College Essay Guy @ GWI 2025
Get the slides & handouts from our presentations
You CAN also get CEG's Top 10 Essential* Resources for College Counselors
*Essential = most recommended, most beloved, or just generally most awesome
70+ Supplemental Essay Guides
Family Handbook (that counselors can edit)
Professional Development Opportunities
Resource Hub
Counselor Email Templates
One Resource Every Few Days
Where to find us at the conference
Tuesday, july 29th
Leading Through Chaos: The Superpowers Every Leader Needs Now
When: 11:00am - 12:00pm ET
Where: Hanover FG
Who: Angel Pérez, Ethan Sawyer
Description: In a time of relentless disruption—from political unrest to burnout to mission creep—leaders are being called to develop new capacities. What if thriving as a leader today isn’t about control—but about cultivating something deeper? This session explores that question. Through storytelling, reflection, and practical tools, we’ll explore the inner capacities leaders must develop to not only survive uncertainty, but lead powerfully through it. Participants will leave with practical strategies and daily practices to strengthen their leadership and support their teams through uncertainty and complexity.
Taking College Essays to the Next Level for Underrepresented Students
When: 1:45pm - 2:45pm ET
Where: Hanover AB
Who: Hanah Lim, Ethan Sawyer
Description: The college essay serves as a crucial platform for students to showcase their authentic selves and potential. However, for underrepresented student populations, the essay writing process can be particularly daunting, often compounded by systemic barriers and a lack of access to resources. Without prior exposure to personal narrative writing, they often struggle to find their voice, structure their story, and overcome the belief that they don’t have “impressive” experiences to share.This session will provide equity-driven strategies for guiding students through the essay-writing process in a way that affirms their identities and empowers them to confidently tell their unique stories. We will focus on breaking the process into manageable steps, addressing common misconceptions, and showcasing strengths beyond traditional academic and extracurricular achievements.Attendees will leave with actionable strategies. We will incorporate real student examples, before-and-after essay transformations, and interactive exercises that can be applied immediately with students.
Wednesday, july 30th
Talking About Race in College Essays: Practical Guidance for 2025
When: 10:00am - 11:00am ET
Where: Dunwoody
Who: Ralph Figueroa, Ethan Sawyer, Baron Vanderburg
Description: In the wake of the Dept. of Education's "Dear Colleague" letter, providing students and counselors clear guidance on what’s “okay” in college essays is more crucial than ever. In this session, we’ll provide an up-to-date interpretation of the law, share what other colleges and universities are saying, and open up time for you to hear from other college admission colleagues on steps they're taking. Then we’ll share specific language and student-written examples you can use in your conversations and presentations when a student asks, “Can I talk about my race in my college essay?”
Resources
Find a sample student application analyzed here.
Want to connect with Ethan or Hanah?
Email help@collegeessayguy.com and we’ll get your message!
CEG’s Guide (and Template Slides) for Admission Officers Leading Essay Workshops
Do you regularly present to students on essays? We have a slide template we created for a college admission colleague and are happy to share more widely. They’re free to download and editable. Just let us know at the link below. Inside you’ll find:
Fun essay brainstorming exercises
What colleges look for (editable for your institution)
How to handle supplemental essays on “diversity” and “community”
Tips and best practices for the presenter
