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

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

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?