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CEA Blog

Two-Minute Cures For the Hopelessly Stressed

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Uncategorized  |  Posted on January 17th, 2018  |  Written by CEA HQ

We have always been skeptics when it comes to activities that require you to talk to yourself — or that prevent you from talking to anyone else. But science actually backs up the power of some of the following exercises. Though they may seem a little woo-woo at first, the truth is, when you’re desperate […]

Regular Decision Deadlines 2017-18

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions  |  Posted on December 19th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

Deadlines are the worst. Even the word looks terrifying. It has the word “dead” in it. What’s with that? Bitter feelings aside, deadlines are inevitable. And many Regular Decision deadlines are creeping up on us. Whether you’re applying Regular Decision to safety, target, or dream schools, it’s important to make sure you get your applications […]

How to Organize Supplemental Essay Prompts for Maximum Efficiency

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Nerds Of Wisdom, Productivity, Quick Tips, Tips  |  Posted on November 9th, 2017  |  Written by CEA HQ

Let’s do a quick pulse check. Is your heart racing? Is your head spinning? Are you already drowning in an ocean of your own sweat? DON’T WORRY. We swear. It’s really not that bad. You just haven’t gotten organized yet! We’re here to introduce you to your friend, OVERLAP. Even outside of the Why Essay, […]

How to Outline Your Personal Statement Like a Boss

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on October 18th, 2017  |  Written by CEA HQ

Okay, so you have drilled and drilled until your fingers could tap no more and your noggin was verifiably empty. You have thousands of words on the page and you have color coded your best material for building out the big picture and filling in the meaningful details. Now what? Could it be that it’s […]

The Amherst College 2017-18 Supplement is Next Level

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Essay Resources, Supplemental Essays, Uncategorized  |  Posted on September 15th, 2017  |  Written by CEA HQ

Amherst College does not take supplemental essays lightly. The private liberal arts college in Massachusetts asks students to go the extra mile and write an essay inspired by one of the quotes they provide. Students also have the option to submit an essay presenting a persuasive argument. Since we believe the college essay works best […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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