College Planning & Application and Essay Counseling

Each year, my team and I work with a few dozen students on their college applications. 

Students who work with us find that our process is more fun, effective, and life-changing.  

Here's what one student shared in 2018:

"Working with Ethan and the College Essay Guy team, I discovered who I am as a person, what I value, and how I specifically developed and express my values. Knowing who I am as a person was essential in genuinely presenting myself to college admissions representatives. I learned a lot about what I value as a person. I learned about the different qualities and characteristics that I have used in the past, and will continue to use in the future.”

Here’s what one parent emailed us in 2018:

“We wanted to send you this note before any college app results come out, so that you know our feedback is independent of any results :))

Your team truly follows your core counseling values, and Dad and I both have enjoyed seeing our daughter on this journey, figuring out insights about herself she herself was unaware about, discovering nuggets from her life that she thought were not valuable enough. Your genuine concern and interest in her application process are beyond what someone would do. All the skills she is learning through your sessions/emails are always going to stay with her.”


Interested in learning more?

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THEN, WE'LL CONTACT YOU WITH MORE INFORMATION on how we work with students and how to set up a chat.

 
 
 
 
 

“I really think your partnership with Ivana made some lasting, positive impressions. She was already a super academic writer and analytical thinker, but she is very modest and had a great deal of trouble starting her common app essay, partly because she did not know how to talk about herself. She also had no experience with creative writing. After your exercises, brainstorming techniques, and encouragement, she worked very hard on her common app essay and felt extremely good about the finished product. More important, she gained a new sense of confidence about expressing thoughts about herself and also enjoyed finding various, creative ways to write, including the framing work you talk about in your book.  She was able to quickly write all of the other college essays, including the supplemental ones, and I noticed how well she expressed personal insights. Her creativity, as found in her writings, also increased significantly. Best of all, I noticed a new sense of joy she feels writing papers of all kinds. I really appreciate the impact you had on her. I am sure that the added skills she learned will be valuable in her studies at Columbia.”

 

—Parent of a student whose essay, If Ink Were Ants, can be found in College Essay Essentials (now available on Amazon).

 
 
 

who is COLLEGE ESSAY GUY?


Ethan Sawyer is a nationally recognized college essay expert and sought-after speaker. Each year, he and his team help thousands of students through the college application and essay process through their online courses, workshops, articles, and books. They also work privately with a small number of students each year.

Raised in Spain, Ecuador, and Colombia, Ethan has studied at seventeen different schools and has worked as a teacher, curriculum writer, voice actor, motivational speaker, community organizer, and truck driver. Ethan is a certified Myers-Briggs® specialist, and his type (ENFJ) will tell you that he will show up on time, that he'll be excited to meet you, and that, more than anything, he is committed to—and an expert in—helping you realize your potential. 

He works with a team of some of the best college counselors and essay coaches who are experts in helping their students dig deep, reflect on and understand their story, and ultimately articulate to colleges their dreams and aspirations for their place in the world.