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 […]
Every year it happens. September rolls around, Labor Day BBQs end the summer with a side of slaw, and students all over the world wake up and realize that, in addition to schoolwork, they have to start working on their college admissions essays. As someone who has been advising students on their college essays for […]
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 […]
Ever since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn affirmative action, students around the globe have been wondering how the decision will affect their chances of acceptance to American colleges and universities. Most critically, students of color have been grappling with how they can attempt to get a fair shake in an inherently biased admissions system […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Introduction Each year, we work with a select number of medical school applicants to help them draft strong, distinct personal statements and descriptions for the Work and Activity sections within their AMCAS applications, which are due at the end of May. They inevitably ask us, in the days after submitting, “This is when we get […]
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.
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 […]
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