CEA HQ
The Origins of the Coalition Application
Once upon a time, a selection of schools around the land came together to create an easier way for students to apply to a wide number of academic institutions. This first attempt at college application standardization, as you might have guessed, was called the Common Application. This platform remained unchallenged in the world of admissions […]
College Essay Checkups
We all need a little TLC sometimes, even our essays. If you’re anything like me, after you stare at your essay for too long, it all but turns into hieroglyphics. It is no longer beautifully crafted sentences diving into overarching themes and humorous anecdotes. It is words on a page and you’re sick and tired […]
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 […]
The Additional Information Essay: When and How to Use It
It is not often discussed, but the Common Application offers students the opportunity to complete two essays in addition to the personal statement: the (new for 2025!) Challenges and Circumstances Essay and the standard Additional Info Essay. If you’re wondering whether you should be writing and submitting either of these optional essays, you’ve come to […]
How to Organize Supplemental Essay Prompts for Maximum Efficiency
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, […]
Facts about MIT, Princeton University, and USC
We’ve updated our handy dandy supplemental essay guide with prompt breakdowns for MIT, Princeton University, and USC. But before you familiarize yourself with our prompt breakdowns, you should get a little more acquainted with the schools you’re considering dedicating your life to for the next four years! After all, four years is equivalent to 20% of […]
Where to Find Sneaky Supplements
It’s a jungle out there, but we don’t need to tell you that. You’ve been scouring websites clicking on words like “Requirements”, “Apply”, and “Unicorns” (oh wait, no, that was us) trying to see if your dream schools require supplements. It’s exhausting, but you’re not the only one out here looking out for lions, tigers, […]
Quick Facts about Georgetown, Yale, and the California Institute of Technology
So you’re narrowing down the list of colleges that you’re interested in attending, or at the very least applying to, and finding that it’s harder than it looks. But with application fees up to your eyeballs and college essays up to your clavicles, you know you need to make some decisions. Good news! We have […]
How to Outline Your Personal Statement Like a Boss
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 […]
New Additions to The Supplemental Essay Guide: TU and JHU!
Fear not, young students, for we have heard your pleas! We have added supplemental essay guides for both the University of Texas at Austin and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore!! Yay!!! While the University of Texas requires one long essay and three short essays from most applicants, JHU only requires […]








