604: Inside the Application (Part 5): How to Decide Which College to Attend with Cassidy, HS Senior

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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

 

603: Leading Through Chaos: 7 Superpowers for Uncertain Times with Angel Pérez

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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

 

602: Roles and Identities Part 2 (for Counselors and Educators): A Framework for Understanding How Your Roles Shape Your Work

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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

 

601: Roles and Identities Part 1 (for Students and Parents): A Framework for Exploring Who You’ve Been, Who You Are, and Who You’re Becoming

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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

 

523: Busting College Admission Myths Using Data: Standardized Tests, Rankings, and the Cost of College with Akil Bello

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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

 

522: Storytelling & Identity with Ethan Sawyer (Bonus Part 4): On Productivity, Writing as a Journey, and What It Means to Be Enough

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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

 

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

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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

 

520: Storytelling & Identity with Whit Anderson (Part 2 of 3): Beating Writer’s Block, Writing RomComs and Space Operas, and Female Representation in Hollywood

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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

 

519: Storytelling & Identity with Dave Callaham (Part 1 of 3): What it’s Like Writing Marvel Movies, Asian-American Representation in Hollywood, and Advice on Finding Your Voice

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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

 

518: Inside the Application (Part 4): How to Know if You’re “Almost Done” with Your College Application

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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

 

517: Inside the Application (Part 3): Supplemental Essay Deep Dive + Developing the College List w/ Special Guest Renee Ferrerio

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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

 

516: Inside the Application (Part 2): Developing the Personal Statement, Supplemental Essays, and College List with Cassidy, HS Senior

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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

 

515: Inside the Application Part 1: Brainstorming, Outlining, and Drafting in Real Time with Cassidy, HS Senior

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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

 

514: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Student Perspective

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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

A former software engineer, Emi Nietfeld is a full-time writer on mental health, inequality, and higher education. She’s passionate about mental health, helping young people navigate their careers, and the connection between engineering and creativity. Her essays have appeared in New York Magazine. The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and other publications. 

We hope you enjoy the conversation. 

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 - Emi’s story, as told 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

 

513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective

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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

 

512: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective

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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

 

511: Identity, Self-care, and the Future of College Admission

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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

 

510: What Colleges Want (Part 9): A Crash Course in Standardized Testing

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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

 

509: What Colleges Want (Part 8): Extracurricular Activities Deep Dive: How Getting Involved In and Out of School Can Boost Your Application

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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

 

508: What Colleges Want (Part 7B): Recommendation Letter Crash Courses for Counselors and Teachers

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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