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

Hey friends, and welcome back to the College Essay Guy podcast. Today's episode is part two of our series called Inside the Personal Statement Process. If you're just tuning in, this series takes you behind the scenes as I work one-on-one with Alisha, a current high school senior applying for the Fall 2026 term. In the first episode, we got to know Alisha through her brainstorming and outline. In this episode, we pick up right where we left off — Alisha's second draft. We get into: How did the new outline work for Alisha? How to approach trimming—not just words, but how Alisha can focus on a particular idea or value in the session to help her find her focus and what to trim How to align the insights that you have in your paragraphs with the examples And more Whether you're a student working on your own essays right now, a parent supporting from the sidelines, or a counselor guiding students through this process, I hope you'll find something useful here. Alisha is a current high school senior going through the application process who loves science, movies, and discovering new places. When she's not studying the brain, she's mentoring younger students through her program Running Start or planning her next adventure. Hope you enjoy our session. Play-by-Play: 1:24 – How is Alisha's writing coming along? 4:10 – Alisha shares her goals for feedback 5:50 – Alisha reads through her second draft 11:13 – Alisha shares her thoughts on the draft 15:10 – Ethan makes suggestions for trimming by focusing on values that Alisha wants to communicate to the reader 16:40 – Paragraph one: Curiosity 23:10 – Paragraph two: Empathy and nurturing 32:50 – Paragraph three: Creativity. 39:50 – Paragraph four: Pakistan. 46:40 – Ethan and Alisha map next steps for Draft 3 49:22 – Alisha shares new revision ideas and closing thoughts Resources: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 1): The Sand Essay with Alisha, HS Senior How to Cut Down Words in Your College Essay How to Write the Columbia University Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2025/2026 College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In our new series, Inside the Personal Statement Process, we're taking you behind the scenes with Alisha, a current high school senior working through applications right now. If you've ever wondered what it's like working with Ethan in a session, this is the podcast for you! You might remember a similar series last season with Cassidy, where we got to see her whole application process. Rather than focus on the whole application, I wanted to just dive specifically into working with Alisha through the personal statement process. In Part 1, Alisha and I get into: How did Alisha approach brainstorming and outlining for her personal statement? What brainstorming activities helped Alisha to pick her topic? Reading through Alisha's first draft of her personal statement Creating a reverse outline of Alisha's first draft to set her up for writing the second draft And more! Alisha is a current high school senior going through the application process who loves science, movies, and discovering new places. When she's not studying the brain, she's mentoring younger students through her program Running Start or planning her next adventure. We hope you enjoy our session! Play-by-Play: 1:40 – Getting to know Alisha through her brainstorming materials 2:12 – Values 3:10 – "I love, I know" exercise 5:32 – Superpowers 6:32 – Career interests 12:00 – "Roles and Identities" exercise 15:09 – "Essence Objects" exercise 17:37 – Alisha discusses her personal statement topic 19:00 – Alisha walks through her essay outline and examples 31:55 – Alisha reads the first draft of her personal statement 35:45 – Alisha shares her thoughts on her draft 38:50 – Ethan gives feedback 46:00 – Ethan walks through the process of creating a "reverse outline" for draft two Resources: The Values Exercise The Roles and Identities Exercise College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In today's episode, I'm joined by my long-time colleague, and our Chief People Officer here at CEG, Sandy Longworth. Sandy has worked as a therapist, a researcher, college counselor — among other things — and has spent years studying the role that narrative storytelling plays in how teens develop their identities. Important note: While Sandy trained as a therapist, and we do talk a lot about therapy in our conversation, I want to make clear that I do not hold that college counseling and essay coaching — or what we do at College Essay Guy — to be therapy. It isn't. As college counselors and essay coaches — and I'm speaking about us as a profession here — we help students discover the skills, qualities, values, and interests they'll bring to a college campus… and then express those parts of themselves in writing. Having said that, when I was first introduced to Narrative Therapy in 2012, I was struck by how some of its techniques — like reframing, for instance, which involves finding alternate perspectives on a set of events, something sometimes called "re-storying" — overlap with some of the things that happen in essay coaching sessions… and that's the territory Sandy and I explore in this conversation. In this episode, Sandy and I get into: How adolescence is a key time for identity development, how this process unfolds and why it's so significant for personal statements What is narrative identity theory and how do our stories shape who we think we are and can be? How can narrative therapy techniques help students develop and showcase these qualities? What are some narrative therapy exercises students can use to reflect on their experiences and write authentically? And more Sandy Longworth is a proud first-generation college graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison who earned her M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Seattle Pacific University, completed her doctoral coursework in Child and Family Studies from UW-Madison, and completed her School Counseling certificate at Northern Illinois University. There's a little more to her bio, but I'll let her share that with you directly — hope you enjoy. Play-by-Play: 3:05 – Sandy shares her background and some of her roles and identities 9:46 – Why is adolescence such a key time for identity development, and how does that connect to the personal statement? 12:20 – What role does narrative storytelling play in how students think about and develop their identities? 24:26 – How can narrative therapy techniques help students develop and showcase these qualities in their college application? 39:32 – What are some practical ways counselors and students can bring narrative therapy techniques into the personal statement process? 41:34 – Sandy leads Ethan through a narrative exercise 53:41 – Ethan and Sandy share impact and reflections 1:01:16 – How could narrative therapy ideas inform a montage-style essay? 1:10:10 – What does Sandy love about this work? 1:13:32 – What resources are available to learn more about narrative therapy? 1:16:15 – Closing thoughts Resources: The Dulwich Centre The Values Exercise CEG's College Admission Nutrients (aka The Great College Application Test) College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

Join Dr. Steven Antonoff, a seasoned higher-education expert, and Jay McCann, a high-school counselor, as they explore the evolving college search landscape. They discuss the limitations of college rankings and propose a fresh approach to assessing schools based on fit rather than prestige. Learn how to use AI responsibly in your search, plan effective campus visits, and reflect on personal goals. They emphasize the importance of customization in college lists and the critical role parents can play throughout the process.

Harlan Cohen, a New York Times bestselling author and college success coach, shares insights on common pitfalls students face when crafting their college lists. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on personal desires over external pressures. Harlan critiques the reliance on rankings and advises considering social and academic fit. He introduces the SEPFA framework for planning and stresses the necessity of understanding long-term costs. With practical tips and a focus on curiosity, he encourages students to embrace their unique college journey.

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 covered a lot: from brainstorming her personal statement, to revising her supplements, to weighing her college acceptances. And when we wrapped Part 5, I figured we could leave it there. I thought it might be enough to know she had some great options. Silly me. You wrote in. You wanted to know: Where did she end up? So here we are: the final chapter (well, really the beginning) of Cassidy's college journey. In this quick update, Cassidy shares where she's heading this fall, why she chose it, and how she's getting ready for this next step. Huge thanks to Cassidy for letting us in on the process. I hope you enjoy. Play-by-Play 1:45 – How has Cassidy been spending the summer and preparing for college? 2:36 – Cassidy shares which school she will be attending this Fall 4:03 – What factors influenced Cassidy's final decision? 7:37 – What advice would Cassidy share with students and families going through this process? 8:43 – 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! 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 collaboration, with Raissa Diamante (Director of admission from Harvey-Mudd College), then I sat down with Deanna Dixon, (Dean of Admission at Smith College) to talk about leadership, then Tom met with Dysean Alexander (Assistant Director for West Coast Admission at Lafayette College) to talk about consistent engagement and Nathan Faust (Loyola Marymount University) to talk about service to others. Today we conclude the series by talking about intellectual curiosity with Hillary Dickman from Colorado College. In our conversation, Hillary and I cover a lot of ground, including: What is intellectual curiosity in the context of the college admission process? Where does intellectual curiosity show up in a student's application? Why is it important in the admissions process at Colorado College and how does their approach to identifying intellectual curiosity differs from other liberal arts colleges? What is Colorado College's latest supplemental essay prompt? Advice for both students and parents as they navigate this process And more! Hillary Dickman is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and holds a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Speech Communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She began her career in higher education teaching public speaking, interpersonal communication, and intercultural communication at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Since 2021, she's been part of the admission team at Colorado College, where she's worked on scholarship programs, the counselor advisory board, and now focuses on print and email marketing. She's also navigated the college admission process as a parent — her older child is a recent graduate of Wellesley College, and her younger one is a student at Colorado College. I hope you enjoy this conversation. I certainly did. Play-by-Play: 3:09 – What do college admission counselors do during the summer? 4:55 – What are some of the roles that Hillary plays at Colorado College? 8:56 – What makes Colorado College a unique school? 10:39 – What is intellectual curiosity in the context of the college admission process? 17:43 – Where does intellectual curiosity show up in a student's application? 22:29 – What are some examples of intellectual curiosity from over the years? 32:29 – What do students or parents misunderstand about intellectual curiosity? 40:01 – Why is intellectual curiosity important at Colorado College? 48:22 – What is Colorado College's latest supplemental essay prompt? 57:10 – What if the thing I'm curious about has nothing to do with my major? 1:00:18 – What advice does Hillary give to students for writing their personal statement? 1:04:03 – How long does Hillary spend reading an essay and the application as a whole? 1:09:54 – How does Hillary recommend students get started with the writing process? 1:13:58 – What are Hillary's thoughts on using ChatGPT in the application process? 1:18:16 – What is demonstrated interest and why is it important to Colorado College? 1:24:00 – What does Hillary hope that students and parents will keep in mind throughout this process? Resources: College Partnerships with CEG Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness (TED) CEG Podcast Episode 506: Demonstrated Interest: What Is it, Why Is it Important, and How Do You Show it? with Dean of Enrollment Christine Bowman What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In Episode 5 of our series on Admission Nutrients, Tom Campbell is joined by Nathan Faust, Admission Counselor at Loyola Marymount University, to talk about Service to Others / Community Impact. In their conversation, they get into: Why service to others and community impact is a valuable nutrient to fold into your high school experience—and life Tips on communicating your service and community-impact initiatives to admissions officers Examples of how this nutrient may overlap with the others Advice for counselors on how to explain the value of this nutrient to students and families And more! Nathan Faust is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University where he earned both his B.A. (2019) and M.A. (2023) in English. After brief stints in finance and sports management, he joined the admission team in 2021 as a regional recruiter in the Pacific Northwest, where he works with students from Oregon and Washington. Nathan is passionate about educational opportunity, enjoys connecting with students, and values demystifying the admission process. In his free time, Nathan enjoys creative writing, the highs and lows of cheering for the Portland Trail Blazers, camping in mosquito-less places, and spending time with friends also in mosquito-less places. We hope you enjoy. Play-by-Play: 4:40 – Why is service to others important at Loyola Marymount University (LMU)? 6:36 – How does LMU view service hours differently and why? 16:55 – How does service to others impact wellbeing? 23:56 – How can students best communicate their service work on their application? 29:40 – How can students weave in service to others in the personal statement? 33:45 – Where else does service to others show up in the application? 41:03 – FAQs about service to others 41:43 – What if I want to talk about my mission trip? 43:30 – What if I quit my service endeavor? 43:47 – What if my service program was discontinued? 44:42 – How do I know what really counts as service? 45:34 – What if I didn't really take anything away from this service opportunity? 47:10 – Closing thoughts and advice for students Resources: Why Giving Is Good for Your Health (Resident Psychologist Susan Albers, Cleveland Clinic, 2022, ) Why I changed my mind about volunteering (Rachel Cohen, Vox, 2024, ) Workplace Wellness Programs Why Meaningful, Long-Term Volunteer Opportunities Are The Key To Engaging Your Top Talent (William Aruda, Forbes, 2022) How to Use the Common App Additional Information section and Challenges and Circumstances section: Guide + Examples College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

In Episode 4 of our series on Admission Nutrients, Tom Campbell is joined by Dysean Alexander, Assistant Director for West Coast Admission at Lafayette College, to discuss Consistent Engagement. In their conversation, they get into: Why consistent engagement is a valuable nutrient to fold into your high school experience How it's talked about in an admissions office, and how admission readers like Dysean (and his team at Lafayette) measure it Tips on "translating" your own examples of consistent engagement to an admission officer audience Advice for counselors on how to explain the value of this nutrient to students and families And more! Counselor by day and stand-up comedian by night, Dysean Alexander is a first-generation college graduate of Ursinus College (PA) where he earned a BA in Media & Communications while being an all-conference football player. After his first year as a college admission counselor (Albright College), he served as the Assistant Director For Middle School Enrollment at Moravian Academy (PA), allowing him to gain additional knowledge on high-level high school curriculum and communities. After 6 years working at Lafayette College, he has been able to work with Army ROTC recruitment and POSSE selection, and has covered territories all over the globe, domestically spanning from Long Island, NY to Southern California, where he now serves as Assistant Director Of West Coast Admissions. Play-by-Play: 2:39 – Welcome and introductions 7:12 – Where does consistent engagement show up in an application? 10:09 – How do institutional priorities impact admission? 19:19 – What does consistent engagement say about the student to an admission reader? 25:50 – How can students brainstorm and prioritize which activities to show on the application? 36:30 – What is the balance of quality over quantity when it comes to activities? 45:05 – FAQs about consistent engagement 45:28 – What if I decide to change activities midway through high school? 52:23 – What if I had to stop my activity? 53:49 – What if I transferred schools and didn't have time to engage consistently? 57:49 – What are some tips for counselors and educators in this process? 1:07:06 – Closing thoughts Resources: College Essay Guy's BEABIES Exercise (Public) College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy's College Application Hub

Deanna Dixon, Dean of Admission at Smith College since 2006, shares her insights on leadership in college admissions. She discusses qualities Smith values in applicants, the importance of initiative, and how essays reflect institutional priorities. Deanna offers advice on navigating the admissions landscape and emphasizes the evolving narratives in college essays, particularly around mental health. She also touches on the implications of AI like ChatGPT and the ongoing efforts toward equity in admissions, urging students to embrace their unique experiences.