The Essay: The Fine Art of Telling Your Story

As high school seniors take a deep breath, open a blank document, and begin to craft their college essays, Admission Beat host Lee Coffin empowers them to ask this question: “Who do I want the admission officer to meet?” Coffin and his guests offer words of advice on contemplating audience, the art of brevity, and framing “lived experiences” as addressed in the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on race and identity as factors in admissions. Parents and peers can be helpful editors, but at the heart of every memorable essay is the writer’s authentic voice telling the story only they can tell. With guests Kathryn Bezella, Dartmouth’s new dean of undergraduate admissions, and Jacques Steinberg, former New York Times journalist and co-author of “The College Conversation,” the trio set the stage for each student to introduce themselves through all parts of the application.

Om Podcasten

On the Admissions Beat, veteran dean of admissions Lee Coffin from Dartmouth College and a range of guests provide high school students and parents, as well as their counselors and other mentors, with "news you can use" at each step on the pathway to college. With a welcoming, reassuring perspective and an approach intended to build confidence in prospective applicants, Dean Coffin offers credible information, insights, and guidance—from the earliest days of the college search, to applications, decision-making, and arrival on campus. He does so by drawing on nearly 30 years of experience as an admissions leader at some of the nation's most prestigious institutions.