Writing 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Writing 1 - Essay Example the pleas presented were based on the fact that privacy is being eroded. Federal Court was moved in this regard in order to assess and specify the limits and scope of their working and check the nature of questions presented before the jury. By the end of the hearing, the court announced that the practices of National Security Agency did not violate any major civil rights or privacy rules majorly (LIPTAK). Prior to the recent ruling, a former case undertaken with this regard assessed the scenario and termed the working of N.S.A as obstructing the privacy and basic rights of ordinary citizens. The set of recommendations have come forth on account of response to the concerns expressed by Jeff Jarvis in a further response to the findings and decision made by the Federal Court (Jarvis). In one of the proceedings and case result the court termed the activities of N.S.A as that of one leading the country towards a totalitarian state outlook with no private life protection and privacy respect. In order and effort to make up for the concerns of number of citizens, a ten point recommendation plan has been suggested with aims of providing the N.S.A a working mechanism which will allow for a more transparent, efficient and little controversial working mechanism with regard to privacy and public personal life (Brand). For the purpose a Board has been brought into force with regard to the working of the N.S.A and possible definition of its scope and privacy breach protection. These recommendations include the following: The board advised the N.S.A for a possible redefinition of the identifying and then targeting a particular suspect action or individual. This will allow for a better understanding of the scenario with regard to the privacy protection. This part of recommendation largely pertains to the cooperation with the foreign security agencies and the American citizens monitoring who may be outside the American soil. This

Overview of Conflicts of Interest Essay Example for Free

Overview of Conflicts of Interest Essay Confidentiality is also something that some volunteers of the Remedios AIDS Foundation should also learn. Although many officers of this NGO advocate confidentiality, many of its volunteers could still breach this ethical code, thus further isolating prospective clients. It is a well-known fact that the life of the first Filipino AIDS victim was made into a commercial movie, and had attracted thousands of audience – making it seem like a carnival show. This is precisely the kind of stigma that HIV/AIDS victims is afraid of, and something that the Remedios AIDS Foundation – and many other NGOs dealing with this disease is trying to work out. The Remedios AIDS Foundation is also faced with the dilemma on how to conduct research without exposing the patients to various risks (CIOMS 1993). As an NGO that do social and medical research, it has to ensure that HIV/AIDS patients must also benefit from its studies. It is unethical to expose subjects to the risks of participating in a research study unless the design is sufficiently rigorous that the results will be valid and generalizable (U. S. National Commission for the Protection of the Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research). Another critical ethical consideration that must be dealt with accordingly by the Remedios AIDS Foundation is how to maintain objectivity in front of emotional patients. Culturally speaking, the Filipino people tend to be emphatic of each other’s plights, thus it is not an isolated case to find volunteers who are emotionally affected by the conditions of HIV/AIDS patients. This eventually leads them to quit from their volunteer work and/or to be personally involved in their patients’ cases, which often clouds their critical judgment. Applications The best thing to do here is to implement an intensive and extensive information campaign on AIDS and the advantages of belonging to a core group that can emotionally and physically assist the AIDS victims. Moreover, volunteers of the Remedios AIDS Foundation should also undergo intensive training and education on how to properly deal with HIV/AIDS patients. It must be noted that these patients are already wrapped in insecurity and treating them with slight uncertainty will only decrease their self-confidence. To meet the ethical obligations for research, on the other hand, this NGO must conduct studies whose sample sizes must be adequate. Suitable study endpoints must also be selected. It must also ensure that clinical trials must undergo preliminary laboratory and animal research. It must always take into consideration that research with human participants raises ethical concerns because people accept risks and inconvenience to advance scientific knowledge and to benefit others (Lo 2000). Social researchers of this NGO must also learn how to use language that is not offensive to study participants. Conclusion As one of the NGOs at the forefront of combating HIV/AIDS in the Philippines, the Remedios AIDS Foundation is faced with many ethical dilemmas that it is trying to overcome one by one. Although it is difficult to do in this largely Catholic country where promiscuity is being strongly detested and HIV/AIDS is being associated with promiscuity, it continues to embark on a rigorous warfare against HIV/AIDS in the country. Everything is an uphill battle because social norms and religiosity keep HIV/AIDS patients from coming forward in the open to seek for help. The NGO is looking for ways and means to solve this problem without losing its focus. As the officers and volunteers of the Remedios AIDS Foundation are also mostly Catholics, they also have to be able to move around their religious beliefs in order to stop being discriminatory to HIV/AIDS patients. They also have to ensure that their researchers are well-trained to avoid offending study participants and this can only be done by conducting intensive trainings. Lastly, objectivity should also be encouraged to avoid personal involvement in patients’ predicament. This last ethical issue should be encouraged to avoid conflict of interest on the part of the NGO. In the end, the officers and volunteers of this NGO are cognizant of the fact that unless these ethical concerns are addressed, their fight against HIV/AIDS will never be successful. References: Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS). (1993) International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects. Geneva. de Bruyn, T. (1998) HIV/AIDS and Discrimination: A Discussion Paper. Montreal: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Canadian AIDS Society. Lo B. (2000) Overview of Conflicts of Interest. In Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: A Guide for Clinicians. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Reproductive Health Outlook. (1997) HIV/AIDS Key Issues. Retrieved May 30, 2006 from http://www. rho. org/html/hiv_aids_keyissues. html U. S. National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1978) The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research. Washington, D. C. : Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare. The Offical Website of the Remedios AIDS Foundation. (1991) http://www.remedios.com.ph/

Free Death of a Salesman Essays: Four Characters :: Death of a Salesman

Death Of A Salesman: Four Characters The play "Death Of A Salesman" , the brainchild of Arthur Miller was transformed and fitted to the movie screen in the year 1986. The play itself is set in the house of Willy Loman, and tells the melancholy story of a salesman whom is in deep financial trouble, and the only remedy for the situation is to commit suicide. In the stage production of this tale, the specific lighting, set, and musical designs really give the story a strong undertow of depression. And logically the screen and stage productions both differ greatly in regards to the mood they set. Moreover the movie production can do many things that just cannot be done on stage, with reference to the setting of course. To generalize, the play gives us a good hard look at the great American Dream failing miserably. However the combination of both the stage and screen productions accurately depict the shortcomings of the capitalist society.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Death of a Salesman specifically focuses on four characters, the first being the main character Willy Loman, his wife Linda, and their two sons Hap and Biff Loman. As mentioned, the focal point of this play is Willy Loman, a salesman in his early sixties. Throughout the story we are told the hard life, emotions and triumphs of Willy the salesman. Early in the play we learn that he has recently been demoted to working for commission, which later in the play,(on par with his luck) translates into Willy getting fired. As the plot unfolds we discover that Willy had a rich brother who recently died named Ben, whom Willy looked upon with great admiration for becoming extremely wealthy and the ripe old age of 21. However Willy also becomes very depressed when Ben leaves, the fact being that he re-realizes the meagerness of his own life, and that he is still making payments on all of his possessions. Willy then comprehends that bye the time his worldly possessions are paid forà ¢â‚¬ ¦they shall no longer be of any use. For example, the Loman house has become virtually unnecessary now that the two sons have moved out. It isn't until after Willy's death that the final mortgage payment is made†¦.for a house with no one inside it. The one example of this statement is given by Linda during the final paragraph of the play,

The Prime Instigator of Conflict Is Fear

When we people feel frightened, it is often that the fright itself is the point when conflict is build. It is not wrong if we say that conflict is not only triggered by fear. There are many things that could cause a conflict, but when you think a bit further, these things are caused none other but by fear. Hatred of one person to the other is generally caused by fear that also brings up anger and envy. Fears of the uncertain future and death also provoke conflict. When people is scared of what others might do to them, they will make the first move and strike without realizing or trying to understand them first which caused a misunderstanding that will again root to conflict. A Moslem, sometimes has a false interpretation when trying to understand their religion. They were trying to fulfill their belief needs, and yet their fear of the American society leads them to terrorize U. S and so started the war between them. The same thing could be applied to the protest against the authority. In ‘The Crucible’, Abigail Williams is the one who initiate conflict in Salem, which results in the death of many innocent people who are falsely accused of witchcraft. Abigail started her lies due to save her name in the village that already blackened, and as the story goes on, to save her life as well. With the arrival of Reverend Hale, the simple matter of ‘dancing in the wood’ could no longer be put behind. Abigail has no other choice but to keep lying, a lie that was once only to save her life is now threatening the whole village and people who are initially not involved in it. She does not hesitate on telling lies, and her true motive is now colored with her fear of losing her former lover. This fear is far greater than her conscience, and eventually devours it. Reverend Paris as a minister has a fright on his own that makes him not doing his job rightfully as the enforcement of justice. For the sake of his name, his family and his occupation, he turned his back on people who need justice. The fear of losing greatly consumes his mind that he willing to sacrifice other people rather than losing his pride, similar to what Abigail does. Judge Danforth is also one who is consumed by fear and would not let go of it. He has seen it that Abigail was a fraud, but he could not admit his wrong doing by hanging those innocent people, instead he declares that John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey need to be hanged by the next day to save his name. He is terrified of what people might think and do if they knew the truth that there is no witchcraft. These personal conflict which actually happened in their own mind, become a significant global conflict that involved a lot of people when a person with authority possessed it and take action to save themselves. War and terrorism that happened between Iraq and USA is none other created by one simple thing, fear. The reason that based these extremists on 9/11 tragedy is actually the same reason that is used when US had their attack on Iraq. We first thought that it is only natural that US would come with an attack of revenge, but US knew that Iraq is not the place where the bombing on 9/11 came from. Why do people attack one another? What causes human to kill? The answer is always clear, fear. We would not kill, attack, shoot and blow up other people if we weren’t afraid of them. It is true that conflict is generated from fears. This fear devours all conscience and common sense of human that brings out the inner conflict in ourselves. Nonetheless, conflict is our everyday meal for us human. Without conflict, not to mention fear, there will be no development or revolution in human life. But, it is always good to keep our fear and sense in control not letting fear taking charge in our mind. Democracy which arose from conflict, is also originated from the fear of the false-authority or tyranny. This shows that a controlled fear could brings up social justice and goodness in people.

Mw Petroleum

Discounted Cash Flow Valuation of Aggregate Reserves Discounted Cash Flow Valuation – Proved Developed Reserves Discounted Cash Flow Valuation – Proved Undeveloped Reserves Discounted Cash Flow Valuation – Probable Reserves Discounted Cash Flow Valuation – Possible Reserves Question 3 To value MW Petroleum we would consider the assets in place and the option bearing assets discretely. The assets in place consist of the proved developed reserves since they are already producing a determinable quantity of oil and natural gas, as well as the non-producing assets as if developed immediately (valued as the NPV of free cash flows). The expenditures associated with the proved developed reserves are also known with some certainty since they consist primarily of maintenance and replacement costs that follow experience based norms. The NPV is subject to commodity price risk due to volatility in oil and gas prices, as well as uncertainty regarding the discount rate. The options consist of the delay in developing proved undeveloped, probable and possible reserves. In the case of these assets, significant development costs must be incurred to monetize the reserves. In the case of the probable and possible reserves, the estimated cash flows are already risk weighted to account for the uncertainty in producible reserves. The options on these reserves are timing options. By incorporating volatility in commodity prices over time, Apache can value the ability to postpone capital expenditures to develop the reserves until volatility in commodity prices returns to historical levels. It is important that Apache have some level of certainty regarding minimum likely commodity prices over time since these are long-lived projects. These options yield a higher value than the DCF valuation (of the aggregate cash flows). Since we are considering these reserves as potential projects in years five through seven, we use the Black-Scholes model to value the options. The option values are inclusive of the project, i. e. not just the option alone. Question 4: The assets underlying the options are quite risky as demonstrated by the rising volatility presented in the case. Since Apache was primarily concerned with the oil assets, we used the highest recent oil price volatility of 50%. Since volatility is such a driver of option value, we also performed a sensitivity analysis to evaluate how the projects plus options would be valued at different revenue levels as well as with differing volatility. Question 5 Based on the value of all the call options derived in question 4, if the sale goes through then Apache Corporation would not exercise any of the options early. In doing so, they would incur significant financial hardship while bearing the risk of highly volatile underlying assets. Given the potential financial strain of this acquisition, as incorporated by the cost of capital, Apache would benefit from observing prices develop over time. Our answer is based on the volatility which is assumed at 50%. Based on the sensitivity analysis it does not appear Apache would attempt to develop the possible reserves within the 5-7 year timeframe.

Cheerios †Theology Essay

Cheerios – Theology Essay Free Online Research Papers Cheerios Theology Essay My grandson’s response brought back memories of my childhood. Maybe that happens more often the older you get. My wife and I like to have some of our grandchildren’s favorite cereals on hand when they spend the night. When Elijah was asked what kind he wanted, he answered, â€Å"Cheerios, but the honey-nut kind.† He got his honey-nut cheerios. But I remembered how that was my favorite cereal when I was his age. Cheerios have been around a long time. I never did think much about the name until now. I just remembered how the advertising promoted the formation of muscles and strength for those who ate iron fortified Cheerios. Elijah is right though, now I also like Honey-nut Cheerios the best. I had a friend from England who was fond of using the expression â€Å"Cheerio† for goodbye. I thought that a little strange, but after some reflection, I tend to prefer that over goodbye. Unfortunately most Americans would consider you a little peculiar if you went around saying, â€Å"Cheerio.† Cheerio is actually a British, informal expression of good wishes on parting company. I like â€Å"Cheerio† much better than â€Å"Goodbye†. Goodbye sounds so final. Although originally, goodbye was â€Å"God be with you.† We don’t hear that expression much in our secularized society. So, â€Å"Cheerio†. I think Jesus had some British in him. He probably said, â€Å"Cheerio† a lot. At least he often used the expression, â€Å"Be of good cheer.† The New Oxford American Dictionary defines â€Å"cheer† as â€Å"2) give comfort or support to . . . also â€Å"Good cheer†, cheerfulness, optimism, or confidence causing happiness by its nature or appearance.† As never before, we live in a time when people need to hear â€Å"Be of good cheer†. This Father’s Day many children don’t have the memory or heritage of having a father present in their lives. Many fathers face an uncertain and insecure future. They wonder if there is hope and a future for them and their children. Many people try to find cheer in a shot glass, a bottle, a can, or a pill. â€Å"Newsweek† magazine reported the 65% of Americans are having trouble sleeping. They wake up with a black cloud of despair hanging over them. Millions are now medicating themselves just to find a small bit of relief. Jesus came to this earth to bring the Good News of hope, joy, and everlasting life. Jesus constantly told his followers to have â€Å"Good cheer†. In Matthew 14 we read the account of the disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee during an awful storm. The boat was battered by the winds and waves. Suddenly, they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water. They were terrified. They thought he was a ghost. Jesus called out to them, â€Å"Be of good cheer. It is I, be not afraid† (Matthew 14:27). I’ve wondered why Jesus used those particular words. â€Å"Be of good cheer.† Why would he say this to men who thought they were about to die? Remember the word cheer means â€Å"to be relieved, happy, released from fear†. In the disciples time of distress Jesus tied the word to his identity. â€Å"It is I – Be of good cheer, be not afraid† (Matthew 14:27). Jesus says, â€Å"I will never leave you or forsake you . . . I will be with you always.† If we will trust God and be of good cheer, fear, and the enemy of our soul will flee. How can we be of good cheer always? First – FEAR NOT. Jesus constantly urged his followers not to fear. When we become preoccupied with our problems, circumstances, and storms, fear will take us captive. Put your eyes of Jesus. Remember God’s promises. â€Å"That brings good tidings of good news; that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, your God reigns!† (Isaiah 52:7) Be of good cheer! (John 16:33; Acts 17:22) Second – FORGET NOT His promises and benefits. When Israel forgot their Maker, fear of the enemy entered their hearts. (Isaiah 51:13) David told his soul not to forget God’s goodness, mercy, and benefits. (Psalm 103) Third – FAILED NOT. The Lord has never once failed His people. God cannot and will not fail you. (Psalm 37:24-25) Fourth – FOLLOW NOT the path of the proud, but the path of humility. Jesus set an example of humility. (Philippians 2) He taught that we must become as children. As we come into our teenage years, we begin to act like â€Å"sophisticated adults†. Jesus taught the blessing of childlike faith, love, and humility. (James 4:6-10) Fifth – FUSS NOT with the bustle and business of life. But fellowship daily and moment by moment with the Lord. Martha was busy about many things, but Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. Who do you think had more cheer, joy, love, and peace? Jesus said that Mary did. (Luke 10:38-41) Fellowship with Jesus brings cheer and true lasting satisfaction. Hear His call, â€Å"Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears my voice and opens unto me, I will come into him and sup with him and he with me† (Revelation 3:20) Cheerio! Be of good cheer! Research Papers on Cheerios - Theology EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Spring and AutumnThe Hockey GamePersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayHip-Hop is ArtAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationWhere Wild and West MeetCapital Punishment

10th Grade College Planning 7 Early Steps

10th Grade College Planning 7 Early Steps SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In your sophomore year, you may start to feel anxiety about college, or you may believe that you don't have to think about college yet. While I'm not a proponent of intense worrying and don't think stress is healthy, you should start planning for college in 10th grade. In this article, I'll walk you through the steps you should be taking in 10th grade to maximize your college options and reach your college goals. Also, I'll let you know which aspects of the college process you don't have to worry about yet. #1: Start Thinking About College - It’s Not Too Early It's definitely not too early to start planning for college in 10th grade.Much of what you do in 10th grade will impact your college applications and influence admissions decisions. Also, if you make attending college a goal while you're a 10th grader, you’ll be more likely to stay on theright track and eventually enroll. #2: Take the Right Classes Developing a solid academic track record is the most important part of 10th grade college planning. The classes you take will greatly influence your college options. Talk to your counselor to ensure that you’re on a college prep track. Also, you can look at various college websites to see the course requirements for admission. Colleges will evaluate you based on the classes you’ve taken. Selective colleges want to see that you’re challenging yourself and taking some of the hardest classes that are offered at your school. You don’t have to take every single honors or AP class, but, to get into elite schools, you should demonstrate that you can do well in the most difficult classes. Also, you should be taking prerequisites for classes you're considering taking later. For example, you may need to take regular or honors chemistry if you want to take AP Chemistry in your junior year. I advise taking honors or AP classes in the subjects you're best at and the subjects you're considering studying in college. Some high schools offer AP classes to sophomores and some don't. If possible, you may want to consider taking an AP class in 10th grade to strengthen your schedule and get a feel for AP classes. Here's an example of a good sophomore year schedule for a student who wants to be competitive for admission to selective colleges. Note that this is just a rough guide, and you can take a more or less challenging schedule depending on your skill level and the courses offered at your high school: Honors Chemistry Algebra II Honors English World History Honors Spanish II PE Elective Ohfooyhy/Flickr #3: Focus on YourGrades Your sophomore year grades do matter for college admissions. Most colleges will focus on yoursophomoreand junior year grades when making admissions decisions. To colleges, your grades are a reflection of your work ethic and ability to succeed in college. Also, your grades in your sophomore year will influence your high school GPA and class rank. Furthermore, if you get good grades in your sophomore year, you’ll be more likely to get good grades in your junior and senior years. You’ll have developed the skills and habits that will allow you to continue to be successful academically. Learn more about how to get a 4.0 and better grades. If you don’t do as well as you’d like in your sophomore year, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your college dreams are shattered, though. Colleges do like to see continued improvement, and if you do better in your junior year, that will strengthen your college applications. #4: Stay (or Get) Involved in Extracurriculars Other than your grades and test scores, your extracurricular activities probably have the biggest influence on the quality of your college applications. Colleges, especially top colleges, want their students to have exceptional achievements outside of the classroom, and they’re looking for individuals who use their leisure time to pursue their passions. Some students believe they need to be well-rounded and do many extracurriculars; however, for college admissions, it may be more advantageous for you to develop a â€Å"spike† and exhibit excellence in a particular activity or field. If you play a sport, you can focus your energies on reaching the highest level in your sport and becoming a recruited athlete. If you excel in science, you can use your time outside of school to prepare for and compete in science fairs and competitions. Additionally, you can take extra science classes at a community college or volunteer to help a professor with research. You should be participating in extracurricular activities during your sophomore year of high school. In 10th grade, you should choose activities that you'll try to stay with for the rest of high school, or you should attempt to advance and gain leadership positions in activities you've already started. Colleges prefer to see a sustained commitment to your activities. It's more impressive to show growth and achievement in the same activities than it is to start doing a bunch of activities in your junior year. If you're musically inclined, you can join the orchestra. Image source:Mark/Flickr #5: Start Preparing for the SAT/ACT Starting to prepare for the SAT/ACT in your sophomore year will give you ample time to master the concepts and strategies that will allow you to reach your target score. Learn how to study for the SAT/ACT as a 10th grader. We recommend that you take the SAT/ACT for the first time by the fall of your junior year. If you familiarize yourself with key concepts and take a few practice tests during your sophomore year, you'll have a good head start on your studying. Then, if you do thorough preparation in the summer before your junior year, you should feel confident and prepared when you take the test. Giving yourself a full year of studying will enable you to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Once you know where you’re struggling, you can focus on improving your weaknesses and track your progress. Additionally, studying for the SAT/ACT can help you with your schoolwork. In the Math sections, the SAT and ACT test you on algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Depending on the level of math you’re taking, studying for the SAT/ACT can help you with your current math class or a math class you’ll be taking in the future. Furthermore, practicing for the other sections will improve your reading comprehension, knowledge of grammar, and essay writing skills. Finally, you should take the PSAT or PreACT during your sophomore year. These tests are designed to prepare you for the actual SAT and ACT. You’ll be able to simulate real testing conditions and effectively assess your current skill level. You’ll get a detailed score report that will enable you to identify and hone your weak points. Also, you’ll get more customized SAT instruction from Khan Academy if you take the PSAT. #6: Research Colleges When you’re a sophomore in high school, you don’t need to know which college you want to go to. You don’t even need to have much of an idea of which colleges you want to apply to. However, you should be learning about colleges. You can get a better idea of what you need to do to get admitted. Google "PrepScholar (name of school) admissions" to get the acceptance rates, average GPAs, and average standardized test scores for different schools. If you know the grades and test scores you'll need to get into different colleges, that can help motivate you to stay on track. Additionally, you should start thinking about what you’re looking for in a college. What do you want to study? Would you be more comfortable at a large school or a small liberal arts college? What geographic region do you want to be in? You can play around with college finders to get an idea of different schools that may be good for you. Furthermore, you can look at college search websites, guidebooks, and ranking lists to get a better idea of your college options. Visit local college campuses to see what they're like and get a small taste of college life. It's fine if you're unsure at this point what you want in a college, especially because it's very possible that you'll change your mind before you graduate from high school. However, it's a good idea to start thinking about college, educating yourself about your college options, and learning what you have to do to be a competitive applicant. Read up on colleges. #7: Learn About How to Pay for College Many students (and their parents) stress that they’ll be unable to afford college and won’t be able to pursue a college education. It’s important to know that there are scholarships and financial aid available that can substantially ease the financial burden of attending college. If your parents are worried that they won’t be able to send you to school, you can have them read about the different types of financial aid and how to save for college. If you don’t think you can count on your parents to contribute financially to help to pay for college, then you can inform yourself about how you can pay for college on your own. Also, you can look for scholarships that will help cover college costs. At this point in the college planning process, you should proceed with the thought that your financial situation won’t get in the way of your college dreams. Furthermore, the better you do in school and on your standardized tests, the more likely you’ll be to receive merit scholarships to help pay for school. What Not to Worry About While you should be thinking about how to plan for college in the 10th grade, know that you still have time to prepare yourself for college. Try to avoid stressing too much about college now. Do your best to enjoy your sophomore year, have fun, and cultivate meaningful friendships. Here are some specific aspects of planning for college that you don’t have to be too concerned about in the 10th grade. The Best College for You While it’s great to have goals and dreams, you don’t need to know where you want to go to college in the 10th grade. You don’t even need to figure out where you’re applying until the start of your senior year. Furthermore, as you mature and learn more about different colleges, you may very well change your dream school. You could decide to pursue a different career path or change what you’re looking for in a college. There’s nothing wrong with adjusting your goals or priorities. At this point in your high school career, you should spend the majority of your time developing the skills and qualifications to give yourself as many college options as possible. Perhaps you’re assuming now that you’ll go to your local state college that may not be overly selective. Maybe its incoming students have an average GPA of 3.2. However, if in the summer before your senior year, you decide that you want to go to a more selective college, you’ll have many more options if you have a 3.8 GPA. Or maybe now you’re dreaming of going to Harvard. If you make yourself a qualified Harvard applicant, but you end up deciding you’d rather pursue a BS/MD program, you’ll likely still be in a good position to reach your college goals. If you follow an effective plan, you can reach your college goals. Getting a Top SAT/ACT Score Even though it’s good to start your SAT/ACT studying in your sophomore year, you don’t need to reach your target score in the 10th grade. Generally, you have up until December of your senior year to take these tests. Even if you’re trying to get a National Merit Scholarship, you don’t have to get a qualifying score on your PSAT/NMSQT until your junior year. Try not to get too frustrated if you’re not getting the scores you want on your practice tests. At this point, it’s most important to keep improving and learn what you need to do to get better. What's Next? Are you starting your SAT studying? Learn how to get a perfect SAT or ACT score. Do you want to learn more about how to apply for college? Check out our expert guide. Are you thinking about staying close to home for college? Read our article about how to determine if you should go to a school near you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: