This episode represents part four of four in my epic mini-series with Tutor Ted and in this one I share what steps to take to turn your essay from “just okay” to “great.” Specifically, though, I share: What I believe the qualities of a great college essay are An example essay that demonstrates those four qualities A step-by-step process for bringing more of each of those qualities into your essay Lots of examples for all the qualities I discuss Even (get this) a step-by-step process for how to make your reader cry Finally, some advice to parents and teachers offering essay feedback FYI: You’ll hear Amie's voice at the start, not mine, since she was interviewing me for this one. Enjoy.

This is part three of my four-part series with Amie Dorsey (aka Tutor Ted). On the last two episodes I interviewed Amie, while on this episode (and on the next one), Amie turns the tables on and interviews me. On this episode Amie just wanted to give folks a chance to get to know me better, so we discussed: How I ended up as the College Essay Guy (Spoiler: that wasn’t the plan) What applying to college was like for me How I learned the importance of asking good questions Why I never tell students to “write in their voice” How I believe writing your essay can actually change your self-image What it’s like working with me one-on-one   PLAY-BY-PLAY How I came to be the College Essay Guy [1:44 ] Surprising similarities between Amie and my stories [4:58] My earlier days applying to college [5:12] If I had gotten admissions help at 17… [7:16] How I learned the importance of asking good questions [7:50] How I use the Essence Object Exercise [10:44] How writing your essay can change your self-image [11:40] “What is your story?” and other bad questions to ask students [13:47] Why telling students to “write in their voice” is bad writing advice [14:25] Two great stories about awesome students I worked with [15:54] My approach to working with students one-on-one [21:11] The importance of picking a great essay topic [27:28 LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Essence Object Exercise Ethan walks Amie through her personal statement exercises Ethan’s Pay-What-You-Can Courses and PDFs The Free Guide to the UC Personal Insight Questions

Typically my job is to take some of the most awesome and rad people in the college admissions world (I’m not sure if there is a difference, but I’m sure there is), analyze their genius, and break it down for you into practical and actionable steps whether you’re applying to college yourself or helping someone else apply. But this time, I’ve handed the reins over to my guest Amie Dorsey (AKA Tutor Ted), who has scored perfectly on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT, and let her do the podcast, where she’s going to offer up clear steps to improving your ACT score--in less time than it takes to bake a potato. She’ll dish up tips on how to use your calculator during the ACT, the importance of math vocabulary, why you need to be selective in your focus in the science section, and why writing a lot for the writing test can help. Even more tips to come! Stay tuned.   PLAY-BY-PLAY The difference between short-term and long-term strategies [1:50] A free course at TutorTed.com [3:24] The #1 tip for narrowing down answer choices on the English section [3:49] How commas can tip you off to the correct answer choice [4:20] How underlining the most important part of the question can help [5:12] Take advantage of programs on your calculator [6:37] The power of math vocabulary [7:31] When given a complex formula questions, plug into the numbers into the appropriate spots [8:50] The most important mnemonic to know on the math section [10:09] Sacrifice quality for speed on the Reading Comprehension section [10:38] Being energized will increase your speed: use caffeine if you are already used to it; don’t if your aren’t [12:39] Be selective in your focus in the science section [13:50] Two things you should definitely know when tackling the ACT Science[16:58] Sign up for the writing test [17:23] Why you should write a lot for the writing test [18:24] How students generally get really high scores on the writing section [19:58] Spend your first few minutes planning your essay [21:00]   RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE The Four Qualities of a Great College Essay from Tutor Ted’s podcast Tutor’s Ted’s website Tutor Ted’s Guides to the ACT

Meet Ted Dorsey, the founder of Tutor Ted, who scored perfectly on standardized tests. The podcast explores self-reflection exercises, personal significance through essence objects, and the importance of core values in personal statements. It also shares a heartwarming story of student tutoring success and delves into creativity, curiosity, and personal reflections.

This is part 2 of 2 of podcast episodes recorded last month in Eastern China. I met with Mark Moody, a friend of mine and a fantastic counselor with a ton of experience and some cool opinions you may not have heard before. During our chat we cover: His “Quick and Dirty List Builder,” a document he put together to help students and counselors find their best-fit schools in much less time We talk about Early Decision (also known as ED) and yield and why many schools like it when students apply early… but we also discuss why you might not want to apply early Why it’s important for students and parents to have a good understanding of what an admissions rate really means We also talk about this notion of “fit” -- something you’ll hear counselors talk about a lot -- but Mark has a different perspective on it and he believes “fit” may in fact be a myth We’ll talk about what fit really means (according to Mark’s perspective), how you can use that knowledge when you’re searching for college--and even a gem that can help you settle in once you’re already on campus.

If you know me, or if you’ve listened to the podcast before you know what a resource junkie I am… the same can be said, I think, for my guest on this episode, Shaun McElroy. Shaun is the publisher of two blogs: www.internationalcounselor.org which focuses on all things college admissions and which, I do believe, is one of the oldest continuously running blog on college admission (started in 2003) and www.strengthsmining.com focuses on applying research and principles of positive psychology into practice. And if you, dear listener, are a resource junkie like Shaun and I are, then this podcast will be like food to your soul -- -as Boyz 2 Men so beautifully put it in their 1997 hit “A Song for Mama” hashtag I love 90s R&B hashtag Nate Mike Shawn and Wan.   You’ll hear me say at the start of our conversation that Shaun is going to share “eight” free college application tools… but once we finished I went back and counted and there were more like 25.

In this episode we'll discuss: Data that proves art degrees are important The freedom that working a side job gives to self-employed artists The truth about the myth of the starving artist  How to know if art school is for you What your ability to take feedback says about you The difference between visual and performing arts schools, conservatories, and trade schools What cliches to avoid using in your art school application, and How parents can best support their child wanting to go to art school

On this episode we discuss how Urban Confessional started, what Ben has learned about listening over the years, how these lessons have impacted his relationships and even what it was like doing free listening at last year’s Republican and Democratic National Conventions. At the end he offers a great resource called the “Practice Partner Guide,” with some great practical tips for how to listen. It’s wonderful stuff from a wonderful human, as you’ll soon see, and the applications include, then go much beyond the college application process.

In this podcast, I’ll dive into: The story behind how I started connecting screenwriting and the college essay in the first place. Two exercises that I love to use to generate some great content for the essay. Two structures that I think can work for just about any essay. Four types of college essays What I believe the end of an essay should do. And so much more! Enjoy.

Ted’s book has been a go-to reference for me (and many other counselors) in our work with students and I loved getting a chance to go behind the scenes and hearing how the sausage is made. We discuss, among other things: Why did the Fiske Guide happen in the first place? How does Ted avoid sounding generally positive about all schools? How the Fiske Guide ratings systems differs from that of US News and World Report Who actually writes all 882 pages of the Fiske Guide The best approach for students who have no idea what they want Some of the biggest mistakes students and parents make when searching for a school The dangers of narrowing your college choices too early on. One quality Ted finds essential to having an amazing college experience