- Published on
Credit: University of California
Students pass in front of UCLA's Royce Hall. UCLA provides the country's best value on college education, according to Forbes' 300 Best Value Colleges 2018 list.
Forbes 2018 Best Value Colleges
CampusRank
UCLANo. 1
UC BerkeleyNo. 2
UC IrvineNo. 9
UC San DiegoNo. 9
UC Santa BarbaraNo. 11
UC DavisNo. 13
UC RiversideNo. 64
UC Santa CruzNo. 77
University of California students receive the best deals on college education in the country, according to Forbes' newly released 2018 rankings.
The 300 Best Value Colleges list, which encompasses public and private schools, features eight UC campuses. UCLA and UC Berkeley ranked first and second, with UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis included among the top 15 best value colleges.
Five UC campuses ranked higher this year than last. UC Irvine, which ranked 4th overall, moved up four spots from last year. UC Santa Barbara rose by 11 places, UC Santa Cruz by 20 and UC Riverside moved up 43 spots.
The Forbes rankings are designed “to help students decide whether their college investments are likely to reward them with a healthy return,” the magazine wrote in its methodology press release. To that end, the rankings evaluated alumni earnings, net price, net debt, school quality, timely graduation and the number of Pell Grant recipients. Of the top three colleges, UC Berkeley and UCLA had the highest average mid-career earnings, at $130,100 and $114,800 respectively.
650 schools in total were considered for inclusion on the list.
In addition to value, Forbes also identified the 10 schools that had the most success with upward mobility, defined as the percentage of students from the bottom 20 percent of income distribution who joined the top 20 percent of earners. Of these 10, UC Irvine (average mid-career salary of $118,800) and UCLA (average mid-career salary of $114,800) ranked second and third.
The Forbes list, published before the May 1 decision deadline for most students across the country, follows upon several other lists that emphasize UC’s value and academic excellence, including U.S. News and World Report's “America’s Best Colleges,” Times Higher Education's international ranking and The New York Times College Access Index.
Source: www.universityofcalifornia.edu
- Published on
The University of Chicago on Thursday morning announced that it was dropping the requirement that all undergraduate applicants submit SAT or ACT scores.
Hundreds of colleges -- including elite liberal arts colleges -- have stopped requiring the SAT or ACT. But Chicago's move is the first by one of the very top research universities in the country. And the move is striking coming from an institution, known for its academic rigor, that has had no difficulty attracting top applicants.
For the class that enrolled in September 2017, the university received 27,694 applicants and admitted 2,419. The middle 50 percent of the range of SAT scores of admitted applicants was 1460 to 1550.
Several experts predicted that other top universities might now reconsider testing requirements.
The test-optional policy applies to all students from the United States. The university also announced an expansion of financial aid (for which the university was already on the generous side) and other new policies designed to attract more low-income and first-generation students.
Going forward the university will provide:
“Today, many underresourced and underrepresented students, families and school advisers perceive top-ranked colleges as inaccessible if students do not have the means to help them stand out in the application process,” said James G. Nondorf, vice president and dean of admissions at Chicago. He added that UChicago Empower, as the initiatives are collectively being called, "levels the playing field, allowing first-generation and low-income students to use technology and other resources to present themselves as well as any other college applicant. We want students to understand the application does not define you -- you define the application."
Chicago's announcement comes at a time of renewed debate over the role of standardized testing in admissions.
In January, a new book from Johns Hopkins University Press (edited by three people with current or former ties to the College Board) argued that test-optional admissions policies have not increased the diversity of higher education or had other positive impacts. Then in April, a large-scale study -- based on data from 28 colleges and universities and 955,774 applicants over multiyear periods for each of those institutions -- found that the adoption of test-optional policies does increase the enrollment of black and Latino students and does not have a negative impact on completion rates.
For colleges that use the SAT or ACT, a major challenge has been study after study showing that wealthier students generally fare better than do less wealthy students. And white and Asian students, on average, perform much better than do black and Latino students.
Consider the following table from the most recent release of data by the College Board. The benchmarks are scores that the College Board says indicate that students have a 75 percent chance of earning a C or higher in various college courses.
2017 Mean SAT Scores, and Percentage Meeting Benchmarks, by Race and Ethnicity
Hundreds of colleges -- including elite liberal arts colleges -- have stopped requiring the SAT or ACT. But Chicago's move is the first by one of the very top research universities in the country. And the move is striking coming from an institution, known for its academic rigor, that has had no difficulty attracting top applicants.
For the class that enrolled in September 2017, the university received 27,694 applicants and admitted 2,419. The middle 50 percent of the range of SAT scores of admitted applicants was 1460 to 1550.
Several experts predicted that other top universities might now reconsider testing requirements.
The test-optional policy applies to all students from the United States. The university also announced an expansion of financial aid (for which the university was already on the generous side) and other new policies designed to attract more low-income and first-generation students.
Going forward the university will provide:
- Full tuition scholarships for students whose families earn less than $125,000.
- Scholarships of $20,000 over four years, and a guaranteed paid summer internship, for all first-generation students.
- Special new scholarships for veterans and the children of police officers, firefighters and veterans.
“Today, many underresourced and underrepresented students, families and school advisers perceive top-ranked colleges as inaccessible if students do not have the means to help them stand out in the application process,” said James G. Nondorf, vice president and dean of admissions at Chicago. He added that UChicago Empower, as the initiatives are collectively being called, "levels the playing field, allowing first-generation and low-income students to use technology and other resources to present themselves as well as any other college applicant. We want students to understand the application does not define you -- you define the application."
Chicago's announcement comes at a time of renewed debate over the role of standardized testing in admissions.
In January, a new book from Johns Hopkins University Press (edited by three people with current or former ties to the College Board) argued that test-optional admissions policies have not increased the diversity of higher education or had other positive impacts. Then in April, a large-scale study -- based on data from 28 colleges and universities and 955,774 applicants over multiyear periods for each of those institutions -- found that the adoption of test-optional policies does increase the enrollment of black and Latino students and does not have a negative impact on completion rates.
For colleges that use the SAT or ACT, a major challenge has been study after study showing that wealthier students generally fare better than do less wealthy students. And white and Asian students, on average, perform much better than do black and Latino students.
Consider the following table from the most recent release of data by the College Board. The benchmarks are scores that the College Board says indicate that students have a 75 percent chance of earning a C or higher in various college courses.
2017 Mean SAT Scores, and Percentage Meeting Benchmarks, by Race and Ethnicity
Admissions officials of course note that they consider a range of factors, and not just test scores, in making decisions on applicants. But test scores are receiving increasing scrutiny from advocates for black and Latino students, who say those students are excluded by the use of test scores. In addition, some advocates for Asian-American applicants use these data to say that elite colleges should be admitting many more Asian-American applicants than they are now. This issue is about to receive attention in a lawsuit against Harvard University, joined by the U.S. Justice Department, alleging discrimination against Asian-American applicants.
While top universities have been sticking with the SAT and ACT, few have adopted the tests' separate writing assessments. And those that have used that portion of the SAT and ACT have been dropping the requirement. This month Yale University announced that it was dropping the writing requirement, three months after Harvard did the same. The University of San Diego also announced recently it was dropping the requirement.
The Princeton Review, which tracks how many colleges require the writing test, now identifies only 25 institutions that do so. Those that have already dropped the requirement include Columbia and Cornell Universities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Will Others Follow?
Robert Schaeffer of FairTest: the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, predicted others would follow Chicago's decision. He said Chicago's decision was "potentially a huge 'ice-breaker' for ultraselective institutions. Several other schools in this category are re-examining their admissions exam requirements but have been hesitant to go first."
Schaeffer is a longtime critic of the SAT. But his prediction was shared by some who have not been critics as he has.
Molly O'Connor, a senior consultant with EAB’s Enrollment Management Forum, said that test-optional admissions have the most success when they are part of broad admissions strategies and not a standalone policy.
"Everyone watches the selectives on major strategic decisions such as these," she said via email. "While the impact may not be immediate, it's another boost to the momentum test-optional policies have been gaining lately, and a powerful one. More specifically, there are several reasons schools decide to hold off going test optional, including concerns about perceived selectivity and academic rigor. This may begin changing some of those conversations as well."
Don Hossler, senior scholar at the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice at the Rossier School of Education of the University of Southern California, also said he believed the Chicago decision would have a broader imapct.
"It will absolutely influence other small and large elite institutions as well as less selective publics and privates," he said. "It will have a ripple effect across all sectors. It may be a while before all elite institutions follow this lead but for most schools their thinking will be along the lines of: 'I want to be competitive for those students and do not want to be left off of the list of schools students are considering only because we are not test optional.'"
Source: www.insidehighered.com
While top universities have been sticking with the SAT and ACT, few have adopted the tests' separate writing assessments. And those that have used that portion of the SAT and ACT have been dropping the requirement. This month Yale University announced that it was dropping the writing requirement, three months after Harvard did the same. The University of San Diego also announced recently it was dropping the requirement.
The Princeton Review, which tracks how many colleges require the writing test, now identifies only 25 institutions that do so. Those that have already dropped the requirement include Columbia and Cornell Universities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Will Others Follow?
Robert Schaeffer of FairTest: the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, predicted others would follow Chicago's decision. He said Chicago's decision was "potentially a huge 'ice-breaker' for ultraselective institutions. Several other schools in this category are re-examining their admissions exam requirements but have been hesitant to go first."
Schaeffer is a longtime critic of the SAT. But his prediction was shared by some who have not been critics as he has.
Molly O'Connor, a senior consultant with EAB’s Enrollment Management Forum, said that test-optional admissions have the most success when they are part of broad admissions strategies and not a standalone policy.
"Everyone watches the selectives on major strategic decisions such as these," she said via email. "While the impact may not be immediate, it's another boost to the momentum test-optional policies have been gaining lately, and a powerful one. More specifically, there are several reasons schools decide to hold off going test optional, including concerns about perceived selectivity and academic rigor. This may begin changing some of those conversations as well."
Don Hossler, senior scholar at the Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice at the Rossier School of Education of the University of Southern California, also said he believed the Chicago decision would have a broader imapct.
"It will absolutely influence other small and large elite institutions as well as less selective publics and privates," he said. "It will have a ripple effect across all sectors. It may be a while before all elite institutions follow this lead but for most schools their thinking will be along the lines of: 'I want to be competitive for those students and do not want to be left off of the list of schools students are considering only because we are not test optional.'"
Source: www.insidehighered.com
- Published on
The mission of Carnegie Mellon University includes the cultivation of a diverse community. All throughout our campus there are examples of this commitment though initiatives such as the recent creation of our Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, among many others. With this responsibility in mind, our undergraduate admission process is shifting to focus more on diversity and inclusion of all populations by reducing or eliminating advantages that have been inherent in certain aspects of the admission process. The goal is to provide a more equitable, level playing field where all segments of our applicant population have the same opportunity in the admission process. We're eliminating demonstrated interest as a consideration in our admission paradigm. We'll no longer encourage supplementary submission of materials, including resumes, research abstracts, writing samples, multimedia demonstrations of talents, and maker portfolios. Going forward, we're no longer offering alumni interviews in advance of admission decisions and are refocusing alumni efforts to connect with admitted candidates instead. Our on-campus interviews are no longer evaluative, but rather are counseling sessions to help students align their interests with our programs. We've changed our long application essay to a series of short essays to better understand student context, unique talents and interests as well as special considerations which candidates would like to bring to our attention. Yet even with these impending changes, there's more work needed on our part to achieve a more inclusive process. Issues surrounding standardized testing, for example, are complex in a research university like ours, and while we’ve lessened our SAT subject test requirements we’re hoping there is more we can do. All told, we're working hard to change our process in a more inclusive direction.
Our changes extend to our waiting list process as well. Like many other institutions, we are inundated with demonstrations of continued interest and additional recommendations, mostly from well-resourced or well-advised applicants. Though we don't request any at all, students write letters of continued interest, send us more recommendations, send projects, visit our campus to make their case in person and also have anyone with any perceived influence make phone calls to lobby and advocate for them. Our waiting list process is designed to give everyone who is interested in remaining on our waiting list the opportunity to respond about their uniqueness by sending us a paragraph at the appropriate time, only when we know there are additional places to fill. No letters of continued interest, extra recommendations, expectation of campus visits, lobbying efforts … nothing but a paragraph. Information about the paragraph is included in the information made available to all students offered a place on our waiting list when admission decisions are rendered in March. We've not provided the exact topic in advance since we have wanted to avoid having students work on it needlessly in the event we weren't going to admit candidates from our waiting list.
These are fairly significant changes for us. We’re learning that the journey to a more inclusive and equitable process that eliminates unfair advantage to some is certainly not convenient or easy. It’s uphill work … but work worth doing. In honesty, we’re learning it may take many trials before ultimate success. We believe these changes are important steps to move our process toward eliminating unfair advantage and making it more inclusive and equitable for all.
Michael Steidel
Dean of Admission
Carnegie Mellon University
Source: www.admission.enrollment.cmu.edu
- Published on
Counselors report being stunned by the decisions coming out of some University of California and Cal State campuses. Could out-of-state institutions see a better than normal yield of Californians?
The college counselor was stunned. One of her best students was accepted to Washington University in St. Louis. But she was wait-listed by her two "safeties," the University of California, Davis, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Another counselor said that he is seeing students either wait-listed or rejected from UC Davis or UC Santa Barbara -- students with "straight A's and maybe one or two B's" and SAT scores above 1400 or near-perfect ACT scores. He has seen even stronger students -- among the top of his school's graduating class -- getting rejected from UC San Diego.
"Our San Diego decisions look like Berkeley and UCLA decisions from years past," he said. "Students we told that 'this was a likely school' aren't getting in."
Parents -- many of whom rely on out-of-date senses of colleges' competitiveness -- are particularly shocked. "We are constantly working with parents who assume a B-plus student can go to Davis or Santa Barbara, and they can't," said the counselor.
UCLA and Berkeley have for years been long shots for all applicants. They reject many students with perfect SAT scores and grade point averages. So while many applicants are crushed by rejections at those two campuses, their counselors aren't surprised. The difference this year, counselors say, is that other UC campuses and some California State campuses have gone up significantly in competitiveness.
Counselors are of course the first to admit that admissions to highly competitive institutions is not a formula. Some students with particular qualities (athletic skill would be a good example) are routinely admitted to institutions even though they have lower grades and test scores than others who are rejected. Some students' interests make them particularly good matches for some colleges. But leaving aside students with special qualities, counselors say they see clear and consistent patterns in how applicants from their high schools are treated. And they track results carefully so they can offer good advice to the next class of students.
And these are the counselors reporting that they are seriously surprised this year.
Rebecca Stuart-Orlowski, a private counselor in California, said she is seeing "unusual trends" this year. She has a student who was admitted to UCLA but rejected by UC San Diego, when in the past, those admitted to UCLA or Berkeley typically were admitted to other UCs to which they applied.
Another student received a "likely admit" letter from Cornell University and has been rejected by UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara.
Several applicants report being rejected by all the UC campuses to which they have applied but being admitted to competitive private liberal arts colleges in New England. One student Stuart-Orlowski works with was admitted to Smith College but rejected by California State University at Long Beach.
Advising of students is changing. "UCSD can be no one's safety school anymore," Stuart-Orlowski said.
A school counselor in Northern California said it is the "middle group" within the University of California where he is seeing change. He has a senior with straight A's who was wait-listed at Santa Barbara. At Davis and San Diego, "students we assumed would be strong candidates are being wait-listed."
He said that, next year, he will be discouraging students from using any UC as a safety.
As for this year's seniors, he said, "they are panicking." He said he was particularly worried about the "limbo" created when so many students are being placed on waiting lists, with very few likely to ever be admitted. "I tell them to plan on going elsewhere and move forward with the offers they do have."
Several counselors also said that they would encourage students to remember the way many admissions officers consider "demonstrated interest" and favor applicants who have visited campus, and view those who apply without visiting as people who are using the college as a fallback.
Others said that yields could be hard to predict for out-of-state colleges that recruit top students in California. Many Californians have in the past turned down top out-of-state institutions for UC campuses that charge a fraction of the cost of private institutions. Such students may not have the option going ahead.
Reaction to Irvine's Miscalculation?
One theory in California is that this year's high school seniors are paying for last year's serious miscalculation at UC Irvine.
Last year, about 800 more accepted applicants than expected sent in deposits to enroll at Irvine, bringing the first-year class to an unexpectedly large 7,100. Irvine then revoked the acceptances of 500 of those new students, saying that they had not turned in all required forms. Many complained at the time that Irvine was taking a much tougher than normal stand on these forms, apparently to get out of the problem of having so many unexpected freshmen. Amid much public criticism, Irvine then revoked the revocations and made it possible for most of those students to enroll.
Irvine officials consistently denied that they were enforcing the rules just to deal with the extra freshmen, but many didn't believe the university.
Many counselors say they assume the Irvine experience -- illustrating the challenge of predicting yields in California -- may have prompted UC campuses to use wait lists to manage their yields, rather than risk having several hundred more freshmen than planned show up.
Further, the University of California Board of Regents in January adopted a policy barring its campuses from doing what many assume Irvine did last year. Under the new policy, colleges may require verification of various matters (such as test scores and transcripts) before enrollment, but they are barred from using the verification process for any reason other than verification, and they are required to provide an appeals process for any who think they are having admissions offers revoked for inappropriate reasons.
Overwhelming Numbers
University of California officials note that they are still sending out admissions decisions and say that it's too early to produce figures on admit rates, or to discuss the trends that counselors say they are seeing.
But numbers are available for total applications for the coming fall. And while UC campuses are edging up in total size, the application increases are much larger. Total (unduplicated) applications for undergraduateadmission to the University of California were up 5.7 percent, but the largest increases were not at Berkeley, which was up only 4.6 percent. UC Riverside saw the largest percentage increase -- 12.2 percent.
Five UC campuses -- Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara -- received more than 100,000 applications each. San Diego's total is up 9.7 percent. Davis is not far behind at 95,000 applications, up 8.6 percent. (By way of comparison, Harvard University received just under 40,000 applications last year.)
Application totals like those guarantee shrinking admit rates of the sort many applicants are experiencing this year.
Leading private institutions in California are seeing similar shifts. Stanford University is in many respects similar to Berkeley and simply not considered a sure thing for anyone. But the University of Southern California (with an international student body, but of which 39 percent of students are Californians) this year admitted only 13 percent of its 64,000 applicants. The admit rate dropped three percentage points in a year.
As several of the above anecdotes indicate, Cal State campuses are also becoming a stretch for many, in part because of increasing demand. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo received 65,000 applications for admission for this fall, up 13 percent in a year. A growing number of Cal State campuses operate under "impaction," in which they are unable to admit qualified applicants and so operate with different standards for different majors, so that it becomes much more difficult to be admitted to high-demand programs, such as those in STEM fields. (Here are details on how this plays out at San Jose State University.)
The California State University system has adopted a new approach such that, in the future, those who meet Cal State admissions requirements and who are rejected by the campuses to which they apply will receive an offer for admission to another Cal State campus.
But whether that reduces pressure remains to be seen. Some Cal State campuses are much more popular than others, based on academic strengths and/or location. For the University of California, which has such a system, the pressure on applicants and on the system only seems to be growing.
- Published on
If you’re hoping to attend Harvard next year at this time, there are a few things you should know before pressing send on your application. They are as follows: Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
96% of students graduate within six years.
Harvard is a medium-sized school with 6,712 total undergrads.
The early action deadline is November 1.
The Ivy League gives students the opportunity to respond to one additional essay in their application.
See more: https://www.collegeessayadvisors.com/harvard-university-optional-essay-what-you-need-to-know/
- Published on
- Published on
So you’re working on your college applications and just can’t seem to come up with a good topic for your essay! You hate all of your ideas and you know a good topic is the foundation for a fantastic essay! Don’t panic! Your predicament is quite normal and you’re one of many students sweating your essay topic right now!! The good news is we can help! Here are some tips for using your memories to find the perfect topic:
- Go through old photo albums (or your Instagram feed) and brainstorm using pictures as your triggers.
- Look around your bedroom – what items jump out to you as things that have meaning? Do this exercise in any place you spend a lot of time. The locker room. The school bus. The library. Your best friend’s house. Your favorite ice cream shop.
- Try and jog your memory for the most meaningful events in your life thus far. Think about birthdays and anniversaries. Special visits from long lost friends. Competitions you won (or lost).
- Take your nostalgia for a ride. Up to this point in your life, what have been your most cherished memories and why? You might not end up writing about your seventh grade science fair, but you could unearth a smaller, more significant story to tell.
- Don’t be afraid to consult mom and dad. Even if you’re wary of letting your parents in on the brainstorming process, they often remember details you don’t remember or bring up stories you have totally forgotten. (Ours remember many we would like to forget.)
- Published on
If you recognize the grammar error in this sign, good for you! The grammar police won’t be handing you a citation this time.
If you don’t recognize the error, the grammar police have officially given you a warning citation. Don’t worry—you can avoid paying any fines by reading this post and learning to recognize this and nine other common grammar mistakes.
I’m sure there are about a bajillion grammar errors you might make in any given paper, but I can’t cover them all in this post. Instead, let’s focus on 10 common grammar mistakes that will help keep the grammar police at bay.
Easily confused wordsSome words sound almost the same and are spelled similarly, so it can be easy to get them mixed up. Here are five sets of words that are easily confused.
1. Then/Than
- Then generally refers to actions in time.
Example #2: Emily went to the food court, then headed to the movies.
- Than is a comparison.
Example #2: I’d rather enroll in calculus than physics.
2. Effect/Affect
- Effect means a result.
Example #2: Did the experiment demonstrate an effect on climate change?
- Affect means to influence.
Example #2: Eating dessert first never affects my appetite.
3. They’re/Their
- They’re is a contraction for “they are.”
Example #2: I hope they’re learning how to avoid grammar mistakes.
- Their shows possession or ownership.
Example #2: The students hoped their tests would be graded on a curve.
4. Your/You’re
- Your shows possession or ownership.
Example #2: Lara left her books in your room.
- You’re is a contraction for “you are.”
Example #2: Are you sure you’re driving in the right direction?
5. Its/It’s
- Its shows possession or ownership.
Example #2: The leopard changed its spots.
- It’s is a contraction for “it is.”
Example #2: Lauren said it’s vital to keep the dog away from the crazy cat.
We all know the English language has a seemingly infinite number of confusing words, so if there are a few words that still confuse you, check out this list of easily confused words.
Feel like you’ve mastered all those confusing words but feel the grammar police are ready to fine you heavily for making unnecessary sentence errors? Fear no more. Here are a few tips to help with common grammar errors related to sentence structure.
Sentence errors
6. Comma splice
A comma splice incorrectly separates two or more complete sentences with a comma.
Example: I watched movies all night, I was tired the next morning.
This sentence is a comma splice because “I watched movies all night” and “I was tired the next morning” are both complete sentences and are joined incorrectly by a comma.
7. Run-on sentence
A run-on sentence incorrectly joins two or more complete sentences without any form of punctuation.
Example: The line at the concession was long so we decided not to wait.
This sentence is a run-on sentence because “The line at the concession was long” and “we didn’t want to wait” are both complete sentences but are not joined by proper punctuation. (They are instead joined incorrectly by the conjunction “so.”)
8. Sentence fragment
A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that’s missing a subject, a verb, or a complete thought.
Example: Stayed at the hotel.
This sentence is missing a subject, which makes it a sentence fragment.
Correcting sentence errorsCorrect sentence fragments by making sure that all sentences have a subject, a verb, and a complete thought.
Correct comma splices and run-on sentences by using the following strategies.
Create two complete sentences by adding a period:
The car wouldn’t start, the battery was dead. (comma splice)
The car wouldn’t start. The battery was dead.
Correctly join the two sentences by adding a semi-colon:
Jayden and Gabriella got married Saturday it was a beautiful ceremony. (run-on sentence)
Jayden and Gabriella got married Saturday; it was a beautiful ceremony.
Make one of the sentences a dependent clause:
We went outside, we realized it was raining. (comma splice)
When we went outside, we realized it was raining.
Connect two complete sentences by adding a comma and a coordinating conjunction (also known as FANBOYS–for, an, nor, but, or, yet, so):
Sophia called me but I didn’t feel like answering her call. (run-on sentence)
Sophia called me, but I didn’t feel like answering her call.
Still feeling a little nervous? Worried that a member of the grammar police will catch you off guard and find out you’re still confused about apostrophes? Check out these tips on common grammar mistakes with apostrophes.
Apostrophe errors
Apostrophes are most often used in two instances:
- To form contractions
- To show possession
Ari ordered five pizza’s for the party.
Ari ordered five pizzas for the party.
9. ContractionsAn apostrophe can be used to indicate that letters have been omitted in a contraction. The apostrophe takes the place of the omitted letters.
Examples:
- Don’t (Do not)
- Can’t (Cannot or can not, depending on your intended meaning)
- Won’t (Will not)
- I’m (I am)
- Should’ve (Should have)
10. PossessionAn apostrophe can be used to show possession or ownership.
Example #1: the woman’s scarf (the scarf belongs to the woman)
Example #2: the boy’s action figures (the action figures belong to the boy)
Leave the Grammar Police in the Rear-view Mirror
Now that you know how to avoid 10 common grammar mistakes, you can leave the grammar police in the dust…but only if you can recognize the error that I included at the beginning of the post.
Did you recognize the apostrophe error? Did you notice that the apostrophe is used incorrectly because it makes “Mom’s” and “Dad’s” possessive? In this case, both “Moms” and “Dads” should be plural. (No apostrophe is needed.)
Looking for a few more grammar and writing style tips? Read these articles:
Want to test your grammar skills on a few sample papers? See if you can spot any errors in our sample essays.
Source: Kibin
- Published on
Reasons are multifaceted for students to make use of term paper writing services online. Studies done by academicians and several online communities clarify that there was a phenomenal increase in the number of students who buy essays online. Following are the five important reasons behind the new trend among students to approach essay writing services for term paper writing needs.
Busy Academic Schedule
Academic world has changed drastically structure-wise and content-wise. The restructuring of curriculum is, anyways, the need of the time. At the same time, there are several issues surrounding the new approach to education. Students seldom get time to spend for their personal matters. Several students complain that they are unable to find even a few minutes for recreational activities. All these happen because of the heavy syllabus most of the universities impose on students. In such a situation, it is quite impossible for them to complete academic writing assignments. Writing is an activity which requires a lot of time starting from preparatory reading. In the midst of other academic works, students cannot always complete the tasks in a time bound manner. Also, spending too much time on writing activities spoil their study time as well. Hence, most of the students look forward to get their term papers written by expert professional writers.
Incompetency in Specific Topic
All students cannot exhibit academic standards equally. There are students who are very intelligent as well as average. The fact cannot be denied that there are a number of ‘slow learners’ in several universities across USA and UK. Those who feel that they are incompetent to successfully complete the writing task approach term paper writing services. Also, it is to be noted that even the brilliant students begin to faint when it comes to the matter of writing a perfect term paper. They need to read and research a lot. Some books and journal articles are beyond comprehension for several students. In addition to that, lack of relevant materials for writing is a stumbling block for them. At such situations, they have no option other than to seek help from reliable term paper writing service.
Inadequate Writing Skills
Writing is a skill which not everyone possesses. Sometimes, one may be able to write without errors. However, such writings may not be appealing to the readers. The challenge is even more in the case of writing academic papers. They have to be precise and appealing. Students lack experience in writing term papers, and hence they tend to commit several mistakes. This leads to scoring very low grades in evaluation, which is a severe threat to their success in the specific program. To top it all, most of the students have no reading habit. Formerly, children used to read far and wide ranging from news papers to fiction. However, the advent of technology and social media had a severe impact on such a habit. As a result, they do not have any deep understanding on language. All these lead them to make use of term paper writing services.
Availability of Cheap Writing Service
Nowadays, there are several term paper writing services providing quality content at affordable rate. Competition among writing companies have ultimately benefited the students in the sense that there was a struggle for existence. Thus, there is a considerable drop in cost per page in the recent years. Also, most of the writing services employ US/UK writers to ensure quality. At least some writing services have launched free outline facility to infiltrate into the market keeping all ethics and values. With such an option, the students can ensure the quality of papers even before making payment. Revolution in the arena of online writing services have brought more students closer to it.
Laziness
Educational psychologists remark that more and more students become lazy when it comes to the matter of writing academic essays. The new generation of students wants to lead a carefree life without paying attention to improve their skills and abilities. On the other hand, they try to carry out things easily and effortlessly. At the same time, it is true that students are frustrated with the number of academic writing tasks assigned to them from time to time. Extreme stress and conflicts make them pay6 a blind eye towards all term papers assigned to them. What they do is to forward the writing requirements to any online writing services without considering quality or affordability. However, if students can think sensibly and find out the most reliable essay writing service, there are no reasons for them to worry about their term papers at all.
Busy Academic Schedule
Academic world has changed drastically structure-wise and content-wise. The restructuring of curriculum is, anyways, the need of the time. At the same time, there are several issues surrounding the new approach to education. Students seldom get time to spend for their personal matters. Several students complain that they are unable to find even a few minutes for recreational activities. All these happen because of the heavy syllabus most of the universities impose on students. In such a situation, it is quite impossible for them to complete academic writing assignments. Writing is an activity which requires a lot of time starting from preparatory reading. In the midst of other academic works, students cannot always complete the tasks in a time bound manner. Also, spending too much time on writing activities spoil their study time as well. Hence, most of the students look forward to get their term papers written by expert professional writers.
Incompetency in Specific Topic
All students cannot exhibit academic standards equally. There are students who are very intelligent as well as average. The fact cannot be denied that there are a number of ‘slow learners’ in several universities across USA and UK. Those who feel that they are incompetent to successfully complete the writing task approach term paper writing services. Also, it is to be noted that even the brilliant students begin to faint when it comes to the matter of writing a perfect term paper. They need to read and research a lot. Some books and journal articles are beyond comprehension for several students. In addition to that, lack of relevant materials for writing is a stumbling block for them. At such situations, they have no option other than to seek help from reliable term paper writing service.
Inadequate Writing Skills
Writing is a skill which not everyone possesses. Sometimes, one may be able to write without errors. However, such writings may not be appealing to the readers. The challenge is even more in the case of writing academic papers. They have to be precise and appealing. Students lack experience in writing term papers, and hence they tend to commit several mistakes. This leads to scoring very low grades in evaluation, which is a severe threat to their success in the specific program. To top it all, most of the students have no reading habit. Formerly, children used to read far and wide ranging from news papers to fiction. However, the advent of technology and social media had a severe impact on such a habit. As a result, they do not have any deep understanding on language. All these lead them to make use of term paper writing services.
Availability of Cheap Writing Service
Nowadays, there are several term paper writing services providing quality content at affordable rate. Competition among writing companies have ultimately benefited the students in the sense that there was a struggle for existence. Thus, there is a considerable drop in cost per page in the recent years. Also, most of the writing services employ US/UK writers to ensure quality. At least some writing services have launched free outline facility to infiltrate into the market keeping all ethics and values. With such an option, the students can ensure the quality of papers even before making payment. Revolution in the arena of online writing services have brought more students closer to it.
Laziness
Educational psychologists remark that more and more students become lazy when it comes to the matter of writing academic essays. The new generation of students wants to lead a carefree life without paying attention to improve their skills and abilities. On the other hand, they try to carry out things easily and effortlessly. At the same time, it is true that students are frustrated with the number of academic writing tasks assigned to them from time to time. Extreme stress and conflicts make them pay6 a blind eye towards all term papers assigned to them. What they do is to forward the writing requirements to any online writing services without considering quality or affordability. However, if students can think sensibly and find out the most reliable essay writing service, there are no reasons for them to worry about their term papers at all.
- Published on
Supreme ideas are essential to come up with an appealing persuasive essay. Quite often, students are assigned with certain tricky topics which they find too difficult to undertake. However, once some topics are assigned, there is no option other than to do it and submit on time. Even an above average student struggles a lot to compose a well balanced essay. But certain tips can help them write their Persuasive Essay Research.
Get Ideas
Once you are assigned with a topic, start thinking over it. Your first draft is prepared in your mind. However, just thinking is not enough to write a quality paper. Adequate research has to be done on the specific topic. Read a lot, and never go beyond the topic. Such an attempt will consume a lot of time, which is to be avoided in all academic writing endeavors. There will be a number of scholarly articles on your chosen area. What the experts tell is of utmost importance in writing your version of the topic. By reading the ideas of others, you can definitely find out new ones. Your paper should contain your ideas as well. Hence, be creative and start writing the persuasive essay paper confidently.
Write from Scratch
Whatever ideas you take from others, it is mandatory for you to write your paper from scratch. Give your ideas your own language. Never try to copy the words of others because it is nothing short of theft. Plagiarism has already become a major issue with academic institutions. Consequently, all universities have installed advanced anti plagiarism software so as to find out even a single trace of plagiarism. If you are faithful to what you do, there does not come any issue of plagiarism at all. It is also recommendable to make your professor read the paper from time to time and ensure that it is original and plagiarism free.
Use Scholarly Sources
Persuasive Essay Research does require your ideas and arguments. However, you cannot prove any argument without the help of adequate scholarly sources. It is in this situation that you need to choose highly quality articles written by experts in your area of specialization. Using articles from ordinary websites is to be avoided in all your essay papers. Such articles are written solely for promotional purposes. Sometimes, they do not contain any trace of truth at all. Go to a good library and pick authoritative texts. Signing up online libraries also can make use get hold of high quality scholarly sources.
Proofread Your Paper
Errors should never be a part of your Persuasive Essay Research. Spelling mistakes can be avoided by reading the paper keenly for two or three times. However, syntactical errors may not always be spotted easily. It is in such situations that you require the help of others. Choose among your friends who are competent in the topic to get the paper proofread. Some students make use of online paper writing services to fix the errors. This is not a bad idea at all because there are several services that provide quality services. However, if you can fix the errors by yourselves, it is great.
Great academic papers contain great ideas. At the same time, they are written by following specific norms and rules. The above mentioned tips make Persuasive Essay Writing Research more effective.
Get Ideas
Once you are assigned with a topic, start thinking over it. Your first draft is prepared in your mind. However, just thinking is not enough to write a quality paper. Adequate research has to be done on the specific topic. Read a lot, and never go beyond the topic. Such an attempt will consume a lot of time, which is to be avoided in all academic writing endeavors. There will be a number of scholarly articles on your chosen area. What the experts tell is of utmost importance in writing your version of the topic. By reading the ideas of others, you can definitely find out new ones. Your paper should contain your ideas as well. Hence, be creative and start writing the persuasive essay paper confidently.
Write from Scratch
Whatever ideas you take from others, it is mandatory for you to write your paper from scratch. Give your ideas your own language. Never try to copy the words of others because it is nothing short of theft. Plagiarism has already become a major issue with academic institutions. Consequently, all universities have installed advanced anti plagiarism software so as to find out even a single trace of plagiarism. If you are faithful to what you do, there does not come any issue of plagiarism at all. It is also recommendable to make your professor read the paper from time to time and ensure that it is original and plagiarism free.
Use Scholarly Sources
Persuasive Essay Research does require your ideas and arguments. However, you cannot prove any argument without the help of adequate scholarly sources. It is in this situation that you need to choose highly quality articles written by experts in your area of specialization. Using articles from ordinary websites is to be avoided in all your essay papers. Such articles are written solely for promotional purposes. Sometimes, they do not contain any trace of truth at all. Go to a good library and pick authoritative texts. Signing up online libraries also can make use get hold of high quality scholarly sources.
Proofread Your Paper
Errors should never be a part of your Persuasive Essay Research. Spelling mistakes can be avoided by reading the paper keenly for two or three times. However, syntactical errors may not always be spotted easily. It is in such situations that you require the help of others. Choose among your friends who are competent in the topic to get the paper proofread. Some students make use of online paper writing services to fix the errors. This is not a bad idea at all because there are several services that provide quality services. However, if you can fix the errors by yourselves, it is great.
Great academic papers contain great ideas. At the same time, they are written by following specific norms and rules. The above mentioned tips make Persuasive Essay Writing Research more effective.