Resources & Tips
CEA Blog
Ivy League and Top-Tier School Acceptance Rates for the Class of 2025
First things first, congratulations to all those who received good news over the past few weeks — we’re so excited for you!! If you received bad news recently, please know that you’re not alone. Ivy league and top-tier school admissions have been increasingly competitive in recent years — and this year was no different. Trust […]
The Best Way to Proofread a College Essay
If you have happened across this article, then congratulations! You’ve finished a draft of your college essay! Now is the time to make sure your essay is fit for submission. To initiate the proofreading process, put your detective hat on. It’s time to search the dark corners of your essay for mistakes. Errors are your […]
Colleges That Don’t Require Any Supplemental Essays
Maybe you want to apply to a few schools, but don’t want to write any essays. Perhaps you’ve already written so many supplemental essays that the thought of writing one more makes you want to lock yourself in your room with five family size bags of kettle corn and never come out. Maybe you’re just […]
What Is Early Decision, Early Action, Single-Choice Early Action, and More? College Application Deadlines Explained
It’s basically impossible to start the college admissions process gradually. Practically from the moment you fill in the final SAT bubble, someone is asking you for something. Your guidance counselor wants a list of schools by Friday! Your dream school wants you to schedule a visit ASAP! Your favorite teacher is waiting for you to […]
Early Action, Early Decision, and Early Decision II Deadline Organizer 2017-18
Many Early Decision and Early Action deadlines are drawing close. If you have one school in mind that is your ride-or-die, you should definitely consider applying Early Decision to put yourself toward the front of the pack. Many schools tend to accept a higher percentage of both Early Decision and Early Action applicants than Regular […]
How to Get Off the College Waitlist
Waiting is tough. We here at CEA stand by the microwave and watch the numbers count down as our frozen mac n’ cheese transforms from a big yellow block into gooey noodles (which is probably not good for our health — nor is eating frozen mac and cheese. Don’t tell our moms). Sometimes we take […]
This is What College Admissions Officers Look For in College Applications
While the essay is a potent piece of the puzzle, it is important to remember that it is but one of the crucial components of your college application. There is also the transcript, which is undeniably one of the most important factors in an admissions officer’s assessment of any applicant. Even this pretty straightforward index […]
How to Write Your Personal Statement
So you want to know how to write your personal statement, huh? Well, let me tell you this: the best personal essays tell a story. And like all good stories, they have (drumroll, please) a beginning, a middle, and an end. As you pull the notes from your brainstorm into your outline, think about the […]
Two-Minute Cures For the Hopelessly Stressed
We have always been skeptics when it comes to activities that require you to talk to yourself — or that prevent you from talking to anyone else. But science actually backs up the power of some of the following exercises. Though they may seem a little woo-woo at first, the truth is, when you’re desperate […]
College Essay Checkups
We all need a little TLC sometimes, even our essays. If you’re anything like me, after you stare at your essay for too long, it all but turns into hieroglyphics. It is no longer beautifully crafted sentences diving into overarching themes and humorous anecdotes. It is words on a page and you’re sick and tired […]
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