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

Latest Episodes:

503: What Colleges Want (Part 3): "Positive Character Attributes": What Are They, and How Do You Show Them in Your College Application? Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

In today's two-part episode, we're delving into one of the potentially more confusing aspects of what colleges want — "positive character attributes" — which 65.8% of colleges give considerable or moderate importance.

In part 1, I'm joined by Tom Bear (VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) and Bob Massa (former chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University) to discuss:

What are these positive character attributes?
Why are they important to colleges?
How do colleges decide which qualities to seek and how to evaluate for them?
How do students show these qualities in their application?

Part 2 is with Trisha Ross Anderson, from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common Project, and we get into:

How Making Caring Common helps colleges figure out what they are looking for
How some colleges are working to increase access and equity in admissions
Advice to parents as they navigate this process with their students

Tom Bear has been working in college enrollment since 1987 at a variety of institutions, including as VP for Enrollment at University of Evansville, Senior Director of Enrollment at Notre Dame and now as the VP for Enrollment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He joined the Character Collaborative in 2017, served as Board Chair and will chair NACAC's Character Focus Initiative.

Bob Massa got his Doctorate in Higher Education from Columbia, served as the chief admissions/enrollment officer at Johns Hopkins University, Dickinson College and Drew University and Co- founded the Character Collaborative in 2016. Although he has retired from full-time work after 45 years of campus-based work, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California's online masters program in enrollment management.

Trisha Ross Anderson has served on research teams at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for the past 13 years. She's worked with the Making Caring Common (MCC) Project to help write reports including one called Turning the Tide that focuses on reform of the college admission process. She leads MCC's college admissions initiatives with Richard Weissbourd and currently serves on NACAC's Character Focus Initiative Advisory Council.

Play-by-Play

0:00 - Meet Tom Bear and Bob Massa (Part 1)
2:12 - What do colleges mean by "positive character attributes"?
3:55 - What are some examples of these "positive character attributes"?
4:58 - Why is it important for students, parents, and counselors to think about these qualities?
7:16 - How do colleges decide what qualities they're looking for?
12:04 - How do colleges evaluate students for these qualities?
13:09 - Example of a rubric on extraordinary commitment to others
19:10 - Why don't colleges share their rubrics for what they're looking for?
21:18 - What can students do to better understand what a particular school is looking for?
24:08 - How do colleges evaluate "character" in an applicant?
29:58 - What is the high school profile and how is it used in a student's evaluation?
31:20 - Why is it important to think about positive character attributes now?
35:56 - How can students demonstrate these qualities in their college applications?
40:00 - What can parents do to help their students in this process?
42:01 - Meet Trisha Ross Anderson (Part 2)
43:09 - What is the Making Caring Common (MCC) project?
44:37 - How is MCC working with colleges?
46:17 - Why is it difficult to create a rubric for these qualities?
48:16 - How is MCC helping colleges decide on what they are looking for?
52:45 - How is MCC helping colleges to increase equity and access in the college admissions process?
57:33 - Advice for parents on navigating this process with their students
1:01:31 - Closing thoughts

Resources

Making Caring Common
- Character Assessment in College Admission Guide
- Turning the Tide (2016): Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions
- Turning the Tide II (2019): How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in The College Admissions Process
How (and Why) to Uplevel Your School Profile Post-SCOTUS: A Guide for Counselors that Predominantly Serve First Generation, Low-Income and/or Underrepresented Students of Color
How to Research Colleges Without Visiting a Campus
How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide
How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section: Guide + Examples

Ideas from Ethan for finding what you care about + finding content for your application:

Values Exercise (2 min)
If you really, really knew me… (1 hr)

502: What Colleges Want (Part 2): A Deep Dive into GPA, Course Selection, and Making the Most of the Academic Opportunities Available to You Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

On today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) and Nitzya Cuevas-Macias (Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep) cover:

How do students decide which classes to take—and what questions should they ask when deciding?
Key recommendations for selecting English, math, science, social studies, language, and elective courses
The most frequently asked questions we get asked about courses and grades

Nitzya Cuevas-Macias was a first-gen college student at UC Berkeley where she studied History and Legal Studies, and earned her Master's in Mexican American Studies from San José State. She's been working in education for 16 years where the majority of her time has been in college access and success, in the CBO, non-profit world, k-12 public and charter, and community college. Currently, she is the Director of College Programs at Downtown College Prep, a free public charter in San José, CA and serves as a board member of the Western Association for College Admission Counseling.

We hope you enjoy!

Play-by-Play:

2:21 - Introductions
6:02 - What are key things to keep in mind when planning your high school experience?
10:21 - Subject area recommendations
- 11:40 - English
- 16:04 - Math
- 21:34 - Science
- 28:02 - Social Studies
- 31:11 - Languages
- 33:06 - Visual/Performing Arts
- 36:17 - Electives
36:39 - Rapid-fire FAQs about grades
- 37:43 How do colleges evaluate my course grades and transcript?
- 38:22 - Is it important to only get Straight-As to have a chance?
- 40:29 - How do colleges evaluate my GPA?
- 42:05 - How can students balance a high GPA with challenging courses?
- 44:28 - Should students increase their rigor every year?
- 45:23 - Is it a good idea to take additional summer or online courses?
- 49:43 - How important is class rank?
- 51:19 - Should I pick Honors, AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment?
- 54:17 - Are AP and IB scores important if my school doesn't offer AP courses?
- 57:28 - How do I know what classes to take if I don't know what I want to study or where I want to go to college?
59:59 - Wrap up / closing thoughts

Resources:

Coursera
UC Scout
Episode 403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My!: How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context - Susan Tree
Episode 213: Self-Directed Learning (Why You Can Quit HS & Be Okay)
What are AP classes?
IB vs AP
Easiest AP Classes
Hardest AP Classes

501: What Colleges Want (Part 1): A Deep Dive into the Factors Colleges Deem Important & State of College Admissions Report Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

Show Notes

On today's episode, Ethan sits down with David Hawkins, Chief Education and Policy Officer at National Association of College Admission Counselors (aka NACAC), and they get discuss, among other things:

What are the most important factors colleges consider?
What significant changes has he seen in the college admission landscape in the past few years?
How has the emphasis on college essays (aka the personal statement) shifted?
Why has the emphasis in standardized testing changed?
What have the impacts been of the Supreme Court decision to ban race conscious admission?
How can students, counselors, and parents use the info in this report to make their college admission process easier?

For over 20 years, David Hawkins has worked in enrollment management and admissions to alleviate systemic barriers to accessing higher education. Hawkins has played a key role in setting NACAC's strategic direction, which involved hearing and representing the collective voice of NACAC's more than 25,000 high school counselors and college admission officers. His priorities include making NACAC a more effective learning organization, with an emphasis on ethics and redefining advocacy.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Play-by-Play

2:04 - Introductions
3:03 - What is the State of College Admission report?
5:48 - How can students, parents, and counselors use this report?
9:50 - Which factors of admissions decisions are most important to colleges?
13:34 - How are "positive character attributes" assessed?
18:00 - What are some specific qualities that are important to colleges?
20:46 - How do students show these qualities in their applications?
25:33 - How has the importance of the college essay shifted in recent years?
27:13 - Which colleges seem to value the essay more highly?
28:47 - How does a student's interest in attending a particular school influence admissions decisions?
32:30 - How are counselor & teacher recommendations assessed?
33:58 - What are admissions officers looking for in extracurricular activities?
37:38 - Why is high school class rank dropping in rank of importance?
39:30 - Do colleges still want to see standardized test scores?
42:52 - Quick thoughts on creative portfolios, interviews, work experience, state exam scores, and subject test scores
44:49 - David shares predictions on shifts in equity and inclusion in the future of admissions
48:57 - Closing thoughts

Resources

State of College Admission Report
What is Demonstrated Interest? A Practical How-To Guide
A List of Activities You May Not Have Considered Including—But That Count!
How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation for College: Step-by-Step Guide for Students
How to Write a Letter of Recommendation: Counselor's Guide + Samples
How to Write a Recommendation Letter for a Student: Teacher's Guide + Samples
Crash Course to Standardized Testing
Podcast Episodes:
- 204: What You Need to Know About Standardized Tests and Mistakes to Avoid
- 411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want

414: A Crash Course in Paying for College & Common Affordability Myths Dec 28, 2023

Show notes

On today's episode, Ethan is joined by Amanda Miller, who got her start in financial aid through the College Advising Corps at Davidson College in 2014. A few thousand students, several resources, and dozens of financial aid presentations later, Amanda's an independent financial aid specialist and college adviser who also serves as the financial aid go-to lady for the Matchlighters program and someone we consider to be a part of the extended College Essay Guy family.

Ethan and Amanda discuss:

How do people identify the best ways to pay for college?
What are some things that people who win scholarships do differently?
What's the most important thing a student can do to make college affordable and avoid going into tons of debt?
How can you learn which colleges are likely to be affordable to you?
Myths on topics ranging from financial aid appeals to applying out of state

Play-by-Play

1:45 - Intro
2:49 - How do people pay for college?
4:39 - Where does most of the money come from when it comes to paying for college?
5:28 - What are the three types of scholarships?
7:28 - How do students win scholarships?
10:38 - How does the FAFSA help students pay for college?
15:21 - How do students avoid taking on too much debt?
19:23 - How do students figure out what kinds of colleges will be affordable?
27:30 - What are some of Amanda's favorite affordability tools for students and parents?
29:43 - Amanda busts some college affordability myths
37:33 - How can families determine if college is truly worth the cost?
41:42 - What is the difference between "cost of attendance" and "net cost"?
44:04 - Why should most people still complete the FAFSA?
47:57 - What is a reasonable amount of debt to graduate with?
50:21 - What steps should students take to figure out their financial plan for college?
51:52 - Closing thoughts

Resources

Financial Aid Advising with Amanda Miller (The Counselor Lady) Meeting Request
Crash Course on How to Pay for College
How to Make College Affordable Mini-Course for U.S. Students and Families
How to Make College Affordable Mini-Course for College Counselors and Educators
College Scorecard – US Department of Education
TuitionFit – Mark Salisbury
CollegeXpress
The College Finder: Choose the School That's Right for You! Fourth Edition – By Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D.
Podcast Episodes:
121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version) – Jeff Levy, financial aid expert
122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version) – Jennie Kent, international financial aid expert
411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want – Ann Marano (Colleges That Change Lives)

413: Intellectual Curiosity + College Admissions: What It Is, Why It Matters to Colleges, and How to Show It Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) and Susan Tree (a college counseling and admissions legend with 40+ years of experience) chat about "intellectual curiosity": a quality that many colleges actively look for in students, yet is a little more ambiguous and nuanced compared to mapping out a high school course plan.

This is part 2 of a series about students' academic background and interests and how they factor into the admissions process. Part 1 is about all things related to the academic part of a student's college application— which, at many selective colleges, is seen as the "foot in the door" of their selection process.

On the episode you'll hear Susan and Tom discuss:

Identifying an academic superpower and framing it in that way in your college application
How coming across as "too complete" to colleges (as in, you have no bigger questions you'd like to solve) can actually make your application less competitive
How to infuse intellectual curiosity into your supplemental essays
Showing academic and nonacademic alignment for particularly popular majors

Hope you enjoy.

Play-by-Play

1:38 - Reframing your accomplishments as superpowers
7:12 - Identifying your learning style among Architects, Gardeners, and Explorers
10:22 - Why colleges want different types of learners
13:52 - Why communicating what you're curious about to admissions officers is a good idea
15:07 - Staying in touch with who you are on your application
19:17 - Understanding the pressure to present a complete version of yourself
22:55 - An example of showing intellectual curiosity through supplemental essays
26:44 - The value of curiosity in non-academic spaces
32:52 - How highly-selective colleges evaluate quality vs. quantity in their applicants
38:51 - What is academic alignment vs. non-academic alignment? How does this impact the way colleges read applications?
43:34 - What if your high school doesn't offer specialized programs to help you explore your intellectual curiosity?
46:49 - Final thoughts

Resources

412: Applying to College as a First-Generation or Low-Income Student: The Matchlighters Scholars Program Experience Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

Hey all, today's episode is a special one. We had one of our rockstar essay coaches, Shira Harris, sit down with two of her former Matchlighter students, Milena Veliz and Sayem Kamal, to discuss their experiences navigating the college application process as First Generation Low Income Students. At the time of the recording, Milena was an incoming sophomore at Macaulay Honors College at John Jay and Sayem was an incoming freshman at Columbia University. They both received full scholarships at their respective schools.

In the episode, we'll listen to Shira, Milena, and Sayem discuss (among other things):

Milena and Sayem's backgrounds and how they found out about the Matchlighters program
The process of working with Shira and some of the most helpful resources they used to write their essays
Leveraging scholarships to pay for college
Difficulties Milena and Sayem encountered in the application process and why having a mentor was so helpful
What Milena and Sayem wrote in their personal statements
Tips, hacks, and guidance for students going through the process right now

If you've never heard of Matchlighters, it's our 1-on-1 coaching support program where we pair students from low-income households with volunteer counselors. We're in our 8th year of the program with over 2,000+ Scholars supported from 45 states and 5 continents — with our scholars attending more than 150 colleges and universities.

Shira Harris, whom you'll meet in a moment, is an alternative educator, mediator, former civil rights attorney and queer activist who received a BA from UC Berkeley, law degree from New York University, and an international masters on migration and mediation in the Mediterranean region.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Play-by-Play

2:20 - Milena & Sayem share their backgrounds
5:13 - How they found Matchlighters and what their sessions were like
9:41 - What resources did they find helpful in the college essay writing process?
12:36 - How did Milena & Sayem start to build their college lists?
15:35 - What was difficult or unexpected about this process?
19:45 - What tips do Sayem & Milena have for students going through this process right now?
23:20 - How did they overcome concerns about college affordability as low-income students?
26:35 -What scholarship resources did Milena & Sayem find in their search?
29:29 - How are Milena & Sayem connecting with their college campuses?
33:03 - What parts of the application process have stuck with Milena & Sayem?
36:55 - What advice would Sayem & Milena give to their former selves?
38:45 - Resources for First-Gen, Low-Income students
41:11 - Wrap-up / closing thoughts

Resources

Matchlighters
The Values Exercise
Corsava Card Sort
CollegeXpress
QuestBridge
Why Us Guides
Super Essays
Macaulay Honors
Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be by Frank Bruni
Reddit - r/applying to college
Reddit - r/questbridge
CollegeBoard
CEG Discord
First Gen Support Discord
UStrive (mentorship program for FGLI students)

411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

On Season 1 of the podcast, Ethan had a great conversation with Maria Furtado, then Executive Director of the Colleges That Change Lives organization (also known as "CTCL"). It's a lovely chat and to date one of our most downloaded episodes.

On today's episode Ethan had the pleasure of sitting down with her successor, Ann Marano, and they get into:

Where to start when it comes to the college search
How to myth bust yourself (a practical exercise)
What questions to ask when you're searching for a college
Some things Ann and Ann and Ethan wished they had done differently when they went through the process themselves
Busting some affordability myths
What it means to keep a student at the center of the college search

If you've never met Ann, you should know that she is a proud first-generation college graduate of Mount St. Mary's University (CA) who earned her M.A. in Education-Psychology from Pepperdine. She's served on several counselor advisory boards, including the Common Application Board of Directors and the Johns Hopkins University Access Advisory Board. After 20 years in college admissions counseling at several different universities and high schools and 12 years as the college bound advisor at the first all girls' public school in the state of Texas, Ann Marano moved into the role of Executive Director for the Colleges That Change Lives.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Play-by-Play

1:57 - What is CTCL and what is Ann's role as Executive Director?
3:58 - What's it like to be a student at a liberal arts college?
8:09 - What kind of student is right for a liberal arts college?
10:01 - What's a good place to start in the college search process?
14:49 - How to combat myths about colleges
19:04 - What are some questions that are important for students and families to be asking themselves as they go through this process?
- 25:52 - An exercise for picturing yourself on a college campus
29:45 - What would Ann and Ethan have done differently in college?
32:04 - How does a student get a sense of a school if they're not able to visit the campus?
34:15 - College affordability at private schools
39:17 - What are some tips for parents about keeping students at the center of the search?
43:56 - Another example of what it's like to be a student at a liberal arts college
48:27 - An exercise students can do to begin this process of finding a great college
52:55 - Final thoughts / wrap-up

Resources

410: Regional Spotlights: Attending College in The South w/ Renee Ferrerio Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

On today's episode, Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) hosts the first installment of a new series called Regional Spotlights, which will bring on college counseling experts who have deep history or knowledge of the exciting college options from (and cultural nuances of) a particular geographic region.

We're kicking off this series with Colleges in The South. Our Southern specialist and special guest today is CEG's very own Renee Ferrerio.

Renee began her career more than 30 years ago, first as a public-school counselor and more recently as the Director of College Counseling at The O'Neal School. She is Co-Chair for North Carolina's State and Area Initiatives Committee and might be considered by some as a counselor-fly in connoisseur, having participated in dozens of visit programs at various colleges and universities across the country.

On the episode you'll hear Tom and Renee discuss:

The myths and realities of going to college in The South
Admissions trends at Southern flagship public universities
How to make studying in The South more affordable, including special scholarship opportunities
Hidden gems and unique, specialized programs that you may not have heard of before

Our hope is that, for students and families, spotlighting some of these "little things" about studying in the South will help you see that there may even be bigger things in store for you there than you originally anticipated… beyond BBQ.

Play-by-Play

0:24 - Welcome & Introductions
2:57 - Why are we doing regional spotlights?
3:56 - Why should geography be a factor in a student's list-making process?
7:26 - What are some cultural realities students should keep in mind as they're putting together a college list with Southern schools?
15:57 - What are some misconceptions about Greek Life?
24:03 - What should students applying to public flagships know?
31:06 - College affordability in the South
39:50 - Studying STEM in the South
47:51 - Rapid-fire Southern Spotlights
- 48:34 - Schools in Florida
- 55:02 - Schools in Georgia
- 59:16 - Schools in South Carolina
- 1:02:45 - Schools in North Carolina
- 1:08:31 - Schools in Tennessee
- 1:10:39 - Schools in Texas
- 1:12:01 - Schools in Virginia
1:16:26 - Wrap Up & Closing Thoughts

Resources

Scholarships in the South:

409: A Crash Course in College Athletic Recruiting w/ Katie Andersen Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

My guest is Katie Andersen, a former NCAA Division 1 Women's Soccer player at Duke University, who now advises student-athletes through her organization, College Fit OC. She's also the co-founder of The Student-Athlete Advisors, which focuses on educating and mentoring educational consultants who advise college-bound student-athletes.

Our conversation turned into a veritable crash course in college athletic recruiting. We get into, among other things:

How a student can know if they can realistically play their sport at the college level
When students should start their athletic recruiting process
Can a college coach actually help a student get accepted to a university?
How college-list building is different for student athletes
Recent rule changes families should be aware of
Tips for social media
Tips for recruiting videos
And lots more!

Play-by-play

0:00 - Intro / Who is Katie Anderson?
1:37 - Katie shares a little bit about her journey as a student athlete
4:29 - How can a student know if they can realistically play their sport at the college level?
9:00 - When should students start their athletic recruiting process?
12:45 - Should student athletes visit campus?
15:36 - How do students know if a coach is serious about recruiting them?
18:11 - How can students be proactive in their recruiting process?
21:30 - What influence do coaches have on the admissions process?
25:05 - What are coaches looking for in student athletes?
29:51 - How is building a college list different for student athletes?
35:50 - How do early decision applications impact the students' athletic recruiting journey?
39:03 - Are there any recent shifts in athletic recruitment that students should know?
42:18 - How can social media be used to help a student in the recruiting process?
47:04 - What are some tips for creating recruiting videos?
50:32 - What are some of the misconceptions that students and families have about this process?
52:46 - Advice to families who are considering hiring somebody to help them with this process?
54:46 - What resources are available for families throughout this process?
54:43 - Wrap-Up

Resources

Blog for Student Athlete Advisors (Katie's organization)
College Athletic Recruiting Playbook
NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide
Podcast 121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version) - Jeff Levy, financial aid expert
Podcast 122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version) - Jennie Kent, international financial aid expert
Podcast 123: Should You Apply Early Decision or Regular Decision? (And the Chart That Can Help You Decide) - Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy

408: 10 Critical Things Trans Youth (and Their Counselors and Caregivers) Should Know in High School and When Applying to College w/ Shannon and Sam Bergeron Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

On this episode I had the honor of sitting down with Sam and Shannon Bergeron. Sam is a transgender man who transitioned in high school (in Texas) and who now works in college admissions at his alma mater, Hampshire College. Shannon is Founder of Core College Consulting, where she specializes in using a whole child college counseling™ approach. She's been a school counselor for more than 20 years, a volunteer with Matchlighters Scholars program, and she's also Sam's mom, an ally, and an advocate for trans students.

We discuss a number of critical things trans youth, their counselors and caregivers should know as they navigate the college admission process, including:

The importance of understanding student information systems at your school
How to ensure safety in gendered spaces on campus
The value of offering, or improving trans-specific counseling services
Conversation starters for teachers, counselors, and administrators
How to research colleges
And much more

Play-by-play

0:00 - Introduction - Who are Shannon and Sam?
1:43 - Welcome to the podcast
1:55 - Shannon and Sam share their backstories in advocating for trans youth
4:39 - What was Shannon's experience of Sam's transition in high school?
6:42 - Why is it important to talk about and advocate for trans youth?
9:57 - Ethan shares his personal ties to trans youth advocacy
10:45 - What are some of trans students' rights at school?
15:19 - What are Shannon's strategies for identifying places in the school system that protect trans youth?
17:38 - What are some of the impacts of calling a student by the wrong name?
19:20 - How can parents, caregivers, and counselors better support trans students?
21:55 - How do you find and create safe spaces in high school?
28:00 - What is Shannon's advice for parents in similar situations?
32:15 - The power of grounding techniques
34:38 - What are some ways of sharing your story in a way that is impactful for others?
37:20 - What should counselors keep in mind?
39:25 - Sharing common terminology surrounding LGBTQIA+ identities
44:04 - What is Sam's experience and advice in the college search process?
49:26 - ICYMI: CEG Podcast Episode 214 - Resources for LGBTQ+ Students from Campus Pride with Shane Windmeyer
49:53 - Advice and considerations for writing the college essay
56:32 - Closing advice for supporting the trans people in your life

Resources:

Grounding techniques resources:

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

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

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected