Resources & Tips


CEA Blog
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, […]
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 […]
How to Use Your Memories to Find the Perfect Essay Topic
So you’re working on your college applications and just can’t seem to come up with a good topic for your essay! You hate all of your ideas and you know a good topic is the foundation for a fantastic essay! Don’t panic! Your predicament is quite normal and you’re one of many students sweating your […]
The Harvard University Optional Essay: What You Need to Know
If you’re hoping to attend Harvard next year at this time, there are a few things you should know before pressing send on your application. They are as follows: Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 96% of students graduate within six years. Harvard is a medium-sized school with 6,712 total undergrads. The early action deadline […]
We Have New Guides for the NYU, Columbia, and University of California Essays!
Hello essay rockstars! We have published new guides to help you navigate the tricky prompts brought to you by the 2017-18 college application season gremlins. Although some prompts can seem straightforward, it’s important to always keep your audience (admissions officers!) in mind. The supplemental prompt for NYU fits the model of a standard Why Essay, […]
What It’s Like to be a College Admissions Officer
Imagine you’re a college admissions officer. You’re pumped to dive into your pile of new applicants. You’re jazzed to see what the students of 2017 have to bring to your academic community. You’re responsible for viewing over 1,000 applications per season! This means 40 applications a day and 8.5 an hour! This gives you about […]
Follow this Timeline to Write a Winning College Essay
More goes into an essay than brainstorming, writing, and revising. You have to make sure you’re advancing through the process at the right speed. But how much time should you dedicate to each phase of the process?! Don’t worry, we have answers! Follow this timeline to keep yourself in check and ensure that when all […]
Do These 3 Things to Maintain Your Sanity and Write an Awesome Essay
Regardless of when you decide to write, whether it is three months or three days before the deadline, it can be easy to fall ill to college essay fever. Fortunately, we have helpful tips to share for maintaining your sanity! They may seem basic, but they can be easy to forget. Hydrate. […]
How to Write an Amazing Closing Line
The last line of the essay is just as important as the first. The opening line sets a stage of intrigue and the closing line makes the final mark; don’t miss the chance to leave a lasting impression. The closing line can tie your story up in a neat little bow or leave admissions lingering, […]