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CEA Blog

The 2016-17 UNC Essay Prompts Are Out!

Topic: College Admissions, College Spotlight, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on June 3rd, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is always among the first American universities to release its supplemental essay prompts, and this year is no exception. As a forerunner in the college application release pack, UNC’s prompts can often help set the tone for what to expect from other schools. Last year, the array […]

What You Can Learn from Stalking Your Dream College on Facebook

Topic: College Admissions  |  Posted on June 2nd, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

You’ve been warned. In this digital age, 40% of college admissions officers scour your social media profiles about as closely as your academic records. While this Facebook (or Twitter or Instagram) stalking may seem invasive, it’s also a window into your judgement, values, and sense of humor – and now, two can play at this […]

Bragging Writes Winner: A Real College Essay that Really Worked!

Topic: College Admissions, Essay Tips, International Students  |  Posted on May 25th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

We are thrilled to announce that Kelly Porter’s essay, “En Español, Por Favor,” is the First Place winner of CEA’s Bragging Writes college essay contest. Her thoughtful approach to the Common App’s fifth prompt, about the transition from childhood to adulthood, stood out from the pack. Kelly’s essay caught our attention from the first line, […]

Bragging Writes College Essay Contest First Runner-Up

Topic: College Admissions, Essay Tips, International Students  |  Posted on May 25th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

Summer Allen is the First Runner-Up in CEA’s Bragging Writes college essay contest. She tells a story of swashbuckling intellectual curiosity as she spends one summer racing her father to the finish of Robinson Crusoe. Summer’s submission is the perfect example of how a great essay can come out of a small, personal life event. […]

Bragging Writes Essay Contest Second Runners-Up

Topic: College Admissions, Essay Tips, International Students  |  Posted on May 25th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

There was a tie for Second Runner-Up in CEA’s Bragging Writes college essay contest. We just couldn’t decide between Ha Hoang’s creatively-paced piece “The Tear Catalyst” and Eva Su’s tale of accidental entrepreneurism. Both essays find creative ways to connect personal experiences with global issues and communities, either in their structure or content. This fall, […]

3 Strategies for Taking Good Notes on College Visits

Topic: College Admissions, Essay Tips  |  Posted on May 19th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

Where will YOU go this summer? Is a good long stay at camp in your future? Will you head abroad to study or volunteer? How about a trip to Canada to hang out with ducklings and nice people? Is the inside of the local ice cream parlor your destination of choice? Will you be wielding […]

How to Write an Eye-Catching Activity Resume

Topic: College Admissions, Resume Help  |  Posted on May 12th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

You probably never knew that taking French could help you with anything other than learning the correct pronunciation of “macaron” and the crucial definition of “escargot.” Who knew it could also help you with your college applications? Whip out those dual-language dictionaries and look up the word “résumé.” The translation is pretty simple: a summary […]

5 Things You Have To Do Now That The SAT Is Over

Topic: College Admissions  |  Posted on May 5th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

Your second to last chance to take the SAT before the end of the school year is this Saturday and you are prepared. In fact, you may be SO prepared for the SAT that it’s all you’ve been thinking about. Well, that and season 2 of Dark. But after you color in that final circle, […]

The Coalition Application Colleges for 2016-17

Topic: College Admissions  |  Posted on May 4th, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

When the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success first announced its presence to the world in September of 2015, it was a consortium of 80 colleges, which then ballooned to more than 90, but then some of those schools decided to hold off on using the new application platform this year. Are you confused yet? […]

The 2016-17 Coalition Application Essay Prompts Have Been Released

Topic: College Admissions, International Students, Most Popular  |  Posted on April 21st, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

This past September, a coalition of 80+ top-tier colleges announced their #squadgoals to create a new kind of college application that would promote college access, affordability, and success for all students. This new platform would compete directly with the well-established Common App, offering students an alternative pathway to some of the best schools in the […]

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