Mkt week

Do you agree with Virgin's market diversification strategy? If so, what other markets should they pursue? If you disagree, what should be their business focus? Diversification is most commonly understood through the financial world, where one should have a diverse range of investments. Mixing funds that are countercyclical – the performance of certain funds is not correlated to the performance of others.Usually when one set of funds are down, the value of another set of funds is up. This is where companies like the Virgin Group have adopted this kind of strategy to diversify their product line. Dixon (2009) explains what when building a customer base, it is a good idea to begin cultivating multiple customers in different industries. Then, this approach is modified to include target markets that have the countercyclical method that has been proven to work in the financial field.After targeting diverse groups of customers, companies (like the Virgin Group) should then engage in â€Å"aggressive marketing and sales efforts to win new customers in the targeted markets† (Dixon, 2009). In order for Virgin to pursue other markets they should 1) gain clear understanding of the wants and needs of perspective customers ND markets, and 2) show that they have a unique capability for meeting these requirements (Dixon, 2009). I believe the Virgin Group should get involved with renewable energy projects, even on small scale targeting consumers.Sustainability and being green are hot topics right now that consumers like to get behind. Since they have so much information already on current electronics customers, they can use this to target items like solar chargers or recycled material packaging for electronic items. 2. How about some other examples of companies that have built their value proposition around the image variable? Other companies that have been successful are for example Apple, who undoubtedly has created value to its customers who are very loyal to t he brand.Customers recognize the â€Å"bitten apple† image across the spectrum and identify it with quality. BMW and Mercedes Benz are other companies that have used their image to build value for customers. Whenever anyone thinks of these two brands, they immediately think luxury and high end/high quality vehicles.

A Woman of No Importance

The purpose of this essay is to analyze, explain, inform, and suggest. An analysis of the various gender/sexuality, social status, religious, and governmental power struggles that existed in the play is presented. Explanation of various leadership styles is given.Information on whether or not the analyzed power struggles were evident in England and America. Suggestions about why these two countries differed are given. The review begins with a discussion on the â€Å"First Act†.First ActIn the â€Å"First Act†, there was discussion on how some American states are as big as the entire countries of England and France. Also, conversation between Lady Caroline and Miss. Worsley (Hester) was about how Lady Caroline thought that Miss. Worsley had not right to be so particular over the people that others invited her to meet.This was because Miss. Worsley was considered as a foreigner and Mrs. Allonby (the lady that Hester did not know if she would like or dislike) was considere d to be royalty (Wilde 1893). As a result, this scene suggested that everyone in England is not treated equally. In fact, this inequality later manifested itself in a number of conversations between various characters in the play. However, unfair treatment between men and women in England is not the only conversation in the play.The discussion shifted to how society perceived working individuals in both England and America. In England, workers never had the opportunity to become acquainted with high society. In fact, the high society members of England were considered more important and respected than those who held jobs (Wilde 1893).This provides an indication that England’s power was one of a hierarchy where those at the top make all the decisions for the lower class levels to follow. In America, the play portrayed the people with the jobs as those who were highly respected in society (Wilde 1893). This showed a power shift to the working class because this class had purcha sing, bargaining, and selling power to keep the economy moving forward.At one point, Hester stated, â€Å"Mr. Arbuthnot has a beautiful nature!’ ‘He is so simple, so sincere.’ ‘He has one of the most beautiful natures I have ever come across.’ ‘[I can say that] it is a privilege to meet him (sic)’† (Wilde 1893, First Act).This statement is reminiscent of stereotyping. It indicates a power of persuasion that people are often able to portray themselves as having a good personality. However, in reality, they have faults and other faulty characteristics that would cause others to think of them in a different manner. Also, the fact that women had to conceal their feelings in England’s society, made it difficult for people to know their true personalities.Lady Caroline said, â€Å"It is not customary in England†¦for a young lady to speak with such enthusiasm of any person of the opposite sex.’ ‘English women co nceal their feelings till after they are married.’ ‘They [are allowed to] show them then’† (Wilde 1893, First Act). This passage suggests that England does not consider it lady-like for a woman to express interest in a man until after marriage.In America, this would not have worked because women were able to have friendships with men they did not intend to marry. Furthermore, some American women engaged in sexual activities with men before marriage. The play portrayed the differences between how England women and American women are treated when it comes to this issue throughout each scene (Wilde 1893).In another discussion, Lady Hunstanton expressed an interest in the fact that Lord Illingworth did not marry lady Kelso because she either came from a large family or her feet were too big (Wilde 1893, First Act). This suggests that royalty in England chose spouses based upon their appearance and whether or not they would fit into high society. In America, for the most part, people got married based upon the amount of love and respect they had for each other and not for the size of one’s family or feet.At some point, Kelvil entered into the discussions. The passage where he talked about â€Å"I find that the poorer classes of this country display a marked desire for a higher ethical standard† (Wilde 1893, First Act) is reflective of how many of America’s working poor strive hard to achieve the American Dream.However, at the same time, when Kelvil said, â€Å"Women are always on the side of morality, public and private† (Wilde 1893, First Act) he is placing gender constraints on the political views of women. Yet, when Lady Hunstanton indicated, â€Å"†¦that dear Lord Illingworth doesn’t value the moral qualities in women as much as he should† (Wilde 1893, First Act) she was placing limitations on the values and beliefs of high society England.That is why when Lord Illingworth enters the scene he voiced his displeasure in being talked about behind his back (Wilde 1893). In America, people are talked about behind their backs all the time. This gives no party more power but often causes conflicts to occur that are hard to resolve. Rather than a win/win scenario occurring, these conflicts often create avoidance issues and that is a lose/lose scenario type. Perhaps this is why England women are expected to conceal their eagerness towards men.While other conversations are noted, the discussions shifted to how American women should stay at home and stop traveling to England to find husbands (Wilde 1893). This shows a belief that England did not want its citizens marrying other cultures. At this point, the discussions are nearing politics.Lady Hunstanton pointed out that no country has good politics. As the conversation continues, Kelvil said, â€Å"You cannot deny that the House of Commons has always shown great sympathy with the sufferings of the poor† (Wilde 1893, Fir st Act). This suggests that the poor in England must struggle to survive due to little assistance from England’s government. Not too long after this, the conversation shifts to England’s East End and how it needs fixing. The problem is that slaves are amusing the higher society, according to Lord Illingworth (Wilde 1893, First Act).Later on in the scene, conversation turned to debt. Lord Alfred talked about how everyone he knows is in debt (Wilde 1893). This is reflective of America’s society today. Many people do not get the things they want unless they can charge those items to credit cards and then pay them off later on. In the play, discussion was about how Americans were always well dressed and did their shopping in Paris for clothes (Wilde 1893). So, even in early centuries, Americans went into debt to make sure they looked and felt good.In fact, the fine apparel and good looks were not reflective of the plain look that was discussed in the play. Mrs. Allo nby said, â€Å"Curious thing, plain women are always jealous of their husbands, beautiful women never are!† (Wilde 1893, First Act). This suggests that plain-looking women in England had low self-esteem issues. In America, it is possible for any type of woman to fear her husband will cheat on her.Later on in the scene, Lord Illingworth indicated, â€Å"One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything except a good reputation† (Wilde 1893, First Act). This means that anyone with a good reputation is highly respected even after death. It also suggests that everyone has something to live for and that is to have a good reputation when they die.Second ActAs the â€Å"First Act† ended, the â€Å"Second Act† came in with a strong discussion on a woman’s place in society. Mrs. Allonby made known her belief that women should stick by their husbands and not let them be alone. Lady Caroline talked about how a women’s place in society is to look after her husband. She also said that bachelors should be forced to marry within 12 months time. In addition, Lady Caroline made a reference to women as property and Mrs. Allonby pointed out that people should not be discussed in that type of manner (Wilde 1893).In a sense, human property is slavery. Earlier in the play, it was discussed that this was a problem in England (Wilde 1893). However, America went through its own trials with slavery as well. Fortunately, when the right government came along, slavery was abolished in America and many African Americans have contributed greatly to the world. In particular, Martin Luther King, Jr. helped end slavery and for that, he has his own nationally observed holiday.The discussion on men in the â€Å"Second Act† is of major significance. This is because the type of man that each woman wanted was their Ideal Man.   Lady Stutfield desired a man with a square chin. Mrs. Allonby told her that Ernest was that type of man. However, Lady Caroline reflected,The Ideal Man! Oh, the Ideal Man should talk about us as if we were goddesses, and treat us as if we were children. He should refuse all our serious requests, and gratify every one of our whims. He should encourage us to have caprices, and forbid us to have missions. He should always say much more than he means, and always mean much more than he says. (Wilde 1893, Second Act)This type of man would possess charismatic leadership qualities. A charismatic leader is able to get others to follow him because of his personality.On the other hand, Mrs. Allonby wanted another type of man. Mrs. Allonby’s Ideal Man â€Å"†¦should persistently compromise us in public and treat us with absolute respect when we are alone† (Wilde 1893, Second Act). A person who compromises creates a win/lose scenario. Basically, the thing that is compromised works in the best interest of the one doing the compromising. In this sense, transformational lead ership qualities are evident. This type of leader does whatever he can to get others to come on board with his ideas. In fact, transformational leadership exists in America. Remarkably, due to the effective leadership styles that both men and women have as reflective of Miss. Worsley’s explanation, her conversations take on new meanings as they come to light in the play.Miss. Worsley said, â€Å"†¦true American society consists simply of all the good women and good men we have in our country† (Wilde 1893, Second Act). This implies that a high standard of ethics, humanitarian, and utilitarian exists. As a result, these men and women represent the universal leadership style. In this type of leadership, the leader is an active listener and among other qualities, looks out for the best interests of all parties that are involved.Lady Hunstanton saw England as being too artificial when it comes to social class (Wilde 1893). This suggests that the upper class in England has their noses held high in the air and considers their class to be the best that England has to offer. In fact, Miss. Worsley (Hester) later supported this by stating, â€Å"Oh, your English society seems to me shallow, selfish, foolish† (Wilde 1893, Second Act).Third ActIn the â€Å"Third Act†, Lord Illingworth talked about how mothers are selfish people. Yet, this is a different type of selfishness than that discussed by Miss. Worsley. Lord Illingworth referred to the fact that mothers want to hold onto their children and not let them live their own lives. He also discussed the fact that people want to live in the best society. Unfortunately, the only way for them to get there â€Å"†¦one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people—that is all!† (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Basically, this statement sums up how all three types of classes can coexist. For example, kings feed people, court jesters entertain, and the educated poor shock. On e could say that this was the type of country that England was.Lord Illingworth also talked about the history of women, the types of women, and religion in the â€Å"Third Act†. Women were considered to be tricky. However, one can argue that the reason why women are considered by Lord Illingworth to be â€Å"The tyranny of the weak over the strong† (Wilde 1893, Third Act) is because they need to be strong. Women are the ones who bear the pains of childbirth to bring leaders (kings, presidents, lords, etc.) into the world.That is why Lord Illingworth’s depiction of women as either plain or coloured is wrong (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Women come from a variety of backgrounds and they are more than just white and black. Thus, another thing worth noting as discussed by Lord Illingworth in the â€Å"Third Act† is religion. In terms of religion, Lord Illingworth said, â€Å"The only difference between the spirit and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future† (Wilde 1893, Third Act).In America, there are many different perceptions of what constitutes as a saint and a sinner. The notion that all individuals have a past, present, and future devalues Lord Illingworth’s statement. As a result, the discussion on the secret of life has new meaning. Mrs. Allonby said, â€Å"[It is]†¦never to have an emotion that is unbecoming† (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Kelvil said, â€Å"[It is]†¦to resist temptation (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Lord Illingworth pointed out, â€Å"There is no secret of life† (Wilde 1893, Third Act). These statements suggest that philosophy was evident in England and that it was openly discussed by members of high society. Of course, this brings the play to the final act.Fourth ActIn the â€Å"Fourth Act†, talk between Gerald, Mrs. Allonby and Lady Hunstanton was about how Gerald wanted to stay close to his mother, Mrs. Arbuthnot. Yet, Lady Hunstanton believed t hat by Gerald staying at home, he is being lazy (Wilde 1893). In American society, many people believe that the children should take care of their parents when the parents reach old age. Based upon the conversation between Gerald and Lady Hunstanton, some England citizens believed that a son wastes his life by trying to be near his mother (Wilde 1893).As this conversation simmers down, Gerald strikes up a conversation with his mother and tried to get her to marry Lord Illingworth which happens to be Gerald’s father. This twist of events indicates that not everything goes well in England. Mrs. Arbuthnot and Lord Illingworth were not married when they had Gerald. As a result, Mrs. Arbuthnot paid a high price and Lord Illingworth did not.This is a sure sign that women were punished for deeds done in their bodies out of wedlock. Yet, the men were not (Wilde 1893). In America, the fathers are forced to pay child support. Thus, this implies that men held all the power in England wh ereas there were equal opportunities in America for both men and women.Towards the end of the play, Mrs. Arbuthnot got into a heated conversation with Lord Illingworth over Gerald (their son) and marriage to him. Mrs. Arbuthnot told Lord Illingworth that he was not needed in Gerald’s life and that she did not want to marry him.In addition, Mrs. Arbuthnot warned Lord Illingworth to stay away from them. At this point, Lord Illingworth exchanged a few more words with Mrs. Arbuthnot and then leaves. Gerald and his wife-to-be, Miss. Worsley comes back into the house and asked who had been there. Mrs. Arbuthnot replied, â€Å"A man of no importance† (Wilde 1893, Fourth Act).ConclusionConsequently, there seems to be a shift in the power struggle between Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Arbuthnot. In the past, Lord Illingworth had gotten the best of Mrs. Arbuthnot through a number of ways, including not marrying her and not supporting their child. However, Mrs. Arbuthnot finally stoo d up for herself and spoke her mind. Lord Illingworth suggested that she would not be able to stay in England like that. However, Mrs. Arbuthnot told him that they did not plan on staying there anyway. As a result, this suggests that strong-minded England women had to find other countries to leave in order to both have and enjoy the freedoms that they deserved.ReferenceWilde, Oscar. A Woman of No Importance. 1893. Emotional Literacy Education and Mark Zimmerman. 21 May 2007   

Non-government Organizations Are the True Heroes of the Changes to the Essay

Non-government Organizations Are the True Heroes of the Changes to the African Human Rights System - Essay Example Principally, human rights have three generations; social –economic, civil –political, and collective developmental human rights. First, the social economic human rights incorporates two ideas, which are norms that are related to provision of goods that are related to social needs such as shelter, health care, education among other social needs, and norms that are related to provision of economic needs such as substantial wages, standard living , social security among other economic needs. Second, a civil – political human rights where two norms are incorporated. One norm revolves around physical and civil security such as equality before the law, opposition to torture and inhumane treatment. On the other norm, civil political empowerments are incorporated like the freedom to assembly, voluntary association, over and above, participation in political activities in a given society. Finally, collective – development human rights also had two divisions; one di vision is of self determination to people particularly in the political, social, cultural and economic development whilst the other division narrows down to specific human rights in terms of ethnic and religious perspective (McBeth and Joseph 2010). In respect to this, the first generation articulates on liberty and human participation in political life. ...Of importance to note is that the division of these rights works in accordance to liberty, equality and fraternity stipulated in the tenets of French Revolution (Heilinger and Ernst 2012). Cultural Relativism In Relation To Human Rights and African Charter Cultural relativism is denoted as the concept where local cultural traditions with inclusion of religious, political and legal practices decide on the existence and scope of the human rights that are enjoyed by individual in a particular society. Eventually, it assumes that all culture are equally valid, an argument that is echoed by numerous leaders locally. In respect to this , cultural relativism has greatly contributed to the respect of human dignity through the human rights even at international levels. Due to this, the African Charter was implemented purely concentrate on Human Rights in the African continent in 1981, which entered into force in 1986 leading to the African human rights system (Sinclair 2010).

Law business organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Law business organisation - Essay Example ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2   Ã‚   The section 33 (a) of Insolvency Act 1986 state s that a liquidator is appointed, probably by court, to handle some issues concerning the company. These issues include but are not restricted to: (i) settling all past financial obligations (contracts and debts) the company has incurred before the liquidation; (ii) holding regular meetings with the creditors with the hope of providing them the latest information about the company’s progress; (iii) and, continuing the company’s business activities (s. 134 (5)).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The liquidator is not expected to be concerned with any financial obligation or contract any of the three plumbers, namely Charlie, Edwin, and Adam may have had before the company was formed on May 1. In other words, Plumbers Mate Ltd should not bother the liquidator to pay for the services offered to Adam before the company was established. This realization absolves the liquidator of any financial payment to Plumbers Mate Ltd, and Adam should be duly informed to pay up his debt with the Plumbers Mate Ltd.   Although, it is not indicated in the scenario that the service bought by Adam was later reverted to Plumbers Express Ltd—the new   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is no record in the scenario that Plumber Express Ltd borrowed money directly from any bank or financial institution, but the donation of a building worth 200,000 pound by Charlie and Edwin buying a computer and printer from Computer Galore Ltd could be debited against the company. Hence, the liquidator should see

Acid Rain and Alkalinity of the Lakes in Canada Essay

Acid Rain and Alkalinity of the Lakes in Canada - Essay Example In the same way, surrounding vegetations also determines the acidity or alkalinity of the lake, such as types of trees, soil, and decaying leaves. Humus (layers of decaying leaves) has rich organic matter and they produce acids similar to vinegar.Another determinant of lakes is its location and natural bases, that is, answer lies in geology. If the lake has surrounding of rocks containing limestone contain bases, then acids will be reduced (neutralized) by the natural bases and the pH of the lake will remain nearly the same. Calcite (CaCO3) greatly mitigates the effects of acid rain. Calcite is the principal mineral that makes up the rock limestone. For example, the case of sulfuric acid falling on limestone can be understood by the following reaction: The sulfuric acid is changed into mineral gypsum (CaSO4.H2O) and Carbon dioxide is released. Thus, lakes located on limestone terrains will not suffer the consequences of acid rain. On the other hand, rocks which contain granite contain has very little bases and is unable to neutralize the acidic ingredients. Eastern Canada is facing widespread acidification of lakes due to acid rain, and presence of granite rocks. In Ontario approximately 1200 lakes are dead.Acid rain refers to all types of precipitation - rain, sleet, fog, hail, snow that has a pH lower than the 5.6 average of rainwater. Note that the rain water is naturally slightly acidic due to equilibration with atmospheric carbon dioxide. The "pure" rain water's acidity is between pH 5.6-5.7, somewhat pH readings vary depending upon place to place and amount of other gases present in the air, such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxide. The pH scale refers to the free hydrogen ions (electrically charged atoms) in water and a number that ranges from 0 to 14. Seven is considered neutral, that is, neither acidic nor basic. Number less than seven are acidic and those higher it is basic or alkaline. The pH scale is logarithmic (base 10), and not linear. For example, pH 3 is 10 times more acidic than pH 4 and 100 times more than pH 5. The formation of acid in the acid rain is due to two kinds of air pollutants - sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These pollutants react with gaseous water in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3). The two-step process explains the formation of acid solutions by SO2. First the sulfur dioxide molecules react with water molecules and forms molecules of sulfurous acid: SO2(gas) + H2O(liquid) H2SO3(aq) Then the Sulfurous acid molecules reacts with water and produces an equilibrium with H+(aq) and hydrogen sulfite. Because the Sulfurous acid only partially ionizes into H+(aq) so it is considered as a weak acid: H2SO3(aq) + H2O(liquid) H+(aq) + HSO3(aq) Sulfur dioxide also reacts with oxygen or ozone and form sulfur trioxide: SO2(gas) + O2(gas) + 2SO3(gas) SO2(gas) + O3(gas) SO3(gas) + O2(gas) Then the sulfur trioxide reacts with the atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric acid: SO3(gas) + H2O(liquid) H2SO4(aq) The sulfuric acid which is a strong acid, completely ionizes in the atmospheric precipitation to release H+(aq) ions: H2SO4(aq) H+(aq) + HSO4-(aq) These aqueous hydrogen are responsible for the acidic effects in the acid rain. In Canada about 60% of pollution is caused by transportation emission. Car engines uses gasoline, which burn using air as a source of oxygen. Nitrogen is the primary component of air and under high temperature inside the car engine it forms the pollutant nitrogen monoxide (NO). Under sunlight a series of secondary reactions takes place and

Billing Costs and Rates Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Billing Costs and Rates - Assignment Example †¦4 Key elements of Green Valley Medical Center’s strategy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Capital budgeting system needs a change†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......4 Two projects†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Acceptable project†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......................6 Step three†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 Critiques of the methodology and findings of the benefit/cost analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...6 Level of Funding†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............6 Conclusion †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......... The billing procedure involve: Enter patient details into an EHR software program; Entering ICD-9 and CPT codes from the main bill into the patient’s documentation; Automatically Transmit claims to cover providers; receive an audit statement, review and correct errors, resubmit discarded claims then post payment to patient account (Ferenc, 2013). Physicians must maintain correct and complete therapeutic records and documentation of the services they offer. They should ensure that the claims they present for payment are backed up with proper documentation. Physician relationship with patient, billing department and management would be reviewed. I think Bobcat Community Hospital is liable for poor billing practices and poor physician relationships. Actions recommended and corporate compliance plan The hospital has retained some physicians for more that 10 years thus compromising on services. The action that has been taken is to control the period a physician can stay within an i nstitution. Yes, corporate compliance plan is needed. Corporate compliance plan would detect and prevent violation of regulation by the physicians, agents, officers and director of the hospital. Physicians are under the same law no matter the location thus no breaks for rural hospital in dealing with physicians. Question 7 Medicare Initiatives on physician payments The two percent across-the-board cut to Medicare physician remuneration mandated by the centralized budget sequester has been an issue for a while; however implementation was to commence as from April. Physician would compromise service delivery in reaction to payments cut. Health-association infection and readmission payment Since 2009, it is true that Medicare stopped payment of medical

Important Moment in My Life from the Viewpoint of Others Essay

Important Moment in My Life from the Viewpoint of Others - Essay Example Clarity of thoughts entails mastery of the language that will be used in writing. A grammatically correct piece can easily convey its message. That piece of writing should not lose its focus and aim for its target audience's heart. I had a fair share of memorable experiences since childhood. I cannot forget the first time I went up on stage to receive my academic award on first grade. As I grew older, the wrong decisions I made also left a mark in my life because of the lessons I learned from it. I can enumerate a number of occurrences that I consider important; but, to my family and friends, the most important event that ever happened to me is my affiliation with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). IRS is one of the largest financial institutions in the world. Since 1987 to date, I am an enrolled agent of IRS. When I moved to San Diego, I got interested with a promising career of becoming an Enrolled Agent (EA) of IRS. Although I love writing, I am more fascinated with numbers. Hence, I took the EA examination. It was quite difficult because I had to study and master the information from hundreds of different IRS publications that contains thousands of pages. Yet, I passed the exam in just one take. My tax practice began in October 1987. ... I earned a good reputation within the community and the government sectors. I agree with my family and friends that my business achievement is the most important moment in my life, so far. I enjoy great benefits from this profession and it also enables me to spend quality time with my family and friends. I may not be an employee of IRS, but the ten reasons given on the question 'Why it is rewarding to work with IRS' are agreeable (Internal Revenue Service [IRS], 2007). Among the reasons that fit my experience is that IRS has continuously given me the opportunity to improve my skills. In my two decades as an enrolled agent, I have been to a number of IRS-sponsored seminars to upgrade my knowledge on US Tax Law and improve my expertise. Being an enrolled agent has further developed my sense of responsibility for important work. This career has enabled me to ensure that American nationals are aware of their responsibilities with the State and pay their taxes religiously and honestly. I must admit, this line of business is coupled with a lot of temptations. Some of my friends asked me if I ever gave in to the tempting power of money. Indeed, a number of non-compliant taxpayers would offer a large amount of money just to alter the entry in their tax returns. I had a battle with my personal code of conduct. But the fight with my inner-self quickly vanished as my principle prevailed. In a way, the United States Internal Revenue Service has enriched my values. Among these values are integrity to uphold the highest standards of honesty, reliability and honor; accuracy in ensuring precise and thorough work products; respect for every peoples' cultural difference and ideas; and, professionalism in achieving excellence (IRS, 2007). Somehow, I am glad that my family and

Sex Education Course to Parents Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sex Education Course to Parents - Research Paper Example This helps in combating sexual health issues such as sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS. Abstract Sexuality form part of everyday life and it is important that all people acknowledge this. Parents, they have to realize that despite the age of their children, they too have a sex life. Instead of trying to suppress the children’s sexuality, parents should provide their children with information on sexuality. Children are more likely to act responsibly if they lean about puberty, contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases from their parents and not through the media or friends. In order for parents to fulfill their roles as sex educators to their children, they require information that helps them understand and reflect on their attitudes and how they communicate their attitudes to their children. This is because parents’ attitudes affect the communication and more importantly, the message passed regarding sexuality. Introduction Talk on sex is never easy. It is a n uncomfortable experience for all parties involved; particularly between parents and their children. On one hand, children are embarrassed and afraid that parents will think they are having sex. Teenagers are also under the impression that their parents will not understand. Parents, however also have trouble when talking about sex. Many do not want to seem as if they are encouraging their children to go off and have sex (Robert, 2008). Parents assume that by telling their children that sex is beautiful and should be enjoyed; they are likely to run off and discover this goodness at an overly young age. It is no wonder so many people end up with a distorted image of sex. They view sex as evil, immoral and something to be ashamed of. Research findings reveal that children are more likely to refrain from engaging in early sexual activities if they receive the sex talk from their parents; preferably from both parents not just the mother as is the case in many households (Robert, 2008). Parents however view the sex talk as a task to check off on their to-do-list. They talk to their children about sex only once and assume that they have passed all the knowledge their children need. In the real sense, talk on sex should be a continuous activity as the children go through the years and enter different stages in their lives. A 12year old will not view sex in the same way a 15 or 18 year old will (Robert, 2008). The purpose for this sex education for parents plan is to help parents offer quality and informed sex education to their children. The biggest problem for parents is communication. Many do not know how to broach the subject, what topics to cover at what age as well as how to handle matters dealing with contraceptives and sexually transmitted diseases. Material for education Young people who lack information about sex from their parents often turn to their peers and to some extent; the media. Lack of information from home creates a gap that may be filled with wro ng and distorted information. Parents view sex education as a problem in itself because it encourages young people to become sexually active. Young people however, experience different things as they enter puberty such as menstruation for girls and ejaculation for the boys. This can be confusing as it

The most compelling problems facing youth in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

The most compelling problems facing youth in the 21st Century Essay Preparing Americas children for the 21st century is among our most important national priorities. Todays children face the promise of a new century of unparalleled opportunity in which new technologies, improvements in health, expanding economies, and other advances create the hope that their future will be the brightest of any generation in history. Yet, too many of them face obstacles that obscure that bright future, including poverty, violence, child abuse, limited educational opportunity, and unhealthy behaviors. The devastating economic, social, and human costs of these obstacles are indisputable. Addressing these challenges to their future and investing in opportunities so that all children can reach their full potential. An essential component of this strategy is undertaking research to provide new knowledge of ways to improve their futures and to provide sound guidance for policy makers to assure that efforts to help are likely to succeed. Numerous indicators of the well-being of our children and families paint a mixed picture of successes and shortcomings. Our national infant mortality rate is declining rapidly and is at a record low, but is still higher than that of many other countries. Our childrens test scores in reading and science are improving but still trail those of several other industrialized nations. Our school dropout rate is unacceptably high, costing over $250 billion each year in lost earnings and foregone taxes, as well as lost human potential. Our teenage pregnancy rate is declining slightly, but is still the highest in the developed world. Our national vaccination coverage is the highest ever, but in many communities less than 50 percent of two-year-olds are adequately immunized. A similar picture of gains and unmet goals exists with respect to youth violence, child poverty, smoking, and other substance abuse. Much of the progress achieved in these and other areas is the result of critical research efforts that have advanced our understanding of how children and youths develop into healthy and productive individuals. Research has helped to inform policy decisions and program development, track outcomes, and identify strategies that work and those that do not. The Federal investment in research has clearly paid dividends in terms of improved outcomes for children and a healthier and brighter outlook for the entire Nation. Despite such important achievements, much remains to be done: Significant gaps  persist in our understanding of how children grow up to be healthy, well-educated, and responsible members of society. Given the profoundly changing nature of our communities and Nation, strengthening the Federal research enterprise on child and adolescent development and expanding its role in shaping relevant policy are especially crucial to serving national goals.

Why college education is important to me Essay Example for Free

Why college education is important to me Essay College education is important to me because it will create more opportunities with my employer as well as increase my salary. I know some employers put more emphasis on a college education than others. Unfortunately, college education isn’t an option for some individuals. I know many people around me that couldn’t go to college due to conflicting obligations or lack of financial support. I am thirty-eight years old and am just now starting college. While I do see an importance for college education on some career paths, I also see that not all career paths require it. My current employer now requires a college degree for any of their professional positions. My employment relationship with my company began through a high school co-operative program and, at the time, there was no requirement to possess a degree. Today, my position has been grandfathered in through seniority, but I need a degree for advancement in my career path; therefore, a college education is very important for me and my family and the advancement of my career. My salary will have the potential to double with a degree. With my current career, I was able to advance to a certain point without a college education and was very satisfied with my advancement. However, as time has passed, I have come to see firsthand the value in post-secondary education. Right now I work with Auto-CAD drafting for engineering schematics, and the average draftsman will top out at $55K per year.1 I have personally praised college education within my work organization and promoted the awareness of the earnings and advancement potential for them. Many in our organization are now seeking opportunities to continue their education. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, an individual  is 2.5% more likely to be unemployed if he/she doesn’t have a college education.2 The journey to continue my education has come with many emotions. I have been afraid, thinking that I will not be able to complete the course. I have had pride issues thinking that I am too old and too wise for college. I have been training college recruits with my employer for years. I actually oversee approximately one hundred fifty student workers, many of which have a Bachelor’s degree, and even some have a Master’s degree, in Engineering. As I watch these degreed students get promoted to other organizations with significant salary increases, I realize that education is the only difference between them and me. While I do see a value in a college education, I also see the value in those that are on a technical path and will be working a career doing a trade. It takes both for our society to function. I am thankful to be blessed with the opportunity to advance my education. I am also thankful for the ability to better my family’s economic situation.

Evaluation Of Competitive Environment

Evaluation Of Competitive Environment INTRODUCTION In any businesses, understanding micro-economic and macro-economic environment that business is operating in is very important stage because the factors in these two environments have strong influence on the success of business. Micro-economic environment involves demand and supply for the business, market structure and cost structure. In other words, those are internal factor of the business that to some degree business can control. On the other hand, macro-economic environment comprises of external factors that cannot be controlled by the business but have strong influence on the business for example: economic situation, inflation, interest rates. This report will describe and analysis the impacts of micro and macro-economic environment on Dominos pizza business. The purpose of this report is to use knowledge and theory in economics for manager subject to apply into practical situation. MICRO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT The business overview Dominos Pizza is an American restaurant chain and international franchise pizza delivery corporation. Founded in 1960, Dominos is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has more than 10,000 corporate and franchised stores in 70 countries and all 50 states of United State. Dominos Pizza was bought out by Bain Capital in 1998 and went public in 2004. In Australia, Dominos Pizza is the largest pizza chain in terms of both network store numbers and network sales. In addition, Australias franchisee is the largest for the Dominos Pizza brand in the world. Dominos Pizza holds the exclusive master franchise rights for the Dominos brand and network in Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Principality of Monaco. The Dominos brand is owned by Dominos Pizza, Inc, a listed US company. Dominos Pizza Enterprises are operating in five countries, with approximately 845 stores hiring about 21,000 people and making more than 60 million pizzas a year. Dominos Staff Products The current Dominos menu features a variety of  Italian-American  entrees and side dishes. Pizza is the main focus, with traditional, specialty and custom pizzas available in a variety of crust styles and toppings. Besides, Dominos also try to appeal to a larger base of customers by expanding its menus offering pastas, sides and desserts, chips. http://blog.vovici.com/Portals/60483/images/dominos_pizza_pie.png http://whatifeedmyhusband.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/img_2916.jpg https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK5JbexBpLhsK0pRg6doncPBhLIjUE2sjXaUOXz9SxyNLtxgKyCraTEZQw4yGSrW3uQ9xfm1H9pm89qfy6FSmRFIFNlU-xsT_iTXIFVYxrCUpG5lDivyjZnXaNX9ajmx_3Tt9qunWlBfA/s1600/DSC_5602.JPG http://slice.seriouseats.com/images/2013/01/20130108-dominos-chain-reaction-bread-bowl-pasta-5.jpg Customers Dominos target market is the consumers who is looking for reasonably-priced pizza and quick delivery. Dominos mainly focuses on delivery and pick-up customers. Demographically, Dominos does not target at a specific segmentation. Instead, it targets. Moreover, Dominos also concentrates on online pizza orders, so it can reach the greatest number of consumers while also improving its ability to meet customer demand, by 2012 online and mobile ordering account for up to 40% of sales. Competitors Domestically, Dominos faces highly competitive with main challenges coming from Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and various local/regional competitors. Direct competitors Pizza Hut: 271 stores Pizza Haven: 150 stores Pizza Capers: 95 storesC:UsersQuanDesktopdownload (2).jpgC:UsersQuanDesktopimages.jpgC:UsersQuanDesktopdownload.jpg Crust Gourmet Pizzas Eagle Boys Pizza: 281 stores C:UsersQuanDesktopdownload (1).jpgC:UsersQuanDesktopcrust_logo_vine__Square_normal.jpg Indirect competitors Dominos pizza has a huge variety of indirect competitors or close substitute products within fast food industry like Mc Donald, KFC, Subway, Nandos, Hungry Jack, Sushi†¦ Market share Dominos Pizza is the market leader in the Australian chained pizza market with 46.1% followed by Pizza Hut (29.8%), Eagle Boys Pizza (14%), Pizza Haven (3%) and other (7%) Figure : Market share Evaluation of competitive environment Monopolistic competition is a market structure where many producers of somewhat different products compete with one another (Robert, 2010, p 401). Dominos chain is operating in a fast food industry with a number of similar producers. These producers are competing together within Australia to gain market share in pizza market. Although the products produced and sold are basically the same among these producers, there are still different feature differentiate them, namely brand image, store design, location, additional services. What helps customers distinguish Dominos from other pizza stores are the distinct logo and design in store, easy online order and tracking as well as quick delivery service. In addition, barrier to entry pizza market is not really high. Although differentiation is a large and necessary expense for the large fast food chains, it is not difficult for private startups to overcome and thus not a significant barrier to market entry. As a result, it can be concluded that Dominos is operating in Monopolistic competition environment. Evaluation of Demand Curve Operating in Monopolistic competition environment and occupying 46.1% chained pizza market give Dominos a certain power to determinate pizza price in the market. Ii is assumed that Dominos increases its price; majority of customers would switch to other place for pizza like Pizza Hut, Eager Boys Pizza or switch to substitute products of pizza like burger, chicken, sushi. However, not all customers will do that; some of them will still buy Dominos pizza because of its convenient location or quick delivery. Therefore, demand curve for Dominos is relatively elastic but not horizontal as can be seen in the graph. Figure : Demand curve of Dominos As a nature of Monopolistic competition environment, firms that are operating in that environment can pursue the objective of maximizing their profit. As a result, price will be above marginal cost (as can be seen in the graph). Dominos also can maximize its profits by producing and selling the quantity of pizza at q* at which the pizza price will higher marginal cost of producing pizza. However, this pricing strategy need to be considered carefully and should be only employed in the short run because of the fact that in the long run if Dominos keep the price so high and its competitors reduce the price, Dominos will lose its customers base which means that the demand curve for Dominos will shift to the left leading to decreased profit of Dominos. In addition, this strategy also encourage new entrant to enter into the pizza market which also have the effect of shifting demand curve of Dominos to the left. Cost structure of Dominos Fixed cost and variable cost The short-run total costs of Dominos break down into two categories: fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs are the costs change with the level of outputs (Robert, 2010, p 296). For Dominos, these costs comprise of Management salaries, Plant and equipment, marketing expenses, occupancy expenses, store related expenses and communication expenses. On the other hand, variable costs are unchanged with the level of output. The variable costs of Dominos include the expenditure on Food and paper and employment. (For more detail refer to appendix 3) Figure : Cost structure of Dominos Evaluation of cost structure As can be seen from the cost structure of Dominos, the proportion of variable cost is relatively higher than fixed cost, 71% as opposed to 29%. In short term, declining average fixed cost is primary reason for the falling average total cost and with high output, diminishing marginal product causes marginal cost to increase which eventually causes average variable cost and average total cost to rise (Robert, 2010). Therefore, cost structure of Dominos indicates that as its pizza stores increase their sold pizza to stores capacity, the effect of declining average fixed cost will soon disappear and the effect of diminishing marginal product will be soon prominent leading to average total cost increasing quickly. This also explains why more Dominos pizza stores are going to be opened quickly within one year so that the average total cost will decrease again. This is illustrated in the graph below, as the average total cost increase quickly from A to B and its current stores nearly reach to capacity, Dominos will open another store to reduce the cost to C so that it can keep competitive price with its competitors. Diseconomies of scale occur as the firm finds it increasingly difficult to handle the complexities of large scale management (Robert, 2010, p 306). However, at the moment it is not a case for Dominos as the expansion strategy employed by the company is franchising. This strategy allows Dominos to expand operation without adding complexity to the management because the business model has been standardized to be able to be copied within a market and easily managed by manager. Therefore, in the long run Dominos still can manage its cost store by store and leverage the economies of scale for each new store opened. MACRO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT Political environment in Australia Recently, Australia stood out as an attractive investment destination due to a political system that has been evaluated as being highly effective in responding to economic challenges .The adaptability of Australian government policy to economic changes has been ranked in the top two countries in the region (IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, 2009). Australia also has an open, efficient and transparent legal framework due to a strong system of checks and balances, and a highly respected judicial and law enforcement system. Moreover, tax policy, labour law, environmental law, trade restrictions and tariffs are carefully constructed and implemented consistently which provide a clear guideline and safe environment for businesses (Australian Trade Commission, 2011). Economic environment in Australia The economy of Australia is one of the largest economies in the world. In 2011, it was the 13th largest national economy by nominal GDP and the 17th-largest measured by PPP adjusted GDP, about 1.7% of the world economy. Australia is the 19th largest importer and 19th largest exporter. Service sector is the main contributor to the Australian economy with 68% of GDP. The mining sector presents 19% of GDP. Economic growth is largely dependent on the mining sector and agricultural sector with the products to be exported mainly to the East Asian market. Australia is a member of the APEC, G20, OECD and WTO. The country has also signed free trade agreements with ASEAN, Chile, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United States. The ANZCERTA agreement with New Zealand has greatly increased integration with the New Zealand economy subjecting to form a Single Economic Market by 2015. Growth rate Australia is one of the fastest growing economies among developed countries. Despite of the effect of global financial crisis, Australian economy still shows a good sign of continual growth. The main industries contribute largely to Australian economy include mining, tourism, education, agriculture and manufacturing. Historical Data Chart Figure : Australia GDP growth rate Unemployment rate Jobless rates in Australia fluctuated between 5 to 5.4% between 2010 and 2012, this is a satisfactory indicator of a growth and healthy economy as natural rate of unemployment is 5%, especially in the worlds current situation where the unemployment rates in other developed countries are alarmingly high such as 7.8% in US and 11.8% in Europe.Historical Data Chart Figure : Australian unemployment rate Inflation rate.Historical Data Chart Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows a downward trend over the period from 2010 to 2012 reflecting an effective monetary policy of Australian government. Figure : Australia inflation rate Interest rate Interest rates in Australia tend to decrease significantly during 2011-2012; this indicates a healthy economy that encourages investment and capital markets remain open to corporations Historical Data Chart Figure :Australia interest rate Evaluation of influence of micro-economics on Dominos business Through above overview of macro-economic environment, it can be stated that Australian economy currently is favorable for organizations operating in and Dominos is not an exception. Economy is still growing and creating more jobs indicating that people will have more disposable income to spend, hence demand for pizza will increase in the future. This is demonstrated by the fact that disposable income per capita in Australia over last decade has been increasing 2.6% per year in average, meanwhile revenue of Dominos has been also increasing significantly at average rate of 20%. This fact also shows that pizza is likely to be a normal good because quantity demanded increase with the growth of consumers incomes. In addition, low unemployment rate and interest rate are good indicators for Dominos because it cans easily access to financial and human resources which are the key factors of any business. However, the problem face Dominos is the increase of food price and wages. As these are two main costs that make up for about 75% of total cost, an increase in those cost will influence the ability of Dominos to keep the competitive prices to customers. APPENDIX Appendix 1: Management salary and fees Appendix 2: Statement of income 2012 Fixed cost Value ($000) Variable cost Value ($000) Management salaries 5,142 Food and paper expenses 78,679 Plant and equipment costs 8,588 In store employees wages 60,140 Depreciation and amortization expense 10,029 Occupancy expenses 7,837 Marketing expenses 11,477 Store related expenses 5,887 Communication expenses 6,669 Total 55,647 Total 138,819 Appendix 3: Fixed cost and Variable cost of Dominos in 2012

Is Restorative Justice More Appropriate in Dealing With Young Offenders

This essay aims to make clear the system of restorative justice and its aims towards youth offending, whilst arguing points for and against the current system and whether or not it is more appropriate in terms of dealing with youth offending. It will also define restorative justice as well as defining what is meant by conventional justice. Making clear how and why these two systems came to be a part of youth justice whilst concluding as to which if either is more appropriate in dealing with youth offending behaviour. â€Å"Restorative justice is a process whereby parties with a stake in a specific offence collectively resolve how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future† (Munchie, 2004). Restorative Justice is a new way of thinking about and responding to crime, especially in relation to youth offending. For the past decade, especially, there has been an increasing interest in new approaches towards criminal justice in general but more so in terms of juvenile delinquency and finding an appropriate form of punishment to escape the labelling of youth delinquency, which involve the community and focus much more on the victim. Zehr (1990) who is thought to be one of the pioneers leading the argument for restorative justice highlighted three questions presented when taking a restorative approach; what is the nature of the harm resulting from the crime? What needs to be done to make things right or repair the harm? Who is responsible for this repair? He ascertained that ‘crime is fundamentally a violation of people and interpersonal relationships’. He also noted that violations create obligations and liabilities and that restorative justice seeks to heal and put right the wrongs. Restorative jus... ...rime. London: Sage Publications. Roche, D. (2003), Accountability in Restorative Justice, Oxford: University Press. White, R. & Haynes, F. (1996) Crime and Criminology: an introduction. Oxford University Press UK. Umbreit, M. & Bradshaw, W. & Coates, R. (1994) Victims of severe violence meet the offender: restorative justice through dialogue. International Review of Victimology, 6, p321-344. Williams, K, S. (2001) Textbook On Criminology. (4th) Edition. Oxford University Press UK. Wright, N. (1996). A Sociology of Apology and Reconciliation, Stanford: University Press. Young, M. (1999) Restorative community justice in the United States: A new paradigm. International Review of Victimology, 6, p265-277. Zehr, H. (1990) Changing Lenses: A new focus for Crime and Justice. Herald Press USA. Acts Of Parliament Human Rights Act 1998 (c.53) London : HMSO

The Book of Exodus Essay -- Introduction to the Book of Exodus

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book of Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch, or Weelleh Shemoth according to the Hebrew Bible. The books main theme is the removal of Hebrew people from Egypt. The book is meant to be a continuation of Genesis. Moses is believed to be the author of this book. During the period of Exodus Israel had been in Egypt for about 215 years. The book begins with the birth of Moses. The book then goes on to talk about the life of Moses and the things that he did throughout his life. The book also explains how the Hebrews were enslaved and then let free. The book is divided into five sections. The first sections deals with the early life and training of Moses. The second section explains the ten plagues. The third section explains the journey to Mt. Sinai. The fourth section explains the land of Israel. The last section explains the construction of the tabernacle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the course of history there can be many individuals who could be considered leaders, but some stand out among the others. An example of a superb leader is Moses, whose life is explained in the book of Exodus in the Bible. Moses is viewed as a righteous man in God’s eyes and he is chosen to lead the Hebrew people out of oppression in Egypt. In the story of Exodus there are many examples of Moses’ sacrifices and the hardships he endured while freeing the Hebrews. The faith of Moses was tested numerous times throughout the story, and, in some instances, it seemed that Moses had lost fait... The Book of Exodus Essay -- Introduction to the Book of Exodus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book of Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch, or Weelleh Shemoth according to the Hebrew Bible. The books main theme is the removal of Hebrew people from Egypt. The book is meant to be a continuation of Genesis. Moses is believed to be the author of this book. During the period of Exodus Israel had been in Egypt for about 215 years. The book begins with the birth of Moses. The book then goes on to talk about the life of Moses and the things that he did throughout his life. The book also explains how the Hebrews were enslaved and then let free. The book is divided into five sections. The first sections deals with the early life and training of Moses. The second section explains the ten plagues. The third section explains the journey to Mt. Sinai. The fourth section explains the land of Israel. The last section explains the construction of the tabernacle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the course of history there can be many individuals who could be considered leaders, but some stand out among the others. An example of a superb leader is Moses, whose life is explained in the book of Exodus in the Bible. Moses is viewed as a righteous man in God’s eyes and he is chosen to lead the Hebrew people out of oppression in Egypt. In the story of Exodus there are many examples of Moses’ sacrifices and the hardships he endured while freeing the Hebrews. The faith of Moses was tested numerous times throughout the story, and, in some instances, it seemed that Moses had lost fait...

Ethics Issues Essay

Ethics Issues Shawnez M. Mckenzie MGT/216 August 12, 2010 Carrie Baird The nature of business ethics is described as, what is fair, and Just. According to Jentz, Miller, and Cross (2002) states, business ethics concentrates on the beliefs, which is right and wrong actions in the business world and the philosophy of morality and how moral principles are consequentially applied to a person’s daily life in the business or social environment. Although some issues seem unethical, it is not necessarily illegal (Rainer ; Turban, 2002, p. 2) Society states the terms ethical and oral are not the same and used interchangeably. Here are three specific examples of ethical issues within todays businesses. Bribery, embezzlement and deceptive advertising can be defined and discussed in this essay. Bribery is considered offenses related to the improper influencing of people in position of trust. Bribery is a white-collar crime, intentions must be clear and verified, and the crime of bribery m ust occur when the bribe is offered. Bribery can affect the local legal system, which can leave the citizens in doubt of who is trustworthy in maintain the laws. An example of bribery would be to influence a public official to act in a manner that services a particular private interest. Bribery affects communities with dishonesty and mistrust of authority in any business or organization. Second, is embezzlement it is the act of stealing funds from a business or organization that was entrust to safeguard, and fraudulently mislead financial records. Embezzlement affects the community and people when a banking intuition is involved. According to Fridell (2009), two bank employees embezzled 1. 3 million dollars over the course of our years, by using hundreds of separated banking transaction. The two women cost six victims their homes, savings and investments by pocketing the funds from the bank and going on lavished vacations. The act of embezzlement can financially affect the lives of others as well as the business. It could leave any company with shame and humiliation, if proper protocol or policy was not enforced or in place to avoid such a crime. However, the act of betrayal within any business, the organization needs to rebuild the trust of the community. Last, is deceptive advertising, is onsidered when businesses are misleading or making false statements regarding a product to mislead consumer. The purpose of the advertising are hopes that advertising would convince consumers to purchase their products. The Federal Trade Commission states, advertising must be truthful and non-misleading, advertiser must be able to support their claims; and advertisement cannot be dishonest with consumers. Under the FTC Deception Policy Statement, an ad is deceptive if it contains a statement or leave out information that is; likely to misinform consumers cting convincingly under the circumstances and â€Å"material† that is vital to a consumer’s decision to purchase or use products. Deceptive advertising as a are genuine and the business are trustworthy, which can affect how consumers and the community view unethical issues. In conclusion, business ethics focuses on what makes up the right and wrong theory in the business and how ethical principles and morals are useful by business people. More important, ethical or moral standards guide our behavior, as parents, children, or students who apply to our everyday lives in the business or social profession. As current members of the business world, we have a moral and business obligation to be ethical in how we deal with others, no matter in what capacity. References Federal Trade Commission, Inc. (2010) Consumer Protection. Retrieved from http://www. ftc. gov. gov Gaylord,J. , Miller, R. , cross, B. F. (2002). wests Business Law. USA. Rainer, K. , & Turban, E. (2008). Introduction to Information Systems. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Fridell, Z. (2009). Effects of embezzlement still felt as families, bank rebuild. Steamboat Today. Retrieved from http://www. steamboatpilot. com

The Hazard of Internet, Cell Phone, and Television Addiction

I am a technology addict. When I have my computer connected to the internet, I can forget the time. I am very busy to search any informations through the internet. Beside internet, I also use my cell phone to chat with my friends all day long. One more activity that can make me addicted is spending my time to watch my favorite TV programs. Yeah, those three kinds of technology are very enjoyable. But, I want people to know the potential risk of over using internet, cell phone, and television in the daily life.First of all, those three kinds of technology make us lazy. Take a look when we are too enjoy watching our favorite TV programs, we will postpone our assignments. We will delay them in 5 minutes later, then 5 minute later again, and again, and finally we don't finish them. Moreover, our time for studying are reduce. We are more interested watching television, browsing through internet, or chatting by phone than study the lesson. When we get assignments from lecturers, we just co py and paste from internet.Once we are too over using those technologies, we will be very wasteful person. for example, If we chat with friends all day long, we will spend so much money to pay phone bills. If we are blogging through the internet, we also have to pay the bandwidth bills. Or maybe, sometimes we don't turn off the computer or the television until we are fall asleep, so the electric claim will increase. Thus, our monthly expense will uncontrolable.Some studies find that over use of those technologies can create diseaseses. A simple example is if we are sitting in front of the screen for a long time without rest, absolutely we will get stomachache, headache, and back pain. The radiation of television or computer screen are also dangerous for our eyes. Just take a look to me, who has been suffered myopic since I become television addict. Another case is when we are using cell phone, actually, we are potentially get the brain cancer.According to Vini Khurana, one of Britai n's top neurosurgeons, using cell phones for more than 10 years can effectively double risk of developing the cancer, such as Vestibular schwannoma (accoustic neuroma) and Astrocytoma (Karachi, 2008). How terrible they are, aren't they? No doubt that those three kinds of technology bring big impact in our life. They give us pleasure and happines. So we can very addict of them. But, they will be very dangerous for us, if we can not manage the time to use them. Thus, cosidering the potential risk of them are very important. (an23)

Jail Overcrowding

The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act Will Stop Prison Overcrowding General Purpose: To persuade Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience that accepting The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act is the best method to stop prison overcrowding. Main Idea: The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act, also known as NORA, will solve the prison overcrowding problem that is primarily caused by mandatory sentences for nonviolent criminals. I. Introduction A. As you can see from this video: http://www. outube. com/watch? v=J_J0zlx-McQ B. The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act, also known as NORA, will solve the prison-overcrowding problem that is primarily caused by mandatory sentences for nonviolent criminals. C. I am going to explain how NORA will put an end to prison overcrowding by: 1. Reiterating the problems associated with prison overcrowding 2. Illustrating the primary cause of prison overcrowding 3. Describing the benefits that will result from accepting proposition 5. II. Body A. Prison overcrowding creates inadequate healthcare for inmates, threatens the safety of Americans, and inhibits the rehabilitation of convicts. 1. Due to the increasing number of prisoners in American jails, we do not have sufficient facilities or funding to provide the necessary health accommodations. The Vera Institute, for example, is a nonprofit organization that works with government to improve various injustices. According to their research, â€Å"the wait for [medical] treatment often outlasts a prisoner’s sentence† (Gibbons 93). Not only does overcrowding threaten the health of nmates, it also jeopardizes public safety. 2. After finding out that California prisons were running at double their capacities, federal judges ordered that the state reduce its prisoners by about 40,000 (Liptak). Considering majority of the drug related sentences are mandatory, they may have to release prisoners who committed crimes such as armed robbery, homicide, breaking and entering, and sexual assault. These criminals may have been reformed in prison, but this is unlikely considering prison rehabilitation and reform programs are inefficient due to overcrowding. . Research done by the University of Pennsylvania found that prisoners who graduated from college programs during their incarceration were â€Å"50% less likely to be rearrested, and 60% less likely to be re-incarcerated† (Hall). Yet, in the past, Congress has banned prisoners from such programs because of lack of funding due to overcrowding. By 1997, for example, â€Å"fewer than 2% of prisoners were enrolled† in educational programs (Erisman). Before these programs can be initiated, however, we must first deal with the cause of prison overcrowding. B. Prison overcrowding is primarily caused by mandatory drug sentences. 1. In my opinion, the primary reason for prisons is to keep dangerous criminals off of the streets. The government, on the other hand, seems to think it is more important to keep petty drug dealers in their prisons. 2. According to the Drug Policy Alliance Network, which is one of the nation’s leading organizations on the war on drugs, the mandatory drug policy resulted in, â€Å"more than 80 percent of the increase in the federal prison population from 1985 to 1995. † And , â€Å"the U. S. Sentencing Commission reports that only 11 percent of federal drug defendants are high-level drug dealers. † This means that about 90% of the 80% increase of inmates are harmless street dealers. 3. Instead of just slamming a harmless drug dealer into a jail cell, which ultimately results in releasing the same drug dealer after his or her sentence, policy makers should focus on drug rehabilitation, which will not only stop the problems associated with overcrowding, but also help to stop future drug violators. C. The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act is the ideal solution to prison overcrowding. 1. According to the Smart Voter, an organization which educates voters as to the implications of policies, NORA essentially limits the amount of prison time a harmless drug offender can serve, increases the parole of violent crimes, and creates mandatory drug rehabiliation programs for drug offenders and optional programs for the youth of our nation. 2. NORA was originally created to fight the obscene amount of overcrowding in California prisons. I believe, however, the United States government should accept it as a federal policy, by voting for it to be a mandatory program for nonviolent drug offenders. Especially considering â€Å"prison overcrowding is evident in almost every state,† not just the state of California. 3. According to an article written by Solomon Moore in The New York Times, drug sentencing has become so extreme, that carrying an illegal substance that weighs less than half of a tic tac can grant you 25 years in prison. According to the official NORA website, if NORA was accepted, within 8 years, it would save 84,000 people from facing mandatory drug sentences. 4. NORA will also save 2. 5 billion dollars (Facts). This is especially important considering the costs to uphold the large amount of prisoners far exceeds the amount of money granted to higher education (Archibald). These statistics are only applied to the state of California. Just imagine how much of an impact it would have if it was implemented in every state 5. The reduction in the number of mandatory nonviolent sentences would greatly reduce the amount of prisoners, ultimately stopping prison overcrowding. The rehabilitation programs will also hinder future drug offenders. III. Conclusion A. Overall, it is quite clear that everyone benefits from The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act. 1. Convicted criminals will finally be given adequate healthcare as there will no longer be prison overcrowding 2. American citizens are safe, because prisons will no longer need to release dangerous criminals and citizens will pay less taxes towards prisons because NORA will reduce prison costs by 2. 5 billion 3. Nonviolent drug offenders will go through rehabilitation, instead of idiotically placing them into a jail cell, with no chance of improvement. B. I leave you with this final fact: Pennsylvania prisons are already overcrowded by 8% (Prison). If we do not make a change in our prison system, we will soon reach the same overcrowding as California, in which we have to start releasing dangerous prisoners into the public. If we support NORA, hopefully this will be a future that we never have to see. WORKS CITED Archibald, Randal. â€Å"California, in Financial Crisis, Opens Prison Doors. † The New York Times [New York] 23 Mar. 2010. Print. Erisman, Wendy. Learning to Reduce Recidivism: A 50-state Analysis of Postsecondary Correctional Education Policy,† Institute for Higher Education Policy, November 2005. Print. â€Å"Facts. † Yes on Proposition 5: The Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act. NORA CAMPAIGN. Web. 07 Apr. 2010. . Gibbons, John J. Confronting Confinement. New York: Commission on Safety and Abuse in America's Prisons, 2006. Print. Hill, Jim. â€Å"Arizona criminals find jail too in-‘tents'â €  CNN. Cable News Network, 27 July 1999. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. . Liptak, Adam. â€Å"U. S. rison population dwarfs that of other nations. † The New York Times 23 Apr. 2008. Print. â€Å"Mandatory Minimum Sentences. † Drug Policy Alliance Network. DPA Network. Web. 5 Apr. 2010. . Moore, Solomon. â€Å"The Prison Overcrowding Fix. † The New York Times [New York] 10 Feb. 2010. Print. â€Å"Proposition 5: Nonviolent Drug Offenses, Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. † Smart Voter. 04 Nov. 2008. Web. 07 Apr. 2010. . â€Å"Prison Overcrowding: Treatment, Not Jail Time, Is Answer. † Central PA Local News. Penn Live, 21 Aug. 2009. Web. 05 Apr. 2010. .

Proper Conduct in a Classroom Essay

Being respectful in class is important to the social structure of the educational environment. Without a certain degree of respect it would distract a lot of our valuable attention, and direct it away from our daily learning. This greatly would hinder our learning abilities and minimizes our educational benefits. The dilemma that we face is that a lot of student to not know how to present the proper behavior in class. The good thing is good classroom educate is an easily obtainable skill, but a perishable skill as well  before we learn how to demonstrate good classroom behavior; we must first learn the benefits of good behavior. Disrespect in class causes havoc and disorderliness. For instance If one were to speak out of turn not only would it upset the follow class mate because they did not get a fair chance to speak, but it would give the impression that other people can speak out of turn as well. If ever one spoke out of turn there would be no way to accomplish any thing. There will be too many interruptions, and some students will miss the opportunity to express their ideas. Respecting other and proper educate is the only way to keep order in the classroom. So how do we establish order in the learning environment? It is too simple. It is vital to speak when called upon, so students can get a fair chance to express their ideas, and solution. Plus this helps to alleviate distracts and annoyances. Talking out of turn is not the only distraction. Students should not get up, or leave on their own accord as well. However it is acceptable to ask to be excused. It is also important to be mindful of other pupil’s thoughts, ideas, emotions, and feeling. Spite, and animosity just agitates the concept of learning. Students should give each other constructive criticism, and listen to each others thoughts. It is also important to address the instructor by title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss., Dr., Prof., Sir, Ma’am.), and address all your comments, concerns, and questions towards the instructor in a polite manner. Respectful behavior in classrooms is easy. However just as easy as it is, it is even easier to forget to utilize this skill. One must make a habit of  being respectful. It is a system you must employ on a day-to-day basis. If followed the method and example of classroom educate I have previously displayed will help make a more relaxing, and less stressful learning environment.

How to Write the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Essays 2018-2019

The University of Minnesota — Twin Cities is a large public university, offering a huge variety of resources across two campuses in two cities: Minneapolis and St. Paul, sister cities that are approximately three miles apart. In the 2017-2018 school year, UM – Twin Cities enrolled just over 51,000 students, about 31,000 of whom were undergraduates. UM — Twin cities offers top-caliber research, with faculty including 29 Nobel Prize winners. It is currently ranked #79 on the US News and World Report’s National Universities list and is ranked #30 on the US News Top Public Schools list . UM — Twin Cities typically accepts about 45% of applicants; accepted students’ average GPA is 3.78 and their SAT scores average a 1360 composite. UM — Twin Cities requires supplemental essays only for specific majors. Prospective dance majors and mortuary science majors are required to answer an array of questions specific to their field. Responses to all applicable questions must fit onto two double-spaced pages. Dance majors are required to answer three questions: What has brought you to dance? Why do you plan to pursue a degree in dance? How do you imagine the relationship between writing about dance and dancing? Additionally, there is an optional question about diversity, which asks you to explain how you might contribute to, or benefit from, UM – Twin Cities’ diverse community of scholars. Prospective Mortuary Science majors must answer four questions. The first asks about a time when you handled a difficult situation professionally. The second asks for an example of your compassion or empathy making a difference in another person’s life. The third asks for an example of your tact and level-headedness under pressure. The fourth asks you to describe a time when you made an important decision and the impact of that decision on yourself and others. There are also additional essays for applicants to the Freshman Nursing Guarantee Program . These consist of three 250-word essays. One question asks you to explain why you have chosen to pursue a nursing career. The next asks about how your studies and activities have prepared you to be a nurse. The last question asks you to reflect on why the Freshman Nursing Guarantee Program fits your degree and career plans. This question is an intentionally broad starter question: the admissions committee is giving you the chance to open your two-page response with a â€Å"thesis† of sorts about your deepest motivations or most personal connections to dance. While you can–and should–include specific stories or the timeline of your dance discovery in your response, you should begin by taking a step back and consider your high-level strategy. Also, keep in mind that â€Å"brought you to† can be interpreted in two ways: in a strict sense, as the literal thing or person that introduced you to dance; or, more broadly, as the thing that really made you passionate about or committed to dance. Your essay ideation process should include three basic elements: Below, these steps are outlined in the order they are listed above. However, these steps can be somewhat modulated. Some writers will already know that they want to tell a story–for example, one about how their older sister introduced them to dance. Other writers might have a clear idea of how they’d like to open but need to think more about what their underlying thesis might be. What really matters is completing all three points before you begin writing. This is the theoretical core of your essay: the essential information about you that you want to make sure your readers understand. This thesis, however, is not something that you will necessarily write as a â€Å"topic sentence† at the end of your paragraph. Instead, your thesis is something to guide your thought process as you plan your essay so that you have a clear idea in your mind of what you are trying to get your reader to understand. Of course, some writers will include more explicit thesis statements than others–and that can work well.   However, for planning purposes, you should think of your thesis as something that you want the reader to understand from the story you tell . As you might have already guessed, if you’ve had some experience with college essays, this means showing not telling (more on this later!). Now, how do you actually come up with a thesis? Try responding to a slightly different question from the one that the prompt asks. Ask yourself: what do you love about dancing? Or, what is meaningful to you about dance? The answer to these questions is, ultimately, what your essay should convey. This thesis could be something very simple: dancing makes me happier than anything else. Or, it could be a little more complex: dancing makes my mind and body feel connected. It could also be more external: dance is a language that allows me to communicate my experiences with others, and understand their pain and joy. Before you figure out what structure your essay will take, you need to consider what anecdote, story, or example you can use to show the reader your thesis. At this point, you should feel free to dive into your early memories of dance, or even more recent ones that you feel really crystallized your love for the art. Do you have just one moment you want to share or a few different memories? Is there a particular person who introduced you to the world of dance? With each anecdote you consider, ask yourself, â€Å"Can this convey my thesis? If so, how?† Thesis: Dance has allowed you to find a sort of inner peace. Anecdote(s): For a thesis like this, you likely will need to convey some sort of change over time. You could open with a story about your early childhood; perhaps you were tempestuous in elementary school, struggling to acclimate socially or academically. Pick a specific â€Å"moment† from those days to illustrate these tendencies–this could be a classroom argument, a test you did poorly on, or a moment when you felt left out. Then, you could describe your first dance class, contrasting the peace you felt with your instructor and peers Thesis: You were able to work through personal hardship with the help of dance. Anecdote(s): To show the reader this thesis, you’ll need to think of a specific time that dance really helped you through hardship. For example, you could discuss how you processed a parent’s sickness or a difficult relationship by pouring your emotions into dance. Perhaps before this, dance was merely a hobby for you. Use a detailed depiction of this painful experience–and how you danced through that pain–to show the reader how dance became more than just a hobby for you, that is, to show how this experience â€Å"brought you† to dance as a true passion. The particular anecdotes you choose, along with your thesis, will ultimately determine the length of your essay. If you want to simply articulate how happy dancing makes you, then telling a short story about the first time you felt that pleasure might be the perfect choice. If you want to explain how you’ve learned to communicate through dance, your narrative might need to involve a few anecdotes that show this progression. The key is to center your essay around a â€Å"moment† or â€Å"moments† that depict the core of what dance means to you, and what has made you choose it as your major. This prompt asks a more concrete version of the question asked in the first prompt. This actually will make your response to this second prompt easier, since you will have already touched on the deepest reasons why you love to dance. Now, you have a chance to build on that initial response with a practical description of your interests in a dance degree. There are three main approaches that you can take to this prompt: Of course, there can be endless variation and intermingling in these broad buckets. However, these categories can be a good starting point for brainstorming as you consider what approach to take to this essay. If one of these categories speaks directly to you, it can help you define the approach that you’ll take to this essay, which will help you focus and expedite your drafting process. Take a step back and ask yourself: What goals will I fulfill by earning a dance degree? Some of these goals are likely too general or too random to fit cohesively into a focused essay for a specialized program (for example the general satisfaction and usefulness of having a college degree or the excitement of getting to tell people you studied dance). Other goals, though, will link to one of the broader approaches mentioned above. Perhaps you want to help people express themselves; perhaps you want to teach dance; perhaps you want to direct arts programs in your community; perhaps you want to become an academic who studies dance, too; perhaps you want to study something you are truly passionate about. Though you’ll likely think of a number of goals, you should choose just a few that fit well together. For example, teaching dance and promoting arts could easily be synthesized in one essay–however, it might be too much to try to thread together aspirations to pursue a formal academic career, a career as a dance teacher, and a career as an arts program director. Once you’ve come up with a goal, you need to explain how this particular program can help you achieve that goal. This will require doing some research into the program’s offerings and requirements. Find specific resources, and explain how those resources, part of a dance degree, will enable you to reach your goal. If you want to become a dance teacher, you should mention specific pedagogical resources available through UM — Twin City’s dance program. You could discuss how the practical aspects of the program (actual dancing) will refine your own technique and personal experience of dance instruction; then, you could transition to discuss how the theoretical aspects of the program would give you a rich understanding of dance’s history, thereby enabling you to give your students an appreciation of their art’s significance and potential. If your goal is to help others express themselves, you might acknowledge that you won’t necessarily stay in the â€Å"dance world† forever. Therefore, you might identify particular aspects of the program (courses, internships, talks) that focus on how dance can facilitate broader personal expression. In an essay focused on a broader goal like this, your overall approach should be to focus on the skills and knowledge that this program provides, describing how these skills can be transferred to domains beyond dance. The purpose of this question is pretty straightforward: you are applying to an academic program, to receive a degree in dance. This means that you will not only be dancing, but also doing scholarly work on dance–that is, theorizing about dance, reading about dance, discussing dance, and writing about dance (and, of course, dancing). For many applicants, this will be new terrain. Most high schoolers do not take academic courses where they get to discuss and write about dance (or any arts) in-depth, from a theoretical and analytical perspective. The admissions committee knows that you’ll likely be jumping into something new: combining two parts of your life that might have been separate up to this point–your academic endeavors with your passion for dance. They want to hear your best argument for why you’re prepared to merge these two spheres. Of course, this question isn’t phrased as â€Å"Convince us you can write about dance, and that you want to do it, too†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthe use of the word â€Å"imagine† in the prompt invites you to be a bit creative, too (even though you absolutely should convince the reader of those things). So with this baseline approach, how do you proceed? A good first step would be to familiarize yourself a little bit with the sort of writing and reading on dance that you’ll be required to do in this program. This means reading through course syllabi, skimming scholarly articles or more general pieces on dance, and thinking about which strategies and approaches to writing about dance you find to be meaningful and effective. If you’ve already written extensively about dance, or are familiar with formal and informal writing on dance, you might be able to skip or truncate this step. Then, as you consider both any experience you have writing about dance and others’ writing on the topic, ask yourself: What do I like? Why do I like it? How does writing help me understand dance? What relationship do I see between writing and dance? Note that my suggestions so far assume that your focus will be on writing about dance . However, keep in mind that the relationship can also go the other way: you can talk about how writing (potentially not directly about dance) inspires your dance or shapes your understanding of dance. However, keep in mind that your response should touch on the more analytical aspects of writing about dance, since (as mentioned above) this will be a component of your experience as a dance major. Once you’ve developed an answer to this question, it’s time to come up with a thesis. At this point, you should come up with a clear â€Å"thesis† in answer to the prompt. Here are a few example theses: Once you’ve developed a thesis, try to think of concrete examples of either how you’ve already experienced this relationship or of how you imagine this relationship will play out in your future. If your thesis is focused on explaining your love of dance through writing, you could tell about a time that you wrote a piece in your school paper describing a performance, in hopes of encouraging your peers to come, but also just to share your art form with them. If your thesis is focused on sharing the power of dance with the general public, you could describe, using specific examples, your ongoing frustration with the low attendance at local dance performances. Then, you could describe–again, using specific examples linked to the problem you identified–how you believe more writing on dance could encourage both academics and the general public to take dance more seriously. Avoid an overly-theoretical, impersonal response. With a somewhat abstract prompt like this, it’s far too easy to write a response that’s replete with broad statements and about writing and dance–but includes no concrete examples.   Take care to not make wide overgeneralizations about dance and writing (â€Å"Writing has long allowed non-dancers to understand the mysterious world of dance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) and avoid obvious, broad comparisons between the two (â€Å"Writing and dance could not seem more different–but, in fact, they are both art forms†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Your response should certainly have a strong theoretical component, and can even reference other writers, dancers, or thinkers. However, this broader thesis should be conveyed as your personal view (remember, the prompt asks â€Å"how do you imagine†), and substantiated by personal experiences and examples. As is almost always the case when it comes to â€Å"optional† college essays, this essay is not really optional. You should view every essay as a precious opportunity to share a little more about yourself. There are only two reasons not to write this essay. First, remember that you’re limited to two double-spaced pages for all your responses. If you need every line for your major-specific essays, skipping this one would be acceptable. Second, it’s better not to respond to this prompt than to write something tone-deaf or downright offensive in response (more on that later). This prompt is a classic example of the â€Å"diversity question† that a number of universities now include in their applications. The intention is to get a sense of how you think about diversity–and, more importantly, how you will engage with your peers in an unfamiliar environment populated by people who are different from you in myriad ways. Your goal should be to: thoughtfully convey (1) your appreciation for and understanding of diversity, along with (2) your practical knowledge of how to navigate and grow in/contribute to a diverse environment. You should begin by considering whether you want to focus on what you’ll contribute to, or what you stand to gain from, a diverse community of scholars. If you come from a group typically underrepresented in higher education, your angle on this essay might be somewhat easy to find. For example, most college campuses have very low numbers of Native Americans enrolled. If you are of Native American heritage, writing about your own experiences and traditions and how you could share those with your peers could be very powerful. After all, it’s almost guaranteed that the very grounds students will walk on each day were once trodden by Native Americans–as such, there are a number of points you could make about the value of adding this underrepresented historical perspective to the campus community. (Note that, for this particular example, your heritage should be verifiable, preferably through tribal membership, not just speculative. Many families have stories about Native American ancestors, which, though powerful for that particular family, do not meet institutional standards for claiming a Native American identity, and, in a drastic case, might make it look like you’ve misrepresented yourself.)    If you don’t have an obvious â€Å"diversity hook,† there’s no need to worry. Take a step back and consider how you fit into your community, who you enjoy interacting with–or even any â€Å"blind spots† you have. A carefully-constructed essay focusing on a non-traditional type of diversity (are you the only literary geek in your STEM-focused school?) could work here, though you need to be careful not to write an essay that implies that you misunderstand or undervalue â€Å"diversity† in the more traditional sense of the word. Excellent responses on this topic also can address the self-awareness that you haven’t experienced much diversity yet. Do you attend an almost all-white, single-gender private school, where most students are from similar economic backgrounds? You could use a detailed description of this environment as a jumping off point to describe your eagerness to experience a more diverse setting and your awareness of how much you have to learn. Keep in mind that, in a case like this, you shouldn’t strive to put down your current environment, but rather to express an eagerness for new experiences. No matter what your level of diversity or experience with diversity, there is an â€Å"angle† for you here. The key is to ensure that you make it clear that you understand the value of diversity and have something to contribute to or learn from it. This means that the only â€Å"wrong† answers are answers that woefully misconstrue diversity (i.e. focusing myopically on your own feeling of being â€Å"different† without drawing broader connections to the myriad ways that people in college will be diverse) or discount its value. Like most essays, your response to this prompt should have a strong thesis–that is, a central theme that guides your writing, and a main, high-level claim that you want to convey to the reader, even if you don’t explicitly state it. Note that this is not a typical five-paragraph high school essay, so this thesis does not need to be stated at the end of your introductory paragraph. After you’ve thought about how you engage with diversity, take a step back and state, just for your own â€Å"framing† purposes, what you think your thesis should be. In this process, you should decide whether you want to focus on â€Å"contributing to† or â€Å"benefitting from† diversity–or both. Here are a few strong examples of experiences you could draw on and theses you could develop from those theses: Sentences like these should not necessarily be included in your essay. These thesis sentences are not statements to be inserted in your essay . Rather, they are the guiding principle that could build a strong essay. Once you’ve developed this thesis, you can begin outlining and drafting your essay This response will likely be fairly short, but you should still start off with an outline. As usual, the best way to convey your thesis is to â€Å"show not tell,† so begin thinking of an example or anecdote that can show your experience with or perspective on diversity. For the first example thesis given above, this could mean describing a policy discussion that the writer has had with his/her friends, in which he realized that, though they offered intelligent thoughts, they all shared the same experience/perspective. For the second example thesis given above, this could mean describing a moment during football practice when the writer was reminded of his different ethnic identity by a well-meaning, but perhaps inconsiderate, teammate. Examples like these usually works best near the start of the essay, though they certainly can be integrated throughout. Next, consider how you’ll frame your example: perhaps you want to use it to introduce the reader to your relationship to diversity; perhaps you want to use it to elaborate on a point later in the essay; perhaps you want to use it to close out your essay with a powerful image. Once you’ve decided how to use your example(s), you can begin to flesh out the rest of the outline. What other crucial information do you need to convey? Specific information about what you want to learn in college? A particular perspective that you hope to share with others? Carefully consider how this information will interact with your example, and then structure your outline around this relationship. Once your outline is done, you’ll be ready to start writing! Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. Mortuary Science is a specialized program for those who want to dedicate their lives to helping others through the loss of a loved one. Committing to a life path like this in high school is not something to take lightly, and requires a certain serious, professional character that, frankly, most students will not sufficiently develop in high school. As a professional in this industry, you’ll need to deal with incredibly difficult situations on a daily basis–situations that aren’t about you, but rather about the family has suffered a loss. This will require professionalism, empathy, but also stoicism: your job will not to be to weep with the family, but rather to remain steady throughout emotional turbulence. This reality informs all of these Mortuary Science prompts: their purpose is to test out your maturity, professionalism and thought process, to see if you have the instincts and learned character traits necessary for such a delicate, emotionally demanding career. This does not mean that you need to pick examples of times that you comforted friends or relatives who had recently experienced a personal loss. However, you should focus on specific examples of times that you remained cool (yet caring), decisive and compassionate, in situations of stress and emotional difficulty. The above points apply to all four Mortuary Science prompts. In the case of this particular prompt, note that the focus is on professionalism. This means that you should begin by thinking about your understanding of professionalism, particularly in the context of dealing with customers/clients who are in the midst of a difficult experience. Note that, for this question, an example from your family or personal life might not be a good fit, since it is not typically very appropriate to treat close family and friends with â€Å"professionalism.† Note also that this prompt asks about â€Å"a time,† which means that they are clearly looking for a concrete, detailed description of a single example. While it might be tempting to offer a smattering of stories to show how professional you are, resist this urge: in general, it’s better to focus on quality, not quantity in college essays–and when the prompt explicitly asks about a time , you should absolutely adhere to this guideline. With this basic understanding in mind, it’s time to dive in and choose a particular example. Aside from the basic guidelines I’ve listed above–sticking to just one example, not choosing personal or family scenarios–there’s a lot of leeway in terms of what example could fit. In fact, it’s not so much that the example itself matters. What really matters is what you do with it–which we’ll get to next. With that said, try to start by considering your professional experiences. Do you have a job? Or have you held an internship or research position? If so, these are natural scenarios where you’ve likely had to stay professional in the face of some sort of challenge. Here are some examples of scenarios you could choose, and what aspects you should focus on to best tailor your response to the prompt: Luckily, with a prompt like this one, most of your work will be done once you’ve picked and developed your central example. All that’s left to do is to write the essay, which should take up about  ¼ of a double-spaced page (a fairly short essay). This means that you’ll need to really dive in and show not tell . Focus on giving basic background information to orient the reader as part of your description . Don’t waste words on summary sentences (â€Å"Last summer I worked at a local print shop, in a managerial role†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Instead, dive right into the example and incorporate details that make this context clear (â€Å"As I walked up to the print shop where I worked, I heard a noise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Your focus should be on (1) concisely depicting the difficulty of the situation, (2) concisely depicting how you managed your own feelings and deliberately chose which actions to take and (3) depicting the outcome (as applicable). The overall purpose described above, for the first Mortuary Science prompt, applies here. Keep this in mind as you move forward with this essay. This essay is, similarly, asking you to pick a particular example–in this case, an experience that shows your compassion and empathy. As the prompt indicates, the key here is to convey your ability to sense and respond to others’ emotions–not just in an abstract way, but with purpose and action that â€Å"made a concrete difference.† Like the first prompt, this prompt will require a concise, focused response that centers around your depiction of a particular anecdote. As such, your main task will be choosing one specific example. For this question, it’s fine to consider more personal examples–in fact, the strongest responses are likely to be about times you comforted and helped those close to you, though a discussion of a time when you showed compassion and/or empathy to a stranger could also be very effective. The key is to come up with an example that both shows your feeling and ability to respond to others and shows the efficacy of that response. Many people try to reach out to and help others, but this prompt is asking for something more: evidence that you can actually make a difference to those in pain. Here are a few examples of potentially strong responses: Much like the first Mortuary Science prompt, this will be a relatively simple process once you’ve chosen your central example. As much as possible, strive to â€Å"show not tell.† Be sure that you hit on the following points: (1) Offer sufficient background to make sure the reader understands the severity of the situation, and why you felt a need to intervene; (2) offer a specific depiction of your thought process–that is, how you put yourself in someone else’s shoes in order to consider how to best help them (this is how you show your compassion/empathy); and (3) offer concrete examples of the concrete impact that this had on the other person . The high-level logic behind this essay is much the same as that of the first two essays. Your main goal here is to relate one particular scenario in which you stayed calm under pressure. This prompt is, actually, quite similar to the first prompt, since a large component of â€Å"professionalism† is staying calm and collected no matter what you face. As such, you should strive to pick a different kind of example for this prompt. Rather than focusing specifically on a professional situation, try to think of examples from new areas of your life, that you haven’t covered in your first two responses, which can illustrate more than just your professional sensibilities. Here, you have the chance to take the reader a little deeper and show your overall temperament and general conduct in wider areas of your life.    With this in mind, consider what areas of your life you haven’t yet covered with the examples you’ve given so far. You can broadly think of the different areas of your life as work, academics, extracurriculars, personal life, and miscellaneous. If you touched on work in your first example and your personal life in the second, then it might be a good idea to think about your academics, extracurriculars, or miscellaneous experiences. This last category could include travel experiences, artistic or performance endeavors, or unexpected crises. Note that it’s also OK to pick an example from a category you’ve already covered, too. The key, however, is to make sure that your example doesn’t feel redundant. Two examples of work crises or two examples of times you’ve comforted a loved one will â€Å"show† the same dimension of your character, and so won’t be an optimal use of the limited space you have. Here are a few examples of a good potential instance, and how you could develop each one: As in the first and second essays, once you’ve chosen your example and thought out how it fits each aspect of the prompt, you’ll already have done most of the hard work. The key here is to write your essay in a way that zooms in on the â€Å"moment,† showing the reader: (1) your tact, (2) your level-headedness, and (3) the positive results that came directly from those two attributes. Many of the principles that applied to the first three essays apply here: you need to zero in on one particular moment to answer the prompt, and you should be focused on how your example reflects on your ability to pursue a mortuary science-related career. However, this prompt isn’t trying to assess traits like professionalism, compassion/empathy, calm under pressure, or tact: it’s trying to assess your decision-making ability, particularly under pressure. It’s useful to consider why this matters for prospective Mortuary Science majors before we move on. Firstly, there is the â€Å"meta point†: you’re making a big decision at a young age by choosing such a specialized major. The admissions committee wants to see an example of your ability to make weighty decisions; essentially, they’re trying to assess whether or not you have the awareness of what constitutes a weighty decision and the experience in making weighty decisions that they deem necessary to make one here–that is, in the weighty decision of choosing your major/career. Secondly, the admissions committee is trying to assess your ability to make decisions that impact others. As a mortician or funeral director, you will regularly be confronted with choices that impact others–particularly those in a vulnerable state due to the recent loss of a loved one. The best way to convince your reader that you’re both prepared to make this academic/career decision for yourself and to make potential decisions for future customers is to choose a strong example. There are two major pitfalls here to avoid. The first is picking an example that is too trite or immature. If you choose to describe a time that you picked out a birthday gift for a friend or a color to paint your room, you likely will give the impression that you really don’t have the serious decision-making experience necessary to enter the program. The second pitfall is that you pick an example that either only impacts someone else or only impacts you. The key here is to pick a â€Å"two for one† example, as the prompt asks: one that had tangible impacts (that you will discuss in your response) on both you and someone else. Try to think of decisions that you’ve made that you feel have shaped your â€Å"life path† or seriously altered someone else’s experience or worldview. Needless to say, these examples should, generally, be of â€Å"good† decisions, though some â€Å"mixed† examples–that is, a time when you made a choice that had a combination of positive and more negative results–could also work in some scenarios. Here are some strong potential topics, along with explanations of how they would need to be tailored to fit the prompt: As before, once you’ve chosen and worked through an example to fit it to the prompt, your work will be almost done. As you write, be sure to â€Å"show not tell,† and to hit these three points: (1) Provide the context that shows the importance of the decision; (3) show how it affected someone else. This question, like most questions for specialized or guaranteed-admission programs, is intended to assess your commitment to a difficult, long-term path–as a high school senior. As such, your primary focus here should be to convey, with concise focus and concrete examples, your commitment to and passion for this path. Furthermore, in such a short space, it’s crucial that you remain focused. There might be a million reasons that you want to be a nurse–and that’s great! Just don’t list them all here. Your reader won’t assume that this response is an exhaustive list of all the reasons you want to be a nurse–instead, they’ll assume that you’ve chosen one or two of the most compelling experiences you’ve had to illustrate the core motivation behind this aspiration. This brings me to the final important thing to note: With why -driven essays, your focus should be on digging beyond basic explanation. Try to show not only the experiences that have inspired you but also what your deepest motivations and aspirations are. What drives you? What makes you tick? What do you aspire to do with your life? Use specific examples to offer insight into these important, deeply personal questions, even as you explain why you want to be a nurse. Though strong responses will have an abstract/aspirational dimension, your response should still be grounded in concrete examples. This means that your writing process should still begin with some brainstorming as you search for concrete examples. Think back: is there an obvious experience that made you go â€Å"Aha! I want to be a nurse?† Strong experiences to focus on can include: The experiences you choose to depict should be vivid and meaningful enough that you can offer a brief, but detailed, description that shows the reader how they impacted you. As such, a brief glimpse of a nurse on a break from work or an impression you got from watching a TV show might be too superficial to develop as an experience that â€Å"shaped your decision.† One note of caution: Note that the next prompt asks about how your â€Å"studies and activities† have prepared you for a career in nursing. This means that you’ll get a chance later to focus on specific academic or extracurricular things that have given you the skills and knowledge to dive into nursing studies. Here, your focus should be on motivations and interests, not preparation. Once you’ve chosen your example, take a moment to consider what this experience touched in you. Was it your desire to help others? Your anger at the suffering in the world? Your fascination with biology and the mechanisms of the human body? These sorts of more abstract motivations are what, ultimately, will provide a deep, satisfying answer to this question’s â€Å"why.† However, you need to â€Å"pull† these sorts of deeper points out of your examples. A strong response will seamlessly interweave introspection/deeper reflection and concrete examples. In order to plan your essay, you should consider the relationship between your motivations/interests and the example(s) you’re giving. It’s sort of a â€Å"chicken and egg† question, but your job is to decide which came first. This is a fairly straightforward question. However, as with the previous question, the key here is to not go overboard. Your focus should not be to exhaustively list everything that has prepared you in any way for a career in nursing. Instead, pick 2-4 specific academic and/or extracurricular activities to discuss. Crucially, this should not just be a list: for each example, go into detail. Explain what specific skills or information each experience you cite has given you; explain how this has prepared you to become a nurse. This essay should cite specific studies and activities, so your first order of business should be to pick which studies or activities you want to discuss. However, your examples shouldn’t be chosen just because they â€Å"seem† like the good nursing prep. Instead, try working backward. First, think about what skills and knowledge you have that would make you a good nurse. Then, think about how you acquired these competencies. Whatever comes out of this last reflection will be a potential â€Å"study or activity† to include in your response. Given the framing of the prompt, however, you should try to focus on clearly defined things, like courses or extracurriculars, rather than on personal experiences. Importantly, avoid choosing redundant examples. Each course or activity that you describe should touch on a different aspect of your preparation. Once you’ve chosen your examples, the key is just to weave them together. The key, however, is to make sure that for every example you give, you do three things: (1) Explain the study experience activity in some detail; (2) describe what skills or knowledge you gained; and (3) explain how this has prepared you to become a nurse. If several of your examples do show similar knowledge/skills, you can group them together. If your examples all feel quite disparate, that’s fine. Each paragraph can focus on a different skill/area of knowledge–just be sure that all three components (example, detailed description, and explanation of how this will allow you to be a good nurse) are present. Then, try to add transitions and tie all your examples together in a strong, specific, personal conclusion. First, a note about what this prompt is not asking: This prompt is not asking you to explain why you want to be a nurse (you’ve already done that, hopefully, in your first response!) or why you like the University of Minnesota in a broad sense. This is a very specific question about why this particular program fits your degree and career plans . Given this, your response should contain three elements: (1) A statement of your career and degree plans; (2) a reflection on key elements of the University of Minnesota’s Freshman Nursing Guarantee Program; and (3) an explanation of how these elements facilitate the achievement of your plans). These elements can be combined in different ways, but all strong essays will contain all three in some form . Unlike most essays here, this one doesn’t require the incorporation of specific examples, though you might end up giving specific examples of what you aspire to do with your life. Instead, you should begin stating your goals. What undergraduate degree do you want to get? What do you aspire to do with your nursing degree? Note that you need to go beyond â€Å"I want to be a nurse† as your career plan–this is already self-evident. Instead, you should explain the particular kind of nursing you want to practice, or, more abstractly, the kind of impact you want to have on your patients. Furthermore, you might also mention aspirations beyond simply working as a nurse: perhaps you would like to eventually advocate for better nursing practices on a policy level, or work in a more managerial or administrative role in a hospital. Feel free to be as specific as you like here. The more clearly you set your â€Å"targets,† the more focused, personal and powerful your essay will be. Though you are hopefully already familiar with the program, take some time to brush up on its essential features. Identify particular requirements that really fit your goals. Go beyond what is readily accessible on their website’s front page. Try making a list of all the unique features of the program that excite you and that you know you couldn’t find on a regular undergrad-nursing school path. Then, dig a bit deeper. Find specific mentors, courses, labs, etc., that really excite you. Once you have this list, go back to the goals that you’ve defined. Which of these resources fit your goals? Can you draw a line from one particular offering of UMTC’s Freshman Nursing Guarantee Program to achieving that aspiration? This brings us to the final step: explaining exactly how the features of the Freshman Nursing Guarantee Program fit your goals. Remember, the key here is to show how this program will better fit your aspirations than a normal path (undergrad, then nursing school). You should not spend too many words explicitly making negative statements about a â€Å"normal† path–however, you should avoid elaborating on things that a â€Å"regular† path could also provide to you. Want help on your University of Minnesota -Twin Cities application or essays? Learn about our College Apps Program . Want us to quickly edit your college essay? Submit it to our Rapid Review program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team.