Biography of Francisco de Miranda, Venezuelan Leader

Sebastian Francisco de Miranda (March 28, 1750–July 14, 1816) was a Venezuelan patriot, general, and traveler considered the Precursor to Simon Bolivars Liberator. A dashing, romantic figure, Miranda led one of the most fascinating lives in history. A friend of Americans such as James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, he also served as a General in the French Revolution and was the lover of Catherine the Great of Russia. Although he did not live to see South America freed from Spanish rule, his contribution to the cause was considerable. Fast Facts: Francisco de Miranda Known For: Venezuelan patriot and world adventurer, revolutionary, dictator, and colleague of Simà ³n Bolà ­varBorn: March 28, 1750 in Caracas, VenezuelaParents: Sebastià ¡n de Mirando Ravelo and Francisca Antonia Rodrà ­guez de EspinosaDied: July 14,1816 in a Spanish prison outside CadizEducation: Academy of Santa Rosa, Royal and Pontifical University of CaracasSpouse: Sarah AndrewsChildren: Leandro, Francisco Early Life Francisco de Miranda (Sebastià ¡n Francisco de Miranda y Rodrà ­guez de Espinoza) was born on March 28, 1750, into the upper class of Caracas in present-day Venezuela. His father Sebastià ¡n de Mirando Ravelo was an immigrant to Caracas from the Canary Islands who set up several businesses, including a textile factory and a bakery. There he met and married Francisca Antonia Rodrà ­guez de Espinosa, who came from a wealthy Creole family. Francisco had everything he could ask for  and received a first-rate education, first from Jesuit priests and later at the Academy of Santa Rosa. In 1762, he enrolled in the Royal and Pontifical University of Caracas and did formal study in rhetoric, math, Latin, and Catholic catechism. During his youth, Francisco was in an uncomfortable position: because he was born in Venezuela, he was not accepted by the Spaniards and those children born in Spain. Creoles, however, were unkind to him because they envied the great wealth of his family. This snubbing from both sides left an impression on Francisco that would never fade. In the Spanish Military In 1772, Miranda joined the Spanish army and was commissioned as an officer. His rudeness and arrogance displeased many of his superiors and comrades, but he soon proved an able commander. He fought in Morocco, where he distinguished himself by leading a daring raid to spike enemy cannons. Later, he fought against the British in Florida and even helped send assistance to George Washington before the Battle of Yorktown. Although he proved himself time and again, he made powerful enemies, and in 1783 he narrowly escaped prison time over a trumped-up charge of selling black-market goods. He decided to go to London and petition the King of Spain from exile. Adventures in North America, Europe, and Asia He passed through the United States en route to London  and met many U.S. dignitaries, such as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Paine. Revolutionary ideas began to take hold in his keen mind, and Spanish agents watched him closely in London. His petitions to the King of Spain went unanswered. He traveled around Europe, stopping in Prussia, Germany, Austria, and many other places before entering Russia. A handsome, charming man, he had torrid affairs everywhere he went, including with Catherine the Great  of Russia. Back in London in 1789, he began to try to get British support for an independence movement in South America. The French Revolution Miranda found a great deal of verbal support for his ideas, but nothing in the way of tangible aid. He crossed to France, seeking to confer with the leaders of the French Revolution about spreading the revolution to Spain. He was in Paris when the Prussians and Austrians invaded in 1792, and suddenly found himself being offered the rank of Marshal as well as a noble title to lead French forces against the invaders. He soon proved himself to be a brilliant general, defeating Austrian forces at the siege of Amberes. Although he was a superior general, he was nonetheless caught up in the paranoia and fear of The Terror of 1793-1794. He was arrested twice and twice avoided the guillotine through an impassioned defense of his actions. He was one of the very few men to come under suspicion and be exonerated. England, Marriage, and Big Plans In 1797 he left France, sneaking out while wearing a disguise, and returned to England, where his plans to liberate South America were once more met with enthusiasm but no concrete support. For all his successes, he had burned many bridges: he was wanted by the government of Spain, his life would be in danger in France, and he had alienated his continental and Russian friends by serving in the French Revolution. Help from Britain was often promised but never came through. He set himself up in style in  London  and hosted South American visitors, including young Bernardo OHiggins. While in London he met (and may have married) Sarah Andrews, the niece of portrait painter Stephen Hewson, who came from a rural Yorkshire family. They had two children, Leandro and Francisco. But he never forgot his plans of  liberation  and decided to try his luck in the United States. The 1806 Invasion He was warmly received by his friends in the United States. He met President Thomas Jefferson, who told him that the U.S. government would not support any invasion of Spanish America, but that private individuals were free to do so. Wealthy businessman Samuel Ogden agreed to finance an invasion. Three ships, the Leander,  Ambassador,  and Hindustan, were supplied, and 200 volunteers were taken from the streets of New York City for the venture. After some complications in the Caribbean and the addition of some British reinforcements, Miranda landed with some 500 men near Coro, Venezuela on August 1, 1806. They held the town of Coro for barely two weeks before word of the approach of a massive Spanish army caused them to abandon the town. Return to Venezuela Although  his 1806 invasion  had been a fiasco, events had taken on a life of their own in northern South America. Creole Patriots, led by  Simà ³n Bolà ­var  and other leaders like him, had declared provisional independence from Spain. Their actions were inspired by Napoleons invasion of Spain and detainment of the Spanish royal family. Miranda was invited to return and given a vote in the national assembly. In 1811, Miranda and Bolà ­var convinced their companions to formally declare independence outright, and the new nation even adopted the flag Miranda had used in his previous invasion. A combination of calamities doomed this government, known as the  First Venezuelan Republic. Arrest, Imprisonment, and Death By mid-1812, the young republic was staggering from royalist resistance and a devastating earthquake that had driven many over to the other side. In desperation, Republican leaders named Miranda Generalissimo, with absolute power over military decisions. This made him the first president of a breakaway Spanish republic in Latin America, although his rule did not last long. As the republic crumbled, Miranda made terms with Spanish commander Domingo Monteverde for an armistice. In the port of La Guaira, Miranda attempted to flee Venezuela before the arrival of royalist forces. Simon Bolivar and others, infuriated at Mirandas actions, arrested him and turned him over to the Spanish. Miranda was sent to a Spanish prison, where he remained until his death on July 14, 1816. Legacy Francisco de Miranda is a complicated historical figure. He was one of the greatest adventurers of all time, having escapades from Catherine the Greats bedroom to the American Revolution to escaping revolutionary France in a disguise. His life reads like a Hollywood movie script. Throughout his life, he was dedicated to the cause of South American independence and worked very hard to achieve that goal. Still, it is hard to determine how much he actually did to bring about the independence of his homeland. He left Venezuela at the age of 20 or so and traveled the world, but by the time he wanted to liberate his homeland 30 years later, his provincial countrymen had barely heard of him. His lone attempt at an invasion of liberation failed miserably. When he had the chance to lead his nation, he arranged a truce so repulsive to his fellow rebels that none other than Simon Bolivar himself handed him over to the Spanish. Mirandas contributions must be measured by another ruler. His extensive networking in Europe and the United States helped pave the way for South American independence. The leaders of these other nations, impressed as they all were by Miranda, occasionally supported South American independence movements—or at least did not oppose them. Spain would be on its own if it wanted to keep its colonies. Most telling, perhaps, is Mirandas place in the hearts of South Americans. He is named the Precursor of independence, while Simon Bolivar is the Liberator. Sort of like a John the Baptist to Bolivars Jesus, Miranda prepared the world for the delivery and liberation that was to come. South Americans today have great respect for Miranda: he has an elaborate tomb in the National Pantheon of Venezuela despite the fact that he was buried in a Spanish mass grave and his remains were never identified. Even Bolivar, the greatest hero of South American independence, is despised for turning Miranda over to the Spanish. Some consider it the most questionable moral action the Liberator undertook. Sources Harvey, Robert.  Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence  Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 2000.Racine, Karen. Francisco de Miranda: A Transatlantic Life in the Age of Revolution. Wilmington, Deleware: SR Books, 2003.

Personal Journal And Love Writing Poetry - 1161 Words

At the start of this English 1A course I ran into a few struggling problems. The first was I hadn’t written much since high school, though I do try to keep a personal journal and love writing poetry. Between having to go to work taking care of a dog maintaining a social life and attending school writing quickly became an old pastime. So, upon being told to freewrite the first day of class I froze, not remembering how to write, though I am someone who usually has plenty to say. Once I got started another problem soon arose my mind was no longer aware of how to properly write a paper. A jumble of words came up that I couldn’t remember how to spell so I would end up changing the word I was using or what I was saying. Next was punctuation I rarely know where to place: colons, hyphens, brackets, apostrophes, etc. They have tended to be a confusing part of writing throughout my entire life. I used to believe I knew where to put commas, but after having to edit a few papers due to comma placement I am no longer sure. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for my love of writing to kick back into gear due to learning a new form of writing. This style is freewriting and isn’t focused on factors such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Sadly, I got a little too carried away with the idea that I could just throw words on paper and received criticism on my collage for a few awkward word choices. However, freewriting is still an important style dedicated to helping thoughts make it fromShow MoreRelatedEssay On Music Arts707 Words   |  3 Pagesparticipants (Flood Phillips, 2007). Poetry proposes numerous reimbursements for the elderly adult by inciting understanding, encouraging life evaluations, and inspiring the perseverance of uncertain struggles (Flood Phillips, 2007). 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Her thoughtsRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 1564 Words   |  7 Pageshis way to the top of the literary world. Once you learn to handle some criticism and crazy, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. The first genre I chose to include is poetry because it shows how Steinbeck’s personal life could have been. I also chose to include a journal entry because Steinbeck’s certain writing style is unique and would be intriguing to see how he creates his magnificent ideas for his stories. The third genre is an news article because the life of John Steinbeck’s is oneRead MoreThe Peak of Romanticism1191 Words   |  5 PagesLove, lust, passion, and desire all of these put together can cause great explosion. Romanticism began in England about the year 1798. The poets of England started writing about nature, imagination, and idealism. Most poets wrote considering the changes occurring in England during the revolutionary era. 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Trade and Finance Eco372 Free Essays

International Trade and Finance Speech ECO/ 372 March 21, 2013 Good evening everyone! It is a pleasure to be here. This evening I will first briefly review the International trade and Financial state of our economy†¦.. We will write a custom essay sample on Trade and Finance Eco372 or any similar topic only for you Order Now What happens when there is a surplus of imports brought into the U. S Domestic producers competing with imports suffer from lower prices and fewer sales. They have less revenue and resource owners doing the production have less income. However, Domestic consumers enjoy lower prices! Whenever there is a surplus of products, regardless of origin, the price drops. Even to the point of selling at a loss, the holder has already paid the invoice and taxes, but still has to pay storage, the longer it holds the product the more money it costs, selling at a loss moves the product out of storage and clears the store front for another product. Take the case of car sales, do you really think that cutting $10,000 of the price of a $40K car makes sense if you can sell it for $40K. * What are the effects of international trade to GDP, domestic markets and university student’s. International Trade to GDP In order to understand international trade it is important to recognize what the effects of international trade have on the GDP, domestic markets and university students. International trade is essentially when two or more countries exchange goods and services. Many countries export their goods and services to other countries and in turn may also import goods and services from other countries into their own. There have been exceptional achievements with technology, which have made it much easier to trade on an international level. The communication, as a result of these technology advancements, has improved exponentially and it has truly simplified this process. With that being said it can be confirmed that international trade has a profound effect on the GDP, domestic markets and even university students like me. There are many countries that are rich in technology, like China and Japan, and others that have bountiful natural resources, like Iraq, that have a weighty impact on us specifically. The U. S. s one of the largest contributors to international trade and in fact our GDP is overwhelmingly impacted because we are huge import consumers. We rely heavily on products from other countries and import much more than what we export. This not only impact our GDP, thus lowering it since we are importing more than exporting, and also has an impact on our domestic markets because we. How do government choices in regards to tariffs and quotas affect international relations and trades? The government certainly makes many choices particularly when it comes to economics. The big question is how do government choices in regards to tariffs and quotas affect international relations and trade? First and foremost it is important to understand that tariffs and quotas are in place to encourage the government to make choices on how much quantity they will agree to have imported and exported and additionally the amount of taxes that will be collected in order to avoid discarding of those goods or services. Foreign investors are encourages to play a role in international trade by having exchange rates in place. There are also government policies in place that aid to avert certain goods and services from entering our country. In essence the main objective of the government and the choices that they make regarding tariffs and quotas is to do what is best for our economy to keep it stable and lucrative. What are foreign exchange rates? How are they determined? In order to understand foreign exchange rates we must ask the question of what are they and how are they determined? Because economic growth within a country is important, the government makes certain that fiscal and monetary policies are in place to ensure that this growth continues. Because there are goods and services which are traded between different countries around the world, there are foreign exchange rate payments that are required to be paid for those exchanges. This foreign exchange rate will differ from country to country. Why doesn’t the US simply restrict all goods coming in from China? Why can’t the US just minimize the amount of imports coming in from all other countries? Naturally there are many people that have asked the question of why the U. S. does not simply restrict all goods coming in from China, as an example? Why can’t the U. S. just minimize the amount of imports coming in from all other countries as well? It is difficult to restrict imports from other countries particularly in the U. S where there is a large group of consumers who are demanding goods and services from other countries. In order to satisfy the demands of people who want these goods or services from other countries the government allows for this easy trading and does earn revenue from duties and taxes on these imports. This helps to boost our own countries economy. References Colander, D. C. (2010). Macroeconomics. (8th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. United States Department of Labor. (n. d. ). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from http://www. bls. gov/eag/eag. us. htm. Trading Economics. (2012). United States Consumer Confidence. Retrieved from http://www. tradingeconomics. com/united-states/consumer-confidence. CBS NEWS. (n. d. ). US Consumer Spending Up, but Income Lags. Retrieved from http://www. cbsnews. com/8301-500395_162-57406993/us-consumer-spending-up-but-income-lags/. Appelbaum, B. (March 2012). The New York Times: As Fed Officials Prepare to Meet, They Await Clearer Economic Signals. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2012/03/12/business/as-fed-meeting-nears-it-awaits-clearer-economic-signals. html? ref=interestrates. How to cite Trade and Finance Eco372, Papers

Hamlet and Human Nature Essay Example For Students

Hamlet and Human Nature Essay In order to rot, one must first be fresh. In order for there to be evil, there must first be good. In order to die, one must first be born. Thus, the natural state of mankind revolves, as does a garden. William Shakespeare makes this point abundantly clear in his play Hamlet. Using a minor character, Marcellus, Shakespeare proclaims, â€Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.† Applying this quote to human nature and the continued illusion to a garden, one could resolve that the â€Å"rotten† state of Denmark is comparable to the cyclical characteristics of man and nature. â€Å"Frailty, thy name is woman.† Hamlet’s animosity towards his mother is quite understandable. From his point of view he feels betrayed and abandoned. Not only has it been less that two months since the kings body has lain with the worms, but Gertrude has in this short time period discovered another body to warm her bed. Hamlet’s feelings churn between melancholy, uneasy, and anguish. The inability to deal with his emotions is comparable to that of a gardener who has lost his determination to weed his garden. To imply frailty in the above quote also implies that if the woman/garden is treated right then benefits will be forth comings. However, the benefits must be earned, otherwise the frail flower will be over taken by the aggressive weed. Speaking of conflict, another allusion to combat is created in Act I scene i. Upon the Ghost’s entrance one is bombarded with images or war and threat. The stalking figure of the dead king Hamlet is clothed in armor. The recognition shown him, by means of Marcellus and Horation. suggests that Hamlet was often found dressed in such a manner. From the reaction it may not be too far out to assume that Denmark was in a near state of perpetual conflict. If man is to fight or be in conflict with another man most of the time then it can be presumed; he is evil, for warfare is evil. Just as the weed spreads so must the evil. Polonius summed up the ongoing resolution when he established that,â€Å"Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.† Relating this quote to the garden image, one must take notice that it slips in like the last piece of the puzzle. The ecstasy, or madness, is actuality symbolic for the wild growth in the garden. While the ‘method’ is a repeating cycle which revolves from fresh to rot. Thus bringing the madness to a close. The unweeded garden imagery Shakespeare employs is that of the wild taking over the fresh, destroying it from the inside. The ‘rot’ Marcellus mentions is indeed the same thing. Looking at all the aspects mentioned above the connection is clear. Everything changes, change is inherent. In order to die one must first be born. In order to be good there must first be evil. In order to be fresh one in the end must rot.Bibliography:shakespeare, william. HAMLET.

Poems comparing Country Lovers and What Its like to be a Black Girl

This essay compares Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and What It’s like to be a Black Girl by Patricia Smith. The works of these authors explore various themes such as race or ethnicity, prejudice, the quest for freedom, and inequality in societies. The focus of this essay is on the theme of race or ethnicity both Gordimer and Smith explore in their works. The essay shall compare and contrast the two works with regard to literary style, form, and content.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Poems comparing: Country Lovers and What It’s like to be a Black Girl specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gordimer has written several novels and short stories. The author has the ability to create a short story with the well-informed themes, which engage her readers. In Country Lovers, Gordimer portrays the struggle of a black woman during Apartheid in South Africa. She shows racial prejudice, characters inner struggl es, and confusion. Gordimer manages to capture several ways people suffer in a racial society as they undergo and endure catastrophic moments. Gordimer uses the theme of racism in order to provoke high-levels of human emotions within few pages of the story. Gordimer presents the story of love between a white skinned Afrikaner and a black skinned girl in a farm setting. Gordimer notes, â€Å"The trouble was Paulus Eysendyck did not seem to realize that Thebedi was now simply one of the crowds of farm children down at the kraal, recognizable in his sister’s old clothes† (Gordimer, 1978). It is obvious that Paulus developed love for the black, Thebedi. The author writes, â€Å"The schoolgirls he went swimming with at dams or pools on neighboring farms wore bikinis, but the sight of their dazzling bellies and thighs in the sunlight had never made him feel what he felt now when the girl came† (Gordimer, 1978). The society and the law did not approve of such relations hips in South Africa during the Apartheid era. Immorality Act 1950 to 1985 of the Apartheid prohibited all forms of sexual relations between blacks and whites. Another law of 1949 known as the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act banned all interracial marriages in South Africa (Tyson, 1999). Such laws caused serious problems for Paulus and Thebedi because their secret love affair was against Immorality Act. Gordimer notes, â€Å"She had to get away before the house servants who knew her came in at dawn† (Gordimer, 1978). Thebedi and Paulus kept their affair going despite harsh laws discouraging racial relations.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gordimer notes that both black and white children played together when they were young, but when the whites attend school, â€Å"they soon don’t play together anymore† (Gordimer, 1978). This implies that racism h ad minimal influences on children. This marks the spread of racism among children. It shows that boarding schools create a sense of superiority among whites as a result blacks refer to their former friends as ‘missus and baasie’. In the poem, What it’s like to be a Black Girl, Smith explores the issue of racism in a jagged society. The persona (a black girl) is at the threshold of puberty and feels a sense of discomfort with her changing physical body and mind as she hopes for better changes. Smith uses narration in order to drive her point of racism to readers in the first three lines of the poem. The style relies on â€Å"jagged sentence structure† (Pfeiler, 2003) coupled with a language of profanity to show her readers the seriousness of the poem. Thus, we can be able to understand young black girls’ lives in 1950s when she wrote the poem. Smith explores how racism affected black women in her time. Racism went to the extent of affecting health of women in society. For instance, transition into womanhood was an ordeal for black girls in a racial society, â€Å"it’s dropping food coloring in your eyes to make them blue and suffering their burn in silence† (Smith, 1955). Consequently, black girls embraced puberty with a sense of confusion and sadness, â€Å"First of all, it’s being 9 years old and feeling like you’re not finished, like your edges are wild, like there’s something, everything, wrong† (Smith, 1955). Every teenage girl experiences such thoughts. However, Smith introduces the idea of racially jagged society and its pressure on girls by inserting ‘black girl’. The society is changing for young black girls. As a result, young girls have to find means of fitting in a racially jagged society using several ways, â€Å"It’s dropping food coloring in your eyes to make them blue and suffering their burn in silence. It’s popping a bleached white mop head over the kinks of your hair and priming in front of the mirrors that deny your reflection† (Smith, 1955). The usages of â€Å"food coloring in eyes and hair bleaching† (Smith, 1955) show how a young black girl struggle to grow into acceptable woman in a racial society. She aims to be like white women, who have white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes and then men would admire.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Poems comparing: Country Lovers and What It’s like to be a Black Girl specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Historical analysis requires readers’ knowledge of historical events of the time (Tyson, 1999). This enables readers to understand the form and context of literary works in the context of history. Therefore, we can understand both Country Lover and What It’s like to be a Black Girl in the context of history. Readers can only imagine what blacks experienced at the time of Apar theid and its effects on mixed raced relationships. For instance, Gordimer notes, â€Å"He told her, each time, when they would meet again† because they cannot be seen in public together (Clugston, 2010). From the above sentence, we can understand why the relationship between Thebedi and Paulus was socially wrong. The Apartheid laws prohibited such relationships between mixed races. The white people controlled most aspects of social life in South Africa. Their children attended best schools and learned ideas about racial segregation in society. On the other hand, blacks learned to respect white people as they grew up. Therefore, understanding the historical context of Country Lover enables readers to understand the position of a black woman when Paulus murdered the baby. Both the poem and the short story have shown historical forms and settings. Gordimer and Smith wrote their works while racism was a dominant factor in a relationship between whites and black. Apartheid reflec ted racial discrimination in South Africa, whereas sense of skin color discrimination showed racial discrimination in American society. Both works show that racism influenced all aspects of life, including individual appearances and interracial marriages. In the case of Thebedi, racism denied Thebedi justice following the murder of her child. Within the historical context, Gordimer aims to invoke social protest using her short story. She highlights and draws readers’ attention to contemporary social problems in South Africa as she hopes for change (Lazar, 1993). On the other hand, the poem depicts a black girl struggling to fit in a racial society (Smith, 1955). Therefore, we can only understand lives of Black Americans during racial segregation and discrimination based on skin color. In the poem, we can relate to the struggle of a young black as she struggles to grow into an acceptable woman in a racial society (Pfeiler, 2003). Smith uses the form of confessional poetry in w hich she explores intensely experiences of black women with unusual frankness. This was the case in 1950s when writers condemned social issues in society. Smith aims to bring readers’ attention to social pressure black women experience in order to gain acceptance in a racial society.Advertising Looking for essay on comparative literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Smith also uses her poem as a form of social protest with the hope that social circumstances will improve as she notes, â€Å"it’s finally have a man reach out for you then caving in around his fingers† (Smith, 1955). The contents of What It’s like to be a Black Girl and Country Lover have women to depict racism in societies as they deal with unfairness in societies as protagonists of the story. Both writers use black women because such acts affect them most in society. Smith uses vocal style to express her feelings in the poem. This style of expression enables readers to understand that being a black woman in a racial society tough. The author uses words, which arouse a sense of sadness and indignation such as ‘everything wild’ and ‘suffering their burn in silence’. Thus, a black girl must engage in activities, which will make her to look like a white woman for social acceptance. The sense of bitterness drives the poet to use profane l anguage in her poem, â€Å"it’s learning to say fuck with grace, and fucking without it† (Smith, 1955). This symbolizes the way a black woman feels in a racial society. Gordimer and Smith show that children do not understand differences in society due to racism. For instance, in the poem, the black girl has â€Å"a sad tone and does not understand why she is different† (Pfeiler, 2003). On the other side, the short story shows that both white and black children play together when they are young. However, as they grow up, racism influences their actions and feelings. Paulus ends up killing Thebedi’s child while the black girl has to endure suffering in silence. The authors show that racism is destructive irrespective of where it occurs. From these female characters, we can be able to understand what it meant to grow up during Apartheid era in South Africa in the 1970s and in America in 1950s during racial segregation and discrimination. Gordimer presents he r work from a third person point of view. This style enables the writer to present the story in an unbiased manner without authorial bias. We can conclude that both literary works present historical realities of racism in different settings. Historical circumstances shape events of these literary works. Therefore, these literary works use women protagonists in order to expose harsh realities, which black women experience in racial societies. Societies of the 1900s considered interracial romance a taboo due to racial prejudice at the time. Consequently, such racial prejudice could only lead to devastating consequences. The style, form, and content of both works show how whites in South Africa and America heightened racial tension in which blacks suffered in most cases. Therefore, we can learn of social stigma of being black as a social reality of the problem at the time. References Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey into literature. San Diego, California: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Gor dimer, N. (1978). Country Lover. Pasadena, CA: Salem Press. Lazar, K. (1993). Feminism as Piffling’? Ambiguities in Nadine Gordimer’s Short Stories. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Pfeiler, M. (2003). Sounds of Poetry: Contemporary American Performance Poets. Tubingen, Germany: Gunter Narr Verlag. Smith, P. (1955). ‘What It’s Like To Be A Black Girl (for Those of You Who Aren’t)†. Web. Tyson, L. (1999). Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide. New York: Garland Publishing. This essay on Poems comparing: Country Lovers and What It’s like to be a Black Girl was written and submitted by user Gloria F. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Pygmies Essays - African Pygmies, Mbuti People, Ef People

Pygmies Essays - African Pygmies, Mbuti People, Ef People Pygmies Pygmy groups are scattered throughout equatorial Africa, from Cameroon in the west to Zambia in the southeast. In Zaire, there are three main groups of Pygmies: the Tswa in the west, the Twa between Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika, and the Mbuti (also referred to as Bambuti or BaMbuti) of the Ituri Forest. According to Schebesta, the author of the earliest reliable reports, only the Mbuti are true Pygmies, i.e., under 150 cm. in height and relatively unmixed with neighboring peoples. The other groups are referred to as Pygmoids, being highly intermixed with other peoples both physically and culturally (Turnbull 1965A: 159-B). The following summary refers only to the Mbuti Pgymies of the Ituri Forest in Zaire. The Mbuti are located at lat. 0 degrees-3 degrees N and long. 26 degrees-30 degrees E. Their territory is a primary rain forest. The Mbuti have conventionally been divided into three groups, which are distinct from each other linguistically, economically, and geographically. Each of the three groups speaks a different language (which corresponds to the language spoken by neighboring villagers), practices different hunting techniques, and is territorially distinct. The Aka speak the Mangbetu language (Sudanic family), hunt primarily with spears, and live in the north. These spear-hunters have not been extensively studied. The Efe speak the Lese language (Sudanic family), are archers, and are located in the east. The Efe were studied by Schebesta. The Sua speak the Bira language (Bantu branch of the Benue-Congo family), hunt with nets, and live to the south. They were studied by Putnam and Turnbull. The most profound difference between the three groups, the linguistic difference, is, according to Turnbull, of recent origin and is purely accidental (Turnbull 1965B 22-23). Furthermore, in spite of the fact that the three languages are very different, there are enough similarities in intonation to make it possible for Pygmies to recognize, if not comprehend, each other. All of the Pygmies of the Ituri Forest recognize themselves by the term Mbuti, and the only political identity they have is in opposition to the village cultivators. The Mbuti as a whole are clearly distinct from these village neighbors both racially and culturally, and, Turnbull says, the economic differences between the three Mbuti groups mask a basic structural unity (Turnbull 1965B: 22-23). Since there has never been an official demographic census, it is impossible to give an accurate estimate of the total Mbuti population. From discussion with missionaries and administrators and from his own experience, however, Turnbull guessed that the population was approximately 40,000 in 1958 (Turnbull 1965B: 26). The Mbuti live in territorially defined nomadic bands. The membership of these bands is very fluid. Bands have no formal political structure; there are no chiefs, and there is no council. An informal consensus among old respected men is the basis of decisions affecting the entire camp. In spite of Turnbull's insistence on basic structural unity, the differences in hunting techniques aqppear to have considerable effect upon the nature of the band organization. Net hunting is a cooperative venture, requiring the cooperation of the whole band, including the women and children. Archery, on the other hand, is primarily a family venture, requiring only two or three men. The most obvious distinction resulting from the economic differences is that of band size. Archer bands average about 6 huts per band, while net-hunting bands average about 15 huts. The Mbuti maintain relationships with surrounding village cultivators whose languages the Mbuti have adopted. Many accounts indicate that the Mbuti are highly acculturated and have adopted many features of villager lifestyle beyond language, such as the clan system and certain religious observances. Turnbull feels that these features are quite superficial, however. The relationship between the Mbuti and the villagers is maintained on several different levels, centering around trade. The Pygmies bring the villagers honey and meat in return for plantation products. This economic exchange can occur on several levels: between the band and the village as a whole (capita/chief), between lineage and lineage (lineage elder/Kpara), or between individuals (kare/kare). The first type of relationship does not occur very often, exchanges being more easily conducted on an interpersonal basis. The lineage relationship is hereditary on both sides. The kare brotherhood is established in nkumbi initiations. In the nkumbi initiation, male villagers and Mbuti are circumcised. The relationship established in the initiation is continued throughout life and centers around economic exchange. The religious life of the Mbuti is not at all clear. Early reports state that they had no religion at all, and later reports dwell on whether or not the Mbuti relationship to the supernatural structurally constitutes religion (usually defined by belief in one supreme being) or magic. In

The Theory of Value Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Theory of Value - Term Paper Example This will include the critique of the neoclassical economists and their theories and concepts. It will critique the marginalists and what they put forward in their theorization of Economics. Adam Smith & The Theory of Economics Adam Smith is widely accepted as the â€Å"father of Economics†. However, it appears that his view of Economics was steeped in a culture of treatises that were being written by philosophers and theorists who sought to explain how a modern and â€Å"civilized† nation should behave. This include a generation of writers who came before him like Hume, Locke and several others who put forward theories and views about various aspect of social organization. Adam Smith defined the theory of value and the creation of wealth in his book Wealth of Nations. In the book, he primarily defined the division of work as a fundamental element of creating value for nations and societies in his era (Smith, 2000a). According to Adam Smith, the division of work theory was meant to harness and bring together skills, dexterity and judgment to produce goods and services for consumers who needed them in the modern society. This was to involve the break down of manufacturing into separate parts. Thus, the production cycle was to be divided into different units whereby people would take up various duties, specialize and produce to meet specification. This proposition inevitably sought to promote an improved quality of work. Adam Smith's value creation system was to be controlled by individuals who would have access and control of the various production systems and factories. These entrepreneurs would seek to increase the quality of work and create value by breaking down work and allowing people to do it as jobs or employment rather than as slaves (Smith, 2000a). Instead of slaves being kept and fed, people would be allowed to work in exchange for wages and there could be a public sector that regulated some universal aspects of life. This include politi cs and government that would run the society and help things to run well. However, individuals had to do things in the right way and manner. According to Adam Smith, (2000b), the society with a private and property owning ideology had to be regulated with some degree of moral philosophies which he classified in four main classes: 1. Ethics of Virtue 2. Private rights and national liberty. 3. Familial rights (Economics) and 4. State and Individual rights (Politics) These systems could be said to have influenced the conceptualization of private enterprises, the public sector, rule of law and politics/government. Adam Smith's theories were the actualize and rationalize the concepts of Reverend Thomas Malthus which were primarily related to the need for some kind of controls and checks to promote humanity. In Malthus' theories and ideas, the world was on the verge of seeing a crisis. Until checks and controls were put forward, people were likely to suffer severely. Adam Smith's work was one of the first works that sought to provide a logical and structured view of how to deal with the impending social disasters with the rising numbers of people. The Classical Theorists David Ricardo read about Adam Smith's concepts and theories from his book Wealth of Nations in the late 1700s and he embraced his ideas systematically. Ricardo's book, Principles of Political Economy and Taxation released in 1817 was a

The effect of Emotional Intelligence in Nursing performance and stress Essay

The effect of Emotional Intelligence in Nursing performance and stress levels - Essay Example During the last decade, researches have flourished to define, measure, and differentiate emotional intelligence from other types of intelligence, and examined its value and its relation with other variables, such as behaviors, characteristic, processes, and outcome. Emotional intelligence was also used in the field of psychology, education, business, leadership, and recently health care and nursing. In nursing, the emotional intelligence is a topic of keen interest in these few years (Quoidbach and Hansenne, 2009). Several claims are reported noting that emotional intelligence does not only play a significant role in nursing but also in other areas, such as, managing emotions, regulating relationships, facilitating decision making and communication, empowering leadership, and as a guide to success and perfection. In contrast, there are some critiques that condemn emotional intelligence for being vague, poorly defined, immeasurable, and over magnified (Smith et al., 2009). Aim of the Paper The aim of this paper is to critically review the literature of emotional intelligence and its effect on improving nursing performance at individual and team levels in addition to reducing stress, burnout and health complains. The possibility and the degree of enhancing emotional intelligence, and its applicability in real life will be discussed in this paper. The Emotional Intelligence concept has been born in literature by Salovey and Mayer in 1990, who defined it as an ability to inspect, perceive, manage and employ emotions of self and others in order to achieve success. As a result of this concept, Salovey and Mayer (1990) created a model known as The Ability Model. Although emotional intelligence became scientifically noticed within the academic field, it had only bore limited publicity during that time. Not until the publication of an emotional intelligence book by Goleman in 1995 when it gained its popularity. Goleman's emotional intelligence model called Mixed or Perf ormance Model, is the most popular model, which merges personality traits and emotional domains, and pay attention to performance outcomes. Several emotional intelligence models and tools have emerged thereafter; however, even though these models have used different wordings, the four common domains were still shared by most of these models. These domains include self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship management. The emotional intelligence tools from the aforementioned models varied according to its way of defining, understanding emotional intelligence and the model it’s derived from, but at the end, most of these tools have common purpose which is to measure emotional intelligence with different validity and reliability (Beauvais et al., 2010, Landa et al., 2007, Kooker et al., 2007, and Smith et al., 2009). Search Strategy To begin with, broad scope search was done via several databases and search engine, such as the Emerald, Wiley, Ovid, and Go ogle scholar, but most of the papers were found on Science direct. At first, the results were as many as 33,318 using emotional intelligence as the key word; nevertheless, the result starts to drop gradually from 10,678 to 79 papers after using more specific key words such as emotional intelligence and performance, emotional intelligence and team, emotional intelli

Celestial Women beneath a Mango Tree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Celestial Women beneath a Mango Tree - Essay Example One such painting is that of the ‘Celestial Woman beneath a Mango Tree’, an exquisite piece of art with its sublime antiquity awaits interpretation since its formation and continues unveiling the mysteries and social conventions as well as intricacies of 11th century India. The painting, â€Å"Celestial Woman beneath the Mango Tree† is actually inspired from the sandstone sculptor at the Jain Temple situated in Madhya Pradesh or Southern Uttar Pradesh of India and the sculptor was made during the mid 9th Century. This piece of art is an exquisite example of bracket art genre and was used to connect the pillar with the ceiling. Original structure of the temple contained four such art pieces giving an expression of joyous atmosphere putting their glance upon the devotees from four corners of the temple and gracing the minds of the devotees glancing upward with their auspicious presence. The divine lady is poised under a mango tree and ignorant about the monkeys perching on it. The lines of the masterpiece are bold and significant uses of the primary colours are evident. The dominant use of the blue colour with a shade of deep to light relates the picture to the celestial realm. The red fruits and yellow flowers are significant and act as a genuine eye-catcher. The motif of the painting is clear enough to support the voluptuous figurine and the ornaments and the features of the woman are distinct, sharp and also well bred amid the play of light and shade. According to the ancient Indian myth and lore, the laughter and of a lady was held responsible for the blossom of mango. Here the deity evidently symbolizes fertility and in its iconic representation, the deity is symbolic to motherhood.   

The Industrial And Commercial Bank Of China

The Industrial And Commercial Bank Of China The main aspect which has been taken into account in this report addresses the understanding of various global business strategies and organisation form and structure of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) locally and globally to earn its competetive advantage. The relevant theories were taken into consideration and the in-depth analysis of global business strategy which were used by ICBC was undertaken. This report contains background informatin of the bank. The Chineses banking enviornment was taken into consideration as well as the internal enviornment of the company was analysed with the help of SWOT, PESTEL and Porter 5 forces frameworks. To illustrate the performance of the ICBC a resource audit, which includes assets, resources and core competencies was presented. This report is focuses on the identification of companys local and global corporate strategy . This report concludes with the strategic implementation of its policies, challenges which are being faced by ICBC and reccomendation to deal with those challenges. Introduction: ICBC offers its customers various financial services. ICBC operates all across the globe. According to Forbes (2011) ICBC is the seventh largest publich company. History of ICBC: ICBC started with registered capital of 20.8 billion Yuan and the capital and assets added up-to 333.3 billion Yuan. In the late eighties ICBC became the formal member of International Saving Banks Institute. In October 1989 ICBC introduced the Peony Quasi Credit Card for the first time. The ICBC network in 91 cities got connected with a nationwide computer network system in October 1990. In the early nineties the bank was according to the Euromoney Journal was ranked number 8 in terms of capital share. ICBC went global in March 1992 and its first overseas subsidiary was set up in Singapore. In November 1995 ICBC expanded out of Asia and their first office in Europe was in London. ICBC went online in December 1997 and their official website was launched. ICBC jointly with Hong Kong Bank of East Asia acquired ICBC-BEA Finance Shareholding Co. Ltd with a 75% of shareholding in February 1998. In September 1999 ICBC launched 95588 its telephone banking services nationwide and in February and August 2000 respectively, ICBC began its Corporate Internet Banking and Personal Internet Banking services. In May of 2002 Peony Card Centre was established and it became the first professional bankcard business organization in China Peony Card became a sought after brand. Furthermore, in 2003 ICBC signed Agreement with Microsoft (China) in Beijing for the co-operation of Personal Internet Bankings security. The same year on December 18, ICBC launched its new personal Internet banking product [emailprotected]. In February 2004 PricewaterhouseCoopers designed ICBCs 8 year plan for corporate governance system and over-all risk management reform system and ICBC put it in practice in April 2005 under the State Councils Approval. Moreover on October 27, 2009, with 236 billion restricted shares released to the market ICBC becomes the No.1 A-share quoted company and the largest bank in the world by market capitalization. In the last quarter of 2009 the ICBC has expanded itself as it h ad received the business licence to operate in ICBC Malaysia Company Limited from Bank Negara Malaysia and ICBC Hanoi Branch, the first license issued to a foreign bank this year. December 16, 2009, The Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially approved and issued a wholesale banking license to ICBC to set up a branch in Abu Dhabi, a new ICBC branch in the Middle East for ICBC to spread its wings in the region. Organisational structure of ICBC: Organisational structure can be considered as a pyramid shaped system that positions the relations between the entities within an organisation vertically. Authority, power and responsibility are focused at the top and the decisions are made here and are implemented by the rest of the organisation. (Daft, Murphy, Willmott, 2010) The structure of ICBC is a hybrid structure, a combination of characteristics of various approaches tailored to specific strategic needs (Daft,2007). Functional and divisional structures combined create the organisational strucutre of ICBC. The organisation structure of ICBC consists of series of supportive departments expert in functional duties, containing Comprehensive Administration Departments, supervisory Supporting Departments and Affiliated Institutions. In the functions economy of scale is encourged due to functional structure. A management model of centralized legal person authorization and controlling one level down and supervising two levels lower is implemented by ICBC. The banking system of ICBC is centeralised in one location. (ICBC, 2009) The strategic business unit refers to the divisional structure. ICBC contains a number of Business Development Departments: Corporate Banking, personal banking, investment banking and e-banking, etc. which can fullfil individual needs and satisfactions of clients. A hybrid structure proposes greater flexibility for organisation (Daft, 2007) that aligns with the current corporate aims and strategy with divisional goals, functional expertise and productivity. Source: ICBC Annual Report 2005 The latest chart of organisation is attached in the appendix. The distribution of power: The distribution of power has been more decentralised and flexible after ICBC turned into a public corporation as compare to early times when it was not listed. Now every hierarchical level has a decent chance to take their decision on their own. Hence, the working attitudes of its employees might increase. Now they will be more motivated as they are part of decision making process and will share the success as well as the losses of the company. The biggest drawback of this managemnt style will be communication network. With decentralising, it will be difficult to communicate with other hierachical levels because of their interest conflicts. (ICBC, 2009) Enviornmental Scanning: To analyse the strategic position of any company there are several frameworks, techniques, and methods such as SWOT analysis, PESTEL and Porters 5 forces available. SWOT-Analysis: SWOT is an abbreviation for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. SWOT analysis is used to identify the internal and external factors which can be used to achieve a certain goal or improve the performance of any business. Strengths and Weaknesses are the internal factors of an organisation and Opportunities and Threats are the external factors to that organisation. The internal factors relate to any company and the external factors relate to the external environment of the organisation. (What is SWOT Analysis, 2011) Strengths: With a market value of $239,5 billion, ICBC is worlds leading bank in the world by market capitalization and it is also one of the Big Four in the domestic Chinese banking industry and has a leading marketing share in China. Due to a strong distribution of network which consist of 18,000 domestic institutions, 203 overseas institutions and over 1,440 correspondent banks worldwide, as well as 7,085 self-service banking centres and 28,656 automated teller machines ICBC has been providing its financial services to (3.10 million corporate banking, 190 million personal banking ) customers. ICBC also developed further the cash management as it got the Best RMB Cash Management Services (China) Award by the magazines The Asset and FinanceAsia. in 2008 with the score of 96.23 ICBC topped the list of 50 Most Honoured Listed Companies of China as well as was awarded the best custodian bank by The Asset, Global Custodian, Global Finance and Securities Times. Source: own presentation With 240 million issued bank cards in 2008 ICBC was the largest credit card issuing bank in China, an increase of 28.20 million over the end of 2007. Therefore, Visa and MasterCard had awarded ICBC with Award for Leading Technology of Credit Card and Best Product Innovation of the Year respectively. ICBC is into investment banking, wealth management, insurance and asset management which lead it to the universal banking model alongside the traditional banking which helped them to diversify their revenue flow. In FY2008 and FY2009, the bank generated around 52% of total revenues from corporate banking, personal banking generates 32% of revenues, treasury and other operations contribute 16% of the total revenues. Diverse sources of revenue such as settlement, clearing and cash management, investment banking, corporate wealth management, asset fiduciary, guarantee and commitment were the main causes for non-interest income. Weaknesses: ICBCs allowance in financial year (FY) 2008 and FY2009 amounted to 130.15% and 164.41% of total non-performing loans which was higher than the impairment losses on loans in absolute terms of last two years. This increase in allowances was on account of both external and internal factors. Hence, the profitability of the bank was affected by the increased allowances for impairments. Opportunities: At the end of 2010, ICBC had 203 branches in 18 overseas countries and regions and established correspondent bank relationships with 1,358 overseas banks in 122 countries and regions all across the globe. According to Swiss Re, Total takaful premiums written in 2007 was about US$1.7 billion, and it is expected to propagate to US$7 billion by 2015. ICBC can secure the benefits of being the first Chinese player venturing into Islamic banking. Several products and new services has been introduced by the ICBC after the financial crisis as well as facilitating the foreign trade companies to conduct export and import business. Chinas insurance market is growing rapidly. . In 2013, the Chinese insurance market is forecast to have a gross premium income of $353.4 billion, an increase of over 100% since 2008. Threats: After enjoying the double digit growth for last several years, and the banking industry was benefited most of it but late Chinese economy is having a slight decline. In second quarter of 2010, Chinas economy grew by 10.3%, down from 11.9% in the first quarter of 2010 and it might remain the same for the last 2 quarters as well. With emerging China several foreign banks are interested in or already started to undertake a number of businesses, including custodian services investors, insurance agency business etc. Foreign banks in China are allowed to offer over 100 types of products and services under 12 broad categories of business activity. According to the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), within the five years since Chinas WTO accession in early 2002, operational entities opened by foreign banks increased from 190 to 312. Since foreign institutional investors were first allowed to invest in Chinese banks starting in 1996, 35 overseas banks have acquired stakes in 23 Chinese banks by 2008. As competition was continued to intensify in 2009. Hence, this could affect the revenues and profits of the bank. PESTEL Analysis: PESTEL is not just the internal environment but also the macro-economic factors affecting the external environment of a company affect the way it conducts business. These factors need to be kept in mind while formulating strategies and making decisions for the future. Demand and supply may fluctuate due to a number of vital variables that may not be in the control of the management. PEST-EL analysis is a framework used for categorizing Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal issues influencing the operating environment of the organization (Johnson and Scholes 2008). Political: In 1976 China made a huge breakthrough when it abandoned its old autocratic socialist system and turned into to modern Socialism which was more focused on Market-oriented economy. China has intensified its involvement to international organization since 1990s. After becoming the member of World Trade Organisation (WTO) China has opened the doors for the foreign banks to enter the Chinese banking industry. Economic: China besides India is one of the emerging giants and it has already occupied the second place as worlds biggest economy after USA. Therefore, China is a very attractive destination for all the foreign companies especially in the manufacturing sector. There is a slight decline in the Chinese Economy due to the financial crisis but the forecast for the coming years is much brighter. In comparison to planned economy before 1976, China is reforming its economy now for a more open market and free trade with other countries. Social: China ranks at the top in terms of population which is 1,331,460,000 till 2009. China lacks the high potential individuals and has the insufficient leadership which can follow the rapid economic growth. To control the population the policy of one child is not seen everywhere with the correct frame of mind. The biggest hurdle for all the foreign companies is the language. Chinese people are tied strongly with their culture therefore local language is the only way to conduct the business. Technological: Since the introduction and popularity of Internet online shopping is more into practice now in China According to CNNIC the number of online purchasers is 420 million. Internet Banking and Telebanking is becoming more common now. In 2006 China had approximately 400 million mobile phone users and 6.1 million of them are connected online. Environmental: The natural resources such as land water and air and the environment of China has been damaged seriously by its rapid economic progression. A large amount of usage of polluted energy such as Coal and oil. China is the third largest coal and oil consumer in the world. Human right Issue (500,000 individuals are in custody without any charge and trial and 1 million cannot access to Legal system. (Amnesty International) Legal: A set of policies has been established by the Bank of China to fight against white colour crimes. More than 200 administrative rules and regularity documents has been implemented by China Banking Regularity Commission to control the financial crimes. China offers a open market to the foreign banks. Porters 5 Forces Framework: According to Porter there are 5 main forces which can shape every market and industry. These five main forces assist to figure out the intensity of competition to the profitability and attractiveness of an industry. Porters 5 forces framework on banking industry in China will provide us a sutiable tool to depict ICBCs position in the chinese banking sector. Being a leader in the banking industry ICBC has to deal with all these forces to sustain its top ranked position. These five forces are: risk of new entrants, rivalry, bargaining powes of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and threat of subtitute prodcut. Porters 5 forces framework for ICBC as follows: Risk of new entrants: The enty barrier for foreign banks has disappeared when China Joined the WTO in 2002. Many foreign banks consider China a profitable destination for banking industry. Several finanacial and non financial companies can easily come to China and start operating their business. Rivalry: Besides the Big Four banks in China several other foreign banks have started their operation in China which has intensified the rivalry which has been there forever. Now ICBC has to compete not only with the Big Four sondern with big foreign banks such as HSBC. Bargaining power of buyers: Banking industry is a high buyer concentration industry. China is the largest country in terms of its population. A significant number of people use bank service, such as deposit money, mortgage, loan, investment, insurance and currency exchange these days. Internet is changing everyones life customers can easily obtain the information via internet. In the banking industry interest rate and service charge are senestive indicators for customers. In recent years various subtitute products and services are available for example currency exchange, insurances and loans and they are provided normally by the other financial institutions. Bargaining power of supplier: Credit Card industry is a high concentration ratio industry and ICBC has been awarded with awards from the leading companies such as VISA and MasterCard Worldwide. Although few Aother companies also provide credit card system, such as JCB and American Express but theie market share in the world is much less than VISA and MAstercard. So switiching cost might be high for ICBC. Substitute products: Internet made a huge difference to many organisations when it comes to deal with money. Now they do not need to transfer huge ammouts through banks. They can do the same with other low charge service and it is also more convinient. The services such as Real-time money transfer (i.e. Western Union), real-time payment (i.e. Paypal), currency exchange (i.e. Xe.com) and insurance (i.e. InsWeb.com) through Internet provide a high quality but low service charge service. Resource audit: Opportunities can be created and exploit in the external environment in which a business usually operates. Besides these opportunities threats are also present which can impair any business. However, to deal with these threats and exploit the opportunities, a business requires the right resources and capabilities. The current holding resources of any company can be recognized by the resource audit. These resources can be either owned (e.g. plant, machinery) or acquired from other resources such as partnerships and joint ventures. Financial resources: Existing Finance: According to the first quarterly report (2011) of ICBC, the bank has continued to push forward to their growth and obtained a sustainable profit as compare to last year. The total assets have an increase of 6.92% from the last year and its value is now 14,389,996 (RMB in million). Besides the assets the liabilities have also increased simultaneously and its value is now 13,517,771(RMB in million) which are 6.97% more than last quarter. The equity attributable to equity holders has an increment of double digit (10.54%). Net profit for this period is 53,836 (RMB in million) which is 29.03% more than the first quarter of 2010. The result shows the successful implementation of their strategy local and globally. Human resources: ICBC is enjoying the services of 387,000 employees till December 2010 at its global and local centres. Physical resources: ICBC has till now around 18,000 outlets and 23,000 ATMs all over China. Intangible resources: As being the leading institute in the banking industry ICBC is enjoying their good brand image. ICBC has also obtained the partnerships with several banks all across the world especially in Africa. ICBC has also won the reputation for their Internet banking services. ICBC has one of the secure internet banking system in China. Current Strategy: In June 2009 ICBC had introduced its three year new Development Strategy Plan and Implementation Scheme of that plan to all its offices. In the last ten years of ICBCs strategic transformation this plan is the second three year plan and it was based on the implementation experience of the development strategy plan of years between 2006 and 2008. This plan was produced after a comprehensive analysis of the latest development of ICBC and the economic and financial trends at domestic level and global level. Implementation experience of old Plan (2006-2008): The base of this strategic plan was laid on the experience of achievements and failures which had been achieved by ICBC in last 20 years as well as on the direction of Chinas financial reforms. The aim was set to achieve this strategic transformation within next 10 years. The strategies such as adjustment of management structure, development by areas, innovation, service differentiation, cross-border management, comprehensive risk control, and emphasis on technology and human capital were executed successfully and ICBC got better results than it originally expected. Therefore, at the end of 2008 ICBC became the number one ranked bank in market value as well as it became the most profitable bank in the world. ICBC was mainly successful because it enhanced the capability of comprehensive profit-making, paid a close attention to risk control and decided to achieve transformation in self-development. ICBCc new three year Plan (2009-2011): The successful implementation of previous strategic plan gave ICBC the assurance to carry out transformation strategy further to sustain the progress in development. The new plan offers the guiding idea that Guided by scientific outlook on development, striving to enhance core competitiveness, continuing to promote management structural transformation, developing more innovations, and achieving fast, stable and sustainable development of ICBC to seize opportunities to strengthen and to brace its market position. To apply this strategy ICBC has decided to start from the reality and carry out the scientific outlook on development into every step of transition. The New Plan proposes ten strategic projects which attach emphasis to structure adjustment, finance innovation, service upgrading and etc., and a set of precise objectives and measures for various regions and for diverse services according to the general objective and task design of the ten strategic projects. For the successful execution of the strategies ICBC also introduced an implementation scheme to make thorough and specific arrangements of the tasks and responsibilities for different departments and branch offices. ICBC establishes coordination mechanisms to coordinate the New Plan to ensure the flexibility and adaptability. Furthermore, at the start of each year, required adjustments will be made to the evaluate indicators according to the actual changes in the business environment and the implementation effect of the new plan in the preceding year. The existing problems, implementation progress and the implementation situation would be strictly monitored through regular inspections and reported to the Board of directors. To accommodate their corporate social responsibilities ICBC has developed poverty alleviation project in Nanjiang County and Tongjiang County in Sichuan Province and Chengkou County in the city of Chongqing. Over 300 (RMB in millions) has ICBC invested already in this project. This amount includes loans as well as the donations which have been distributed by the bank to eight hope projects which includes schools and medical treatment centres. There are several other projects which ICBC is directly responsible or helping them to improve the social life of the people of China. According to the Annual Report Announcement 2010 ICBC has earned more profit in 2010 as compare to 2009. ICBC is getting those results because of their clear and good implementation of that strategy. Besides the increased profit overseas asset size had also increased in the last year as shown in the following diagram. That explains very clearly that ICBC is on the right path regarding their domestic and global strategy. The exceptional outcome of ICBC in 2010 especially at a time when it was concerned with a complex and changing operating environment was mainly a result of the Banks successful implementation of its strategy at home as well as overseas. 12 new branches had been established in 2010 and a global network encompassing 203 overseas subsidiaries placed in 28 countries, spreading over five continents worldwide. Every business company faces threats and challenges although the numbers depict the different picture. These challenges could be overcome by the company by bringing some minor changes in their business strategy. As many other companies ICBC also faces some challenges which needed to be addressed. Firstly, ICBC is growing very rapidly which can cause some problem as it may affect their quality of service. Secondly the bigger challenge which is coming in the way of ICBC is the competition with foreign banks. After several foreign banks entering China makes hard for the ICBC. Now ICBC has more competition and even small mistakes can lead to huge financial and customer losses. Reccomendations for improvement: ICBC is facing a few challenges during their successful stint. These challenges has been mentioned above. These are not huge challenges and does not need any drastic changes in their strategy doemstically and globally. First challenge which was mentioned is their rapid growth. To grow fast is not a challenge unless you start compromising on the quality of your services. To keep in check this problem they need more check and balance in their organsiational structuer. As I mentioned above in the organisational structure that the main problem of their structure is communication problem. When IC BC can sort out that problem then there will be no compromise in the quality. Secondly, the callenge which can cause ICBC more problem is the competition in the chinese banking sector with the foreign banks as well as with the chinese banks. These foreign banks are entering China with much more oncoming force. Now ICBC can not afford any mishandling with their customer. A small mistake can lead ICBC to huge financial and customer loses. ICBC needs to transform their strategy in a way that they deal with their competetors in a way that they do not lose any customers locally as well as globally.

Letters From A War Zone :: essays research papers

"Letters from a War Zone" deals with the controversy between men and women banning pornography. In this essay there are many strong personal views on pornography and the brutality of women in porn. Men and women have been at war for many years because of this. I agree with banning pornography because pornography lures men into disrespecting women. This essay makes me angry because it shows another part of life that is really not acknowledged. It seems realistic to me because many women in life are confronted with sex at an early age and become vulnerable. The unique thing that reaches me is how women do not have a choice, especially when it comes down to sex. Vulnerability is one of a woman's weaknesses. Pornography is degrading to women when it is forced upon them. If sex were done for pleasure or because the women wanted to, it would not be as bad. That is how many women are raped, killed or lose their confidence. Women in pornography were typically prostitutes at one-point. Due to statistics, more than half the women in a sex-related professions have been sexually abused, molested or raped at one time during their lies. The quote stated in this essay that really hits home is "Made in South America where life is cheap." I, as a Hispanic, am terribly offended by this statement. This statement basically says that South America has many lowlives', and that anything can happen to them because life there is worth very little. For example the women of South America are used in Snuff films and in explicit photographs. Snuff is a film that consists of a woman being sexually harassed, raped, and killed. In many of these films/photos the women are brutalized to the point where their breasts are dismantled and their bodies are urinated on after they are raped and killed. There are photographs in which women's breasts are slammed in rat traps, their vaginas are stuffed with knives, guns, and even glass, and then they are gang-banged, beaten, and tortured. Snuff films are usually made in South America because, as said in the statement above, life is not worth much there. "If you are going to hurt a women in the United States be sure to photograph it" is a controversial statement used in this essay. Its means that if you have slain, hurt, or abused a woman it is all right, as long you have taken a picture. The photograph expresses a point of view, sacrosanct in a free society. When these picture/films are being taken the woman is forced to smile. This will make the picture/films protected by the constitution,

Essay on Once More to the Lake

An Analysis of E. B Whites, â€Å"Once More to the Lake† In E. B Whites essay, â€Å"Once More to the Lake† he reflects on his summer outing with his son. Throughout the trip, memories of his childhood, long forgotten, resurface themselves as he experiences the same vacation with his own son. These memories create in him a feeling as if time has not changed and that he is reliving his old days. His father used to take him to the same camping spot as a boy.He was certain that there would be changes since then, but on arrival his senses are awakened and old feelings revived as he takes in the unchanged sights, sounds, and smells of the peaceful lake in Maine. The overall theme of this story is the acceptance of aging and the passing of time. The passage of time throughout the story has a relentless hold on White, he struggles throughout as reality becomes harder and harder for him to grasp. The author incorporates many literary devices which add to his overall vivid descr iptions and comparisons, a few which include: imagery, tone, and symbolism.By these techniques the narrator is able to set the reader’s imagination on fire! Throughout this literary work detailed comparisons are blended in as he remembers his own vacation to the lake as a young boy. These comparisons make it hard for him to face the fact that he has aged very much since that time. The feelings and emotions these reincarnated memories create bring about sensations of a â€Å"dual existence† (25) in White. The narrators detailed diction in describing these emotions and senses that are being brought back and relived, arouse similar feelings in the reader.It makes us empathize for the now, grown man. He remembers such things as the smell of his bedroom, â€Å"picking up a bait box, or a table fork† (25), as well as many other intricate details. Everything seems to bring him back to the cherished memories he had stored for so many years of him camping on the lake wit h his own father. The imagery used in the essay enhances the overall experience. Another important technique which adds to this story is how the author meticulously compares the past with the present. For the duration of the story White repeats the same phrase, â€Å"there has been no years† (25, 26).He feels as if time is at a standstill. The tone that the speaker incorporates, works to bring out deep emotions in the reader. We feel for him as he describes this, â€Å"utterly enchanted sea† (26). The reverence he has for the, â€Å"peace, and goodness, and jollity† (27) of this special place reveals itself in multiple occasions of the story. He upholds this seemingly sanctuary in the utmost respect as it holds the memories of him and his father. In the course of time, this dwelling place of remembrance will rebirth into future generations.Something’s that have changed about the place, bring white back to the reality of time and aging. He speaks of how he came upon an old path used by horse drawn carriages back in his day, it used to have three tracks, but now that the automobile was invented only two were seem, etched in the dirt, tire tracks from the cars passing to and from. He states that for a moment he, â€Å"missed terribly the middle alternative† (26). Although this actuality is brought up, White pushes it aside and adopts his dual existence willingly.He continues to imagine that he is his father, and his son, is in fact him, he states, â€Å"which was I, the one walking at my side, the one walking in my pants† (28). White notices another difference, in this otherwise, so familiar place, it was the sound of outboard motors, â€Å"unfamiliar nervous sound† (27). They are sounds that bring him out of his dream world; he is distraught over these changes. This makes us believe that the very thought of these dissimilarities were unbearable for him to cope with. He was in denial of the fact that time had passe d.The symbolism used in this essay is brought about in a clear manner when White describes the thunderstorm. This storm is used to represent a sort of rebirth. The rain comes and there is a sudden sense that there is a, â€Å"return of light, and hope, and spirits† (29). At this point he begins to see the trip in a whole new perspective or â€Å"light† (29). He is hit with a sudden realization that though everything seems just the same, he can make the connection that this is a new generation and new memories are soon to be fabricated, â€Å"linking the generations in a strong, indestructible chain† (29).In the end he is forced to face the absoluteness of time. As he watches his son slip into his cold, wet swimming trunks he once again imagines it is himself then he is suddenly hit with a, â€Å"chill of death† (29). He realizes that switching places with his father also means he is going to die. He is brought to the fact that much time has passed. This l eads to his concluding acceptance of his own mortality. He wanted so dearly to hold onto the memories of old and never acknowledge the fact that the times had changed, yet deep down he knew that this would be impossible.In the end White embraced the process of aging and found the good that could stem from it; but it was clear that throughout the narrative the overall theme was his struggle in the acceptance of aging and the passing of time. He concludes that eventually he can use these memories and experiences to connect with future generations of his son, and furthermore his son’s son. He did not have to hold onto the false idea that aging was a curse but he was able to let go and take it as more of a blessing.He would be able to pass these memories on for years and years to come. People should certainly accept the fact that everyone ages and time goes by quick. Every new moment counts and wonderful memories, experiences, and also wisdom can ultimately be cherished and passe d on to further generations of people through these durations of time. Abraham Lincoln once said, â€Å"And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years†, this quote rings true in the inspirational story, â€Å"Once More to the Lake†.

What Harvards Asian Admissions Lawsuit Reveals About How You Should Approach College Applications

What Harvard's Asian Admissions Lawsuit Reveals About How You Should Approach College Applications SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The hottest news in college admissions these days is the release of documents from thelawsuit filed against Harvard University for unfair admissions practices against Asian-Americans. For the first time in recent memory, an elite institution's opaque admissions practices have been laid bare. More than 90,000 pages of internal Harvard admissions documents have been made available for use in the lawsuit, with excerpts made publicly available in court filings. In this article, I'll summarize what this lawsuit is about and what we learned about how top-tier schools like Harvard choose which students to accept. (Spoiler: most of it confirms what I wrote about in my How to Get Into Harvard guide. If you haven't read that, I suggest you open it in a tab right now, and read it after you finish this article). Most importantly, we'll cover what this means for how YOU should be preparing for college admissions. Caveats: Since this lawsuit (and admissions in general) has a lot to do about race, I'll talk about race explicitly here, understanding that these are triggering topics for many people. I suggest trying to focus pragmatically on what you can get out of these news. I'm a Harvard alum and also Asian-American, which depending on your personal viewpoint could mean I'm biased in any direction. Generally, I don't have enough information to have a strong opinion about the merits of the lawsuit. As I'll explain below though, my opinion about this lawsuit doesn't matter since we're really looking at the admissions data and what it means for your acceptance rates into Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, etc. What the Harvard Admissions Lawsuit is About First, a very simplistic introduction. A subset of Asian-Americans are frustrated that they are possibly discriminated against in college admissions. More specifically, assuming the same academic achievements - SAT/ACT scores, coursework, and grades - Asians feel they are less likely to be admitted than white, black, and Hispanic applicants. Disgruntled college applicant Michael Wangis a representative example. Despite being 2nd in his high school class, having a 36 ACT score, and several national-level awards, he was rejected by 6 of 7 Ivy League colleges in 2015. "I saw people less qualified than me get better offers...what more could I have done to get into your college? Was it based on race?" Spotting an opportunity, Edward Blum of the Project on Fair Representation pushed a lawsuit against Harvard. The lawsuit alleges that: "holistic admissions" is actually a cover to practice racial discrimination Asian-Americans are discriminated against in admissions - meaning, lower admissions rates controlling for qualifications. In their words, "an Asian-American with a 25% chance of admission would have a 35% chance if he were white, a 75% chance if he were Hispanic, and a 95% chance if he were African American." the % of Asian-Americans in Harvard's student class has stayed the same (~20%) despite increases in the qualifications of Asians, suggesting a strict racial quota This echoes controversy in the 1920s withHarvard's discrimination against Jewish candidates. Now, why should the public care what a private institution like Harvard does? Because it receives federal funding (e.g. in research grants). And Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964prohibits racial discrimination in recipients of federal financial assistance. (If you're interested in the legal aspects of this case,here's an insightful analysis.) While Harvard is the sole defendant in the lawsuit, this is really an attack on admissions practices for ALL top-tier colleges like Princeton, Yale, and Stanford. Harvard, given its reputation and size, is just the juiciest target. In response, Harvard generally defends its admissions practices as promoting diversity, promoting "opportunities to engage with and learn from classmates who come from widely different backgrounds and circumstances...which would leave students ill prepared to contribute to and lead in our diverse and interconnected nation and world." "A significant reduction in the number of African-American and Hispanic students on campus would inhibit...the benefits of a diverse student body and significantly undermine [Harvard's] educational mission." How You Feel About This Doesn't Really Matter for Admissions Results Like most matters dealing with race, this is controversial with a wide spectrum of opinions.You might think Harvard is totally in the right in how it does admissions. Or you might think that discrimination really is happening and the system needs to change. Whatever you believe, the pragmatic question is this - what does this mean for you and YOUR college applications? If you or your child are in high school, you're relatively powerless to change the system in the time that it matters for you, no matter what you believe. The first decision point for you is whether you want to play the college admissions game or not. In the extreme, this controversy might sound so outrageous to you that you become a conscientious objector, and you don't want to support the college admissions machine. This might mean you refuse to apply to possibly discriminatory schools. If so, all the power to you. But most likely, you're likely not in this group. You still want to get into the best college you can because of its impact on your future. This means that you need to deal with whatever disadvantage you're dealt, and make the most of it.You need to learn the rules of the college admissions game, andyou need to prepare yourself for the best chance of success. That's what the rest of this article is about. I'm not going to opine on the morals of the situation, but rather objectively talk about how college admissions at places like Harvard works, and what it means for you. What the Lawsuit Has Revealed About the Harvard Admissions Process I'll cut to the chase. Released legal documents show for the first time that Harvard application readers rate each applicant on a score of 1-6 on these categories: Academic Extracurricular Athletic Personal Recommendation letters (2 teachers, counselor) Alumni (interview) personal and Overall rating 1 is the highest possible score. Each score can also have a "+" or "-", just like A+/A- grades. We'll explain in a second how you get 1's on these categories, but I want to focus on the big picture for now. From my reading of the legal documents, it seems like the first 4 factors are really the most heavily considered (since they're mentioned most often), with the recommendation letter and alumni ratings used as supplementary factors. All of these ratings are combined by the application reader in an Overall rating, again from 1 to 6. This Overall rating is CRITICAL for admissions, as we'll discuss below. The Overall rating is "not a formula" and doesn't involve adding up other ratings. It's a holistic grade. Harvard instructs readers to assign the score by "stepping back and taking all the factors into account and then assigning that Overall rating." (In reality, I suspect the grade is close to your top 2 scores - you can get a 1 on academic and personal and a 4 on athletic, and the 4 won't bring down your total score.) From released legal filings, here's a description of what the overall ratings mean: 1. Tops for admission: Exceptional - a clear admit with very strong objective andsubjective support (90+% admission). 2. Strong credentials but not quite tops (50-90% admission). 3. Solid contender: An applicant with good credentials and support (20-40%admission). 4. Neutral: Respectable credentials. 5. Negative: Credentials are generally below those of other candidates. 6. Unread. The application is given to two readers to give ratings. Finally, a third, usually more experienced reader adjusts the ratings for accuracy. In one example, the first reader gave a student a 1, but the third reader adjusted it downward to a 2+. How strongly does your Overall rating correlate with your admission rate? VERY strongly. Here's a quote from legal documents: "Those who have an Overall score of 3- or worse are almost always rejected. Those who receive an Overall rating of a 1 are always accepted." What are your chances of admission depending on your Overall score? Here's more detail on admissions rates for all domestic applicants across 6 years, in the Classes of 2014 to 2019. This dataset includes only regular decision students (Harvard didn't have early action in years 2014-2015) and excludes special situations (athletes, legacy, Dean's list, faculty/staff kids) and international applicants. Rating Population Population % Admit % Admitted Number 3 56825 47.23% 0.02% 9 3 44472 36.96% 2.35% 1047 3+ 14289 11.88% 9.14% 1306 2+/2/2- 4674 3.88% 65.15% 3045 1 50 0.04% 100.00% 50 To explain the columns: Population: number of applicants with that rating Population %: % of total applicants who have that rating Admit %: % of applicants with that rating who were admitted Admitted Number: number of applicants with that rating who were admitted Through all of this, remember that the total admissions rate is around 6%. Anytime you can beat this number, you have a better shot at getting in. Here are the takeaways: If you get an Overall score of 1, you have guaranteed admission. However, this is very rare - with 30,000 applicants in a year, you can expect only 12 students to get this score. These are truly exceptional people who stand out even among the incoming class. If you get a score of 2+/2/2-, you have a 65% chance of getting in.Furthermore, this comprises the top 3.9% of all applicants - in a group of 30,000 applicants, 1,164 will get a 2 score. These are much better chancesthan average, and much more realistic than a score of 1 for us mortals. I wish they separated out the 2+/2/2- from each other, but this wasn't available. If you get a score of 3+, you start getting into the crapshoot.These get into the well-rounded, but not stand-out students. Even though you're still in the top 15% of all applicants, your admissions rate is just 9%, a bit above the overall average. Furthermore, you're competing against 3,000 other students. If you get a score of 3, you're in the average. Average is bad for Harvard admissions.Your admission rate drops down to 2.4% (just 1 out of 40 people in this group get in). If you get a score of 3- or below, you have nearly zero chance of getting admitted.This is also the most common category to fall into - nearly half of all applicants score a 3- or below. This strongly confirms my framework of admissions for world-class students(from my How to Get Into Harvard guide). The 6% admissions rate is just an average, and it doesn't apply to everyone - the stronger your application, the more likely you are to be admitted. For a select group of ~1,000 students per year, their admission is MUCH better than the average admissions rate.These students are likely to be standouts on a national or international level, not just on a state or regional level. Again, I want to emphasize, this is likely more or less what happens at all elite institutions - including Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. The exact rating scales and criteria may differ, butthis type of grading is a very common model in college admissions. Simplifying your application into a score allows for faster comparisons across thousands of applicants. If you want to get into Harvard, Princeton, or other top-tier schools, you need to try to get into that select top 5% of applicants, with a 2 score. You do NOT want to be part of the masses in the 3+ and below group - this is where the crapshoot happens, and the crapshoot is a terrible place to be. Want to get into Harvard or your personal top choice college? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. More Data, for the Data Nerds Here's the table again, this time including early action applicants and special situations (roughly 3,000 per year): Rating Population Population % Admit % Admitted Number 3 61707 44.43% 0.13% 79 3 51483 37.07% 3.97% 2042 3+ 18131 13.06% 13.40% 2429 2+/2/2- 7466 5.38% 74.00% 5525 1 94 0.07% 100.00% 94 The conclusions don't strongly change. By adding in early action applicants (who tend to be better qualified than regular decision ones), you see a higher % of 1 and 2 ratings.In a year with 30,000 applicants, there are 21 students with a 1 rating, and 1,614 students with a 2 rating. We can now take this chart, subtract the Regular Decision students chart further up, and see the admission rates for only early action applicants and special situation students(athletes, legacy, Dean's list, faculty/staff kids): Rating Population Population % Admit % Admitted Number 3 4882 26.29% 1.43% 70 3 7011 37.75% 14.19% 995 3+ 3842 20.69% 29.23% 1123 2+/2/2- 2792 15.03% 88.83% 2480 1 44 0.24% 100.00% 44 A big question on many students' minds is - how much does applying early improve my chances of admission, with the same application? Some things seem clear: The (early action + special situation) population gets much better ratings as a population. 15% of the (EA + SS) pool gets 2 ratings compared to 4% in regular decision, and 20% of (EA + SS) gets 3+ compared to 12% in regular decision. This heavily suggests to me that the early action pool contains more talented students than the regular decision pool. Much of the higher admission rate for early action has to do with self-selection of more talented students.. For the same rating, the admission rate is higher in (EA + SS) than regular decision. For example, a 3+ has an admit rate of 29%, compared to 9% in regular decision. Some part of this is due to the early action effect - because of signaling early interest and commitment to the school, you likely do get a small admissions boost by applying early. However, much of this I believe is still due to the special population. Recruited athletes might tend to get an overall 3+ rating, for instance, but get a huge advantage by being recruited. Likewise, legacy students may tend to apply early AND get higher admissions rates no matter when they apply, which skews the early numbers up. Ideally we'd get the admission rate for the same regular applicants, controlling for special status and application strength. But the data don't go detailed enough to let us do that. For fun, here are statistics on the # of applicants and admit rate for early action as compared to regular decision: Regular Decision Regular Applicant Special Circumstances Year Applicants Admits Admit Rate Applicants Admits Admit Rate 2014 23,176 1,471 6.30% 1,200 515 42.90% 2015 27,016 1,408 5.20% 1,244 515 41.40% 2016 24,968 857 3.40% 728 155 21.30% 2017 22,963 754 3.30% 641 116 18.10% 2018 22,799 709 3.10% 591 108 18.30% 2019 24,134 690 2.90% 623 100 16.10% Early Action Regular Applicant Special Circumstances Year Applicants Admits Admit Rate Applicants Admits Admit Rate 2014 0 0 0 2015 0 0 0 2016 2,982 458 15.40% 600 367 61.20% 2017 3,448 487 14.10% 663 460 69.40% 2018 3,272 520 15.90% 686 451 65.70% 2019 4,238 524 12.40% 755 467 61.90% A few takeaways: for regular applicants, the early action admission rate is higher than the regular decision rate - for class of 2019, it was 12.4% vs 2.9%. a large part of this is student qualification - better students tend to apply earlier. a minor part of this is signaling your interest - Harvard practices Restrictive Early Action (as do Yale, Princeton, and Stanford), meaning you can apply only to Harvard early action. Thus Harvard knows you're more likely committed to Harvard, and since they want to protect their yield rate, this increases admission rate a bit. so while you might get a slight advantage from applying early through signaling interest, it won't be as large a boost as the early action admit rate suggests. special circumstances students get a HUGE advantage over regular applicants. athletes are admitted at 86%. This group makes up about 230 students per year. (Note this means recruited varsity athletes, not just having athletics as an extracurricular.) legacy students are admitted at 33.6%. This group makes up about 774 students per year. (Note these students are usually highly qualified in their own right - they may just get a second look and slightly preferable treatment.) dean and director's interest list are at 42%. (There seem to be no particular criteria for being included on this list, but they include applicants "encountered at recruiting events" and applicants "related to donors to Harvard." I believe this is not mutually exclusive with the other groups - ie you can be a legacy athlete on the dean's list.) If you're reading this, you're most likely not a special circumstances student (nor was I). So you have to make up for it with a world-class application. Matthias Neugebauer/Flickr How Do You Earn a *1* in Each Rating? Now the critical question - what do you have to do to earn a 1 in the Academic, Extracurricular, Athletic, and Personal ratings? Luckily, as we learned fromfilings for the lawsuit, Harvard readers are given a rubric to grade applicants on. Remember that the Overall Rating is a holistic combination of the ratings, not a strict average. I would believe that if you earn a 1 in Academic and Personal ratings, you're likely to get a 2 or above in Overall rating. You only need to be world-class in one way, with a Spike. Academic Rating: 1. Summa potential. Genuine scholar; near-perfect scores and grades (in most cases) combined with unusual creativity and possible evidence of original scholarship. 2. Magna potential: Excellent student with superb grades and mid-to high-700 scores (33+ ACT). 3. Cum laude potential: Very good student with excellent grades and mid-600 to low-700 scores (29 to 32 ACT). 4. Adequate preparation. Respectable grades and low-to mid-600 scores (26 to 29) ACT). 5. Marginal potential. Modest grades and 500 scores (25 and below ACT). 6. Achievement or motivation marginal or worse. This confirms what we already know - getting perfect grades and test scores is not impressive enough to be world-class in academics. As the Harvard Interviewer Handbook says elsewhere, "more than presenting the Committee with superior testing and strong academic records...the applicant admitted primarily for unusual intelligence also presents compelling evidence of creativity and originality." (emphasis mine) Legal documents reveal some useful details: out of 42,749 applicants for Class of 2022, 8,000 had perfect GPAs 625 had a perfect score on ACT; 361 had a perfect 2400 on SAT 3,500 had perfect SAT math; 2,700 had perfect SAT verbal. There are just too many students who perform at the top 1% of academics. With 4 million high school students per year, 1% is 40,000 students! Within academic-type applicants, Harvard is looking for the leading future scholars.To get a 1 in this rating requires demonstration of this in high school, likely through original research that is vetted favorably by a Harvard faculty member. As Harvard Dean of Admissions William Fitzsimmons said, "Several hundred of our admittedstudents each year have the kind of stunning academic credentials- well beyond test scores and grades- that our faculty believe place them among the best potential scholars of their generation. ..." For this, it's not enough just to do research - thousands of students do this every year. It might not be sufficient either to be a minor co-author on a paper. Ideally, you need to show original contributions and ideas, corroborated by your research supervisor (e.g. in a supplementary recommendation). You might also be nationally-ranked in a research competition like Intel ISEFor Regeneron STS. Extracurricular Rating: 1. Unusual strength in one or more areas. Possible national-level achievement or professional experience. A potential major contributor at Harvard. Truly unusual achievement. 2. Strong secondary school contribution in one or more areas such as class president, newspaper editor, etc. Local or regional recognition; major accomplishment(s).[in another filing]: "Significant school, and possibly regional accomplishments: for example, an applicant who was the student body president or captain of the debate team and the leader of multiple additional clubs." 3. Solid participation but without special distinction. (Upgrade 3+ to 2- in some cases if the e/c is particularly extensive and substantive.) 4. Little or no participation. 5. Substantial activity outside of conventional EC participation such as family commitments or term-time work (could be included with other e/c to boost the rating or left as a "5" if it is more representative of the student's commitment). 6. Special circumstances limit or prevent participation (e.g. a physical condition). 2: " 5: "Family responsibilities at home or very limited resources that make it unlikely that the applicant could participate in extracurricular or other activities." A 2 rating focuses on "school andregional accomplishments." To put it bluntly: big fish in a little pond. Remember - there are over 37,000 high schools in the country. Not every school has the same extracurriculars, but just think - in the US every year, there are at least 20,000 student body presidents (and vice presidents, treasurers, etc.); 10,000 captains of the debate team; 50,000 captains of sports teams; 100,000 presidents of clubs. There are a LOT of local achievers. To be world-class, you have to do something that is notable on the national or international scale. This doesn't necessarily mean that you literally need to build an international-level organization with branch offices in Paris. The point is that among all the applicants, your achievements stand out on the national stage - for instance, building a mobile app with hundreds of thousands of active users is likely pretty nationally distinctive. Athletic Rating: This is relatively more straightforward: 1. Unusually strong prospect for varsity sports at Harvard, desired by Harvard coaches. 2. Strong secondary school contribution in one or more areas; possible leadership role(s). 3. Active participation. 4. Little or no interest. 5. Substantial activity outside of conventional EC participation such as family commitments or term-time work (could be included with other e/c to boost the rating or left as a "5" if it is more representative of the student's commitment). 6. Physical condition prevents significant activity. 1 is for recruited varsity athletes. Personally, I was probably a 4 - I got an A in PE and that's it. And that was OK - Harvard stillwanted me! Again, it's not about being well-rounded, it's about having a spikethat makes you world-class. Personal Rating: Here it gets a bit tricky. Here are a few statements in the legal documents that I pulled out: The personal rating "summarizes the applicant's personal qualities based on all aspects of the application, including essays, letters of recommendation, the alumni interview report, personal and family hardship, and any other relevant information in the application." Characteristics include "applicant's humor, sensitivity, grit, leadership, integrity, helpfulness, courage, kindness," whether the person is an "attractive person to be with" and is "widely respected." This is a more subjective category than the other 3 ratings. It's based on the student's background, how the student presents herself (in the essays and interview), and how others perceive the student (recommendations). Note that just like having an Academic Spike, it's possible to have a Personal Spike too. A student might get a Personal rating of 1 (say, for having overcome tremendous difficulties and showing outstanding personal character), while getting non-1 scores for Academic, Extracurricular, and Athletic scores. And this might be sufficient to get the student admitted (though 1's in Personal are rarer than in the other categories). Here's the rubric description, which is not super helpful except for the bottom ratings: 1: Outstanding 2: Very Strong 3: Generally Positive 4: Bland or somewhat negative or immature 5: Questionable personal qualities 6: Worrisome personal qualities This is why the interview is important - no matter how much of a genius you are, Harvard doesn't want jerks in its community. And if you can't suppress being a jerk for an hour-long interview, you certainly won't behave well for 4 years of college. It's also bad to be "bland" - interviewers want to see some sort of spark or joie de vivre, partlysince this is indicative of passion and thus future impact on the world. Nearly all applicants who are admitted went through an interview - as the document says, "those who do not interview are rarely admitted." (FYI: The personal rating is where the lawsuit alleges Asian-Americans are punished. Despite having higher academic and extracurricular scores than any other racial group, Asians received the lowest score of any racial group on personal rating from Harvard admissions staff.) What % of Students Get What Scores? Now that you understand what it takes to get these scores, what % of students actually get these scores? We'll show you the data below, but here are some trends to keep in mind: getting a 1 in even just one section is rare (1% of applicants get it) if you get a 1 in any section, your chances of admission are between 50-70%. getting a 2 in any single section is much more common (20-40%) with a much lower chance of admission (between 12-26%) (Source) Academic Rating Academic Rating 5 4 3 2 1 Applicants 5969 17690 58061 60468 650 % of Population 4.2% 12.4% 40.6% 42.3% 0.5% Admitted 4 175 2429 7500 450 Admit rate 0.1% 1.0% 4.2% 12.4% 69.2% Extracurricular Rating Extracurricular Rating 5 4 3 2 1 Applicants 952 4639 102784 34038 425 % of Population 0.7% 3.2% 72.0% 23.8% 0.3% Admitted 52 187 3957 6147 215 Admit rate 5.5% 4.0% 3.8% 18.1% 50.6% Personal Rating Personal Rating 5 4 3 2 1 Applicants 24 604 112513 29660 37 % of Population 0.0% 0.4% 78.8% 20.8% 0.0% Admitted 0 1 2846 7687 24 Admit rate 0.0% 0.2% 2.5% 25.9% 64.9% Some interesting things to note: Extracurricular and Personal Ratings have a huge mass of people at 3 (above 70%). Per the rubric above, this likely means: their extracurriculars weren't anything special - school-level participation without any major distinction their personal qualities were positive but not extremely strong - of the "top 25%" of the class type Academic Ratings have a smoother spread, with roughly 40% scoring both 2 and 3. Letter of Recommendation Rating: Legal filings show the following scoring for "School Support," with separate ratings for teachers 1, 2, and counselor. 1. Strikingly unusual support. "The best ever," "one of the best in x years," truly over the top. 2. Very strong support. "One of the best" or "the best this year." 3. Above average positive support. 4. Somewhat neutral or slightly negative. 5. Negative or worrisome report. 6. Neither the transcript nor prose is in the folder. 8. Placeholder. 9. Transcript only. No SSR prose. This largely matches what's on the Common App teacher recommendation form: As a reminder, "Top Few" is shorthand for "One of the top few encountered in my career." I'm going to guess that a 1 rating for recommendation letter means all of the below: recommenders rated student as "Top Few" in most categories recommenders are credible and have seen a lot of students (i.e., not rookie teachers) the reader may be familiar with the recommender's historical quality of recommendation the school is a top-tier school (so the student has tough competition for being outstanding) Overall Rating: Let's come back to the Overall Rating, because the lawsuit revealed something interesting about well-rounded students: "Harvard readers use the label 'Standard Strong' to characterize an application that had strong qualities but not strong enough to merit admission." For example, an admissions reader wrote of one Standard Strong student (who was Asian): "busy and bright" but"will need to fight it out with many similar to him." This reminds me of the classic problem with well-rounded students. They're definitely not off-putting - but they're not particularly impressive either.Like thousands of toy balls in a bargain bin, they all look the same.This is where the crapshoot is - the committee has to tear their hair out choosing the last 500 applicants among 10,000 qualified ones. Don't know how to make your college application world-class? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. What Do You Do With This Information? Let's put it all together. The Harvard lawsuit has revealed these takeaways about top-tier college admissions: applicants are scored based on how impressive their academic, extracurricular, athletic, and personal achievements are the highest scores are reserved for people who are world-class, distinguishing themselves as some of the top in the nation (or even the world) in what they do the overall rating is NOT an average of all your scores. Most likely, it's weighted toward your most impressive achievement. Therefore, you don't need to worry about being very well-rounded. the higher the score you get, the higher your chance of admission. At Harvard, the average admissions rate is 5% to 6%. But students getting the highest score of 1 have a 100% admission rate; students getting 2+/2/2- have a 70% admission rate personal qualities are important and cannot be ignored. Ideally you are likable, charismatic, honest, kind, and funny - and this shows in your essays, your recommendation letters, and interviews. All of this means that as you become a stronger world-class applicant, your chances of admission become less like a random lottery. You need to spend LESS time trying to be well-rounded, trying to cover all your bases. If you try to be an equally good athlete, musician, debater, scientist, and volunteer all at once, you will be mediocre at them all. Especially if you don't actually enjoy doing some of these activities. There are other people who focus on their area of greatest talent and interest, who will achieve far more than you can. If you want to increase your chances of getting into Harvard, you need to develop a Spike. For a deep dive into how to do this, read myHow to Get Into Harvard guide. I guarantee you'll learn something new that will change how you prepare your college apps. 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