Inquire about our Early Bird Packages for Juniors before they expire!

Resources & Tips

Ivy Divider
Ivy Divider

CEA Blog

The Early Action and Early Decision Acceptance Rates for the Class of 2028

Topic: Admissions, Uncategorized  |  Posted on December 19th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

To absolutely no one’s surprise, this was a very competitive year for college applications. With each passing year more applicants pen Early Action and Early Decision love letters to their dream schools. In response, top schools have carried on with their tradition of accepting a very small percentage of these eager applicant pools (but still […]

How to Answer the Required UC Transfer Application Essay in a Memorable Way

Topic: Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Uncategorized  |  Posted on November 13th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

If you’re hoping to transfer to a University of California (UC) school next fall, you will have to write four essays. Transfer applicants are asked to respond to one required question (more on this below) and choose three of seven remaining prompts to respond to in 350 words or fewer.  These seven prompts overlap with […]

How to Write a College Essay Fast

Topic: Uncategorized  |  Posted on October 23rd, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

There are myriad reasons why you might need to pen a college essay at lightning speed. You may have scribbled down the wrong deadline by mistake, and then realized you had two days to submit—not seventeen! You may have fallen head over heels for a college that was barely on your radar after a marvelous […]

How To Write Diversity Supplemental Essays When You Feel Like You Don’t Have a Story to Tell

Topic: From The Founder, Uncategorized  |  Posted on September 19th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

The diversity-focused supplemental essay has been gaining traction on college applications for years. These prompts allow admissions to get a sense of a student’s background, culture, and values. They often provide meaningful context for a student’s resume, transcript, and other application materials. And, as of the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action, they serve […]

College Admissions Offices May Never Be Able to Use AI to Review College Essays

Topic: Uncategorized  |  Posted on September 11th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

There’s a lot of talk surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its use, or misuse, in college admissions offices across the country. In fact, some colleges have already started using AI to sort through the thousands of applications they received last season. We’ve heard from students and parents who are concerned that colleges using AI in […]

Regular Decision Notification Dates for the Class of 2028

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions  |  Posted on July 22nd, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

It’s hard to believe but the 2023-24 college admissions season is, for the most part, over. You poured your blood, sweat, and tears (okay, hopefully not blood) into your applications and now all you have to do now is wait. While some schools have rolling admissions, others deliver the news on a scheduled date. In […]

2023-24 Early Decision and Early Action Notification Dates – Class of 2028

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Uncategorized  |  Posted on July 7th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

So: you’ve written your Common App personal statement, finished your supplemental essays, acquired recommendations from your favorite teachers, created a fantastic activity resume, sent out your applications, crossed your fingers (and toes!), and now all you have left to do is wait for the results. And waiting is the wooorst! Especially for the 2023-24 admissions cycle, […]

Regular Decision Deadlines 2023-24

Topic: Admissions  |  Posted on June 22nd, 2023  |  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 going to be here before you know it. Whether you’re applying Regular Decision to safety, target, or dream schools, it’s important to make sure […]

Guide to the 2023-24 Coalition Application Essay Prompts

Topic: Essay Tips, Essay Writing  |  Posted on June 13th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

What do the 2023-24 Coalition Application essay prompts really mean, and how should you approach them? CEA’s Chief Advisor, Stacey Brook, is here to break it all down.

Test Optional: What it Means for Your College Applications

Topic: Uncategorized  |  Posted on June 6th, 2023  |  Written by Kat Stubing

In the wake of the pandemic, a lot of schools became test-optional, since many students weren’t able to take the SATs or ACTs due to COVID-19 shutdowns and other safety measures.  Even after schools brought testing back and adjusted to new protocols, many schools continued to keep their test-optional policies in place, in part to […]

1 2 3 11