Friday, May 29, 2020

What Does Holistic College Admission Really Mean

What Does Holistic College Admission Really Mean? In 1999, Cornell University received just shy of 20,000 applications for a chance to set foot on the Ithaca-based Ivy’s campus at the dawn of the new millennium. Two decades later, nearly 50,000 applicants formally apply each year to the university. UCLA followed a similar pattern, having processed fewer than 36,000 applications in the waning days of the Clinton presidency and by 2019, â€Å"enjoying† well in excess of 100,000 applications per year.Now, if you encountered a graph of this data on an social sciences exam, and were asked to formulate a hypothesis, you might assume that a) there was a population explosion in the United States or b) there was sharp increase in the number of college bound teens; yet, both of these assumptions would be incorrect. Instead, the proliferation of the Common App has streamlined the process of applying to a large number of institutions and the admissions-obsessed mindset that permeates modern life drives students to apply to a dozen or more universities. To quantify this, the percentage of students applying to seven or more schools has more than tripled since the early 90s.All of this college admissions history is intended to help contextualize the changing meaning of a â€Å"holistic† admissions process as we work through the 2019-20 cycle.The meaning of â€Å"holistic† in a college contextThere is something about the word â€Å"holistic† that triggers curmudgeonly older folks to start grumbling about â€Å"participation trophies† and no one understanding the value of hard work anymore. In reality, a â€Å"holistic† admissions process is simply one that tries to look at the whole applicant and not reduce them a mere test score or GPA—all factors are considered in an effort to view young people as more than just the sum of their parts. That said, â€Å"holistic† does not mean that every component of one’s application is treated equally—there are in deed factors in any holistic process that still carry more weight than others. For example, the fact that you play the ukulele and participated in an oceanography camp in Costa Rica is not going to make up for your 2.1 GPA and poor test scores.In general, a â€Å"holistic† process is going to place tremendous emphasis on your four years’ worth of academic achievement and less on a standardized test you took over four hours. A holistic review usually involves reviewing all of the following:Rigor of academic courseworkAny trends (up or down) over the course of your academic careerTest scores including SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests, or AP/IB examsHow your performance compared to others from your high school (i.e. class rank)What your counselor and teacher recommendations revealEssays and short response answersExtracurricular activitiesSpecial talents and/or passions you possessSpecial circumstances like disabilities, illness, or family/financial situationOf course, reviewing all of these factors takes time—time that admissions officers rarely have in sufficient quantities†¦How long will an admissions committee spend on my application?The Wall Street Journal recently spoke with admissions staff at three elite schools Georgia Tech, Rice, and Bucknell who discussed how they are dealing with the annual deluge of applications. They shared how many reviews take place in eight minutes or less, with admissions officers working in teams, allowing these popular institutions to process up to 500 total applications per day. Some prestigious schools like University of Pennsylvania can now process an application in 4-6 minutes. It is, however, important to note that rapid speed does preclude an admissions process from being holistic. While a school that spends 20-30 minutes on a single application may end up with a more complete picture of the nuances of what makes a given applicant tick, even time-strapped schools like those mentioned above do their b est to touch on all of the aforementioned bullet points.How much do â€Å"soft† factors like recommendations, essays, and activity lists matter?In a truly holistic admissions process, your recommendations, essays, and activity lists will be given a very thorough read and can even be the deciding factors in the committee’s decision. A holistically-oriented process is critical for two groups of people:1) Those applying to highly-competitive schoolsAt uber-selective colleges, where everyone applying has sterling credentials but only 4-20% can ultimately gain acceptance, your Common App essays, supplemental essays, recommendations, and achievements outside of the classroom take center stage. This is simply the only way to differentiate between piles of applicants all boasting 1500+ SAT scores and flawless GPAs in an endless stream of AP courses.2) Those with low test scores or a blemished transcriptApplicants who have a story to tell need an admissions committee who is wil ling to lend them an ear rather than just process them through an admissions algorithm. If you had awful freshman year grades, dealt with a difficult parental divorce, or bombed the SAT, you’ll want to apply to colleges more likely to give you a holistic review. Typically, you are more likely to receive this type of consideration at a small liberal arts school rather than a massive state university that is forced to wade through tens of thousands of applications each year.Test-optional schoolsA college’s adoption of a test-optional policy is a telling sign that your application will receive a review that can accurately be classified as â€Å"holistic.† Elite institutions such as Bates, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr, the University of Chicago, Wake Forest, and Wesleyan all allow for applications to be submitted sans SAT/ACT scores. While these schools may grab the headlines, there are another 900+ colleges in the United States that extend this same offer. If you are a stude nt who excelled in the classroom but can’t ever seem to pick the correct bubbles on a standardized test, then exploring a test-optional college is a way to ensure that you get a holistic review.Why it’s important to understand holistic admissions When caught in the storm of the senior year admissions rush, it is easy to think about cutting corners on certain aspects of your application. Some decide not to proofread their activities list a second time and end up with multiple glaring typos in the final version. Others may recycle slight variations of the same â€Å"Why this College?† essay over and over, settling for a generic product in order to avoid having to thoroughly research each school and provide unique reasons for why they truly want to attend.At the end of the day, the hyper-competitive world of college admissions rewards those who go the extra mile as the line between those who are admitted and rejected grows ever more razor-thin.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Latitude Geography Overview

Latitude is the angular distance of any point on Earth measured north or south of the equator in degrees, minutes and seconds. The equator is a line going around Earth and is halfway between the North and South Poles, it is given a latitude of 0 °. Values increase north of the equator and are considered positive and values south of the equator decrease and are sometimes considered negative or have south attached to them. For example, if a latitude of 30 °N was given, this would mean that it was north of the equator. The latitude -30 ° or 30 °S is a location south of the equator. On a map, these are the lines running horizontally from east-west. Latitude lines are also sometimes called parallels because they are parallel and equidistant from each other. Each degree of latitude is about 69 miles (111 km) apart. The degree measure of latitude is the name of the angle from the equator while the parallel names the actual line along which degree points are measured. For example, 45 °N latitude is the angle of latitude between the equator and the 45th parallel (it is also halfway between the equator and the North Pole). The 45th parallel is the line along which all latitudinal values are 45 °. The line is also parallel to the 46th and 44th parallels. Like the equator, parallels are also considered circles of latitude or lines that circle the entire Earth. Since the equator divides the Earth into two equal halves and its center coincides with that of the Earth, it is the only line of latitude that is a great circle while all other parallels are small circles. Development of Latitudinal Measurements Since ancient times, people have tried to come up with reliable systems with which to measure their location on Earth. For centuries, both Greek and Chinese scientists attempted several different methods but a reliable one did not develop until the ancient Greek geographer, astronomer and mathematician, Ptolemy, created a grid system for the Earth. To do this, he divided a circle into 360 °. Each degree comprised 60 minutes (60) and each minute comprised 60 seconds (60). He then applied this method to Earths surface and located places with degrees, minutes and seconds and published the coordinates in his book Geography. Although this was the best attempt at defining the location of places on Earth at the time, the precise length of a degree of latitude was unresolved for around 17 centuries. In the middle ages, the system was finally fully developed and implemented with a degree being 69 miles (111 km) and with coordinates being written in degrees with the symbol  °. Minutes and seconds are written with , and , respectively. Measuring Latitude Today, latitude is still measured in degrees, minutes and seconds. A degree of latitude is still around 69 miles (111 km) while a minute is approximately 1.15 miles (1.85 km). A second of latitude is just over 100 feet (30 m). Paris, France for example, has a coordinate of 48 °5124N. The 48 ° indicates that it lies near the 48th parallel while the minutes and seconds indicate just how close it is to that line. The N shows that it is north of the equator. In addition to degrees, minutes and seconds, latitude can also be measured using decimal degrees. Paris location in this format looks like, 48.856 °. Both formats are correct, although degrees, minutes and seconds is the most common format for latitude. Both, however, can be converted between each other and allow people to locate places on Earth to within inches. One nautical mile, a mile type used by sailors and navigators in the shipping and aviation industries, represents one minute of latitude. Parallels of latitude are approximately 60 nautical (nm) apart. Finally, areas described as having low latitude are those with lower coordinates or are closer to the equator while those with high latitudes have high coordinates and are far. For example, the Arctic Circle, which has a high latitude is at 66 °32N. Bogota, Columbia with its latitude of 4 °3553N is at a low latitude. Important Lines of Latitude When studying latitude, there are three significant lines to remember. The first of these is the equator. The equator, located at 0 °, is the longest line of latitude on Earth at 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 km). It is significant because it is the exact center of the Earth and it divides that Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It also receives the most direct sunlight on the two equinoxes. At 23.5 °N is the Tropic of Cancer. It runs through Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and southern China. The Tropic of Capricorn is at 23.5 °S and it runs through Chile, Southern Brazil, South Africa, and Australia. These two parallels are significant because they receive direct sun on the two solstices. In addition, the area between the two lines is the area known as the tropics. This region does not experience seasons and is normally warm and wet in its climate. Finally, the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle are also important lines of latitude. They are at 66 °32N and 66 °32S. The climates of these locations are harsh and Antarctica is the largest desert in the world. These are also the only places that experience 24-hour sunlight and 24-hour darkness in the world. Importance of Latitude Besides making it easier for one to locate different places on Earth, latitude is important to geography because it helps navigation and researchers understand the various patterns seen on Earth. High latitudes for example, have very different climates than low latitudes. In the Arctic, it is much colder and drier than in the tropics. This is a direct result of the unequal distribution of solar insolation between the equator and the rest of the Earth. Increasingly, latitude also results in extreme seasonal differences in climate because sunlight and sun angle vary at different times of the year depending on latitude. This affects temperature and the types of flora and fauna that can live in an area. Tropical rainforests, for example, are the most biodiverse places in the world while harsh conditions in the Arctic and Antarctic make it difficult for many species to survive.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Argumentative Essay Topics

Argumentative Essay TopicsThere are so many fallacy essay topics that you can choose from. The first one, and probably the most widely used is the example essay. This is the easiest to complete as well as most suitable for either a Bachelor's or Master's level degree.You can also use free online resources to write your dissertation. For this type of writing you will need to give examples from one of your published articles and then explain why they were invalid. You will then have to evaluate their relevance to the topic. In most cases this can be done in a short essay, but some people do prefer to write an entire dissertation just based on one article.One of the most useful fallacy essay topics is the thesis statement. You should work with your essay topic writer to create a thesis statement that works for your essay. By the way, you will not be able to edit the statement after it is created. You will have to follow the directions in the instructions of the topic editor.Remember tha t most term papers are either on political subjects or religious ones. With that said, remember that you will need to use the exact same arguments and examples as that which you would use for a political or a religious topic. You may choose to include one or two extra examples. Some readers may find this approach too tame.Writing a thesis is a lot like writing an essay. The only difference is that you will be able to tell in the end whether you were able to give accurate information that was correct and relevant. In fact, some judges will ask you to repeat your examples if they find them incorrect or irrelevant. It is important that you fully understand what they are asking before you do so. You will then be able to explain the difference between correct and incorrect information.You should also remember that even if you are not certain about the thesis statement, you will still be able to write an essay with the topic. In fact, it is possible to complete a number of argumentative e ssays in such a manner. In other words, you will have to cover a large amount of material. There are many different sources available for those who wish to learn more about what these sources have to say. Some will make great 'showcases' for the topic of your thesis.In order to get an idea of how long it will take to write a topic you need to remember that you must follow a certain writing format. If you do not have this knowledge, you should look into some resources. You can find out everything you need to know about essay writing format at the internet. The same rules apply to both the topic and the thesis statement.Remember that you need to follow the format for the whole essay so that you can achieve your final objective. You will also need to remember that the main purpose of the topic and the thesis is to inform the reader of the basics of the subject. You should not get too carried away with such nonsense as a topic.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

East-West Values and the Mother-daughter Relationship in...

East-West Values and the Mother-daughter Relationship in The Joy Luck Club The dominant theme of The Joy Luck Club is the clash between Chinese, American cultures, and how it affects the relationship between mothers and daughters. All of the mothers in the book were born and raised in China. All of their daughters were born and raised in the United States. Because of the differences in family traditions and values between the way the mothers had been raised in China and the way their daughters were growing up in America, there was bound to be a clash between the two generations. Perhaps the most dramatic example of how East-West conflicting traditions and values affected a mother-daughter relationship was that of Suyuan Woo and†¦show more content†¦No singing sound, complained my mother. June defended the girl against her mothers perfectionism: What are you picking on her for? I said carelessly. Shes pretty good. Maybe shes not the best, but shes trying hard. The mother rejoins: Just like you, she said. Not the best. Because you not trying. (Tan 136) The television show gave Suyuan a model for how June could excel and the mother worked cleaning house for a piano teacher to give June lessons and a second-hand piano for her to practice on. June is aghast at her mothers plans for her. She thought she had been sent to hell. I whined and then kicked my foot a little when I couldnt stand it anymore. June asks, Why dont you like me the way I am? I am not a genius! I cannot play the piano. And even if I could, I wouldnt go on TV if you paid me a million dollars! I cried. Her mother is equally appalled by Junes insolence and disobedience. Disrespect for her elders and ingratitude for what her parents were providing in the way of opportunity was unknown in a daughter from the old China. Suyuan preserved and forced June to practice but June soon found ways to subvert the system and refuse to play as well as she might have. The climax came during a talent show in a church hall. The mother invited all of her friends from the Joy Luck C lub to witness her daughters first recital. June started okay but then found that she was playing the

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Fascism as Opposed to Communism Essay Example For Students

Fascism as Opposed to Communism Essay Analyze the similarities and the differences between singleparty rule in Hitlers Germany and Stalins Russia between1933 and 1945. Answers should consider: methods ofdealing with opposition, control of media and education,control of the economy, and war time planning. Fascism asapposed to Communism Why is it that Germanys fascismlasted a relatively short time compared to Russiascommunism? The regimes established under Hitler and Stalinwere incredibly similar with respect to the rise and control ofthe state. Both systems were based on entirely differentideology and goals. Hitlers Mein Kampf established thesuperiority of the German race and the need to expand aswanted by God. Hitler wanted the world. The government inRussia established by Lenin was based on a book calledCommunist Manifesto by Karl Marx, a call to theproletariate to unite and rebel against their selfish employers. It is my belief that Lenin had entirely good reasons for doingas he did, and felt he was helping the world as apposed toAdolf Hitler. Immediately after Lenins death, a man verymuch the same in nature as Hitler, Stalin, came to control theBolsheviks and throw Russia in a civil war in a quest forpower. You now have two men of equal aspirations soon tobe in control of two very similar governments. In any rise ofpower, there needs to be a period of careful planningrequiring much thought. These two men had very little historywith which to work with which to model their revolutions. Times had been changing rapidly, technologicalimprovements in the fields of manufacturing, transportation,and communication made this period of time very differentfrom any other. Hitler spent his time imprison writing hisbook, Mein Kampf, filling it full of warped ideas of conquestand superiority of one race over another. I think it is strangethat such works would go unnoticed with nobody left towatch a man with such dangerous ideas. Lenin planned hisrevolution while in exile in Switzerland. Then he made a dealwith the German government whereby he was hid on a trainand passed through enemy Germany to Russia. Theconclusions with respect to methods of acquiring power andcontrolling it when they did get it were very much the same. Both rulers had full run of their respective governments. Stalin was already dictator of Russia with his power andloyalty of the people guaranteed by the secret police, theCheka. This entity provided Stalin with an easy means ofdestroying the opposition and weeding out the undesirable tobe sent to prison camps in Siberia, a virtual death sentence. For Hitler to ascend to that level of power he rammed theEnabling Act through the German Congress which gave himthe power to enact laws. Under Article 1 of his new power,Hitler decreed the only existing party shall be the NSDAP. With Article 2 he declared all association of, collaborationwith, and support of other parties would result inimprisonment in camps similar to Russias labor camps. WithHitlers Gestapo, secret police, he enforced those rules andused existing policies to get rid of other unfit Germans. Political prisoners, homosexuals, Jews and other people sentto the concentration camps were given different coloredsymbols for easy identification. At this point, no one daredspeak against their country even in the privacy of ones homelest their children let something slip at school. If you controlpeoples thoughts, you control them. Propaganda was animportant tool used by both Germany and Russia. Hitlerappointed a man by the name of Joseph Goebbles to headthe Ministry of Public Enlightenment in Germany. This manused newspapers, magazines, and radio to spread Nazism. .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 , .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .postImageUrl , .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 , .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:hover , .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:visited , .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:active { border:0!important; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:active , .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48 .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5880cb5fc3d648cb184cce864fd8bf48:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Porter's 5 Forces Analysis of Starbucks EssayEven if a man bathed in thoughts of discontent at home, hewas bombarded with propaganda in public, and at theworkplace. Banners hung from building, posters on almostevery sign or lamppost. Anyone with a suspicious look ontheir face was first detained, and the sent to a prison camp. It was no longer just desirable to be a Nazi considering thebenefits like government contracts or being able to stand firstin line, but necessary for employment. Russia employedmuch the same tactics with much more emphasis on fear. Education was virtually unheard of in the early years ofRussia, but by 1933 children were guaranteed primaryeducation. Huge problems resulted form the ignorance andilliteracy, workers usually did not intentionally breakmachines but did not know how to use them. In officialreports the reason for failure was terrorism by the Kulaks,rich peasants persecuted in the same way Germanys Jews. German education was geared toward physical aspects andthe fathering of children. Membership to the German Youthfor boys was compulsory by 1936. Emphasis was placed onphysical fitness and team sports in these youth groups. Outstanding youths went to Adolf Hitler schools forsecondary education, and Order Castles for future partyleaders. Control of the economy and war time planning wasa must for both nations. A story likened to the fact that withCommunism you must give your cows to the governmentand they give you milk back. With fascism, you got to keepyour cows and gave the milk to the government. Bothsystems were command economies and state controlled. Contingency plans were constantly drawn up and updated tofit new circumstances. Both nations were preparing for war. Germany was going to rule the world, Russia only wanted todefend herself from Capitalism. The resulting governmentsevolving from the two different systems of thought were verysimilar. But as one can see, the aspirations were radicallydifferent. Hitler was a threat to everyone and needed to bedealt with. Russia kept to themselves and bothered no one. A Cold War ensued with Russia complete with the irrationalfear of Communism, McCarthyism, and a peace time buildup of weapons followed. Germany was crushed in battle andRussias Iron Curtain is being pulled down as I write. History