Ethan Sawyer has worked for the past ten 

years as a college application specialist, a 

senior SAT Critical Reading and Writing 

instructor, teacher trainer, curriculum writer 

and workshop leader at high schools and 

colleges across California and Seoul, Korea. 

He received his BS in Speech at 

Northwestern, his MFA at UC Irvine, a 

Certificate in College Consulting also at UC 

Irvine, and a Counseling Certificate from the 

Interchange Counseling Institute. Ethan's 

interests are varied and in the past he has 

worked as a voice actor, grant writer, theater 

director, motivational speaker, and community 

organizer. He is a member of the National 

Association of College Admissions Counselors 

(NACAC) and the Western Association of 

College Admissions Counselors (WACAC). 

Learn more at: www.thecollegeessayguy.com 

Ethan Sawyer has worked for the past ten years as a college application specialist, a senior SAT Critical Reading and Writing instructor, teacher trainer, curriculum writer and workshop leader at high schools and colleges across California and Seoul, Korea.

He received his BS in Speech at Northwestern, his MFA at UC Irvine, a Certificate in College Consulting also at UC Irvine, and a Counseling Certificate from the Interchange Counseling Institute. Ethan's interests are varied and in the past he has worked as a voice actor, grant writer, theater

director, motivational speaker, and community organizer. He is a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) and the Western Association of College Admissions Counselors (WACAC).

Hi! I’m Ethan Sawyer, the College Essay Guy. My passion is helping students craft personal statements that reflect their best selves. After working with me, students often report that their personal statement was the best essay they’ve ever written. I’m frequently asked:

 

How does your process work?

1. First, we brainstorm and select the essay topic(s)

2. Next, we explore several structures and decide on the best one

3. Student writes the first draft, and I provide detailed notes

4. Student rewrites, and I provide more notes—on as many drafts as needed

5. Finally, we edit until the grammar is perfect

 

 

What kind of students do you work with? Any student who is committed to working hard.

 How long does the process take? Depends on the number of essays. Some students take 1-2 weeks, others take 1-2 months. The process is individual for each student.

 

What other services can you provide?

• interview training (I am an alumni interviewer for Northwestern University)

• resources for helping students find their passions based on their personality type

• testing recommendations (I’ve been a senior SAT instructor for 10+ years)

• assistance in developing the college list

Where do your sessions take place? Virtually, via Skype and Google docs.

 

Where have your students been accepted? There are too many to name, since I’ve worked with thousands of students. In short, all the Ivy League schools, as well as many wonderful public & private universities.

 

Can I email you if I have questions? Of course! Please contact Education Ladder via info@education-ladder.com or via phone at 5486 4753.

 

Testimonials from former students:

Working on college essays with you made me feel more confident about my writing. For the personal statement, you were not only an instructor who was there to help but also a friend who listened to each and everyone of our personal stories. You understood what I went through and not once did you judge me. You gave me advice on how to write and you knew exactly what the colleges were looking for. You always had a positive attitude and you believed in me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have finished six private essays in one day! And would have never thought of finishing my personal statement in three days. Working with you on college essays has definitely been the best experience I've had with writing. Thank you, Ethan!

                                                                                                                                                                             - Isabel F.

 

Working with you on college essays was an unforgettable experience. You taught us to find ourselves in a whole new way. You were able to come in with such a positive attitude day after day, you made time for every single one of us and treated us individually, not as a group. I am so grateful for that. I'm guessing that also had to do with the personality test you gave us, in order to know how to treat us individually and for us to become comfortable with you. You made us feel like our stories mattered. Aside from the awesome snacks you would bring like the chocolate covered coffee beans which were addicting you were always bringing something new for us. My favorite experience was getting to meet Ethan the person not the instructor, that mostly came in when you went out of your way to make me a get well soon card, which you weren't obliged to do but you did because that is the kind of person you are, giving, caring and always dedicated. So thank you Ethan because now I am at college trying so hard to fight for my dream to become a reality, and it all started with a simple story turned into an essay.

                                                                                                                                                                               - Zuleyma G.

 

Mr. Sawyer, it has been incredible working with you. I remember first being introduced to you as my college and guidance counselor who helped me to find schools that were a perfect fit for me. Your expertise was immediately apparent from your knowledge of many universities, to your organized planning through online documents, and your meaningful insight that waspersonal, not just objective. You have taught me how to write powerful essays that catch the best colleges’ attention. Even more so, you have showed me how to write influential and cogent papers for all my future writing. But you did not only mentor me for college prep; you helped me through some very tough times as well. You seemed to truly understand my struggles in a way that not many could. For all this, I sincerely thank you. You have done more for me than I could have imagined.

                                                                                                                                                                                 - Grant K.