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CEA Blog

Time Management Tips for College Applicants

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Productivity, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on August 10th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

You wake up, get ready, go to school, go to practice, go to work, spend some much needed time with your friends, and then you’re supposed to write a college essay?!?! We know, we get it. It can be difficult to not only find time to write your college essay, but use that time efficiently. […]

10 Critical College Essay Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Common Application, Essay Resources, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Quick Tips, Tips  |  Posted on August 10th, 2017  |  Written by CEA HQ

Why College Essays Matter Since many other students have similar GPAs and test scores as you (if not better, eek!), one powerful way to stand out from the crowd is to draft compelling and insightful essays. The personal statement and other supplemental essays are your chance to “be in the room” with admissions and introduce […]

How to Combat Writer’s Block and Finish Your College Essay

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Common Application, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Productivity, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on August 10th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

So you’re two hours deep into your college essay and you just can’t seem to get anything good down on paper! We know what that feels like, we’ve all been there! Here are 4 tips on how to overcome the beast that is writer’s block.   Flip your topic on its head Maybe the way […]

Structure: How to Build a Boss Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Common Application, Essay Resources, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on July 31st, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

Your college admissions essay is a required writing assignment, yes, but try not to think of it as more work that will stress you out. YOU OWN THIS ESSAY. How can you be the boss of this assignment instead of letting it be the boss of you?  It’s easier than it seems. Just do these […]

The Number One Mistake International Students Make  

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, International Applicants, International Students, Tips  |  Posted on July 21st, 2017  |  Written by CEA HQ

It goes without saying that, as an international student, your application will be distinct from that of many of the other students applying to American colleges and universities. If you did not go to school in the States, your schooling experience, the activities you participated in, and many of the details of your life and […]

Yale Welcomes the Use of Technology in College Applications

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, College Spotlight, News, Standout Students  |  Posted on June 16th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

Are you the next Steven Spielberg? Quentin Tarantino? Ava DuVernay? Well, now is the time to work your cinematic magic, because Yale has opened its arms to digital uploads in place of a short essay! Since more and more of us spend time viewing content than reading it (summer reading list) in our daily lives, […]

Five Foolproof Tips for Conquering the Common Application Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Common Application, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on May 12th, 2017  |  Written by Nina Bailey

  The first time I successfully did a handstand in yoga class, it was unexpected and almost effortless. My legs kicked up, and then, as if being lifted by string, I was supporting my body with my arms. When we talk about strategies for tackling the college essay, I like to tell the story of […]

The Short Answer

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

A popular format for supplement questions is short answers. Don’t confuse these with the why, activity, community, or oddball essays. These are an entirely different beast. These little critters provide a different kind of creative challenge for aspiring college-goers. Take this set of short answer questions from the 2014 Yale application: “What excites you intellectually, […]

How to Write an Oddball Essay | College Application Guide

Topic: College Admissions, Common App Prompts/Topics, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

The Oddball Essay is a supplemental essay type that mines for information about not only who you are, but also how you think. Colleges are interested in the way your mind works so they can determine if you’d be a good fit for their campus community. Are you easily led down a rabbit hole of […]

How to Write a Compelling Community Essay | College Application Guide

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

The Community Essay is a standard supplemental essay type that mines for information about your social habits and favorite causes. Since you will become a member of whichever college community you choose to attend, it’s not surprising that admissions is curious to learn more about the communities you are already a part of and the […]

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