『The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions』のカバーアート

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

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

著者： Ethan Sawyer
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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.Copyright College Essay Guy LLC 社会科学
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  • 713: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Storytelling (Ep 10: The Stomach Whisperer) with Tillie Gottlieb

    713: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Storytelling (Ep 10: The Stomach Whisperer) with Tillie Gottlieb
    2026/07/07

    Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, "On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling." In this series, we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talking about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be.

    In this episode, we break down an essay called "The Stomach Whisperer" about a student who used to lie on her grandmother's stomach and wonder if the echoing gurgle I'd just heard was caused by the molasses or by the cinnamon.

    I'm joined today by Tillie Gottlieb, a former admission officer turned Director of College Counseling who I'm so happy to say now works with me full-time at College Essay Guy. In this episode (thanks to Tillie's background), we get to analyze a personal statement through three different lenses: admission officer, college counselor, and lover of creative non-fiction. If you're the kind of person who enjoys seeing how things get made, whether it's a great meal, a film scene, or a piece of writing, I have a feeling you might enjoy this one.

    Tillie Gottlieb is an educator and creative producer with fifteen years of experience in the world of higher education admissions and counseling. After earning her Bachelor's from Whitman College and her Master's in Education from Middlebury, Tillie navigated the complexities of college admissions from both sides of the desk—serving as a Director of College Counseling, a reader for USC, and overseas as an independent educational consultant. She is also a filmmaker and performer who has spent a career at the intersection of systems-level thinking, centering equity, and storytelling. At CEG, she translates her background into leading webinars and workshops, sharing free content on our social media channels, and serves as a senior college counselor, helping students turn their values and lived experiences into something people can actually feel.

    Enjoy.

    Play-by-Play:

    • 2:09 – When Tillie looks at a college essay, what are some of the lenses that she looks through?
    • 5:07 – Tillie shares context on the essay and what she loves about it
    • 5:43 – Tillie reads the essay we're calling, The Stomach Whisperer
    • 9:40 – What stands out from the lens of an admission officer?
    • 11:50 – What works well in the opening paragraph?
    • 16:49 – How does the writer use descriptive language to show various personal qualities?
    • 18:11 – How can students use "geeky language" to express their intellectual curiosity?
    • 23:18 – What techniques does the writer use to subtly weave in a challenge as they gain confidence in their choice of major?
    • 27:29 – How can students stand out using a more common topic such as an internship?
    • 33:07 – What works well in the closing paragraph?
    • 36:20 – What are some of the values that are coming through in this essay?
    • 38:37 – What is something that Tillie would like students to keep in mind as they're going through this process?
    • 38:55 – Closing thoughts


    Resources:

    • The "Stomach Whisperer" Essay
    • CEG's College Admission Nutrients (aka The Great College Application Test)
    • College Essay Guy's Personal Statement Resources
    • College Essay Guy's College Application Hub
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    39 分
  • 712: Empowering First-Generation Student Success: The Warren High School BUS program with David Cha

    712: Empowering First-Generation Student Success: The Warren High School BUS program with David Cha
    2026/06/23
    Welcome back to the podcast! Today's episode is hosted by Tom Campbell, a former admission officer and now a college counselor and content creator here at College Essay Guy. This show often reminds us that beneath the essays, the deadlines, and the color-coded college lists, this whole thing is really about people — and today's guest is exhibit A. Quick disclaimer: this is a feel-good episode. Very "This American Life." If you've ever needed your faith in public education restored, cancel your other plans. In a content landscape where some of the loudest admissions "experts" run on rage-bait and loose credentials, my guest is the opposite. And his name is David Cha. In this episode I finally sit down with David. We get into: David's five-minute life story: how a kid from Koreatown, one youth pastor's quiet act of grace, and a hard left turn away from a communications career set David on the path to public education What it took to build the AVID program from scratch in 2001, overcoming early skepticism to help first-generation students thriveThe evolution of the Bears University Seminar (BUS) and how a team of committed educators scaled a small library workshop into a massive success storyWhich CEG resources have quietly become game-changers inside BUS — yes, including the 250 copies of College Essay Essentials he bought as gifts for this year's graduates.And his hard-won advice for any public school educator trying to build a college-going culture against very long oddsOh, and at one point David volunteers his own high school SAT score toour dear listeners our dear listeners. I'll let him tell you that one. David Cha is a veteran educator with 27 years of classroom experience and holds two Masters degrees from Biola and Grand Canyon A recent recipient of the Mayor of Downey's Outstanding Citizen Award, David has built a legacy of impactful college-prep programming at Warren High School. In 2001, he launched the school's AVID program with just 30 students—an initiative that now serves nearly 600 students locally and has expanded districtwide down to the elementary level. David is also the founder of the Bears University Seminar (BUS), a summer essay and application bootcamp established in 2019. What began as a small workshop has grown into a massive success story, recently guiding a cohort of 237 seniors to an incredible 1,373 college acceptances across the UC and CSU systems and beyond. Whether you're an educator, counselor, parent, or student, I think you'll come away reminded that while admissions can feel impossibly complex, changing a student's life often starts with something beautifully simple: one person taking the time to invest in another. Let's get into it. We hope you enjoy. Play-by-Play: 3:52 – What is David's background? 4:59 – What inspired David to change his career plans and become a public school teacher?7:50 – How did David build and fund a brand-new student support program from scratch?13:30 – How has the program expanded across the school district over the years?14:41 – Why did the team design their student framework to focus on long-term life fulfillment rather than just getting into college?16:52 – How can a dedicated mentor completely change the academic trajectory of a struggling student?20:46 – What words of encouragement does David offer to educators who are feeling overwhelmed or losing faith in their work?25:25 – How did David turn online writing exercises into a structured summer essay curriculum for his students?32:20 – What are the college acceptance statistics for the bootcamp students?34:51 – How does David help his students continue their college application journeys independently after the summer workshop ends?35:33 – Tom shares his own background story of how he first started working with College Essay Guy 37:26 – How can strong student advocacy help an applicant's unique story stand out during the review process?38:23 – How can collaborations with local CBOs and college representatives help first-generation students access high-quality resources?43:16 – What are the biggest cultural and mindset shifts required to help students navigate the college application process more effectively?44:25 – How can schools guide first-generation families on college and class choices as early as possible?49:19 – How can counselors help students highlight collaboration and teamwork on their applications?50:42 – What are the practical logistics and daily structure of David's student bootcamp?58:03 – How can schools leverage real admissions officers and guest experts to inspire and guide applicants?1:01:39 – What has David learned over the years from putting together his program? 1:05:56 – Closing thoughts and advice for counselors Resources: CEG's College Admission Nutrients (aka The Great College Application Test) Paying for College in Four Steps College Essay Guy's Values Exercise College Essay Guy's Essence Objects ...
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    1 時間 9 分
  • 711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson

    711: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 10: The Silent Assassin) with Amber Patterson
    2026/06/09
    Hi, friends, and welcome back to our series, "On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling," where we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talk about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be. In this episode, I'm joined by Amber Patterson, Regional Director of Admission at Texas Christian University. This conversation does two things at once. We read a real student essay closely, line by line, and we get inside an admission reader's head to understand what's actually landing as she reads through it. We get into: What Amber hopes to learn about a student when she sits down with their personal statementWhy TCU has chosen not to use any AI to read applications, and the human moments she says a machine can't pick upHow the reading process actually works at TCU A full breakdown of an essay called "The Silent Assassin," starting with Amber's take on why a clever hook may matter less than students thinkHow to nest a small, everyday challenge inside a larger essay (the hybrid structure), and how a common challenge can be than enoughHow to subtly weave an extracurricular activity into your essay, and how to actually use the additional information sectionAmber's honest take on AI for students: where it helps, and where to avoid it Amber Patterson is a first generation, non-traditional college student who earned her Bachelor's degree in Ethnic Studies from Cal State East Bay and a Master of Human Relations degree in Inclusive Leadership from the University of Oklahoma. After a decade as a college counselor in California public high schools, she moved into higher ed and now serves as Regional Director of Admission at Texas Christian University. She has served on WACAC's Executive Board and currently chairs Professional Development for the Regional Admission Counselors of California. What she loves most about this work is helping students find their path to higher education and fostering an environment where every student's unique experiences are valued. I loved this conversation, and Amber's care for students comes through in every answer. I hope you enjoy it too. Play-by-Play: 2:21 – What is often happening in admission offices in June?3:43 – What does Amber look for in a personal statement? 5:05 – What is the application reading process like at TCU and what is the role of the personal statement? 8:59 – What conversations are happening in the TCU admissions office around using AI for application review?12:56 – What is the human "feeling" a great essay creates, and why is it so hard to teach a machine to find it? 15:34 – Do college essays need titles?17:10 – Amber reads the essay, which we're calling "The Silent Assassin" 21:40 – Why does a clever hook matter less than students think?24:42 – How does the author show leadership qualities through the essay? 26:58 – Why is "show, don't tell" an effective storytelling technique for college essays?31:39 – How can students nest a challenge into the essay without it being the whole story?36:40 – When should students weave an activity into the personal statement?39:51 – Where is it best for students to mention their intended major?41:00 – What can students include in the additional information section? 43:54 – What does the admission reader learn about the student through their proudest moment in high school? 50:01 – How much information might an admission reader catch in a quick read? 51:58 – What advice does Amber have for students around AI use?54:15 – What does Amber hope that students will keep in mind throughout this process?55:19 – Closing thoughts Resources: The "Silent Assassin" Essay Should I Discuss Mental Health in My Personal Statement or College Application? (And If So, How)? 512: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective 513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective 514: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Student Perspective How to Use the Common App Additional Information section and Challenges and Circumstances section: Guide + Examples | College Essay GuyCollege Essay Guy's Personal Statement ResourcesCollege Essay Guy's College Application Hub
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    56 分
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