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

Ethan Sawyer

College Admissions

Personal Statement

Financial Aid

Personal Statements

College Applications

Matchlighters Scholars Program

First-Generation College Students

Colleges That Change Lives

Scholarships

Intellectual Curiosity

Liberal Arts Education

College List Building

Extracurricular Activities

Mental Health

Self-Discovery

Ballet

Recruiting Process

Columbia University

Mentorship

Macaulay Honors College

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

290 ratings

Publishes	Twice monthly	Episodes	94	Founded	8 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	EducationSociety & Culture

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Latest Episodes

615: Rethinking “Best” Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

Hi friends, and welcome back to the podcast. In today’s episode, I’m joined by two special guests: Dr. Steven Antonoff and Jay McCann, co-authors of the newly updated 5th edition of The College Finder: Your comprehensive guide to finding colleges tha... more

16 Sep 2025 • 52 min

614: 13 Mistakes High School Students Make When Creating Their College List

Welcome back to the podcast. It’s September, which means many students are building the list of colleges they’re applying to.

Today I’m joined by New York Times Bestselling Author, Harlan Cohen, who walks us through his 13 most common mistakes stud... more

3 Sep 2025 • 56 min

613: Inside the Application (Part 6): Making the Decision with Cassidy, Class of 2025

Hi friends, and welcome back to the podcast.

This one’s going to be short—and honestly, it’s an episode I didn’t think I was going to record. Why? Well, if you’ve been following along with Cassidy’s journey over the past year, you know we’ve covere... more

19 Aug 2025 • 10 min

612: Admission Nutrients (Part 6 of 6: Intellectual Curiosity): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Hillary Dickman

Welcome back to the podcast! This is our sixth and final chapter of our series on admission nutrients — qualities that can make for a healthier, more meaningful college admission process… and life.

In case you missed it, we started with collaborati... more

5 Aug 2025 • 1 hr 27 min

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Recent Guests

Jay McCann

Co-author of The College Finder

Episode: 615: Rethinking “Best” Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

Dr. Steven Antonoff

Co-author of The College Finder, former Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

Episode: 615: Rethinking “Best” Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

Harlan Cohen

New York Times bestselling author and college readiness expert

Best First Year

Episode: 614: 13 Mistakes High School Students Make When Creating Their College List

Hillary Dickman

Admission officer at Colorado College with a focus on print and email marketing.

Colorado College

Episode: 612: Admission Nutrients (Part 6 of 6: Intellectual Curiosity): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Hillary Dickman

Nathan Faust

Admission counselor at Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University

Episode: 611: Admission Nutrients (Part 5 of 6: Service to Others / Community Impact): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Nathan Faust

Dysean Alexander

Assistant Director for West Coast Admissions at Lafayette College.

Lafayette College

Episode: 610: Admission Nutrients (Part 4 of 6: Consistent Engagement): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Dysean Alexander

Deanna Dixon

Dean of Admission at Smith College with a commitment to women's education and college attainment for marginalized students.

Smith College

Episode: 609: Admission Nutrients (Part 3 of 6: Leadership): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life

Raissa Diamante

Executive Director of Admission at Harvey Mudd College

Harvey Mudd College

Episode: 608: Admission Nutrients (Part 2 of 6: Collaboration): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Raissa Diamante

Jennifer Rubin

Senior Researcher at Foundry 10 and Principal Investigator of the Digital Technologies and Education Lab.

Foundry 10

Episode: 605: Navigating College Applications with AI (Part 1): How High School Teachers and Students Use Tools Like ChatGPT

Host

Ethan Sawyer

Ethan Sawyer, known as the College Essay Guy, hosts practical and insightful discussions on the college admissions process. He aims to demystify the complexities surrounding college applications by gathering expert advice and distilling it into actionable insights for students and their families.

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 290 ratings

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 Statesa year 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 States2 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
Paradox and hypocrisy- that’s college admissions
This podcast deserves 5-stars because it is an honest and useful guide to writing essays that will get a kid admitted into a good college. The downside is also its honesty.
- Be authentic, unless you’re “privileged.” (“Privilege” defined: rich, or even middle class, or god forbid a two parent home. Or, if you know what gender you are, and have never been confused about it...etc)
- Make sure you visit the schools that you want to attend, to demonstrate interest and garner material for your essa... more
Apple Podcasts
5
podcastjunkie.LC
United States6 years ago

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Listeners Say

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

Listeners appreciate the actionable insights and practical guidance, indicating that the content is impactful and relevant to their college admissions journey.

The expertise of the guests and the quality of the discussions are frequently highlighted, showcasing a well-balanced exchange of ideas on essential topics.

Many comments emphasize the supportive and encouraging tone of the host, contributing positively to the overall experience of listening.

Some feedback suggests that while content is informative, occasional lengthy monologues by the host can detract from guest contributions.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

615: Rethinking “Best” Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

Q: How do you feel AI should be used in the college search process?

AI is a tool that can be used responsibly for research purposes, helping to gather information about colleges based on student needs.

615: Rethinking “Best” Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

Q: When you see students go through this process, what are some of the common mismatches that you see between what students say they want and what actually, what the actual schools on their list are?

There's often a mismatch between what they say they want in a classroom experience versus their social experience, and a tension between desired scholarships and prestige.

615: Rethinking “Best” Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

Q: What do you feel like students need to understand about themselves before they even start their college search?

They need to understand that they will be confused, that they have power in choosing their college, and that finding a good college takes time.

608: Admission Nutrients (Part 2 of 6: Collaboration): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Raissa Diamante

Q: What are colleges looking for in terms of collaboration?

Colleges, particularly at collaborative institutions like Harvey Mudd, seek evidence of students' ability to work together, engage in healthy constructive conversation, and support peers in an academic environment.

521: Storytelling & Identity with Ryan Maldonado (Part 3 of 3): On Code-switching, Photographing Living Rooms, and Growing up Not-Rich in Miami

Q: What advice would you give to students who are going through the personal statement writing process?

Students should spend time understanding who they are, focus on authenticity and specificity, and find unique perspectives to showcase.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

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

Content centers around the intricacies of the college admissions process, providing valuable insights and actionable advice aimed mainly at high school students and their parents. The conversations typically feature experts such as admission officers, counselors, and authors, discussing topics like crafting personal statements, building college lists, and avoiding common pitfalls in the application process. Unique elements include a strong focus on self-discovery and the importance of holistic qualities like intellectual curiosity, community engagement, and service to others as influential factors in successful admissions.

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Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. The College Admissions Process Podcast
2. Getting In: A College Coach Conversation
3. Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews
4. Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel
5. Admissions Beat

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 8 years ago and published 94 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Jay McCann
2. Dr. Steven Antonoff
3. Harlan Cohen
4. Hillary Dickman
5. Nathan Faust
6. Dysean Alexander
7. Deanna Dixon
8. Raissa Diamante

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