What Was the Great Vowel Shift

The Great Vowel Shift was a series of systemic changes in the pronunciation of English vowels that occurred in southern England during the late Middle English period (roughly the period from Chaucer to Shakespeare). According to linguist Otto Jespersen, who coined the term, The great vowel shift consists in a general raising of all long vowels (A Modern English Grammar, 1909).  In  phonetic  terms, the GVS involved the raising and fronting of the long, stressed monophthongs.   Other  linguists have challenged this traditional view.  Gjertrud Flermoen Stenbrenden, for example, argues that the concept of a GVS as a unitary event is illusory, that the changes started earlier than has been assumed, and that the changes . . . took longer to be completed than most handbooks claim (Long-Vowel Shifts in English, c. 1050-1700, 2016).   In any event, the Great Vowel Shift had a profound effect on English pronunciation and spelling, leading to many changes in the correspondences between vowel letters and vowel phonemes.   Examples and Observations By the early Modern English period . . . all the long vowels had shifted: Middle English Ä“, as in sweete sweet, had already acquired the value [i] that it currently has, and the others were well on their way to acquiring the values that they have in current English. . . .These changes in the quality of the long, or tense, vowels constitute what is known as the Great Vowel Shift. . . .The stages by which the shift occurred and the cause of it are unknown. There are several theories, but the evidence is ambiguous.(John Algeo and Thomas Pyles, The Origins and Development of the English Language, 5th ed. Thomson Wadsworth, 2005) The evidence of spellings, rhymes, and commentaries by contemporary language pundits suggest that [the Great Vowel Shift] operated in more than one stage, affected vowels at different rates in different parts of the country, and took over 200 years to complete.(David Crystal, The Stories of English. Overlook, 2004) Prior to the GVS, which took place over around 200 years, Chaucer rhymed food, good and blood (sounding similar to goad). With Shakespeare, after the GVS, the three words still rhymed, although by that time all of them rhymed with food. More recently, good and blood have independently shifted their pronunciations again.(Richard Watson Todd, Much Ado About English: Up and Down the Bizarre Byways of a Fascinating Language. Nicholas Brealey, 2006) The standardization described by the GVS may simply have been the social fixation upon one variant among several dialectical options available in each case, a variant selected for reasons of community preference or by the external force of printing standardization and not as a result of a wholesale phonetic shift.(M. Giancarlo, quoted by Seth Lerer in Inventing English. Columbia University Press, 2007) The Great Vowel Shift and English Spelling One of the primary reasons that this vowel shift has become known as the Great Vowel Shift is that it profoundly affected English phonology, and these changes coincided with the introduction of the printing press: William Caxton brought the first mechanized printing press to England in 1476. Prior to mechanized printing, words in the handwritten texts had been spelled pretty much, however, each particular scribe wanted to spell them, according to the scribes own dialect. Even after the printing press, however, most printers used the spellings that had begun to be established, not realizing the significance of the vowel changes that were underway. By the time the vowel shifts were complete in the early 1600s, hundreds of books had been printed that used a spelling system that reflected the pre-Great Vowel Shift pronunciation. So the word goose, for example, had two os to indicate a long /o/ sound, /o:/--a good phonetic spelling of the word. However, the vowel had shifted to /u/; thus goose, moose, food, and other similar words that we now spell with oo had mismatched spelling and pronunciation. Why didnt printers just change the spelling to match the pronunciation? Because by this time, the new increased volume of book production, combined with increasing literacy, resulted in a powerful force against spelling change.(Kristin Denham and Anne Lobeck, Linguistics for Everyone: An Introduction. Wadsworth, 2010) Scots Dialects Older Scots dialects were only partially  affected by the Great Vowel Shift that revolutionized English pronunciation in the sixteenth century. Where English accents replaced the long uu vowel in words like house  with a diphthong (the two separate vowels heard in the southern English pronunciation of house), this change did not happen in Scots. Consequently, modern Scots dialects have preserved the Middle English uu in words like how and now; think of the Scots cartoon The Broons (The Browns). (Simon Horobin,  How English Became English. Oxford University Press, 2016)

Essay about The Main Component in the Civil Rights...

You can go through any school in the country and ask if any students know who Rosa Parks is. The majority of these students will say that she refused to give up her seat up to a non colored man. These students really dont know how impactful her decision had on the United States of America. She was really the main component of the civil rights movement and that’s why she is known as the â€Å"mother of the civil rights movement†. She stood up for what she believed in, and in doing that she sparked and created the stepping stones to the civil rights movement era. Rosa Parks was a african american civil rights rights movement activist, and she was known as the â€Å"mother of the freedom movement†. Rosa Louise McCauley was born in tuskegee, Alabama†¦show more content†¦But sadly enough the NAACP wasn’t getting the publicity from the court cases they pursued, in the areas they lost majority of their cases mostly had to involve in lynching, flogging, peonage, murder and rape. Rosa Parks did a lot to help with the NAACP but she didnt gain the attention or really stand out(Haskins). I will be explaining why the Montgomery bus boycott movement began and how it came about to really jumpstart the civil rights movement that greatly affects us today. During alabama in this time the law for bus riding for african americans was that they had to pay their fare in the front of the bus then walk out to the rear entrance and sit in the back of the bus, they were not allowed to sit toward the front, according to Mary Hall an american author who wrote the biography of Rosa Parks (Hull). Also african americans werent allowed to sit until all the white passengers were seated first, and that forces them to seat farther back or just stand until they arrive to their stop. What also is ridiculous is that is that they are not allowed to sit across from the whites in the same row (Academy of Achievement). Even throughout all these rules, some bus drivers would just close their doors and take off before they get on leaving them stranded to find another bus for transportation. Salah 3 In 1955 Rosa Parks was coming home from her occupation as a seamstress, and she was planning to use the montgomery bus station. She boarded the bus andShow MoreRelatedImpact Of The Civil Rights Movement1383 Words   |  6 Pagesworld (Gandhi). Throughout the American history, the greatest number of people through an awkward to live peacefully. The Civil Right Movement in the United states has been a long, primarily nonviolent attempt to bring full civil rights and justice under the law to all Americans. The movement has sustained a lasting impact on the United States society. Before the civil right movement, the great migration of 1916- 1940, some blacks still lived in the south under the Jim crow, where state laws kept themRead MoreAfrican Americans : Same Fight For The Civil Rights Act Of 19681921 Words   |  8 Pagesas a person, and individuals who have been mistreated with cruelty and inequality. African Americans have been through all the pain and suffering to overcome accomp lishing different goals through history. Whether it was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 or the Civil Rights Act of 1968. After, memorable and remarkable individual accomplishments of African American men and women; even to this date, they are fighting for what their predecessors struggled to achieve, equality, freedom, and justice. 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What made slaves more efficient was theRead MoreHistory Notes on Cuban Missile Crisis and Protest in America in the 1960s4816 Words   |  20 Pagesor ‘doing the right thing’ for his county. Brinkmanship – The practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the limit of safety especially to force a desired outcome. Civil Rights Movement The 1960’s was a decade of popular protest. The CRM in the US was a great e.g. of how effective popular mass protests could be. As a result there was less discrimination against African Americans. Some activists felt that the CRM did not go far enough and the Black Power Movement then arose.Read MoreStudy Guide5838 Words   |  24 Pagesrome Who benefited from the Magna Carta? The English NobilityThe English nobility gained the most benefits from the Magna Carta, which established limitations on the power of the king. Which of the following was guaranteed in the English Bill of Rights? Freedom from taxation without representation. Whose ideas about government greatly influenced the men who drafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? John Locke The writings of John Locke, a British philosopher of the EnlightenmentRead MoreEssay on Gospel Music6236 Words   |  25 Pageswith it synchronized movements. (2) The gospel piano style was based on the rhythm section concept, where the middle of the piano was used to support the singers. This area supported the singers by doubling the vocal line in harmony. The bottom, left corner of the piano was used as a bass fiddle while the upper right hand portion played the counter melodies, taking theRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesMichael Adas for the American Historical Association TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS PHILADELPHIA Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright  © 2010 by Temple University All rights reserved Published 2010 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Essays on twentieth century history / edited by Michael Peter Adas for the American Historical Association. p. cm.—(Critical perspectives on the past) Includes bibliographicalRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. Some ancillaries, including electronic and print components, may not be available to customers outside the

September 11 Attacks Essay Free Essays

What made the 9/11 attacks unique were several informational tactics and resources of the airport and the inexperience of the security. The terrorist were from Saudi Arabia, taught the essence of war with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The Al Qaeda Soldiers research the attack for years and bid the chance within the United States, while learning to fly planes. We will write a custom essay sample on September 11 Attacks Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now They navigated by the Airport security and went unnoticed in American culture. The plan was calculated and given out by Osama Bin Laden like any order from an Islamic religious leader. Osama Bin Laden frustrated with America had listed the reasons for this hatred. He was upset about US support of Israel in the holy land, Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This expectation spread western values throughout the Middle East. Many wondered how hijackers able to be so successful in the 9/11 attack. Al Qaeda are the type of soldiers who blend in and remain hidden in society. They had prior knowledge of how planes were flown and how to store weapons in the planes. Many of Al Qaeda worked for the airport, giving them time to research its layout. Around this time Many of the Al Qaeda didn’t have any criminal backgrounds, and they were provided Passports allowing them safe passage. The enemy had many months or close to a year to research the security and how to smuggle weapons and the fly plane. Around these time officers didn’t have much experience profiling allowing to go unnoticed them. This allowed up to eleven men to initiate the airport and the plane. It was many security measures seemed lacking with regard to the hijackers’ ability to board the planes and seize control of them. The main problem was the airport didn’t know how to profile these types of enemies. The history of war enemies against the USA were not explained to airport security and all they knew was to check people’s bags and passports. The enemies had prior knowledge of the airport allowing them to spread information. The enemy may have worked staff jobs and lived the citizens allowing them the attack on the world trade center. Also, it’s never been a huge attack so security on the plane wasn’t as strong, allowing an easy take over the civilians on the plane. Utility pocket knives with less than 4-inch blades were allowed, they said, and the guide provided no instruction.Wha t was the immediate official response to the attacks? It threw everything into Uproar because they attacked a huge landmark within the U.S, known as the Trade Center. Many people lost their lives in the plane and the trade center building and the airport security were made to testify for their failure. It boosted the awareness of the security staff to not allow any type of weapons or chemical that could cause explosion or fires. Security was now informed of dangerous overseas enemies and procedures to a lot of rules changed to ensure better security methods. The president had to make known are enemies and as well how citizens should report any suspicious activities which have stopped many incidents in the future. Which group suffered the largest loss? The trade center incident devastated many innocent lives of two thousand and people and wounded over six thousand producing ten billion in city damage cost. Additionally, Several people had cancer and respiratory problems which caused death to many after Attacks. America took a huge loss, and that’s what the Al Qaeda wanted and its religious leader. Al Qaeda sacrificed a few men, which killed tons of people which allowed them their revenge. Also, the Airport reputation was shamed for the reason of not being prepared for the 9/11 incident . All this came from lack of knowing dangerous people which created a radical system within the airports and more background checks.  What made the response to the attack in New York more challenging than the one in Virginia? They share a very similar problem showing that security is lacking in both the airports and in our universities. The New York incident was caused more from a total of 19 assailants while Virginia Tech had one student to commit the act. The Virginia Tech incident couldn’t compare to a billion dollars in damage and the lives which were 6000 killed and those of the plane. While at Virginia Tech students those who were killed happen to be thirty-two students In the incident. In both incidents, the attackers sacrificed their lives taking out many. As much as they could. The huge importance to stop weapons and increase security all around.  Why does a response across several jurisdictions present a challenge those in charge? The system of rules can easily change allowing different rules or different associations. It’s like the police could be in charge of crime and the suspect might be a war enemy of the country. The police would have to let the FBI or CIA takes care of that suspect or criminal. Just like the state government can’t change laws in the federal government almost that of hierarchy. Disobeying or crossing lines that shouldn’t be crossed by another hierarchy are against the rule or laws. If this rule wasn’t made other associations would do what they want. The systems are divided so no one association has to much power. Every association has its job and will sometimes have to call upon another or waiver to another authority. What can they do to overcome these challenges in the future? I think we need more.Information gathering which is important, the more the citizens inform law enforcement the safer it will be. I think also if the jurisdiction belongs to another association why fight the system. You should call upon that association and work together instead of stepping the line. Also I think security should step up and not go overboard it’s their job. Awareness can make can stop a lot of problems if the community and the government work together. How to cite September 11 Attacks Essay, Essays

Foundations of Academic Writing

Question: Discuss about theFoundations of Academic Writing. Answer: Introduction: According to Redpath et al (2015), all the species including human beings live in a shared environment. They interact with one another and develop a complex relationship network, which is termed as Ecosystem. However, the human beings are different to the other species because they can adapt to various environments to survive in the earth. The other animals survive through the process of natural selection and biological evolutions. Such a difference has enabled the human beings to dominate over other species and subjugate them. Nevertheless, within this shared environment the coexistence of the humans and the carnivorous wild animals are problematic as these wild animals threaten the lives of the humans. The conflict arises due to the dominating power of the humans and on the other hand, the nature of survival strategies and food habits of these carnivorous wild animals. The assignment will try to bring out the problem faced by the humans dwelling at the nearby areas of the wild anim als. Possible recommendations to overcome this problem will also be highlighted. Importance of the Study The increased human population has compelled them to inhabit in various places including in those areas, which are near to the forests. These people have to live in a threatening situation due to the apprehension of the wild animals. Therefore, it happens that before the wild animals could kill them, they kill the animals to ensure safety. However, the tolerance level varies from one place to another. As discussed by Redpath et al (2015), for example, in Sweden and United states, if anyone living near the forest sees any wolf he immediately kills the animal. This is not the case in India in which people shows a higher level of tolerance towards the wild animals. They only react if someone in their community is harmed or killed by them. Such situation arises because the wild animals cannot apply their reasoning and decide not to kill any human. According to Nyhus (2016), it is found that at least 10,000 conflicts occurred only in Karnataka, a state in India. It proves the relevance of the study. Thesis Statement There is no doubt about the conflict present in the planet between the wild animals and the humans. Now the questions are: Can this problem be solved? How can this problem be solved? The entire argument of this essay will try to answer these two questions. Humans and animals will always live in a conflict but both of them need to survive for the maintenance of ecological balance. An analysis on this issue will solve many other queries of the analytical minds. Here lies the importance of this assignment for the writers, as they will get many elements for the benefit of further research. Literature Review: In the three scholarly articles, the writers have gathered necessary data to analyze the prevalent situation. In the article by Karanth et al (2013), they have surveyed 398 houses of 178 villages within the reach of Ranathambore, Nagarahole and Kanha parks in India. Different attitudes that they have found among the inhabitants towards the wild animals are also analyzed to reach the desired conclusion. This case study will help to highlight the situation in India. Clark and Casey (2013), said in their article ,` we suggest strategies to resolve actual, on-the-ground conflicts with carnivores more effectively, change what these animals symbolize or mean to people, and improve the institutional system of wildlife management to operate in a more timely, fair, effective manner. Solutions can be found from this book. In the article by Meena et al (2014), they analyzed Gujarat State Departments monetary compensation records and took interviews to identify various human perceptions on wildl ife issues. Critical Thinking: Preview: Karanths work has validity for the current situation. Nyhus (2016) This article provides major research materials for the aspiring writers of this genre. Redpath et al (2015) One of the finest articles to untie the relevant issues of human-wildlife conflict. Baruch-Mordo et al (2013) Summary: Examining patterns of conflict and associated tolerance is important to devise policies to reduce conflict impacts on people and wildlife. Karanth et al (2013) This article summarizes recommendations from the workshop and introduces the other articles in this special issue of Human Dimensions of Wildlife. Clark and Casey (2013) With the increasing population size, lions have expanded their range and move throughout the Greater Gir Landscape in Western India. Meena et al (2014), Evaluation: We discovered that the number and severity of livestock depredations has increased over time despite a stable lion population in the GPA. Our spatial regression model identified that over a 10-year period, lion depredation tended to increase ( = 0.10, P .0001) in villages near GPA, though the spatial configuration of depredations was patchy. Meena et al (2014), Every 10years, the IUCN World park congress (WPC) brings together conservation experts from around the world to share information and ideas, and set a global policy agenda for protected areas. Clark and Casey (2013) Eighty percent of households reported crop losses to wildlife and 13% livestock losses. Karanth et al (2013) Analysis: We found that only fencing and guard animals reduce crop losses, and no efforts to lower livestock losses. Contrary to our expectations, carnivores were not viewed with more hostility than crop-raiding wildlife. Karanth et al (2013) The HWC recommendation was informed by a technical workshop that was part of the WPC proceedings. The workshop entitled Creating Coexistence Between Humans and Wildlife: Global Perspectives on Local Efforts to Address Human-Wildlife conflict combined vigorous debate on human-wildlife conflict issues with a technical focus on useful outputs for those working in the profession. Clark and Casey (2013) Currently, the agro-pastoral economy, land-use and cultural tolerance appear conducive to lion survival in the GPA region. However, for lion conservation to continue to succeed in the Greater Gir Landscape, conflict mitigation and the continued promotion of positive public perceptions of lion is imperative. Meena et al (2014) References Baruch-Mordo, S., Webb, C.T., Breck, S.W. and Wilson, K.R., 2013. Use of patch selection models as a decision support tool to evaluate mitigation strategies of humanwildlife conflict.Biological conservation,160, pp.263-271. Clark, T., Rutherford, M. and Casey, D. eds., 2013.Coexisting with large carnivores: Lessons from Greater Yellowstone. Island Press. Karanth, K.K., Naughton-Treves, L., DeFries, R. and Gopalaswamy, A.M., 2013. Living with wildlife and mitigating conflicts around three Indian protected areas.Environmental management,52(6), pp.1320-1332. Meena, V., Macdonald, D.W. and Montgomery, R.A., 2014. Managing success: Asiatic lion conservation, interface problems and peoples perceptions in the Gir Protected Area.Biological Conservation,174, pp.120-126. Nyhus, P., 2016. Human and Wildlife Conflict.Annual Review of Environment and Resources,41(1). Redpath, S.M., Bhatia, S. and Young, J., 2015. Tilting at wildlife: reconsidering humanwildlife conflict.Oryx,49(02), pp.222-225.

Hydrogen Bomb Essays (407 words) - Chemical Elements,

Hydrogen Bomb The Hydrogen Bomb The history and workings of this massive bomb Back in 1905 Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity. According to this theory the relation between mass and energy is expressed by the equation E=mc squared, which states that a given mass (m) is associated with an amount of energy (E) equal to this mass multiplied by the square of the speed of light (Encarta). So years later in 1939 two German chemists took this idea and applied it to a uranium atom, which would theoretically split into roughly two equal parts. To split this atom they would have to bombard it with neutrons. Later this process known as fission was perfected and explained by the by Otto Robert Frisch and Lise Meitner (Encarta). In addition to the process of splitting atoms, fission, a process of combining atoms known as fusion was being explored and would end up being capable of making the largest bombs known to man today, the Hydrogen bomb. The process that was explained by Frisch and Meitner goes as follows. A chain reaction is started when the uranium is bombarded by neutrons this emits three things one an atom of cesium, two an atom of rubidium, and three a couple of neutrons. Since the neutrons are what are needed to start the chain reaction the ones that are emitted are what keep it going (Encarta). When a reaction starts it is very hard to stop because of the speed and the exponential growth of the reaction. The process of fusion was also becoming widely explored. In this process instead of splitting the atom like in fission the atom would be combined with another. In doing so it was hypothesized that any extra neutrons would be expelled and create massive amounts of energy (Encarta). This theory was proven when the fist Hydrogen bomb was detonated on the island of Bikini atoll, in the Marshall Islands. The explosion that took place had the power of several million tons of TNT (Encarta). After the first of the tests on Bikini atoll the islands are still being used to do tests on. Now that some of the testing by the U.S. have taken place and Soviet Union have done tests of there own should people worry about the effects of fallout or what might happen if the testing continues. We can only rely on what the government and chemists have to tell us. Science

How to Get Into an Ivy League School

How to Get Into an Ivy League School If you are hoping to attend one of the Ivy League schools, youre going to need more than good grades. Seven of the eight Ivies made my list of the most selective colleges in the country, and acceptance rates range from 6% for Harvard University to 15% for Cornell University. Applicants who are admitted have earned excellent grades in challenging classes, demonstrated meaningful involvement in extracurricular activities, revealed leadership skills, and crafted winning essays. A successful Ivy League application is not the result of a little effort at application time. It is the culmination of years of hard work. The tips and strategies below can help make sure your Ivy League application is as strong as possible. Develop the Foundation for Ivy League Success Early The Ivy League universities (and all universities for that matter) will consider your accomplishments in 9th through 12th grades only. The admissions folks will not be interested in that literary award you got in 7th grade or the fact that you were on the varsity track team in 8th grade. That said, successful Ivy League applicants build the foundation for an impressive high school record long before high school. On the academic front, if you can get into an accelerated math track while in middle school, this will set you up to complete calculus before you graduate from high school. Also, start a foreign language as early as possible in your school district, and stick with it. This will put you on track to take an Advanced Placement language class in high school, or to take a dual enrollment language class through a local college. Strength in a foreign language  and completing math through calculus  are both important features of the majority of winning Ivy League applications. You can get admitted without these accomplishments, but your chances will be diminished. When it comes to extracurricular activities in middle school, use them to find your passion so that you begin ninth grade with focus and determination. If you discover in middle school that drama, not soccer, is what you truly want to be doing in your after school hours, great. Youre now in a position to develop depth and demonstrate leadership on the drama front when youre in high school. This is hard to do if you discover your love of theater in your junior year.   This article on college preparation in middle school can help you understand the numerous ways in which a strong middle school strategy can help set you up for Ivy League success. Craft Your High School Curriculum Thoughtfully The most important piece of your Ivy League application is your high school transcript. In general,  youll need to take the most challenging classes available to you if you are going to convince the admissions folks that you are prepared to succeed in your college coursework. If you have a choice between AP Calculus or business statistics, take AP Calculus. If Calculus BC is an option for you, it will be more impressive than Calculus AB. If you are debating whether or not you should take a foreign language in your senior year, do so (this advice assumes that you feel you are capable of succeeding in these courses). You should also be realistic on the academic front. The Ivies dont, in fact, expect you to take seven AP courses in your junior year, and trying to do too much is likely to backfire by causing burn out and/or low grades. Focus on core academic areas- English, math, science, language- and make sure you excel in these areas. Courses such as AP Psychology, AP Statistics, or AP Music Theory are fine if your school offers them, but they dont carry the same weight as AP Literature and AB Biology.   Also keep in mind that the Ivies recognize that some students have more academic opportunities than others. Only a small fraction of high schools offer a challenging International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Only larger, well-funded high schools can offer a wide breadth of Advanced Placement courses. Not all high schools make it easy to take dual enrollment courses at a local college. If youre from a small rural school without many academic opportunities, the admissions officers at the Ivy League schools take your situation into consideration, and measures such as your SAT/ACT scores and letters of recommendation will be even more important for evaluating your college readiness. Earn High Grades Im frequently asked which is more important: high grades or challenging courses?  The reality for Ivy League admissions is that you need both. The Ivies will be looking for lots of A grades in the most challenging courses available to you. Also keep in mind that the applicant pool for all of the Ivy League schools is so strong that the admissions offices are often not interested in weighted GPAs. Weighted GPAs play an important and legitimate role in determining your class rank, but the reality is that when  admissions committees are comparing students from around the world, they will consider whether or not that A in AP World History is a true A or if it is B that was weighted up to an A. Realize that you dont need straight A grades to get into the Ivy League, but every B on your transcript is lessening your chance  of admission. Most successful Ivy League applicants have unweighted GPAs that are up in the 3.7 range or higher (3.9 or 4.0 is more common).   The pressure to earn straight A grades can sometimes cause applicants to make bad decisions when applying to highly competitive colleges. You should not  write a supplemental essay explaining why you got a B in one course in your sophomore year. There are, however, a few situations in which you should explain a bad grade. Also keep in mind that some students with less-than-stellar grades get admitted. This can be because they have an exceptional talent, come from a school or country with different grading standards, or have legitimate circumstances that made earning A grades extremely challenging. Focus on Depth and Achievement in Your Extracurricular Activities There are hundreds of endeavors that count as extracurricular activities, and the reality is that any of them can make your application shine if you have demonstrated true depth and passion in your chosen activity. This article on the best extracurricular activities shows how any given activity, when approached with enough commitment and energy, can become something truly impressive. In general, think of extracurriculars in terms of depth, not breadth. A student who acts a minor role in a play one year, plays JV tennis one spring, joins yearbook another year, and then joins Academic All-Stars senior year is going to look like a dabbler with no clear passion or area of expertise (these activities are all good things, but they dont make for a winning combination on an Ivy League application). On the flip side, consider a student who plays euphonium in County Band in 9th grade, Area All-State in 10th grade, All-State in 11th grade, and who also played in the school symphonic band, concert band, marching band, and pep band for all four years of high school. This is a student who clearly loves playing her instrument and will bring that interest and passion to the campus community.   Show That You Are a Good Community Member The admissions folks are looking for students to join their community, so they clearly want to enroll students who care about community. One way to demonstrate this is through community service. Realize, however, that there is no magic number here- an applicant with 1,000 hours of community service may not have an advantage over a student with 300 hours. Instead, make sure you are doing community service that is meaningful to you and that truly makes a difference in your community. You may even want to write one of your supplemental essays about one of your service projects. Earn High SAT or ACT Scores None of the Ivy League schools are test-optional, and SAT and ACT scores still carry a bit of weight in the admissions process. Because the Ivies draw from such a diverse pool of students from around the world, standardized tests truly are one of the few tools the schools can use to compare students. That said, the admissions folks do recognize that financially advantaged students have an advantage with the SAT and ACT, and that one thing these tests tend to predict is a familys income. To get a sense of what SAT and/or ACT scores youre going to need to get into an Ivy league school, check out these graphs of GPA, SAT and ACT data for students who were accepted, waitlisted, and rejected: Brown  | Columbia  | Cornell | Dartmouth | Harvard | Penn | Princeton | Yale The numbers are rather sobering: the great majority of admitted students are scoring in the top one or two percentiles on the SAT or ACT. At the same time, youll see that there are some outlying data points, and a few students do get in with less-than-ideal scores. Write a Winning Personal Statement Chances are youre applying to the Ivy League using the Common Application, so youll have five options for your personal statement. Check out these tips and samples for the Common Application essay options, and realize that your essay is important. An essay that is riddled with errors or focuses on a trivial or clichà © topic could land your application in the rejection pile. At the same time, realize that your essay doesnt need to focus on something extraordinary. You dont need to have solved global warming or saved a bus full of 1st-graders to have an effective focus for your essay. More important than what you write about is that you focus on something important to you, and that your essay is thoughtful and self-reflective.   Put Significant Effort Into Your Supplemental Essays All of the Ivy League schools require school-specific supplemental essays in addition to the main Common Application essay. Dont underestimate the importance of these essays. For one, these supplemental essays, much more than the common essay, demonstrate why you are interested in a specific Ivy League school. The admissions officers at Yale, for example, arent just looking for strong students. They are looking for strong students who are truly passionate about Yale and have specific reasons for wanting to attend Yale. If your supplemental essay responses are generic and could be used for multiple schools, you havent approached the challenge effectively. Do your research and be specific. The supplemental essays are one of the best tools for demonstrating your interest in a specific university.   Be sure to avoid these five supplemental essay mistakes. Ace Your Ivy League Interview Youre likely to interview with an alum of the Ivy League school to which you are applying. In truth, the interview isnt the most important part of your application, but it can make a difference. If you stumble to answer questions about your interests and your reasons for applying, this can certainly damage your application. Youll also want to make sure that you are polite and personable during your interview. In general, Ivy League interviews are friendly exchanges, and your interviewer wants to see you do well. A little preparation, however, can help. Be sure to think about these 12 common interview questions, and work to avoid these interview mistakes. Apply Early Action or Early Decision Harvard, Princeton, and Yale all have a single-choice early action program. Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, and Penn have early decision programs. All of these programs allow you to apply to just a single school through the early program. Early decision has additional restrictions in that if you are admitted, you are obligated to attend. You should not  apply early decision if you are not 100% sure that a specific Ivy League school is your top choice. With early action, its fine to apply early if theres a chance you will later change your mind. If youre on target for Ivy League admission (grades, SAT/ACT, interview, essays, extracurriculars), applying early is the best tool you have for improving your chances significantly. Take a look at this table of early and regular admit rates for the Ivy League schools.  You are four times more likely to get into Harvard by applying early than applying with the regular applicant pool. Yes- four times more likely.   Factors That You Cant Control Everything Ive written about above focuses on factors that you can control, especially if you start early. There are, however, a couple factors in the Ivy League admissions process that are outside of your control. If these factors work in your favor, great. If they dont, dont fret. The majority of accepted students do  not  have these advantages. First is legacy status. If you have a parent or sibling who attended the Ivy League school to which you are applying, this can work to your advantage. Colleges tend to like legacies for a couple reasons: they will be familiar with the school and are likely to accept an offer of admission (this helps with the universitys yield); also, family loyalty can be an important factor when it comes to alumni donations. You also cant control how you fit into the universitys efforts to enroll a diverse class of students. Other factors being equal, an applicant from Montana or Nepal is going to have an advantage over an applicant from New Jersey. Similarly, a strong student from an under-represented group will have an advantage over a student from a majority group. This may seem unfair, and its certainly an issue that has been debated in the courts, but most selective private universities operate under the idea that the undergraduate experience is enriched significantly when the students come from a wide range of geographical, ethnic, religious, and philosophical backgrounds. A Final Word Perhaps this point should have come first in this essay, but I always ask Ivy League applicants to ask themselves, Why the Ivy League? The answer is often far from satisfactory: family pressure, peer pressure, or just the prestige factor. Keep in mind that there is nothing magical about the eight Ivy League schools. Of the thousands of colleges in the world, the one that best matches your personality, academic interests, and professional aspirations is very likely  not  one of the eight Ivies.   Every year youll see the news headlines heralding that one student who got into all eight Ivies. The news channels love to celebrate these students, and the accomplishment is certainly impressive. At the same time, a student who would thrive in the bustling urban environment of Columbia would probably not enjoy the rural location of Cornell. The Ivies are remarkably different, and all eight are not going to be a great match for a single applicant. Also keep in mind that there are hundreds of colleges that deliver exceptional educations (in many cases better undergraduate educations) than the Ivies, and many of these schools will be much more accessible. They may also be more affordable since the Ivies do not offer any merit-based financial aid (although they do have excellent need-based aid).   In short, make sure you truly do have good reasons for wanting to attend an Ivy League school, and recognize that failure to get into one is not failure: you are likely to thrive at the college you do choose to attend.

Tuberculosis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Tuberculosis - Research Paper Example According to the recent statistics by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), tuberculosis is one of the world’s deadliest diseases. It is recoded that one third of the world’s population is infected with tuberculosis. In the year 2013, it is recorded that 9 million people around the world became sick with tuberculosis disease. In the same year, there were around 1.5 million TB-related deaths worldwide. For people living with HIV, T.B is the leading killer. A total of 9,582 TB cases (a rate of 3.0 cases per 100,000 persons) were reported in the United States in 2013. Both the number of TB cases reported and the case rate decreased; this represents a 3.6% and 4.3% decline, respectively, compared to 2012. The rate of infection for Tuberculosis is very high and it is reported that one infected person can infect 10 to 15 people each year. Tuberculosis exists in three forms namely latent and active forms. People with latent TB infection do not feel sick and do not have any symptoms. They are thus said to be infected with M. tuberculosis, but do not have TB disease itself. The only indication of tuberculosis infection is a positive reaction to the tuberculin skin test or TB blood test. Persons with latent TB infection are not infectious and cannot spread TB infection to others. The chest X-ray for a person with latent tuberculosis looks very normal and is treating by taking a medication that lasts 9 months. On the other hand, active tuberculosis is manifested by the reproduction and spread of tuberculosis germs in the body leading to tissue damage. A person usually feels sick and symptoms include cough that lasts 3 weeks, weight loss, night sweats, and fever. In this case, a chest x-ray and other tests are needed to diagnose TB disease. According to the World Health Organization it is a proven fact that one-third of the world is infected with the Tuberculosis bacterium. Treatment of