5 Bad Ways to Demonstrate Your Interest in a College

5 Bad Ways to Demonstrate Your Interest in a College Demonstrated interest is an important and often overlooked piece of the college admissions puzzle (read more: What Is Demonstrated Interest?). Colleges want to admit students who are eager to attend: such students help the college get a high yield from their pool of admitted students, and students with strong demonstrated interest are less likely to transfer and more likely to become loyal alums. For some good ways to succeed on this dimension of your college application, check out these eight ways to demonstrate your interest. Unfortunately, many applicants (and sometimes their parents) who are over-eager to demonstrate interest make some bad decisions. Below are five approaches you should not use to demonstrate your interest. These methods could hurt your chances of getting an acceptance letter rather than help. Sending Material the College Did Not Request Many colleges invite you to send in whatever supplemental materials you want to share so that the school can get to know you better. This is especially true for liberal arts colleges with holistic admissions. If a college opens the door for extra materials, dont hesitate to send along that poem, performance recording, or short athletic highlights video. That said, many colleges and universities specifically state in their admissions guidelines that they will not consider supplemental materials. When this is the case, the admissions folks can get annoyed when they receive that package with a draft of your novel, that letter of recommendation when the school doesnt consider letters, or that album of photos of you traveling through Central America. The school is likely to discard these items or waste valuable time and resources mailing them back to you. What You Think Youre Saying: Look at me and how interesting I am! Im so eager to attend your school that I sent you a giant envelope full of extra stuff! What You Are Actually Saying: Look at me! I dont know how to follow directions! Also, I dont respect your time. Im sure you can spend an extra 45 minutes on my application! Trust me, when schools say they wont consider supplemental materials, they are telling the truth and you should follow their admissions guidelines. Calling to Ask Questions Whose Answers are Readily Available Some students are so desperate to make a personal contact in the admissions office that they come up with weak reasons for calling. If you have a legitimate and important question that is not answered anywhere on the schools website or admissions materials, then you can certainly pick up the phone. But do not call to ask if the school has a football team or honors program. Dont call to ask how big the school is and whether or not students live on campus. This type of information is readily available online if you take a few minutes to look. What You Think Youre Saying: Look how interested I am in your college! Im taking the time to call and ask questions! What Youre Actually Saying: Look at me! I dont know how to research and read! The admissions folks are remarkably busy people in the fall and winter, so a rather pointless phone call is likely to be an annoyance, especially at selective schools. Harassing Your Admissions Representative No applicants deliberately harass the person who holds the key to their admission, but some students inadvertently behave in ways that are unwelcome if not uncomfortable from the perspective of the admissions staff. Do not email the office daily with well wishes or fun facts about yourself. Do not send gifts to your admissions representative. Do not show up at the admissions office frequently and unannounced. Do not call unless you have a truly important question. Do not sit outside the admissions building with a protest sign that says Admit Me! What You Think Youre Saying: Look how persistent and clever I am! I really, really, really, really want to attend your college! What Youre Actually Saying: Look at me! I enjoy disrupting your day, and Im also a bit creepy with stalker-like tendencies. Having a Parent Call for You This one is common. Many parents have the admirable quality of wanting to do all they can to help their kids succeed. Many parents also discover that their kids are either too shy, too disinterested, or too busy playing Grand Theft Auto to advocate for themselves in the college admissions process. The obvious solution is to advocate for them. College admissions offices often get more calls from parents than students, just as college tour guides often get grilled more by the parents. If this type of parent sounds like you, just keep in mind the obvious: the college is admitting your child, not you; the college wants to get to know the applicant, not the parent. What You Think Youre Saying: Let me ask questions to demonstrate how interested my child is in your college. What Youre Actually Saying: My kid is so disinterested in college that Im doing all the work of choosing a school and applying. My child lacks initiative. A parents role in the admission process is a challenging balancing act. You need to be there to motivate, support, and inspire. The application and questions about the school, however, should be coming from the applicant. (Financial issues can be an exception to this rule since paying for school is often more of a parents burden than the students.) Applying Early Decision When a College Isnt Your First Choice Early Decision (as opposed to Early Action) is a binding agreement. If you apply through an Early Decision program, you are telling the college that it is your absolute first choice school, and that you will withdraw all other applications should you be admitted. Because of this, Early Decision is one of the best indicators of demonstrated interest. You have made a contractual and financial agreement indicating your unquestionable desire to attend. Some students, however, apply Early Decision in an effort to improve their chances even when they arent sure if they want to attend the school. Such an approach often leads to broken promises, lost deposits, and frustration in the admissions office. What You Think Youre Saying: Look, youre my first choice school! What Youre Actually Saying (if you break your ED contract): Im dishonest and selfish, and you might want to contact competitor colleges to inform them of my breech of contract. A Final Word Everything Ive discussed herecalling the admissions office, applying Early Decision, sending supplemental materialscan be a helpful and appropriate part of your application process. Whatever you do, however, make sure you are following the colleges stated guidelines, and always put yourself in the shoes of an admissions officer. Ask yourself, do your actions make you look like a thoughtful and interested candidate, or do they make you appear inconsiderate, thoughtless, or grasping?

Sprawl vs. Traditional Neighborhoods

Sprawl vs. Traditional Neighborhoods Free Online Research Papers Sprawl can be defined as the urbanized areas on the edge of a town or city that have developed as a result of unplanned and unchecked expansion. A traditional neighborhood is almost the exact opposite. Traditional neighborhoods are planned around certain aspect of a city. Sprawl neighborhoods and traditional neighborhoods differ in many ways. Sprawl communities display segregated land use, congested roadways, and inefficient resource use. As far as traffic and transportation is concerned. Sprawl neighborhoods are not pedestrian friendly. Most people in sprawl neighborhoods drive because transportation is limited if at all available. Social and civic facilities are an afterthought in sprawl communities. In many cases, neighbors do not communicate and are not as open and friendly. Low Density developments pave over open space and have large infrastructure systems requiring large development blueprints. Traditional neighborhoods have mixed, multi generational, and friendly communities. Social and civic facilities are planned within the town and are designed to encourage walking to reduce car trips. Almost everything in the community is within walking distance to schools and parks; making the community highly pedestrian friendly. Traditional neighborhoods contain smaller neighborhoods making it highly accessible to interact with neighbors and the community. Traditional neighborhoods have efficient, small- scale infrastructure that requires a small urban footprint on the environment and have clustered higher density communities. Research Papers on Sprawl vs. Traditional Neighborhoods19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraOpen Architechture a white paperWhere Wild and West MeetBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfBringing Democracy to AfricaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Spring and AutumnAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Is Abortion Right or Wrong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Abortion Right or Wrong - Essay Example In most cases, it is carried out in the middle and late stages of pregnancy. Abortion is morally wrong because it brutalizes the person who performs the act and deprives or denies the fetus right to live. Killing a person denies them opportunities to their experiences, projects, activities and enjoyment that they would have made in the future. What makes abortion worse is the fact that the victim is not only denied experiences and projects but there are some other things, which the aborted fetus cannot enjoy now but would have experienced them in future. Abortion permits women to terminate their pregnancies, and it involves the killing of the fetus. The issue of abortion is an intricate matter to discuss because it depends under what circumstances it is conducted. The prochoice argue that abortion is a right that should be respected by all people and institutions in that it should not be limited. Contrary to this, prolife argue that life begins at conception and therefore, terminatio n of pregnancy is not acceptable since it is the killing of the unborn baby. It is not good to authorize abortion when women who are unable to conceive are willing and ready to adopt. For a long time, proponents of abortion have argued that a developing fetus is not a human being, therefore, it is ending the pregnancy not the child because according to them personhood starts at birth and not at conception as argued by the Prolife. In addition, they assert that fetus are unable of feeling pain during the process of abortion this is because they believe that biological process has not taken place to support the feeling of pain. More so, they contend that a woman has a right to choose what she thinks is best for her and thus she is permitted to do whatever pleases her. For them, abortion is right because a baby should not be brought into this world unwanted since parenting is a significant long process that needs responsible preparation, planning, and consideration. Contrary, the Proli fe argue that unborn babies are human beings from the time of conception. They have a right to life like other people, which must be respected and protected. Additionally, the assertion that fetus do not feel pain is unsubstantiated because when a fetus is beyond twenty weeks of gestation, they start feeling pain, therefore, during abortion process, they undergo excruciating and severe pain (Kaczor 79). Abortion removes a potential societal contribution of the unborn baby. It is unethical to kill because the fetus is a ‘moral human being’ because it has duties or responsibilities and rights, since unborn baby is a human being; it has the same rights and privileges. For instance, a country like United States of America would be very different if the mothers of the nation’s scientists and heroes had chosen to abort them. Some philosophers have denounced the argument that fetus have rights because they believe that being a human being is not morally important in its elf. If most human beings have rights, it is not because they belong to human species that is innately morally blessed, but because of some other aspects that define a human being such as self-determination, and self-awareness that makes a person, a fetus does not have all these features to enjoy the rights that born human beings enjoy. Philosophical argument about abortion asserts that abortion does not liberate women but permits society not to provide for women’s needs. Therefore, women demand for equality is not free access to pregnancy termination but they have to be offered what they need to survive as mothers. Abortion as a process is risky to women since it can cause long-term emotional and physical damage to women who have practiced it (Beckwith 39).

HIST 106 - Global Environmental History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HIST 106 - Global Environmental History - Essay Example In that with the doubling of the global population, there is a tripling of the global urban population. With this data, an estimate half of the world's population within the next few years will be living in urban areas. The growth and level of urbanization vary considerably by region. Among developing countries, the ones with the highest proportion of their population living in urban areas are Latin American countries. However, South and East Asia are likely within the next 30 years to have the fastest rates of growth globally. In addition, it is in cities and towns that almost all of world population growth. Both the redistribution and increase of the earth's population are likely to affect the interaction between population and urban environment and the natural systems. Through analyzing the urbanization dynamics, the relationship between human activities and environment can be better understood in that the urban areas increased populations density leads to the infectious diseases rapid spread. Historically urban areas death rates have consequently been high. In this way urban areas only way of maintained their existence until now was through the constant rural people in-migration (Clement, Matthew and James 31). The urban areas growth comes mainly from the migration increase to the urban population’s fertility and the cities. ... Pressing global challenges such as poverty, climate change and food insecurity are considered essentially problems that are human induced. In the world today, there are approximately 6.77 billion people and the world’s population is estimated to be growing at a 1.14 percent rate annually. This equates to an estimate 80 million people on earth annually. Projections indicate that at the current rate there will be 7.2 billion people inhabiting earth by the year 2015. More than half the world’s population currently comprises of urban areas. In this aspect, urbanization can be considered as a global phenomenon that not only transforms people’s lifestyles and values but land use. The rural areas influx of people into the city in search of a better life cannot be put into figures since it is too astounding. Because of this the biodiversity aspect of the environment, is under threat constantly. Like greenhouses gases emissions from mega cities, which are a major source o f global, warming. Consumption patterns and human activities in these cities coupled with commercial and industrial concentrations; drain neighboring and urban areas found resources. While also compromise these areas environmental conditions. The current trend in population is definitely adversely impact and bearing on the natural resources quality, such as food, water, air and forest and in this aspect there is a global shortage of food and portable water. With the shrinking of the world forest area the air quality in some areas and cities lead to some people having health problems and the environmental conditions and the current environmental conditions are

Make-up Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Make-up Midterm - Essay Example There has to be a recognition that the business environment is always changing and that because of these changes are constant, it is essential for the organization to create forecasts so that it can be better able to handle itself. It has to be noted that most business organizations tend to concentrate more on creating efficiency rather than developing strategies which are needed to ensure their long term survival. Such situations often lead to organizations increasing their capabilities yet are not able to secure their sustainability when it comes to making profits in their ventures. It is important to understand the strategy of an organization to ensure that there is efficient human resource planning. This allows management to deal with those problems associated with team cohesiveness in the organization, which should be handled in a manner that encourages cooperation between the members of the team to ensure that the goals and objectives of the organization are achieved (Belcourt, McBey, Hong, and Yap, 2013). Because good working relationships in many organizations are often considered very delicate because of the high levels of competition in the workplace between coworkers, a cohesive strategy for human resource planning has to be developed and implemented. This is especially the case where the actions of certain employees in an organization may work against the interests of their fellows. When such situations occur, it is the responsibility of management to ensure that a plan is developed to help in the development of good working relationships through freq uent team building relationships. One of these plans might include a situation where coworkers are encouraged to have a social association apart from work which helps them understand each other and also understand what motivates each of them. By developing such a strategy, management is able to retain the good working relationship of their

Person Centred Therapy Strength And Weaknesses Psychology Essay

Person Centred Therapy Strength And Weaknesses Psychology Essay Person centred approach is a humanistic phenomenological approach founded by Carl Rodgers, an American humanistic psychologist who believed in a way an individual sees themselves and realising their full potential for their personal growth and personal development he called self actualisation. When there is no relationship between experience and the individual perception of self, a human being experiences anxiety and depression. This results in unpleasant feelings which make defence mechanisms to kick in and results in denial and distortion and blocks an individual self concept. The anxiety and depression will get in an individuals life in a neurotic way and lead to psychotic behaviours, (Gross, 2010).Rogers believed that the behaviour can be re-organised by use of person centred therapy. According to Graham (1986), person centred therapy also known as client centred therapy is a process whereby an individual takes control of their self in an attempt to become autonomous and increase in self confidence. It is an approach that is used for counselling patients with the emphasis of a relationship between the client and the counsellor with more responsibility on the client. The client takes control of the therapeutic sessions, determining when to terminate the treatment. In return, the therapist is expected to facilitate the client with appropriate condition for therapy which makes the client to fully interact and make a stable relationship with the client that is trustworthy, (Gross, 2010). This will make the client feel safe and able to open up during sessions. The therapist is expected to be non judgmental, empathetic and understanding. The approach emphasizes on creating conducive environment which is comfortable, warm and safe which enables the client to open up. The refore the approach is non judgmental and anti oppressive. For the therapy to be effective according to Rogers (1951), it is determined by therapists attitude which is expected to be congruence; authenticity, genuine and showing of the true feelings of emotions. Unconditional positive regard which is accepting the client who they are regardless of the clients past. Being empathetic which involves an understanding of the clients world at the same time showing genuine emotional feelings and listening attentively during the sessions. These characters will help the client to trust the therapist and have the courage to open up and start the process of healing. Thorne (1984) suggested tenderness as another attitude that the therapist need to possess. These attitudes are of extreme importance as explained by Fonagy and Higgitt (1984) that possessing these conditions will help the client to talk about their life honestly and help the client to overcome their odd behaviour. The counsellor will help the client to uncover and express the true feelings by adopting the non-directive role. During the sessions, the therapist is not allowed to alter clients way of thinking but only check with the client if they do not understand anything. They are expected to put themselves in the clients position and respect them at all the times. Any contribution from the client is valued and negative thinking is regarded as legitimate. The therapy will help the client to change their ways of thinking, setting them free and be positive. The therapy is mainly applied to people who suffer from schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, alcohol disorders, cognitive dysfunctions and personality disorders. Egan (1998) developed a systematic counselling model to help individuals solve their problems in order for them to develop opportunities. The Egan skilled helper works better when co-operated with person centred approach principles. Critically evaluate 550 Strength The effectiveness of the person centred approach is that, the counselling is a personal communication between the client and the therapist. It aids in helping the clients problems by increasing the clients sense of well being. This therapy makes the client to explore their true self by being honest and empowers them to be able to solve their own problems. It gives the client a chance to have self direction by allowing them to plan their own session and be in control of the therapy. Therapists give the clients upper hand and not take them as experts but rather a comforting hand to the client. It gives them an opportunity to show their caring nature, being non-judgmental and empathise with the client regardless of their abnormal behaviour or rigid patterns of thinking, (Gross, 2010). Maslow (1970) explained that self actualisation helps the client to fully concentrate on themselves and guide in decision making for growth and develop into an honest, selfless and independent person. In r eturn it makes the client to have autonomy and not depend on others all the time. It gives the client self growth, confidence and better understanding of oneself. Client behaviour is expected to change and the way they view life, giving more appreciation and better relationships. Self actualisation also makes the client to have self acceptance and being able to accept others. Another stronghold of the person centred approach is that it makes the therapist accept the client the way they are without judging them or pressuring them to change but rather showing empathy. In return it gives the client a platform to explore their true feelings and make them better people in a society. It also gives the client a chance to reflect on their previous behaviour and identify areas that they need to develop on. Weaknesses However, on the negative side the client is not challenged by anyone or able to engage in a contest in order to find or show their ability. It deprives the opportunity to give opinion or suggestions that might be useful. The therapist cannot question anything even if they are concerned and it is too plain and not complicated. The therapy does not offer a proper structure to the client even though the therapist subscribe to the ethical principles of their profession which gives them guidelines about their boundaries, (Mearns and Thorne, 2007) and this can be difficult for the client to progress and have answers. The approach has developed since the 60s and it does not have much research and modern theory on it. Also there are no techniques in this approach such as questioning or clarifying. Another drawback of this approach is that there is no intervention of which according to Adams at al (2009) intervention is an act to achieve effects and produce results. There is no involvement or interference from the therapist who might offer sound advice. McNeill et al (2005) identified elements of interventions that have an impact on behavioural change. Out of the elements, person centred therapy lacks the agreement intervention and interactive communication. In comparison with crisis intervention where help is offered when a service user is faced with a problem, (Adam et al, 2009), person centred therapists are not allowed to offer help. Crisis intervention allows the practitioner to help an individual out of stress and change their behaviour by assessing the situation and making a plan to give support as well as advocating. Adams et al (2009) stated that crisis intervention makes an individual in crisis stronger and able to deal with threats and help them with personal growth. Like In person centred therapy, I like the fact that the client is given all the attention and focus and the relationship that is formed between the client and the therapist is of utmost important. I like the fact that it makes the client feel comfortable and dont feel like they are being judged because of their condition. In case of a client who has strong past like a paedophile or a murderer, I suppose they relax more knowing their therapist is not judging them and it can make them to relax and express themselves. I think they are bound to make a full recovery quicker with client centred therapy where they are in total control of the situation. Dislike My negative view of the therapy is the fact that the client is not challenged even if they are heading for a downfall; the therapist cannot change their minds or intervene. Another downfall I find with the therapy is the lack of intervention and techniques. An example from work place Mr Johns (pseudonym for confidential reasons) is a 24 year old client in a residential home who has problems with substance misuse since the age of 13. He has a history of violence and thieving. He has been attending counselling sessions, a one to one approach to help him overcome his addiction. Mr Johns attended therapeutic sessions to help him identify where his problem started and what triggers him to take drugs. In his evaluation, he mentions that he was able to open up to his therapists because he knew he was not judged or discriminated but he was treated as an individual. He also mentions that the relationship and communication he had with the therapist made him comfortable and it helped him in his healing process. Discuss how you envisage By looking at Mr Jones story and the way the approach worked towards his healing, I would envisage using the therapy in my professional practice especially in cases that involve mental health, drug misuse and learning disabilities. I believe personalising care is a key to effective treatment and it makes the client feel valued. Even though the approach has its weaknesses, I would use it in my practice depending on what the client is experiencing at the time. Conclusion In conclusion, the person centred approach has existed for a long time and is simple to use, though it can be difficult to see if its working because the therapists rely on the persons behaviour. The non judgmental technique and the warm relationship between the client and the therapist help individuals to open up and be free. (Word count 1660)

Comparing the Quest in M. Butterfly and American Beauty Essays -- Comp

The Quest in M. Butterfly and American Beauty      Ã‚   Happiness is defined as enjoying, showing, or characterized by pleasure; joyous; contented. Based on this definition we all search for happiness our entire lives. Two very different stories address this idea of the quest for happiness. M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang is the story of a man named Gallimard who is longing for his love "Butterfly" to return to him. John Deeney describes it as him, clinging to his idea of a "Perfect Woman" to the end by costuming himself into the victimized Butterfly though his final suicide. Although Gallimard’s infatuation with Song sometimes makes him cut a rather ridiculous figure, his dead seriousness at the end evokes a certain amount of pathos and even admiration as he dies for his ultimate ideal of perfect womanhood. On the other hand, there is Sam Mendes’ American Beauty. This story approaches the idea of happiness in a different way; it presents an entire family and their pursuit of sweet bliss. The quests of Carolyn, Jane, and Lester Burnham, as well as their next-door neighbor, Frank Fits, are on display. Paul Arthur describes American Beauty as "An authentic Life Lesson, a spiritual world view grounded in the discovery of beauty." In both M. Butterfly and American Beauty, the characters are presented as unhappy and searching for happiness. Of the characters, however, only Jane Burnham, Frank Fitts, and Lester Burnham find their new happiness. Song in M. Butterfly lives life as a false image to make herself happy. Song is an actor who plays the part of a lady in an opera. He allows a man, Gallimard, to fall in love with his character. He then uses this love affair to help his government receive classified information. When a... ... be a relationship, a sexual preference, or simply a life style, the lack there of is always apparent. In M. Butterfly and American Beauty each character is on a pursuit to find his or her own happiness. In the end, only Jane Burnham, Frank Fits, and Lester Burnham find the happiness they are looking for. They display that more than anything; happiness is the most important thing in life. Without happiness, money, personal success and status do not mean anything. Works Cited American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Dream Works, 1999 Arthur, Paul. "American Beauty." Cineaste 2000 Vol 25 Issue 2: 51. Deeney, John. "Of Monkeys and butterflies: Transformation in M. H. Kingston’s Tripmaster Monkey and D. H. Hwangs’ M. Butterfly." Melus Winter 93/94; 21. Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2000.