Rephonic
Artwork for The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

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

Ethan Sawyer
College Admissions
Personal Statements
College Applications
Personal Statement
Financial Aid
Intellectual Curiosity
Leadership
Columbia University
Neuroscience
Mental Health
Empathy
Diversity
College Admissions Process
Liberal Arts Education
Storytelling
Matchlighters Scholars Program
Cognitive Science
Creativity
Colorado College
Higher Education

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome colle... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes100Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EducationSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

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

Latest Episodes

Welcome back to the podcast! Today's episode is hosted by Tom Campbell, a former admission officer and now a college counselor and content creator here at College Essay Guy. This show often reminds us that beneath the essays, the deadlines, and the c... more

Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, "On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling," where we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talk about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be... more

Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, "On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling." where we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talking about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to... more

Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, "On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling." In this series, we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talking about why we love them, what makes them work, and how th... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Amber Patterson
Regional Director of Admission at Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Episode: 711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson
Calvin Pickett
Director of Essay Coaching at College Essay Guy (CEG)
College Essay Guy
Episode: 709: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 8: Molding Clay) with Calvin Pickett
Andrew Callery
College counselor at Detroit Country Day School; essay coach and advocate for 21 Details exercise
Detroit Country Day School
Episode: 708: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 7: Robes) with Andrew Callery
Wendy Zheutlin
Essay coach and long-time counselor involved with Matchlighters Scholars Program
College Essay Guy / Matchlighters Scholars Program
Episode: 706: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 6: Raspberry Sky) with Wendy Zheutlin
Kaila Barber
Essay coach at College Essay Guy (CEG) and associate director of one-on-one essay coaching
College Essay Guy
Episode: 705: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 5: The Stains on My Baseball Pants) with Kaila Barber
Ali McKeon
Essay coach and program advisor at College Essay Guy
College Essay Guy
Episode: 704: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 4: Tiny Windows into My Being) with Ali McKeon
Jane Longley
Essay Coach with over eight years of experience, focusing on helping students clarify their personal stories and find authentic language.
College Essay Guy
Episode: 703: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 3: The Pilgrim and The CEO) with Jane Longley
Dr. Greg Ungar
Professor at the University of Denver
University of Denver
Episode: 702: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 2: Much Ado About Nothing) with Dr. Greg Ungar
Joan Liu
Founder of Second Chance, an organization that helps high achieving students secure full scholarships
Second Chance
Episode: 621: Financial Aid Tips for International Students (and Their Counselors)—2025 Edition

Host

Ethan Sawyer
Host of The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 306 ratings
  • On Becoming series is pure gold

    Loving this series

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    neonpinklime
    United Statesa month ago
  • I’m a parent and this podcast has helped me so much

    I’m a parent who hasn’t had to apply to college for over 40 years. Just seeing the stress and anxiety of what this generation of kids have to go through his heartbreaking. But listening to this podcast has really alleviated a lot of stress, gave me deeper insights, and so many ideas to help support my son and his search, and in his applications. Listening to all the ideas and advice have really helped my son to explore how he wants to let admissions officers know who he is. It’s also allowed me ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mom’s stress is relieved
    United States2 years ago
  • Exhausting to listen to.

    Good content but the host frequently goes on long monologues instead of letting the guest speak.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    SKSS222
    United States3 years ago
  • This is THE best podcast for understanding these topics

    Thank for such well done podcasts - they have really helped me understand both the college admissions topics and other things to think about as a parent of a soon-to-be high schooler. Also kudos for making it easy and fun to listen to!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kjf190
    United States4 years ago
  • Great, great, information!!

    I’m so grateful I found your podcast!! I’m going back to school and I’m soaking up so much from you! Thank you so much!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    tiffany.etzel
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise actionable, practical guidance for counselors and families.
Many appreciate the host's approachable, calm coaching style and clear strategies.
Some reviews call out the show's generosity with resources and real-world relevance for international students and diverse applicants.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson
Q: What should students remember about their experiences when writing?
Students should value authenticity and avoid exaggeration or over-reliance on AI; their ordinary but meaningful experiences carry the most weight when presented with humility and clear connection to who they are becoming.
711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson
Q: When is it appropriate to weave in extracurricular activities in the essay?
Activities should support the why of the story; they're useful to illustrate leadership and impact, but they should not simply restate what's in the activities list. The why and how the activities shaped the student's character matter more than the what.
711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson
Q: How important is a strong hook in a personal statement?
Amber and Ethan agree that while a hook can be engaging, the most important aspects are what the essay reveals about the student—character, leadership, growth—and how the narrative supports a clear, authentic identity rather than relying on gimmicks.
709: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 8: Molding Clay) with Calvin Pickett
Q: What advice do you have for students considering AI tools to help write their essays?
The host and guest emphasize preserving voice and self-knowledge; AI can assist with language, but the core value comes from showing who you are, your values, and your evolving relationship with them, which requires a human perspective.
709: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 8: Molding Clay) with Calvin Pickett
Q: How did the student come up with the topic for this montage essay?
The coaches describe brainstorming and pitching sessions that surfaced ceramics as a compelling, easy-to-talk-about topic for the student, ultimately guiding them to a montage that explores multiple facets of her identity through the process of ceramics.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Insightful, hands-on discussions on college admissions, personal statements, financial aid, and student well-being. Episodes spotlight how admissions readers evaluate narratives, how to craft compelling essays using montage and object-based frameworks, and practical steps for building college lists, navigating decisions, and securing aid. Guests range from admissions officers to experienced essay coaches and counselors, with recurring emphasis on authenticity, specific detail, and the human side of decision making. Noteworthy is the sustained focus on storytelling craft within admissions contexts, plus a practical, coaching-forward approach that helps counselors, students, and families take actionable next steps.

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 9 years ago and published 100 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Amber Patterson
2. Calvin Pickett
3. Andrew Callery
4. Wendy Zheutlin
5. Kaila Barber
6. Ali McKeon
7. Jane Longley
8. Dr. Greg Ungar

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days