Resources & Tips
CEA Blog
How to Find the Best College Essay Advising Services
Perhaps the most complex and time-consuming element of college applications is the essay-writing process, which now often includes personal statements, additional information essays, diversity statements, mountains of supplements, and other fun surprises. As a result, many parents and students are increasingly seeking the help of college essay tutors or consulting services to help them organize, […]
The Single-Choice/Restrictive Early Action Loophole You Need to Know About
So many students think that applying Single-Choice Early Action or Restrictive Early Action is basically the same as applying Early Decision—and they could not be more wrong!! Of course, you should always double check with your top-choice school’s website regarding their policies, since some schools like to do their own thing; but overall, Single-Choice and […]
How To Write Diversity Supplemental Essays When You Feel Like You Don’t Have a Story to Tell
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 […]
If You’re Not Done with Your College Application Essays Right Now, You’re Late
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 […]
College Admissions Offices May Never Be Able to Use AI to Review College Essays
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 […]
A Message From our Founder Re: Affirmative Action and The College Essay
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 […]
College Decision Day: Regular Decision Notification Dates
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 […]
Regular Decision Deadlines 2023-24
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 […]
Six Medical School Secondary Essays You Can Start Writing Right Now! (And which ones you should wait on!)
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 […]
Guide to the 2023-24 Coalition Application Essay Prompts
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.
Want access to our Signature Brainstorming Worksheet?
We thought so.
Let's Be Social:
Our Most Popular Pages:
Watch, Listen, and Learn:
