Get Essay Feedback from Experts Now!

Resources & Tips

Ivy Divider
Ivy Divider

CEA Blog

Why Summer is the Best Time to Write Your College Essay

Topic: advice, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Productivity, Quick Tips, Starting Early, Summer Preparation, Tips  |  Posted on June 15th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

Listen, we get it. The waves are crashing, sun is beaming, and all you want to do is chill. You’ve been working all year long to make sure your grades are up to par and that you’ve put enough energy into your (nine-thousand?) activities to make a real impact on your community and make an […]

How this Student Got Into All 8 Ivy Leagues

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Common Application, Inspiration, News, Productivity, Standout Students, Starting Early, Summer Preparation  |  Posted on June 5th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

  Yes, he’s done it. Martin Altenburg, a 17-year-old from Fargo, North Dakota has gained acceptance into every Ivy League plus a couple more schools for good measure. You might be asking yourself, “But don’t Ivy Leagues have some of the lowest acceptance rates in the country?” Yes, they do! But Altenburg figured out the […]

Five Foolproof Tips for Conquering the Common Application Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Common Application, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on May 12th, 2017  |  Written by Nina Bailey

  The first time I successfully did a handstand in yoga class, it was unexpected and almost effortless. My legs kicked up, and then, as if being lifted by string, I was supporting my body with my arms. When we talk about strategies for tackling the college essay, I like to tell the story of […]

The Short Answer

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

A popular format for supplement questions is short answers. Don’t confuse these with the why, activity, community, or oddball essays. These are an entirely different beast. These little critters provide a different kind of creative challenge for aspiring college-goers. Take this set of short answer questions from the 2014 Yale application: “What excites you intellectually, […]

The Oddball Essay

Topic: College Admissions, Common App Prompts/Topics, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

There are certain schools, like the University of Chicago, who have always taken special pride in developing craft questions for their applicants to answer. In recent years, more schools are jumping on the bandwagon, luring students to their applications with questions like “What does #YOLO mean to you” (Tufts, 2013). This is both fun and […]

The Community Essay

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Supplemental Essays  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

The community essay is a standard supplemental rascal that mines for information about your social habits and favorite causes. Prompts that ask about a “community you belong to” often leave themselves open to interpretation: Are you part of a community of sports fans around the world who can connect with other strangers over the amazing […]

The Activity Essay

Topic: Admissions, advice, College Admissions, Common Application, Essay Resources, Essay Writing, Uncategorized  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

At one time, not so long ago, the Common App asked all applicants for a brief description of their most important extracurricular experiences. When that requirement became optional in 2013, many individual colleges took it upon themselves to issue a similar prompt as a replacement. The activity essay is an excellent opportunity to expand beyond […]

The Why Essay

Topic: Admissions, Essay Resources, Essay Writing, Uncategorized  |  Posted on December 10th, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

If you’re on this page, then you have probably encountered a prompt or two on your supplemental essay safari that we at College Essay Advisors call “The Why Essay”. The school you’re applying to is essentially asking: Why do you really want to go here? What is the Why Essay? This shape-shifting question can come […]

24 Hours of Free College Essay Help on Black Friday

Topic: College Admissions, Common App Prompts/Topics, Essay Tips  |  Posted on November 21st, 2016  |  Written by CEA HQ

We’re doing it again! Get your latest dose of free college essay help on Black Friday 2016, when will be offering free 15-minute essay reviews to the first 50 people to send in their drafts. On anything from the Common App personal statement to school-specific supplements, we’ve got you covered.   This event is perfect […]

Free College Essay Topic Help: June 28, 2016!

Topic: College Admissions, Essay Tips, International Students, Most Popular  |  Posted on June 22nd, 2016  |  Written by Thea Hogarth

School is out. The sun is shining. The beach is beckoning. But you’ve got college essays to write. We know. If we were you, we’d want to prioritize bronzing over brainstorming, too. That’s why we’re giving away tons of free advice and goodies on Tuesday, June 28. Kick off your summer writing season with a […]

1 3 4 5 6