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CEA Blog

How to Write a Sports-Related Admissions Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, From The Founder, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on August 23rd, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

So you want to write about sports in your college essay? The bad news: you’re one of many student athletes that feel sports have had a huge impact on their lives. The good news: we’re giving you insider tips on how to write a unique admissions essay about sports. Watch below!    

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 […]

How to Optimize College Essay Brainstorming Sessions

Topic: Admissions, advice, Brainstorming, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Productivity, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on July 18th, 2017  |  Written by Becca Myers

A ton of behind-the-scenes work goes into crafting a great college admissions essay, and it all begins with the brainstorm. While brainstorming was originally coined in the late 1800’s to signify “a severe mental disturbance,” today it refers to the low-pressure, rapid-fire process of generating ideas without self-censure. Here are four tips to get your creative […]

6 Tips to Make Brainstorming for the College Admissions Essay Enjoyable

Topic: advice, Brainstorming, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Quick Tips, Tips  |  Posted on June 23rd, 2017  |  Written by Nina Bailey

It’s time to start brainstorming for your college essay! If you find the prospect of brainstorming to be far less fun than a.) sleeping outside b.) tattooing your tongue or c.) bathing in hot chili oil, don’t despair. We have six stellar suggestions for how to make brainstorming not only effective, but even (gasp!) fun: […]

The 3 Most Common College Essay Topics: Why CEA’s Founder Thinks You Should Write About Them Anyway

Topic: Essay Tips, Essay Writing, From The Founder, Tips  |  Posted on June 8th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

The whole point of writing a college essay is to differentiate yourself from other applicants and place yourself ahead of the pack. For this reason, many students shy away from writing about common college essay topics. CEA’s Founder and Chief Advisor, Stacey Brook, believes this doesn’t have to be the case. Stacey recently published an […]

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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