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

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

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions process.

Latest Episodes:

215: 17 Things Students of Color (+ Their Counselors and Parents) Should Know When Applying to College Sep 12, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we cover, among other things:

Ways that students of Color can advocate for themselves while in high school
How to research Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Ways to learn more about fit at colleges that are not minority-serving
Where to find more financial aid after you've been accepted
How parents can get involved to advocate for their students in high school and college
How counselors can more fully serve students of Color
& First steps that counselors can take to become focused on racial equity and anti-racism

Resources:

Play-by-play:

[1:00] Who is Sydney Montgomery?
[3:00] Why does Sydney do this work?
[3:45] Tip #1: Own your academic journey
[6:30] #2: Strive to reach higher than just the bare minimum graduation requirements.
[7:48] #3: Make sure that your college application list is tailored to your academic profile.
[10:15] #4: Make sure you and your counselor have a good fit relationship
[13:14] #5: Form allies outside of your counselor or teacher.
[14:04] #6: Prepare a brag sheet for teachers' letters of recommendation
[15:40] #7: Parents should start to request information about FAFSA and financial aid in the 9th grade.
[17:20] #8: Parents and students need to consider finances when building a college list
[22:15] #9: Students should advocate for themselves in the early stages of the college application process
[23:30] #10: Don't overlook the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
[27:40] #11: Speak to students in the Black Student Union or other cultural affinity groups when on college visits.
[28:50] #12: Look up a school's profile on the Common Data Set
[32:25] #13: Apply to scholarships offered by Black Sororities and Fraternities (the "Divine Nine")
[33:05] #14: Apply to scholarships with Black churches
[33:30] #15: Don't discount things like church activities and helping out at home or with younger siblings
[35:20] #16: Actively pursue certain specialized programs like magnet programs.
[36:15] #17: Parents can push school districts and boards of education to fund schools on an equitable basis to combat education disparities.
[37:45] How counselors can more fully serve students of Color
[43:30] First steps that counselors can take to become focused on racial equity and anti-racism

214: Resources for LGBTQ+ Students from Campus Pride Oct 07, 2019

Show notes

Campus Pride is THE go-to resource for LGBTQ students and their families and my guest on this episode, civil rights champion Shane Windmeyer, is the one to thank for its very existence. On this episode we discuss:

How Shane get involved in this work in the first place
How is the college search process for LGBTQ+ students?
What are some great questions to ask when visiting campuses?
Common mistakes students make in the process
How can LGBTQ students find scholarships?
Should students come out in their essays? If so, how?

Resources:

The Campus Pride Index

The Advocate College Guide for Lgbt Students

Brotherhood: Gay Life for College Fraternities

Inspiration for LGBT students and allies

Out on Fraternity Row

Secret Sisters

The Campus Visit Scorecard

The Campus Pride LGBTQ College Fair Program

The P's and Q's to choosing the perfect campus

Campus Pride Trans Policy Clearinghouse

FASFA

CSS Profile

Gamma Mu Foundation

213: Self-Directed Learning (Why You Can Quit HS & Be Okay) Oct 02, 2019

Show notes

This is the second of two episodes on homeschooling and self-directed learning. My guest is writer, speaker, and fellow podcaster Blake Boles, whose work invites students and families to re-evaluate the traditional schooling model--are the typical high school and college experiences really the best ways to spend your time? On this episode we discuss:

Can you (really) quit high school and not totally ruin your life?
Why is this the best time ever for self-directed learning?
How can we all be more self directed learners?
Why you should: Google everything, Email strangers, and Find your nerd clan
The benefits of skipping college (or at least taking a gap year)
How to know if you're making a decision for you (and not your parents)?

A warning: Listen too closely to this episode and it could mean that this is the very last College Essay Guy podcast episode you listen to… and that could be a very cool thing.

Resources:

Average is Over

A Case Against Education

Off Trail Learning Podcast

The Self Driven Child

Dumbing us Down

The Teenage Liberation Handbook

Unschooled

Penelope Trunk

Excellent Sheep

The Nurture Assumption

The Alliance of Self-Directed Education

Not Back to School Camp

Camp Stomping Ground

Unschooled Adventures

212: Advice for Homeschooling Students Sep 23, 2019

Show notes

This is the first of two episodes on homeschooling and self-directed learning, something that as the father of a four year-old I am way into. My guest is Becca Orlowski, a teacher and consultant with more than two decades of experience in the independent homeschooling world. On this episode we talk about:

What are some common homeschooling myths?
Is it true, for example, that homeschooling is "too much work" for any parent in their right minds?
Are colleges biased towards homeschoolers… against… neither or both?
What kinds of folks choose to homeschool and can parents homeschool and work?
Different homeschooling styles, how homeschooling academics differ from public schools, and even nitty gritty tips like the practical differences for homeschoolers applying to college and the amount of detail homeschoolers need in their transcripts
As always, lots of resources and recommendations...

Links mentioned in this episode:

Brave Writer
Outschool
Pennsylvania homeschoolers
Bluetent
Thinkwell
CTY
Online G3
Michael Clay Thompson
OpenCourseware
Coursera
Classical Homeschooling
The Well Trained Mind
HSLDA sample docs
HS2COLL homeschool to college yahoo group
S.E.A secular homeschooling
CA College Homeschool Seekers - Facebook group in CA
The Davidson Young Scholars
Teach Your Own - book
Creative Homeschooling - a resource guide for smart families
Dumbing Us Down
The Brave Learner

211: Financial Aid Tips for International Students (and Their Counselors) Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

This is the last episode in a three-part series on paying for college. My guest is Joan Liu, a college counselor who has a giant heart to go with her giant brain. In this episode she draws on her years of experience helping international students who need financial aid in order to attend college in the US. We cover a range of topics that will apply to both students and counselors, including:

How is the application process different for students who need full financial aid?
For counselors, how is working with a full-financial aid students different than other students?
What are common mistakes students (and counselors) make in applying for financial aid?
What do students need to know about getting full financial aid in the US?
How do students figure out which schools meet full need?
What can students and counselors do if a student doesn't get their need met?
Where do students begin?

Relevant Links:

Find your local Education USA office

Big J Educational Consulting List of ED and RD Acceptance Rates - Jenny Kent

210: The Being Not-Rich Guide Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

This is episode two in a three-part series on paying for college. My guest for this episode is Lauren Schandevel, a 4th year Public Policy student at the University of Michigan and creator of the "Being Not-Rich" Guide--more on that shortly. On this episode we discuss:

Where did the inspiration for the "Being Not-Rich" Guide come from?
In what ways are higher ed institutions unsympathetic to the needs of low-income students, and how can this widen the gap between them and their wealthier peers?
What's in the guide?
What's been the impact?
How you can access Lauren's guide and even
Tips for creating your own "Not-Rich" Guide and spread the word

Links from this episode: Being Not-Rich at UM The DIY Not-Rich Guide for other schools Affordability Michigan Facebook Group

209: Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream Sep 02, 2019

Show notes

My guest for this first episode is Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology at Temple University, author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream. On this episode we discuss:

Why has paying for college become such a problem?
Which students are most impacted by needs insecurity and why don't students tell their stories of struggle?
How is the current financial aid system broken, and what are some solutions?
How can students avoid getting into debt without getting a degree?
Advice for students currently applying
A really specific way that you, dear listener, can make a difference.

Links:

Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream

208: Resources for First-Generation Students (and Their Counselors) Aug 26, 2019

Show notes

On this episode, which is part 3 of 3 in my series on access and equity in the college admissions process, I sit down with their Chief Strategy Officer of Strive for College, Matt Rubinoff, who for years has been advocating for first-generation and low-income students. We discuss, among other things:

What's so special about being first anyway?
Why first-generation students should take a "What's in it for me?" approach
Resources for first-generation students and their counselors, including (one of my all-time favorites) the "I'm First! Guide to College," which highlights resources and opportunities available to first-gen students at hundreds of colleges and universities
Questions first-gen students and parents should ask when researching colleges
The importance of not just getting to college, but getting through it
How first-generation and low-income students can receive not only free mentoring but also free test prep!

Links Mentioned in this episode:

Remember to use the code COLLEGEESSAYGUY when purchasing the "I'm First" Guide for 30% off!

207: 17 Things to Do Before Going to College May 27, 2019

Show notes

Hi friends! This is the first time on the podcast that I discuss the "what comes next" of the college admissions process--and who better to do it than Harlan Cohen, author of the NY Times bestseller, The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into In College--a book I've had on my bookshelf for many years. On this podcast Harlan offers so much great advice from:

A simple exercise to help set you up for a great freshman year
How to find your people on campus
Whether or not you should break up with your high school sweetheart (what Harlan says might surprise you)
Three great questions to put on your contract with your roommate
On-campus resources that he (and I!) wish we'd known more about when we were in college
Harlan's "three-box" strategy for packing

Harlan Cohen is a New York Times bestselling author, nationally syndicated advice columnist, and speaker who has visited over 500 high school and college campuses. He is the author of six books including, The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into In College, The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only, and Dad's Expecting Too! Harlan is a frequent guest on television and radio programs.

He is the founder of Best First Year, an online college readiness and success program for high school and college students. You can find him on social media @HarlanCohen and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HelpMeHarlan and you can watch his TEDx talk at www.HarlanCohen.com/TEDx

206: 30 Ways to Center Equity And Justice Today w/ Marie Bigham Feb 11, 2019

Show notes

For this episode, which is Part 2 of 3 on my series on access and equity, I interview Marie Bigham of ACCEPT. Marie and I jam on 30 practical ways that you can increase your participation in equity and justice in the world of college admissions and beyond.

Whether you're a parent, student, counselor, or admissions rep, you'll find something for you.

Marie Bigham is the founder of ACCEPT: Admissions Community Cultivating Equity and Peace Today, a social media-based action group for the admissions profession, which received the Excellence in Education Award from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling AND was honored by Facebook at the 2017 Facebook Community Summit

With over 20 years in the profession, Marie has served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC); as Vice Chair of the Board for Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS); and on the Board of Directors of Texas Association of College Admissions Counseling (TACAC).

Marie is also the Director of College Counseling at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans.

On this episode we discuss:

Why you should maybe consider not using the word "ally"
How to stand up for others, even when -- or especially when -- it's most uncomfortable
10 specific ways counselors and colleges can help build a more inclusive environment on their campuses
Where anyone can find a treasure trove of resources on racial equity

Hope this inspires!

For more information, and to download a PDF of these resources, head over to https://collegeessayguy.squarespace.com/blog/30-ways-center-justice-equity

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