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

Financial aid specialist Amanda Miller joins the host to discuss paying for college, winning scholarships, avoiding debt, and finding affordable colleges. They debunk myths about financial aid appeals and out-of-state tuition, providing valuable tips for navigating college affordability and financial planning.

Tom Campbell (CEG's Community Manager) and Susan Tree, a college counseling and admissions legend, discuss intellectual curiosity in college admissions. They cover topics such as framing accomplishments as superpowers, identifying learning styles, the value of communicating curiosity to admissions officers, and aligning academic and non-academic interests in applications.

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)  

Guests Maria Furtado and Ann Marano discuss the college search process, debunk affordability myths, and emphasize the importance of keeping students at the center. They explore liberal arts education, ways to explore colleges without visiting, and the significance of student agency in the admissions process.

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 Academic Common Market Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) Regent’s Engineering Pathway (REP) at Georgia Tech The NC State Engineering 2+2 Transfer Program UNC Asheville 2+2 Engineering Program Scholarships in the South: Davidson College John M. Belk Scholarship Emory University Scholars Georgia Tech Stamps President's Scholars Program North Carolina State University Park Scholars University of Alabama Presidential University of Georgia Foundation Fellowship and Bernard Ramsey Scholarship University of Kentucky Singletary Scholars University of North Carolina Charlotte Levine Scholars University of North Carolina Morehead-Cain University of Texas at Dallas Eugene McDermott Scholars University of Virginia Jefferson Scholars  Washington and Lee University Johnson Scholarship Wofford College Scholars

Katie Andersen, a former NCAA Division 1 soccer player at Duke, now champions student-athletes through her organization, College Fit OC. She shares critical advice on navigating college athletic recruiting, from identifying whether a sport is viable at the college level to when to start the recruiting process. Tips include using social media wisely and understanding college coaches' roles in admissions. Andersen emphasizes the importance of being proactive and staying informed about recent NCAA rule changes to enhance recruitment chances.

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:  Blog Article: 10 Critical Things Trans Youth (and Their Counselors and Caregivers) Should Know in High School and When Applying to College The Protect Trans Students Resource 50+ LGBTQ Resources for Students and Their Counselors Grounding techniques resources: https://dialecticalbehaviortherapy.com/distress-tolerance/grounding/ https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/blog/understanding-different-types-of-grounding https://www2.winona.edu/resilience/media/grounding-worksheet.pdf https://www.acesdv.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Grounding-Worksheet.pdf

On today’s episode I got to sit down with Rick Diaz, the Regional Director of Admission for Southern Methodist University (SMU) and someone I’ve known for more than 15 years. We have a pretty wide ranging discussion that covers: A behind-the-scenes look at how SMU reads applications and how they shape a class—and what that even means  Then we dive into supplemental essays — in particular the impacts of the Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admission — and how that decision has led to a large number of selective schools changing or adding new supplemental essay prompts.  We nerd out on Rick’s favorite supplemental essay—the “Why us” essay—talk a little about college majors and then—I think, Rick maybe has a little a-ha moment about when his interest in his own college major began We play a little game I made up on the chat called “What do students get wrong about…” And finally we discuss dos and don’ts for making a connection with your regional admission officers including (spoiler alert) why you maybe shouldn’t show up at their house with a box of their favorite cookies… unless you kinda’ want to freak them out a little?   I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.    Play-by-play 0:00 - Welcome to the podcast 01:32 - Who is Rick Diaz? 02:35 - What’s Rick’s role at Southern Methodist University (SMU)? 06:04 - How does SMU read applications? 08:44 - How long does Rick spend on reading an application?  10:42 - What are institutional priorities and how do they shape decisions in a college? 13:05 - What is the relationship between supplemental essays and institutional priorities? 16:29 - What are colleges looking for when their supplemental question is “Why us?” 17:21 - This year’s supplemental prompts at SMU 18:14 - Should you talk about your diversity in your college essays? 21:01 - An exercise in diversity 23:32 - What are colleges thinking about right now surrounding supplemental essays? 25:55 - Rick reacts to supplemental prompts from other schools 26:07 - Rick reacts to a prompt about being different 27:34 - Rick reacts to a prompt about your identity and goals 29:41 - How did Rick figure out his major in college? 32:46 - What is demonstrated interest and how important is it? 38:16 - Why do colleges care who is more likely to enroll? 40:25 - Do’s and Don’t’s of reaching out to your admissions officer 43:01 - What students get wrong about admissions 43:14 - How important are extracurriculars & summer planning? 44:41 - What about the personal statement? 47:03 - Is it true that the personal statement or supplemental essay can impact some students more than others? 49:00 - What about Standardized testing? 51:00 - What Rick loves about this work 52:41 - What should families keep in mind during this process? 57:07 - Wrap-up and additional resources   Resources The “If You Really, Really Knew Me” Exercise (Template) This practical, comprehensive exercise helps students generate a list of identities, skills, qualities, and skills they can share with colleges. It’s one of our favorites here at CEG—if you use it, just give us a shout-out. :) The Social Identities Exercise (Template)This exercise is another favorite and is useful for helping students think about diversity and identity in both broader and more nuanced ways. Includes a guide for counselors, facilitators, and parents. How to Answer the “Diversity” (and Other Related) Supplemental Essay Prompts (Blog Article) Colleges and Universities that Changed Their Supplemental Essay Prompts After the SCOTUS Decision Was Released (Blog Article) Why You Don’t Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead (Blog Article)  

In a thought-provoking discussion, TED speaker Tina Yong shares her insights on college essay narratives, emphasizing that students shouldn’t feel pressured to write about trauma to stand out. She reflects on the systemic issues around personal storytelling, especially for students of color. Yong highlights the importance of taking ownership of one's identity and offers practical exercises to help articulate personal narratives. The conversation also touches on the implications of recent Supreme Court rulings regarding race in college applications.

Lorenzo Gamboa, Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach at Santa Clara University, shares invaluable insights for Latinx families preparing for college. He addresses common misconceptions, like the belief that undocumented students can't attend college and the pressure to choose high-paying careers. Lorenzo emphasizes the importance of embracing personal and cultural narratives in college applications, especially in light of recent Supreme Court rulings. His firsthand experiences help demystify the college journey and highlight the vital role of family support.