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CEA Blog

Mastering Common App Essay Prompt 7: Strategies for Choosing Your Own Topic

Topic: Common Application, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Uncategorized  |  Posted on October 10th, 2024  |  Written by CEA HQ

So, you’ve come to the end of the list of options for the Common App essay and found yourself in the open sea of possibilities that is #7: “Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your […]

Write about these 3 things in your college essay (even if you think you shouldn’t)

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Essay Resources, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Uncategorized  |  Posted on January 14th, 2019  |  Written by Stacey Brook

This article was originally published in USA Today. Every year, as my team at College Essay Advisors (CEA) begins to brainstorm essay topics with our students, the same refrain always emerges: “I read that I shouldn’t write about this” or “My teacher said I shouldn’t write about that.” What subjects are actually taboo in a college essay? […]

The 2018-19 Common App Essay Prompts are LIVE!

Topic: Admissions, College Admissions, Common App Prompts/Topics, Common Application, Essay Resources, News, Uncategorized  |  Posted on February 5th, 2018  |  Written by Kat Stubing

Yes, you read that right! The Common Application has announced the essay prompts for the 2018-19 college admissions season just over six months before students will actually be able to start applying to colleges in early August. And the prompts are (drumroll, please)…exactly the same as last year’s! This is awesome news for students who […]

How to Optimize College Essay Brainstorming Sessions

Topic: Admissions, advice, Brainstorming, College Admissions, Essay Tips, Essay Writing, Productivity, Quick Tips, Tips, Uncategorized  |  Posted on July 18th, 2017  |  Written by Becca Myers

A ton of behind-the-scenes work goes into crafting a great college admissions essay, and it all begins with the brainstorm. While brainstorming was originally coined in the late 1800’s to signify “a severe mental disturbance,” today it refers to the low-pressure, rapid-fire process of generating ideas without self-censure. Here are four tips to get your creative […]

The 3 Most Common College Essay Topics: Why CEA’s Founder Thinks You Should Write About Them Anyway

Topic: Essay Tips, Essay Writing, From The Founder, Tips  |  Posted on June 8th, 2017  |  Written by Kat Stubing

The whole point of writing a college essay is to differentiate yourself from other applicants and place yourself ahead of the pack. For this reason, many students shy away from writing about common college essay topics. CEA’s Founder and Chief Advisor, Stacey Brook, believes this doesn’t have to be the case. Stacey recently published an […]