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

504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)


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On this week’s episode, Tom Campbell (CEG’s Community Manager) sits down with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) for Part 4 in our What Colleges Want series to talk about the personal statement. According to the latest State of College Admission report – after grades, course rigor, and positive character traits (see previous episodes), the college essay is what colleges care about most. Tom and Ethan get into: 

  • What is the purpose of the personal statement? 
  • How do you find a topic, especially if you’re not writing about challenges?  
  • Why do I recommend students NOT choose a common extracurricular activity as their main college essay topic? 
  • How do you stand out? 
  • And how do you know when you’re done?

Fun fact: You’ll find the YouTube video version of this podcast on the College Essay Guy YouTube channel.

 

Play-by-Play

  • 1:38 - What is the purpose of the personal statement in the college admission process?
  • 2:53 - How might students use this statement for multiple schools? 
  • 3:48 - Should students talk about challenges they’ve faced in a personal statement? 
  • 6:47 - Should students talk about their major or career goals?
  • 8:33 - Where is the best place to discuss extracurricular activities? 
  • 10:20 - Should students explain red flags in their personal statement?
  • 11:26 - How can students brainstorm potential topics for their personal statement?
  • 17:56 - What is the structure of a personal statement?
  • 21:11 - How can students stand out?
  • 28:57 - Case Study: What does the process look like from brainstorming to final draft?
  • 35:39 - How does a student know when their essay is done?
  • 38:27 - Is there a place for artificial intelligence in the college essay?
  • 41:47 - have personal statements shifted since the Supreme Court ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions?
  • 44:04 - Why does the personal statement process matter?
  • 49:14 - Closing thoughts

 

Resources

  • YouTube Video version of this episode (504)
  • Sample personal statements
  • 7 Brainstorming Exercises (YouTube video)
  • The “Food” essay (YouTube video analysis)
  • The Great College Essay Test
  • Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead
  • Matchlighters Informaiton
  • CEG Podcast Episode 404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down—What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner
  • Is It “Okay” to Talk About Race in Your College Application and Essays—And If So, How Should You Do It?

 

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The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College AdmissionsBy Ethan Sawyer

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