized guidance about their particular high school (though we do offer comprehensive college counseling at CEG!), we wanted this podcast to provide the most comprehensive advice possible around academic choices   Play-by-play 5:33 - So… Why are we talking about planning your HS Academic Journey? 8:28 - What are the benefits of planning your HS experience early? 10:39 - What do colleges expect from students? 11:08 - How do you check a college website for their required HS coursework? 12:48 - How is it different at more competitive universities? 13:14 - What if your HS doesn't offer opportunities for the classes you want to take? 14:44 - What is the value of self-directedness? 15:06 - How do I better understand how my school is viewed by admissions officers? 17:19 - What do admissions officers want to know about the school as it relates to your academic record? 19:24 - Why you should be looking at your transcript and school profile side-by-side 21:32 - Thinking like an admissions reader  22:26 - Transcripts vs. report cards 23:38 - How being aware of what colleges have access to can help you be strategic  25:44 - How do you put your academic experience into perspective? 27:18 - What students often don't realize about their application evaluation  29:50 - How important is it to tell your own story 31:28 - HS Counselor Tip: Your School Profile 32:56 - AP (Advanced Placement) course considerations 35:11 - How will colleges view XYZ  courses? Which course is better? 42:24 - Why are some independent schools getting rid of AP (Advanced Placement) course offerings? 44:00 What does Susan think about IB (International Baccalaureate) Curriculum considerations? 47:50 What if my high school doesn't offer AP or IB course options? 49:58 Key Takeaways from Today's Episode

If you're ever wondering, how did Ethan land on those words, “ease, purpose, and joy,” well to be honest — it came from a brainstorming conversation with today's podcast guest, Sage Howard. Sage is a meditation & yoga teacher and wellness coach whom I have known for more than 15 years, and who fully embodies ease, purpose, and joy.    On this episode we talk about, among other things:  Why mornings are so darn important A little of the science behind our nervous system (including our sympathetic and parasympathetic states get triggered) A few ways morning rituals can improve our creativity, health, and relationships Then we get super practical with a bunch of ways to not only create a morning routine but ALSO raise the likelihood that we can make that morning routine stick Fun fact: Since I recorded this episode with Sage, I'm proud to say I was inspired to start my own morning routine and so far it's brought so much more slowness, presence — and okay, yes, ease, purpose and joy to my life.    Play-by-play: [0:29] Who is our guest, Sage? [0:44]  ICYMI - brief recap of Episode 401 with Angel Perez, CEO of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling [1:41 ] Today's focus: How can morning rituals improve health, creativity, and relationships? How can you create a morning routine that actually sticks? [4:15] Sage shares a story of her earliest memories with morning rituals  [6:42] What is Sage's relationship to mornings?  [7:21] Morning A: Tuning into the outside world and constant productivity through phones, email, work, news, and podcasts [8:22] Morning B: Tuning inward by choosing meditation, journaling, yoga instead of reaching for the phone [9:30] Why do mornings matter so darn much? [12:15] The science of morning routines & your nervous system [15:12] What are some of the ways that morning rituals can help us? [20:25] Is it bad to reach for your phone first thing in the morning?  [24:18] How do I actually start a morning routine?  [26:08] A list of practical ideas to choose from in your morning and why they work [26:29] Water, coffee, or tea [27:06] Wake up your body by stretching [27:36] The power of breathwork [28:11] Singing and dancing! [28:33] Incorporating nature [29:09] Why and how should you try meditation?  [30:05] Journaling [30:56] Reading [31:48] Setting intentions for the day [32:20] Joy and laughter [33:18] What has Ethan tried in his mornings? [34:49] How do you make the morning ritual a more consistent part of your life?  [44:14] Episode Takeaways 

On this episode I chat with Angel Perez to discuss his personal journey with burnout, self-care, and therapy, and I even share some of my own personal journey — and we connect on what it might mean to find more ease, purpose, and joy in our own lives. This is part 1 of a series I'll be doing on self-care this year. You'll notice Angel mentions a morning routine — in part 2 you'll meet wellness coach Sage Simpson, who will get into the practical specifics of how to create a morning routine for yourself.     On the episode you'll hear Angel and I discuss: Angel's personal experience with burnout How did he address it in writing an article on self-care in college admissions Why self-care is especially important for caretakers and professionals in helping roles Strategies and techniques Angel (and Ethan) use for self care Ways to address shame, and why therapy has been important for Angel What to look forward to at NACAC 2023   Why these episodes? Self-care has become a bigger theme at CEG in the past couple of years, particularly coming out of the pandemic—and in my own life. Anxiety and depression are at an all-time high in students, while counselors, leaders, and educators are burning out and switching jobs (Chronicle of Higher Ed reported on a study by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, or CUPA-HR” noting that 71 percent of coordinators and counselors in the college admissions field have been in their jobs for just three years or less.   Resources: Blog post Angel wrote: One CEO's Story of Executive Burnout   Play-by-play: [00:00] Intro [2:34] Who is Angel Perez? (Spoiler: he's awesome) [4:44] What led Angel back towards self-care in recent years? [8:10] How did Angel's childhood affect his work life today?  [10:15] What inspired Angel's article on burnout?  [12:30] What are Ethan's boundaries and personal habits with work? [13:30] How do you recognize when you need self-care, or have behaviors that signal it's time to step back? [15:36] What is Angel's morning routine?  [19:00] How to deal with the shame that comes with self-care [21:39] What have Angel (and Ethan) learned in therapy? [26:40] Finding balance vs. coming into balance [28:50] What are some of Angel's & Ethan's other self-care and health practices? [32:45] What helps Angel and Ethan get into flow? [39:35] What is NACAC and the college admission field doing well, and what could we do better (in regards to self-care, rest, work culture, etc.)? [43:45] What is NACAC committed to? What should we look forward to at this year's conference? [46:35] What are we committed to (in regards to increasing access to self-care in our personal/work lives)?

Tom Campbell is back for another episode in our series that goes behind the scenes of an admissions office to let you know what happens when you click submit on your application—where does it go? Who reads it? What are they thinking? How do they make decisions? At the time of this recording, Tom Campbell was Assistant Dean Of Admissions at Pomona College. Tom was formerly the Assistant Director Of Admissions at College of the Holy Cross, his alma mater, and also serves as a Group Leader, Essay Specialist and Faculty Member at the very awesome College Horizons. In part 2, we cover a ton of listener questions that we didn't get to during the first episode (and some questions folks didn't ask) and dig deeper on all things admissions at Pomona.   We covered: What is demonstrated interest? Does Pomona track demonstrated interest? Why is it important for colleges to know how likely a student is to enroll (aka college yield)? Do's and don'ts for students at a college fair What can folks learn about Pomona based on their supplemental essay prompts? How does Pomona decide which prompts to use? Does it matter which Common App personal statement prompt you choose? Should students stick closely to the prompt for the supplemental essays? Does it matter which major a student chooses when applying? What are some “red flags” Tom remembers that got students immediately rejected?   Resources: Crash Course on Writing Pomona's Supplemental Essays What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide How to Create a Great College List How to Write the “Why this College” Essay   Play-by-play: [4:20] What is demonstrated interest? [6:30] Does Pomona track demonstrated interest? [9:20] Why is it important for colleges to know how likely a student is to enroll (aka college yield)? [11:10] What is “yield”? [13:50] What student data does Pomona track compared to other highly selective schools? [15:37] How much do interviews matter at Pomona? [20:46] Why it's important to ask questions to admissions officers directly [22:20] Do's and don'ts for students at a college fair [27:10] What can folks learn about Pomona based on their supplemental essay prompts? How does Pomona decide which prompts to use? [39:00] In Tom's opinion, what makes a memorable personal statement? [44:00] Does it matter which Common App personal statement prompt you choose? [45:45] Do students have a better or worse chance of getting in if they choose the “topic of your choice?” prompt? [46:40] Should students stick closely to the prompt for the supplemental essays? [50:20] Does it matter which major a student chooses when applying? [53:55] Tom reacts to a sample email from a student asking about major choice [60:45] What are some “red flags” Tom remembers that got students immediately rejected? [1:03:50] Are there ever situations where a student had amazing grades/test scores/essays, and yet they were rejected? [1:07:20] Ultimately, how much can students and families control in the admissions process?

My guest this time is Tom Campbell — who at the time of this recording was Assistant Dean Of Admissions at Pomona College. Tom was formerly the Assistant Director Of Admissions at College of the Holy Cross, his alma mater, and also serves as a Group Leader, Essay Specialist and Faculty Member at the very awesome College Horizons. This is another episode in our series that goes behind the scenes of an admissions office to let you know what happens when you click submit on your application—where does it go? Who reads it? What are they thinking? How do they make decisions?   In part one, we cover: What happens after you hit submit through when you receive your decision? How did the Test Optional policy impact admission decisions this year—and how are colleges like Pomona able to create a class without standardized tests? How was application reading different from past years? Essays: What do you look for in a great personal statement? How much do essays matter? Can they ever hurt your chances? Demonstrated interest: How does it really work? What does Pomona track? What do other schools track?   Play-by-Play [2:00] Meet Tom [3:57] What we're going to cover [4:48] What is Tom's job like right now, in April 2020? [7:40] What is yield? [9:00] What happens between students clicking submit to receiving a letter of acceptance (Pomona's entire process) [19:20] What is test-optional, and how does Pomona use test scores? [25:39] How does Pomona put together a class? What are its institutional priorities? (Also more on testing) [35:15] How were things different this year because of COVID-19? [43:10] Tom names some common essay topics [45:44] What does Tom look for in a personal statement? How much do essays matter? [49:26] Q&A - How does a student's ability to pay tuition affect their chances at Pomona? [50:35] Case study - in terms of institutional priorities, what did this student do well? [56:22] How tough is it for full-need international students to be accepted? [57:40] What does Tom have to say to students who think they must get accepted to a top university or else they've failed? [59:58] How much does major choice matter when applying?

This episode I'm with with Kati Sweaney, Senior Assistant Dean of Admission at Reed College. It's the first in a series of interviews with current and former college admissions officers where we go behind the scenes to let you know how things work.    In this episode we get into:  The life of an admission officer, including what their travel season is like Do's and don'ts for that initial email to an admissions office What is demonstrated interest? Why it matters for colleges to predict who attends their school Some other ways students can demonstrate interest Additional info sections that made a difference How fast do admissions officers read the application? How many essays has Kati read? Kati's do's and don'ts for the application essays   Resources: College Essay Guy Interview Guide Guide to Demonstrated Interest Ira Glass on Storytelling   Play-by-play: [2:00] How Kati got into admissions [3:42] What kind of person is drawn to working in admissions? [5:30] What is travel season for admissions reps? [10:05] Why do college reps travel to so many high schools? [13:55] A little bit about college fairs [16:13] Examples of how students stood out at college fairs [19:50] Some do's and don'ts for the initial email to admissions offices [22:44] What is demonstrated interest? [26:37] Why it matters for colleges to predict who attends their school [29:27] Some other ways students can demonstrate interest [32:00] Additional info sections that made a difference [34:50] How fast do admissions officers read the application? [39:17] How many essays has Kati read? [40:40] Kati's do's and don'ts for the application essays [43:50] Why those tiny details are so important in an essay [45:25] A few college essays that stood out (after reading 25,000 essays) [54:16] Kati's advice for parents [56:54] What Kati hopes students will keep in mind throughout this process This episode was initially recorded in the fall of 2019, so you may notice some pre-pandemic language used. 

In this episode we cover, among other things: Ways that students of Color can advocate for themselves while in high school How to research Historically Black Colleges and Universities Ways to learn more about fit at colleges that are not minority-serving Where to find more financial aid after you've been accepted How parents can get involved to advocate for their students in high school and college How counselors can more fully serve students of Color & First steps that counselors can take to become focused on racial equity and anti-racism Resources: Shifting Narratives Toward Healing: Disrupting Trauma Exploitation in the Admissions Essay Writing Process  https://www.bigjeducationalconsulting.com/resources https://www.smontgomeryconsulting.com/admissions-news-and-topics/2020/8/3/how-to-estimate-your-familys-financial-aid http://www.thehundred-seven.org/ https://hbculifestyle.com/ https://uncf.org/scholarships https://www.blackscholarships.org/p/black-student-organizations.html https://www.aises.org/ Race and Equity Resources  Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education The Institute for Anti-Racist Education  Center for Racial Justice in Education Reimagining Education: Teaching Learning and Leading for a Racially Just Society Summer Institute Anti-Racism, Education, Programs, and Resources Checklist for Combating Racism https://www.smontgomeryconsulting.com/barrier-breakers-college-edition https://www.smontgomeryconsulting.com/break-the-cycle https://www.smontgomeryconsulting.com/blog https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV0seRFpfJU6JKEQWagqOsg/featured?view_as=subscriber https://www.antiracisted.org/ How to Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter “When someone does a favor for you, they actually like you more” White Privilege and Multicultural Counseling Competence: The Influence of Field of Study, Sex, and Racial/Ethnic Exposure Common App Activities List Play-by-play: [1:00] Who is Sydney Montgomery?  [3:00] Why does Sydney do this work?  [3:45] Tip #1: Own your academic journey [6:30] #2: Strive to reach higher than just the bare minimum graduation requirements.  [7:48] #3: Make sure that your college application list is tailored to your academic profile.  [10:15] #4: Make sure you and your counselor have a good fit relationship  [13:14] #5: Form allies outside of your counselor or teacher. [14:04] #6: Prepare a brag sheet for teachers' letters of recommendation [15:40] #7: Parents should start to request information about FAFSA and financial aid in the 9th grade. [17:20] #8: Parents and students need to consider finances when building a college list [22:15] #9: Students should advocate for themselves in the early stages of the college application process [23:30] #10: Don't overlook the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities [27:40] #11: Speak to students in the Black Student Union or other cultural affinity groups when on college visits. [28:50] #12: Look up a school's profile on the Common Data Set [32:25] #13: Apply to scholarships offered by Black Sororities and Fraternities (the “Divine Nine”) [33:05] #14: Apply to scholarships with Black churches [33:30] #15: Don't discount things like church activities and helping out at home or with younger siblings [35:20] #16: Actively pursue certain specialized programs like magnet programs. [36:15] #17: Parents can push school districts and boards of education to fund schools on an equitable basis to combat education disparities. [37:45] How counselors can more fully serve students of Color [43:30] First steps that counselors can take to become focused on racial equity and anti-racism

Campus Pride is THE go-to resource for LGBTQ students and their families and my guest on this episode, civil rights champion Shane Windmeyer, is the one to thank for its very existence. On this episode we discuss:  How Shane get involved in this work in the first place How is the college search process for LGBTQ+ students? What are some great questions to ask when visiting campuses? Common mistakes students make in the process How can LGBTQ students find scholarships? Should students come out in their essays? If so, how? Resources: The Campus Pride Index The Advocate College Guide for Lgbt Students Brotherhood: Gay Life for College Fraternities Inspiration for LGBT students and allies Out on Fraternity Row Secret Sisters The Campus Visit Scorecard The Campus Pride LGBTQ College Fair Program The P's and Q's to choosing the perfect campus  Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse FASFA CSS Profile Gamma Mu Foundation

This is the second of two episodes on homeschooling and self-directed learning. My guest is writer, speaker, and fellow podcaster Blake Boles, whose work invites students and families to re-evaluate the traditional schooling model--are the typical high school and college experiences really the best ways to spend your time? On this episode we discuss:  Can you (really) quit high school and not totally ruin your life? Why is this the best time ever for self-directed learning? How can we all be more self directed learners?  Why you should: Google everything, Email strangers, and Find your nerd clan The benefits of skipping college (or at least taking a gap year) How to know if you're making a decision for you (and not your parents)? A warning: Listen too closely to this episode and it could mean that this is the very last College Essay Guy podcast episode you listen to… and that could be a very cool thing. Resources: Average is Over A Case Against Education Off Trail Learning Podcast The Self Driven Child Dumbing us Down The Teenage Liberation Handbook Unschooled Penelope Trunk Excellent Sheep The Nurture Assumption The Alliance of Self-Directed Education Not Back to School Camp Camp Stomping Ground Unschooled Adventures

This is the first of two episodes on homeschooling and self-directed learning, something that as the father of a four year-old I am way into. My guest is Becca Orlowski, a teacher and consultant with more than two decades of experience in the independent homeschooling world. On this episode we talk about:  What are some common homeschooling myths?  Is it true, for example, that homeschooling is “too much work” for any parent in their right minds? Are colleges biased towards homeschoolers… against… neither or both? What kinds of folks choose to homeschool and can parents homeschool and work?  Different homeschooling styles, how homeschooling academics differ from public schools, and even nitty gritty tips like the practical differences for homeschoolers applying to college and the amount of detail homeschoolers need in their transcripts As always, lots of resources and recommendations... Links mentioned in this episode: Brave Writer Outschool Pennsylvania homeschoolers Bluetent Thinkwell CTY  Online G3 Michael Clay Thompson OpenCourseware Coursera Classical Homeschooling The Well Trained Mind HSLDA sample docs HS2COLL homeschool to college yahoo group S.E.A secular homeschooling CA College Homeschool Seekers - Facebook group in CA The Davidson Young Scholars Teach Your Own - book Creative Homeschooling - a resource guide for smart families Dumbing Us Down  The Brave Learner

This is the last episode in a three-part series on paying for college. My guest is Joan Liu, a college counselor who has a giant heart to go with her giant brain. In this episode she draws on her years of experience helping international students who need financial aid in order to attend college in the US. We cover a range of topics that will apply to both students and counselors, including:  How is the application process different for students who need full financial aid? For counselors, how is working with a full-financial aid students different than other students? What are common mistakes students (and counselors) make in applying for financial aid? What do students need to know about getting full financial aid in the US? How do students figure out which schools meet full need? What can students and counselors do if a student doesn't get their need met? Where do students begin? Relevant Links: Find your local Education USA office Big J Educational Consulting List of ED and RD Acceptance Rates - Jenny Kent