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CEA Blog

3 Ways High School Juniors (and Sophomores!) Should be Preparing for the College Essay

Topic: Admissions, Coalition Application, College Admissions, Uncategorized  |  Posted on January 29th, 2019  |  Written by Stacey Brook

This article was originally posted on USA Today. Yes, there is such a thing as writing your college essay too early. For over a decade, my students (and their parents) have heard me deliver this refrain, and it remains true as it ever was. At the sprightly age of 16 or 17, students are pulling […]

Guide to Writing a Great Transfer Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Resources, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Quick Tips, Tips  |  Posted on May 1st, 2018  |  Written by Kat Stubing

If you find yourself reading this post, you’ve already been through the college application process once. You wrote the essays; you got accepted (!); you made your choice. But now that you’re on campus, you’ve decided that this school just isn’t for you. It happens! The mere decision to re-apply and relive this entire process […]

Why You Should Start Your College Essay Junior Year

Topic: Admissions, advice, Essay Resources, Quick Tips, Starting Early, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on February 14th, 2018  |  Written by Kat Stubing

It feels like it’s too early to start. Should you really take time out of your schedule to start writing your college essay? Yes! In a way. We agree that it’s a little early to begin the writing process in earnest, but you can never get enough of a head start on brainstorming how you […]

How to Use the College Essay to Your Advantage

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Inspiration, Nerds Of Wisdom, Quick Tips, Tips  |  Posted on January 31st, 2018  |  Written by CEA HQ

So, you are settling into your comfy desk chair and cracking your knuckles, ready to start writing. You take a drink of water, open Microsoft Word and stare at the blinking cursor. You suddenly realize: you have no idea what you’re supposed to be accomplishing with this essay. Don’t worry, we are here to save […]

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 […]

Brainstorming Quick Tip: Get By With A Little Help From Your Friends

Your parents have raised you since you were a wee pup, but do they know every single thing there is to know about you?  (Of course you do, mom and dad — we’re just kidding.)  Still, so much of your adolescence has been spent in the presence of your peers, that it would be negligent […]

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 […]

How to Use Your Memories to Find the Perfect Essay Topic

Topic: Admissions, advice, Brainstorming, College Admissions, Essay Resources, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Tips  |  Posted on October 9th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

So you’re working on your college applications and just can’t seem to come up with a good topic for your essay! You hate all of your ideas and you know a good topic is the foundation for a fantastic essay! Don’t panic! Your predicament is quite normal and you’re one of many students sweating your […]

How to Write the Stanford University 2017-18 Supplemental Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, Brainstorming, College Admissions, Essay Resources, Essay Tips, From The Founder, Supplemental Essays, Uncategorized  |  Posted on September 7th, 2017  |  Written by CEA HQ

The Stanford University supplement is a BEAST. There is no way around it. Admissions Officers really want to weed out the uncommitted students and learn more about the applicants who are willing to put the time in to submit an extensive and detailed application. We made you a guide on how to brainstorm and write […]

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