The College Essay Guy Podcast

Ethan Sawyer, better known as the College Essay Guy, has built one of the most trusted resources in college admissions guidance, and his podcast is where that expertise comes alive in conversation. The show features interviews with deans of admission, financial aid officers, test prep experts, and admissions veterans from schools across the country. Sawyer has a talent for extracting specific, actionable advice rather than letting conversations stay at the level of generic encouragement. The topics are exactly what juniors and seniors stress about: how to build a college list that actually makes sense, what admissions officers really look for in personal statements, how to write supplemental essays that do not sound like everyone else's, strategies for financial aid appeals, and how to handle rejection without spiraling. A recent episode series called "On Becoming" explores personal storytelling as a craft, which has obvious applications well beyond college applications. With 100 episodes and a 4.5 star rating from 227 Apple reviews, the catalog is manageable and focused. Episodes are interview-based and typically run 30 to 45 minutes. The show is especially valuable for students who do not have access to expensive private college counselors. Sawyer's whole mission is making this information available to everyone, and the podcast delivers on that promise consistently.