Has anyone used College Essay Guy's resources for scholarships?

I’m a Yale graduate and college admissions advisor with over 8 years of experience helping students gain admission to top universities like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT. I’ve also guided many students through the scholarship process, so I can speak directly to how College Essay Guy’s resources fit into that picture.

Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) is best known for his advice and tools on crafting strong college and scholarship essays. His materials — especially exercises like “Essence Objects” and his “Ultimate List of College Essay Prompts” — are excellent for helping you dig deeper, brainstorm unique angles, and structure your stories. For scholarship essays, this can be especially valuable because specific, compelling storytelling often makes applications stand out. I’ve seen students use his structure to transform drafts and, in one case, win a local community scholarship largely because their essay rose above more generic submissions.

That said, his resources focus more on writing than on actually finding scholarships. You won’t get a large database of opportunities or search tools from him, so you’ll still need to use dedicated scholarship platforms for that part of the process. Some students join his webinars about scholarships and find them motivating, but the main benefit is in mindset and writing approach, not in providing a master list of where to apply.

If your main challenge is generating ideas, avoiding cliché, or making essays feel more authentic, his resources are worth the time — especially if you tend to procrastinate or your drafts lack spark. If your main challenge is simply finding more scholarships, you might be better off splitting your time: spend a few hours on his writing tools when you’re actively working on essays, and devote the rest to searching and applying through other sources.

Over the past 8 years, I’ve helped thousands of students craft essays and applications that stand out at the most selective schools, including the Ivy League and Stanford. To give each student the highest level of attention, I keep my caseload small — booking early guarantees a place. I’m currently offering free consultations for new Sundial families where we’ll review your goals, brainstorm essay ideas, and outline a clear application strategy. You can book directly through my profile.

I know this process can feel overwhelming at times, but you are fully capable of navigating it successfully. I’m always here to help guide you through it.